Historically women have used yellow-based concealers to diminish under eye dark circles, but makeup pioneers like Bobbi Brown, Laura Mercier, and Trish McEvoy have revolutionized the concealer, creating an entirely different product called under eye correctors or brighteners to wipe dreaded darkness from underneath our eyes.
Where do the circles come from?
Dilated blood vessels. A bluish color underneath the eyes indicates that the vessels there have visibly widened to accommodate increased blood flow. To prevent widened vessels get more sleep, lessen alcohol consumption, and and wear a sunscreen. To neutralize the bluish hue, use a brightener with an Orange, Peach or Salmon color.
Thinning skin expose blood vessels. The skin underneath the eyes in the thinnest and most fragile on the face. Unprotected exposure to the sun, rubbing or being rough with your eyes, and lack of moisture can cause the skin to become thinner. To avoid transparent skin, use an eye cream that has peptides to help firm the skin, has a small molecular structure that can penetrate the thin skin, Hyaluronic acid and anti-oxidant properties.
Under-eye water retention and fat pads cause puffiness and can create shadows. To avoid under eye puffiness, drink more water, lessen your sodium intake, eat more fiber. Fat pads can be hereditary, but the sagging of the skin can be delayed by using a firming eye cream.
An increase of melanin/hyper pigmentation in your skin. The surface of the skin can become darkened with a brown color due either to damage from the sun or to genetics. To neutralize the brown hue use a Pink corrector.
Nutrition, allergies, stress, hormones, and medications are also contributors to the darkening under the eyes.
What do I do with my yellow-based concealer?
It's best for purplish circles (think about the opposite color on the color wheel).
Your concealer becomes step 2 in your under eye process. A corrector may leave an unwanted hue. Your concealer, foundation or tinted moisturizer will even out your skin tone.
Best Under Eye Correctors:
-Bobbi Brown*
-Benefit*
-Jouer**
-YSL Touche Eclat (not ideal for photo shoots, too much light reflection)
-Laura Mercier
-Trish McEvoy
*I carry this in my beauty kit
**This item will available at the Beauty Lounge in January
by Julie Swenson, your S & C Hairstylist and Makeup Artist
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Even if you don't wear makeup, your face is still exposed to the weather, pollution, grime, and to free radicals. By using a facial cleanser you're clearing away the dirt, debris, old skin cells, and facilitating the skin renewal process for younger, healthier looking skin.
How do I choose a cleanser? Know your skin type. In the Smart and Chic world there are 5 types; dry, oily, balanced, combination and sensitive.
Dry skin looks dull and feels rough.
Oily skin looks shiny, with enlarged pores and feels slick.
Balanced skin looks clear complected and healthy, it feels smooth.
Combination skin looks both dull and shiny, typically shinier in the forehead, nose and chin area.
Sensitive skin looks irritated and feels tight and itchy.
When you identify your skin type, you can start narrowing down what the best cleanser for you is.
Dry skin benefits from a
creamy or milky cleanser that both cleanses and offers increased hydration. Choose one with a small amount of alcohol or astringent properties.Recommendations:
**Cara Skin Renewal CleanserCetaphil Oily Skin benefits from a cleanser that is
low in pH and contains
antibacterial triclosan and salicylic acid. The trick is to find a balance with cleaning trapped oils and dirt from pores, while leaving dermal layers hydrated. Recommendations:
**Cara Oil Defense CleanserMurad Clarifying Cleanser
Balanced Skin benefits from a pH balanced cleanser that is able to remove impurities but also replenishes and protects the skin with vitamins, aloe and chamomile.Recommendations:
**Cara Vibran-C Cleanser**Malin + Goetz Grapefruit Face Cleanser Combination Skin benefits from cleansers with ingredients like tea tree oil to lift away impurities, alpha-hydroxy acids to help smooth the skin's surface, and
Pro-Vitamin B5 to moisturize, soothe, heal and regenerate the skin.Recommendations:
Jurlique Purifying Foam CleanserClarins Water Purify One Step Cleanser Sensitive Skin benefits from cleanser that is fragrance-free and free of parabens, sulfates, synthetic dyes and phthalates.Recommendations:
Caudalie Gentle Cleanser Olay Foaming Face Wash **Products available at Smart & Chic Beauty Lounge Written by Julie Swenson, Beauty PhD
@the Beauty Lounge
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Get fabulously luscious lashes with an easy-to-use, heated 'comb' curler. The Beauty Lounge now carries Blinc's Heated Lash Curler.
"Blinc's heated lash curler is simple to use and shapes lashes in seconds. Its innovative design delivers a precise amount of heat, while making it easy to reach even the tiniest lashes. Its sleek, compact size makes it easy to carry, even in the smallest purse. blinc heated lash curler's temperature control mechanism and protective contact guard ensures its safe use. Your lashes will show extravagant curves that will last all day!"
