For Real Change That You Can See, Lighten Up Dark Under Eye Circles From Within

Natural darkness can be improved, if you know where to start.

Under eye darkness really can be depressing when you look at yourself in the mirror.  Though you can’t prevent the hand that heredity may have dealt you with how your body reacts to allergens, stress, or even processes the nutrients from foods you eat for playing a part in developing dark circles, there is another solution besides concealers and eye creams with vitamin K or caffeine to free up that trapped blood lurking beneath.

Instead of just working on the outside to mask the problem, you might want to try working on the inside as well.   What I suggest is to supply the body with plenty of the nutrients it needs to strengthen blood vessel walls from leaking to that delicate eye area through eating more antioxidant rich foods.

Berries such as blueberries, cranberries, strawberries, and blackberries are excellent sources. Pomegranates, dark varieties of grapes, pecans, almonds, legumes, sweet potatoes, dark green vegetables, and parsley are just some others that can help build up the structure of blood vessel tissue.

Drinking more water to flush out toxins and keeping the blood circulating more freely also does seem to help. 

My allergic shiners are still there, but I am noticing my under eye area has brightened somewhat since starting this. Mary is happier that I now added more antioxidants to my day with the improvement I have had so far.  Try it yourself and hopefully, your own under eye darkness brightens up your look and mood as it is doing for me!

Here’s More Great Makeup Advice for Better Counteracting Darkness Under the Eye

This beauty won't be hiding that lovely face now that she's aware of these concealer tips.

Whether you blame that darkness under your eyes from lack of sleep, heredity, too much sun exposure that causes the discoloration from melanin that is released, the aging process due to thinner skin in the area with fewer deposits of fat and collagen that formerly hid the blood vessels or allergies, it is one of the biggest problems most of us complain about.  

Living with allergies over the years has forced me to become somewhat of an expert in the art of concealment.  What I am sharing with you is through my accumulated experience of what worked the best in my case.

The blacker the darkness is, the more that you might want a heavier formula than a sheerer one that often can come in a wand.  Consider the color just one shade lighter than your skin tone.  Avoid the mistake of trying to whiten the darkness out with too pale of a color because it will only ring the eyes with a white cast instead.

What works the best for me on those days when I see a lot of dark blue-purple beneath my eyes is opting for one that has light peach to it.  Though you may be satisfied with the coverage, I always think that a formula with light-reflecting pigments does more than just conceal as it brightens up the area.

Invest in a concealer brush because it will allow you to ideally place coverage where a finger can be clumsy. The brush will give you more control than that finger ever could to maneuver in tight spaces near the corner of the eye.  I found using a narrow, firm brush with a tapered flat head works the best.

However, if you need to use your finger, stick to just the little finger because it won’t put as much pressure as you work on that fragile skin.  Besides, it is a better fit for this purpose.  Make sure to gently pat the concealer as your finger moves along its path.  After all, you want the product to stay put to do the job instead of transferring to your finger.

If you notice the concealer caking in your fine lines, the formula probably is too thick.  What you can do is slightly dampen your finger and gently smooth it over. 

I never thought dabbing some loose powder was as important as it is for keeping concealer in place, but it makes all the difference.  Champagne highlighting powder can further brighten up the skin while locking the product in place wonderfully.

When the darkness is especially at its worst, I found you do something else to distract away from it.  What I do is to concentrate attention to focus elsewhere on my face.  Try using a brighter lipstick or shade of blush that day will pull eyes more to where you look better. 

For more helpful information on the subject of concealing dark circles, do read my previous posts with tips and techniques that I picked up over time.

Review + Swatches: Amazing Cosmetics Amazing Concealers (Fair, Fair Golden), Cover and Contour on the Go Perfection Stick (Fair) and Concealer Brush

**Disclaimer:  This post has been compensated through a free product (s) or monetary payment.  Opinions are solely mine. All links are "no-follow" links.**   

Amazing Cosmetics Amazing Concealer in Fair

A product that most of us can’t live without is concealer.  Since I heard a lot of great buzz about the ones from Amazing Cosmetics, I just had to see for myself  how well their Amazing Concealers and Perfection Stick covered, disguised and corrected what needed done on my face.

The company was kind enough to send me two different shades of their Little Amazing Concealer ($28) in Fair and Fair Golden.   This is a travel size .2 fl. oz., but they also have a larger .5 fl. oz. size ($42). However, I like this smaller tube because this full coverage, highly pigmented, waterproof concealer can go a long way before it will be used up.

