Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Make Up Tutorial! Get rid of dark circles

A while ago I tweeted out there in twitter land about potentially posting a vlog about what I do to get rid of my dark under-eye circles.

No joke they.are.BAD.

So bad that everyone kept saying "um hey ya got some mascara under your eyes"

and I had to be all like "no, thats just my face, thanks for pointing it out".

Then it got real awkward real fast, so I would always have to throw in some random comment bout the NY Yankees to change the subject (I dont even watch baseball)

To my surprised a TON of you wanted a vlog. I was stoked at first but then i was all like "oh, hey, now I gotta show everyone my bags".

As I started to warm up to the idea of showing you guys what-mah-mommy-gave-me I realized that I don't have any good "video recording equipment". You wouldn't be able to really notice a "before" and "after" difference since the quality is so bad.

So instead I am just going to go over my routine step by step here and hopefully that helps!

I am using specific products here, I have found these products to work the best for me. I have used many different brands of concealers and foundations, so this is why I am being so specific. The below products are pricy BUT they do work. I have found that when I use the cheaper cosmetics I end up reapplying my makeup all day and end up spending the same amount on makeup since I have to refill it more than the expensive brand that lasts all day. Do you smell what I am stepping in?

Here is your arsenal of supplies:

(I got mine at Sephora, this will be used for concealer ONLY)

4 - Single sided foundation brush
(this will be used for powder foundation only)

5 - Bare Minerals Foundation Powder

6 - Urban Decay Up All Night Makeup Setting Spray

Step One:
Take your MAC Prep + Prime and place a dot size amount on your index finger and place under your eyes. Make sure all the primer is soaked into your skin. This is important because this primer will allow your concealer to go on your face smoothly. If you skip this step your concealer will go under your eyes blotchy.

Step Two:

Take your double sided concealer brush and use the smaller end inside your Mac Studio Finish Concealer. Get some concealer on your brush and swoop it under your eyes. Do not worry if you look like a gnarly football player, we will fix this. For now just go crazy and apply, apply, APPLY. Do not worry about blending it into your skin just yet, we just want to get the make up on there.

Step Three:

Ok, now put down the brush because I think you went overboard there with the concealer (ha, just kidding, you look great Tom Brady) Now take that same double sided brush and flip it around to the big end. In a downward motion place the brush under your eyes where you went all crazy on your concealer and blend it into the tops of your cheeks. Do this lightly, you don't want to remove the concealer, you just want to blend it into the rest of your skin. IMPORTANT: do not cheap out on the brush here ladies. I one time bought a cheap-o brush and ended up with 1/2 of the bristles on my face. It is worth the investment.

Step Four:
This step might not be necessary for you but I like to take my pinky "pad" and run it along my bottom lash line in case I have a "harsh edge" from the concealer from where my lash line meets my skin under the eye. This just helps soften any harsh edges from the concealer.

Step Five:
Take your single sided foundation brush and dab that into the Bare Minerals Foundation Powder (if you wanted to swap out your make up and use a cheaper version of powder foundation then I give you permission to use it here since the point of this step is to just set the concealer) Take your foundation brush that has your powder foundation on it and dab it on top of the concealer that is under your eyes. DO NOT RUB IT ON you want to "dab" it on. This will help prevent any creasing that might happen. I used to skip this step thinking it was pointless but its kind of a big deal. Also? DO NOT MIX YOUR CONCEALER BRUSHES AND YOUR POWDER BRUSHES. Concealer is, well, for lack of a better term "creamy and wet" you dont want to put a wet brush into a powder foundation or else you will get some gnarly clump concoction of grossness. Do yourself a favor and invest in 2 separate brushes.

Step Six:
You can skip this part if you want, but I figured I spent so much time on my eyes I want it to last haha. I invested in Urban Decay's "up all night make up setting spray". Basically it makes your makeup stay put. Now I know what you're thinking "Umm, hey there Leonora, how do you propose I get this make up setting spray under my eyes if I have to leave my eyes open to spray it…" Well glad you asked. Here is my trick--I take an old blush brush that I dont use anymore, spritz the top of the blush brush with the Setting Spray, then dab it under my eyes! Again DONT RUB IT UNDER you will smear off all your hard work. Bada bing now your dark circles will stay hidden under your concealer for at least 16 hours (whose better than you baby?) Extra Bonus? You can use this stuff for ALL your make up! Squirt some on a Q-Tip and dab onto your eye liner for all day stay! Spray on your face after using some blush so they dont wear off, this product is an AMAZING investment.


I really hope this helped guys! What other techniques would you want to learn?

X's and O's
Leonora

15 comments:

  1. I have all of these products except for number 6. Guess who gets to go to Sephora this weekend? Thanks Leonora!

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  2. you get dark circles...? no way! i don't believe this. at all.
    either way, fantastic tutorial! the collage is so pretty. that screams talent right there, folks - when a graphic design artist can make a dark circle collage look purty. ;)

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  3. Good to know. I also have dark circles and people always ask "are you ok?/You look tired!" and I have to say "nope, I am well rested...I just have pale skin and my eyes are sunk into my head so it makes me look tired. But this is the way I look!"

    Some people are so rude :).

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  4. It's nice to know I'm not the only one out there that has to deal with this....dark circles are a pain! I have been looking for a new trick to fix, so THANK YOU for this lovely and VERY helpful tutorial ma'am! :) Preciate chya!

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  5. This is awesome i use 3 of the products, have not tried the all nighter, will def go buy that! :)

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  6. LeeLee, if this works you are my new hero! (well, at least more than you already are.) I will now ask for a Sephora gift card for Valentine's day.

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  7. Sweet!! Apparently I'm in need of this info- last time I walked into sephora, the lady asked to show me their strongest under eye concealer without me asking for it! *wah wah*

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  8. I just started a blog myself (www.thealyssabea.blogspot.com) I love the layout of yours!
    I too have pretty large under eye circles. Have you tried the Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circle Treatment? It works pretty well for me.

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  9. You've got skillzzz! (Zzzs were intentional... dark circles = no sleep... um, yeah. You might have just learned something about me. That's normal.)

    ANYWAY, I just wanted to let you know that I posted about some of your prints today on our Etsy Love blog post... because I LOVE the "SHHHH not while I'm crafting". It's exactly what I say to my pups & hubby, except replace the crafting with stitching. :) Have a great weekend!

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  10. i need this tutorial because homegirl ALWAYS has dark circles under her eyes.

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  11. If you are experiencing puffy eyes, you will surely look tired and affect your total appearance. Puffy eyes might even make you seem older than your actual age.

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  12. I have had dark circles since I was a little girl. I hate them! I've tried all kinds of concealers and sometimes it makes matters worse.

    Thanks for your tutorial. Now I know how to apply the products the proper way to hush the dark circles. Thanks again!

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  13. For dark circle removal, the blepharoplasty treatment is also a very effective method. My mom actually had a blepharoplasty Toronto procedure two years ago in order to get rid of dark circles under her eyes. The treatment worked very well for her! She is looking now younger and more beautiful!

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  14. Raw potatoes can be helpful in lessening these under eye dark circles and spots.

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