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Photo Courtesy of Cyberstylist4u
Whoa. Hello eyeliner.
Eyeliner trauma. We've all had it. Mine was in the seventh grade. I dolled myself up for a Little Falls Flyers basketball game. In went the Conair hot rollers, then a stroke of the Maybelline blush on the cheeks into the hairline, and to finish the look, the Wet and Wild Kohl eyeliner pencil. Eeerr eeek. That's the sound of how I applied it. Thick. Harsh. And only on my bottom lash line. Up walked Sharon D. who stated, "you wear too much eyeliner." Horrified I ran to the restroom and attempted to take it off with tissues and water, which just made me look like a hotter mess. I didn't wear eyeliner again until I was twenty two. I still hesitate to wear it today, but at thirty four, my eyes are starting to disappear off my face and liner definitely says, 'here they are!'
What is the purpose of eyeliner?Eyeliner is to define the contour of your eye shape. Specific eye lining techniques will make eyes 'pop', or can make eyes appear smaller or larger.
Should I line both the top and bottom?Depends on your eye shape. If your eyes are already wide and large, you can line both top and bottom, but if your eyes are small, lining both top and bottom will make them appear even smaller. Lining just the bottom tends to pull your eyes downward and can make them appear droopy.
Should I line the entire lash line?I've been trained (Bobbi Brown) to apply liner from inner corner to outer corner on the top lash line for the most natural look. But again, depending on your eye shape, you don't have to put liner in the inner corner of your eye if you don't want to accentuate such a curved contour of the eye. Instead you might want to apply a lighter color in the inner corner.
There are all types of eyeliners, which one is best for me?
Gel/Creme liners stay put the best, but are sometimes harder to apply. Find a fairly stiff angled brush and a magnified mirror for best results. Also try not to expose the liner to air, as it dries out quickly. *Gel liners do not have the ability to smudge.Recommendations1. MAC Fluidline2. Bobbi Brown Gel Liner3. Clinique Creme Liner
(I am a double lining type of makeup artist. I prefer Gel/Creme liners as my second line, a really tight line right at the upper lash line.)
Pencil liners are the best for smudging, but because of the waxes, have the tendency to smear all over the face. Smearing can also be caused by your facial bone structure or by active tear ducts. If you know you are prone to smearing, choose one that is water proof or smudge proof.Recommendations1. **Stella Powderline2. MAC Powerpoint3. Urban Decay 24/7
Cake/Powder eyeliners are the most versatile eyeliners. With a fine liner brush you can get a precise line, a smudged line, a soft line, any type of line.Recommendations1. **Jouer Eyeshadow Powder in Espresso2. Make Up Designory (MUD) Cake Liner3. Jane Iredale Cream to Powder
Liquid Eyeliners provide the ultimate lined eye. Angelina Jolie and Marilyn Monroe come to mind -perfectly straight line with lifted corners. Practice makes perfect and after a few tries you will master the fine art of eye lining.Recommendations1. Lancome Artliner2. Urban Decay Liquid Liner3. Jemma Kidd for Target
Written by Julie Swenson, Beauty PhD
@ the Beauty Lounge
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Photo Courtesy of Outdoorshots
Whether it was brushing 10 inches of snow off our cars, shoveling, or staying in doors in dry heat, this weekend has left us with dry skin from head to toe.
The Do's of Dry Skin
DOUse a handcream with little amounts of fragrance or perfumes which can irritate and sting.Recommendations:Yu-Be Skin Care CreamMario Badescu Elasto-Seamollient Hand CreamJack Black Industrial Strength Hand Healer
DOTake infrequent lukewarm baths and showers with specific ingredients to soothe and soften skin.Recommendations:Aveda Caribbean Therapy Body ScrubH2O Milk Shower GelKorres Guava Moisturizing Shower Gel
DOUse a lip conditioner AND a lip balm (I am a junkie).Recommendations:Yu Be Lip Therapy**Sara Happ Lip Slip**Malin + Goetz Lip MoisturizerAveda Lip Renewing Lip TreatmentJack Black Intense Therapy Lip BalmCaudalie Lip ConditionerFresh Sugar Lip TreatmentKorres Lip ButterKiehl's Lip Balm
DO Use footcreams!Recommendations:Yu-Be Skin Care Cream (the new Yu-Be socks are amazing)Aveda Foot ReliefKiehl's Intensive Treatment and MoisturizerAvon Foot Works
DOApply moisturizer or oil right after bath/shower to lock in moisture.Recommendations:Yu-Be Moisturizing Body LotionAveda Caribbean Therapy Body CremeBliss Body ButterCurel Therapeutic Moisturizing LotionKorres Body ButtersAveda Beautifying OilFresh Rice Dry Oil
Written by Julie Swenson, Beauty PhD@
the Beauty Lounge
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