Concealer: Through Thick and Thin

   

Laura Mercier High Coverage Concealer
$32

We vacationed this year towards the tail end of a very long winter. By the time we left, I thought I looked wan and wiped.  I made a trip to Sephora expressly to find a concealer that would cover and brighten my fatigued looking under eyes.

Laura Mercier has always enjoyed a good rep, particularly for her concealers. Feeling a wee desperate, I tried out her High Coverage Concealer while in the store.  I was amazed how instantly refreshed I looked. I purchased it imagining how deeply rested I would soon appear, just a few days into my vacation.

I was convinced I stumbled onto my next DivaDebbi Holy Grail product...wrong. Me being me, I fortunately had a spare packed.

I don't think it was just the warmer climate--this concealer is so thick, you practically need pliers to get it out of the tube.  Within an hour or two of wear it congealed under my eyes and anything that may have blown by seemed to adhere to it. If this is how High Coverage Concealer works, I think we may be better off without it.

Back to Sephora it went....

I'm not a huge magazine reader anymore, but I will take the time to peruse them while getting mani and pedi's.  My first look see is always the beauty pages.

Fortuitously, Sandy Linter, Lancome's "Beauty at Any Age" spokesperson, was weighing in on her preferred concealer weight.  Sandy, is an icon in the beauty world, having worked as an artist for 4 decades and performing her magic tricks on early Supermodels like Christie Brinkley and Cheryl Tiegs.

Sandy's tack is the exact opposite; she recommends going as sheer as you can, while still receiving your desired results.  Hmmm...why not?  The opposite tack certainly proved to be the wrong approach.

CVS is just above Cozy Nails, so with that thought still burning in my brain, I decided to stalk the aisles to see what might fit the bill.

I stumbled upon Garnier's BB Cream Miracle Skin Perfector, intended specifically for use under the eyes.

Garnier BB Cream Miracle Skin Perfector

$14.99 (Am I alone in thinking these drugstore cosmetics are creeping up in price?)

It is only available in two shades, so I opted for the light/ medium. The metal roller ball is supposed to feel cooling and the gentle pressure provided is intended to help with puffiness. Let's just wrap that up with, "nonsense".  In fact, the applicator is a mess.  I usually apply it with my finger and then do some clean up with a tissue.

Here are the plusses:  'Sandy' is on to something...lighter and thinner is the way to go.  For someone with very dark circles, this product won't provide enough coverage. In fact, for most, myself included, it works like a fabulous tinted primer, smoothing the area and getting the job started. If I were running out of the house due to a fire this would do nicely.

So what should I use for my part deux???

As luck would have it, a dear friend decided to have a lower eye blepharoplasty, with Dr. Neil Gordon.  Dr. Gordon is also a fan of using a CO2 laser to blast away fine lines and wrinkles. The CO2 laser is incredibly effective, but for several weeks you can count on any area it torches touches, to look a bit tartare like, to put it delicately. 

I am a great admirer of Dr. Gordon's incredibly natural face work.  I interviewed him at length a few years back and that blog has been read by well over 5000 people! Here is a link if you would like to learn more about his facelift philosophy and why women who choose Dr. Gordon generally set the clock back 15 years after healing.  "One and Done", pretty much sums it up.

When my friend went back for her follow up visit, she asked what they recommended to cover the post procedure redness. Trial and error have made them fans of Glominerals concealers, which come in 4 shades. She was thrilled with the results and was amazed at the coverage she achieved with such a lightweight formula.  "You must try this", she urged.

Twist my arm...

I was only able to find  this particular glominerals concealer on Amazon, and opted like my friend, to purchase it in "natural".  Well, this is remarkably good stuff!  I wish the whole pot only contained the lighter shade. I'm not sure when or where I would used the darker half, but a little goes a long way, and it will be a very long time before I will need to replenish it. This has a beautiful finish, that covers flawlessly and doesn't settle into fine lines.(I did find their whole line available at Gloprofessionals. They even had all of the concealer shades available in singles, but as in an "oil free" version. The one I like was pictured, but not available...Good God, I feel my hoarding gene kicking in...)

glominerals concealer
$32

I know this has been an exceptionally long post,  but the truth is, my search for the perfect concealer is a couple of decades in the making, so you will have the full benefit of my experiences.

Have I missed something?  So many of you email me privately. Please don't be shy about sharing your thoughts and experiences with my readers.

Girl Power. It's truly a beautiful thing...

xox,

DD