beauty culture: camouflage

Ok I think it’s time to come clean. From a self-professed “I’m not a beauty gal”…THIS IS MY CONCEALER COLLECTION. Okkkkk. So maybe I pick my poison and stick with it. I have this sort of brutal thin skin (thanks mom ) and it tends to get even more transparent this harsh winter time of the year. Factor my Lebanese genes into the mix, and I’m plagued with perpetual dark under eye circles. Like the blue-ish kind (and for this, a little brightener makes all the difference). Sort of adding insult to injury, a makeup artist once told me (putting it in my head. Permanently) that one day in the not too far future I will need some form of cosmetic procedure (?!?!?!) to lighten up the dark circles, as they inevitably darken with age.

Two thoughts came out of that scenario. 1. They’re gonna get WORSE?! 2. I don’t DO cosmetic surgery ANYTHING. No dice. But clearly my avoidance of all things surgery, does not mean I’m short any neuroses: I guess I sort of hord allllll the concealer options possible. By the looks of this pictured collection, I don’t leave a makeup counter without scoping out the camo prospects.

The latest one to meet the gang, is Laura Mercier‘s Secret Concealer in No.2. And the Laura Mercier Secret Brightener. I’ve been after the reputed stuff for YEARS. Literally. But never took the plunge. And it skyrocketed to an immediate fave, so maybe my subconscious knew I wouldn’t want to live with the splurge commitment. Thankfully a little concealer goes a LONG way so it’s easy on Le Budget.

Before Laura Mercier I was hooked on Lancôme‘s Teint Miracle and before that MAC’s Pro Longwear in NW25…and Stila‘s Perfecting Concealer in a combo of shade C and D. My issue has long been finding a concealer that doesn’t see my mascara or eyeliner smudging, negating any concealer effect at all as you end up with more raccoon eyes than your started out with. To evade this result I’ve tried everything waterproof, from mascara to eyeliner (MAC‘s LiquidLast has beat out everything else for the steady contender). Teint Miracle goes on liquidy but dries to powder like which makes all the difference. MAC‘s Pro Longwear Concealer has the same effect. It’s solid too.

The others: Smashbox Photo Op Under Eye Brightener, CARGO Jet Lag Concealer, NARS Concealer and Stila Perfecting Concealer.