How To: The Green Concealer

Recently (and by recently I mean the last year and a half) I began using green concealer.  There was a brief period of time when my face was completely clear or all things red however, this grace period disappeared and I am now back to using a green concealer daily to cover any, and all, red imperfections.  After using this green stick for the past year, I can honestly say I have no idea how I lived without it.

Pimples suck right? I know, silly question.  However, what sucks more than having a pimple is not knowing how to conceal it properly.  It doesn't matter how expensive the concealer, foundation or powder you use if it doesn't conceal imperfections well.  Plus, to hide a red mark you must use a green based concealer.  A yellow based product will never hide a blemish the way it's color counterpart can.  It's as simple as that.

There are 3 items I swear by when concealing pimples: green concealer, a concealer brush and a fantastic loose powder.  (Now, since I only ever use a powder foundation I also incorporate a great powder foundation and a makeup sponge.  If you are only trying to cover a blemish and don't like a lot of makeup, then you only need the first three items.)  The three items I use daily to cover all blemishes are Physician's Formula Gentle Cover Concealer in Cover Green, E.L.F. Professional Concealer Brush and my trusty Youngblood Loose Foundation in Pearl.

  Step 1: The Green Concealer

Swipe the brush back and forth in the concealer a few times to ensure the brush has a light coating of concealer.

Step 2: Apply Concealer to Blemish

Apply green concealer-coated brush directly to blemish.  (PS - I would never normally use this much concealer on a spot but wanted to show you what the color looked like against my skin.)  Once applied, pat the product into the pimple using your middle finger (or which ever finger you feel comfortable using.)  Don't be alarmed if the spot is still slightly visible through the concealer.

Step 3: The Loose Powder

Perhaps my favorite step of all.  Take the same concealer brush you used to apply the green concealer and place in some loose powder.  Put enough on the brush to cover the pimple you'd applied the green concealer on.

Step 4: Applying the Loose Powder

Apply the loose powder directly to the blemish.  No need to be fancy as all the excess with be blended in momentarily.

Step 5: Blending

I always use my middle finger to blend but should you want to use something else, a makeup sponge does come in handy here.  Blend until all the loose powder is firmly in the skin and the blemish is covered.  

Now, for the ladies that like to wear less makeup then by all means stop here.  However, I like to finish my whole face off with a fabulous pressed powder (Clinique's Perfectly Real Compact Makeup and a makeup sponge).   I find that this not only sets the concealer but my face appears flawless and feels much smoother.

Hope this makeup trick helps ladies.  Do you usually use a green concealer?  If so, which is your favorite brand?

OOTD: Valentine's Day Style

Yes, this is my banana peel from this morning

Happy Love Day everyone!!

Am I a sucker for commercialism if I say I love Valentine's Day?  I certainly hope not.  Valentine's Day, for me though, isn't about the chocolates or flowers or dinner dates out on the town.  Instead, it's the premise of a love day that makes me happy.  Everyone seems to be in a special mood regardless of where you go and the lovey-dovey words just seem to pour out of me.  I guess I am a true sap.

So, seeing that today is an extra special day, I thought I'd share a couple items that make me remember hearts and love: my favorite Material Girls heart sweater and Physician's Formula Happy Booster Glow & Mood Boosting Powder in Natural.

First check out this blush.  Not only does it have hearts galore inside the compact but the colors are just divine.  I love how shimmery the colors are and how natural looking the pink tones are.  Definitely a plus for anyone with fair skin.

Last but not least, one of my favorite Macy's purchases ever...a Material Girl Collection (Madonna and her daughter's clothing line) grey, black and red sweater.  I love it because it's the perfect length when worn with leggins (since it still covers my bum) and I can through on a leather jacket and feel very rocker-ish, like I did this morning.

I'm now going to enjoy the homemade spinach dip I made for our staff V-Day Potluck and await the surprise dinner Allan has planned for tonight.

What are your plans for today?  What are your favorite heart items?

The Power of Green

On the color wheel, for those that don't know, red and green are directly across from each other. Though I've known this for quite some time, I've never before used a concealer that didn't match my skin perfectly....until the other weekend.

I've been going through quite a rough patch with my skin for the past couple weeks. For some reason, I'm breaking out A LOT more than usual. Typically, I don't really care, but my friend and I had planned a weekend in the States and I was dreading getting all dressed up and having a bright red intruder on my chin. So, after some careful perusing, I purchased my first ever green concealer.

As I was applying my makeup, I used just a tad of Physicians Formula Gentle Cover Concealer in Green to cover my monstrosity. Low and behold, the product covered the pimple like a dream. I used the stick on some of my scarring (since I'm so fair, scarring is something I'm prone to) and it covered everything with one easy swipe of the tube.

Since that day, this little tube of green wonder has become a staple in my makeup bag. I use it on everything from minor touch-ups to large red spots and it always does the trick.

QUICK TIP: I used to apply concealer first before any other product and it seemed I was using way more product, plus I felt oily during the day. So, I've changed my ways. Once you've moisturized you skin, apply a quick setting powder to your skin before anything else. (A rice powder OR translucent powder will do the trick.) It seems to sop up any extra oil and moisture which creates an even canvas. After this step, apply your concealer. You will use a lot less, I guarantee it.