Who Better To Know About Concealer Than A Man?

About 3 years ago, I discovered something on my face. Upon climbing to that mid-thirties age group, I saw something staring back at me in the mirror that I had never seen before.

Dark circles.

Under my eyes.

Raccoon- looking, sleep deprived, sad dark circles.

I have always used concealer. As a teen and young adult I used it to cover a few blemishes. I say few because I did not really realize the need for concealer until my mid thirties.

Now it seems there are spots my doctor says from my over exposure to the sun. Word from the wise – Wear sunscreen on your face every day. Then there are the age spots. Who me? Oh, and the dark circles which are most likely from lack of sleep but even after a well rested night they do not seem to go away.

So needless to say, I have been on the search for the perfect concealer for these last few years.

Some time ago, I headed to the mall with my two kids in tow. We walked by Sephora and even with my two kids the pull was so strong, I decided we had to stop in. So, with the promise of a trip to Build a Bear (we had some major coupons), I was on a quest to find a new concealer.

I told one of the girls working there what I was looking for and she said she had the perfect person to help me find what I needed.

She introduced me to a young man in full make up. Yes, indeed.

I don’t know if it was me or my daughter that was in more shock. I could just see her anticipation the whole time in wanting to ask me exactly why this man was wearing make up. And believe me, she did just as soon as we finished our purchase and left the store.

Anyway, aside from the reality check of the real world that I had to share with my young daughter, I actually thought to myself, “Who better to know about concealer than a man trying to look like a woman?” Seriously, he has to cover up some major stuff to make his face look like a girl.

He led me to a Vincent Longo Creme Concealer. It is very creamy and does an excellent job covering up my dark circles. I use it under my eyes and love that it doesn’t cake up and settle into the creases like some concealers do. I use a concealer brush to apply it and and blend with my middle finger. You have to be careful with that under eye tissue you know. I sets well with a little powder and blends nicely with my foundation.

It doesn’t, however, cover up age or sun spots as well as I hoped. It says it is a medium to full coverage concealer and I really feel it falls more in line with being medium coverage. It does last a long time. I have been using the same little pod for a year now. At $28.00 that is a good thing.

Another favorite concealer of mine is made by Mary Kay. I think it is very effective in hiding the darker blemishes. I use the yellow for my skin tone. It is also so affordable at $10 a tube and lasts a long time.

You can find that HERE or find your local Mary Kay consultant.

The key to concealer I think is to find one that is right for your skin tone so that you don’t look like you have big white circles under your eyes – that is not much better than the dark.

Also, remember a little goes a long way in this case. I think it was said right here on Chic Critique that if you are using concealer on half of your face you might consider using a different foundation or start to use one if you are not already doing so.

Have a great weekend, everyone!