Amazing Cosmetics Amazing Concealer in Fair Golden

The consistency of this product is not thick, but still creamy and somewhat liquid. Do shake the tube thoroughly before you attempt to squeeze some out to make sure it blends well. 

Amazing Cosmetics concealer brush is a quality tool for applying concealer, especially for hard to reach areas like under the eyes for doing a more thorough job.  

I was glad that they also supplied me with a concealer brush because this formula was ideal to paint under eye dark circles.  The size head of that brush made my application more precise as I patted a tiny dot of it in, especially when it came to getting the area near the bottom lashes and the corners of my eyes. 

The first swatch on the left is Amazing Concealer Fair Golden, then Fair and ending with the Perfection Stick (Fair) swatch.

All I needed was one coat of this concealer to banish my current darkness.  In its place, their formula managed to brighten as it hid and flawlessly blended into my natural skin color without settling into my creases over time.  I could wear either shade, but I prefer the lighter Fair color for how it suited my complexion.  There are 18 other shades available.

The Perfection Stick ($23) was something else I was fond of using for all the things this chubby pencil did to help beautify me.  I liked it for throwing in my handbag for bringing some light where I need it or to spot cover a skin problem or under eye darkness, if the occasion called for it when away from home. For heavy under eye darkness, you'll still want the Amazing Concealer because this is lighter and gives more of a brightening effect.  It was also great for playing with my lip line or to even out your skin tone.  This self-sharpening pencil comes in three other shades besides Fair that I selected.

Amazing Cosmetics Perfection Stick in Fair

I don’t know how I ever missed trying Amazing Cosmetics until now, but I’m glad that I finally tried a few of their products.  After my experience with their concealers, I do intend on looking into more of their products. Do check them out as well!

Have you tried Amazing Cosmetics yet and these concealers?  

Review: Mineral Fusion SPF 16 Brightening Eye Cream for Under Eye Darkness!

**Disclaimer:  This post has been compensated through a free product (s) or monetary payment.  Opinions are solely mine. All links are "no-follow" links.**

Mineral Fusion SPF 16 Brightening Eye Cream won Mary's heart!

Since I have been beauty blogging, I have reviewed quite a few eye creams.  Some of those products worked better than others for smoothing out fine creases and moisturizing while providing a nice base before concealer and eye makeup.  However, I have never found one that did such a sensational job as Mineral Fusion’s SPF 16 Brightening Eye Cream.

This all-natural eye cream is a rich textured, white cream with light reflecting mica and zinc oxide for mineral SPF protection along with rose hip oil and avocado for hydrating the delicate skin in this area as well as firm it in its 100% vegan formula.  What you don’t have to worry about in this cream is any parabens, artificial color, talc, fragrance or gluten that might cause you sensitivity or pose a risk to health.

The first few days, I did not notice any real change from this cream.  It did smooth and moisturize just like the others and made it easy to apply my other eye cosmetics, but nothing exceptional that made it stand out. Then, something happened a couple of days later that really impressed me. 

On the fourth day of using this eye cream, I saw a dramatic change in how it lightened my under eye darkness.  Don’t get me wrong, but I still have some darkness in a small section at the corner of each eye. Nonetheless, most of the remaining darkness is greatly improved in color.  I have never seen anything do such and amazing job on my allergic shiners than this eye cream for whitening those dark circles.  If this cream did so much in just four days, I can only imagine how great my eyes are going to look with continued use.

Trust me on this, I have year round allergies that make dark circles an everyday occurrence.  Yet, this $24.99 eye cream did things that some pricier ones could not to turn this problem around.

With all sincerity, if you live with an under eye darkness problem, Mineral Fusion SPF 16 Brightening Eye Cream needs to be in your beauty bag.  After trying this product, I am confident that you will be thanking for turning you onto its awesome lightening power.

You can find it at Mineral Fusion or Whole Foods Markets, but do pick it up!  I love, love, love this eye cream and so will YOU!

*Disclaimer:  Free products were provided to facilitate this review--not my opinion.*

Why You May Want to Reconsider Using Your Finger to Blend Your Under Eye Concealer!

Don't hide behind sunglasses for dark under eye circles.  Instead, discover how to better cover them for ideal coverage! 

Of course, you can apply your under eye concealer with a finger.  I have often done that.  It is quick and always saves you from cleaning an extra makeup brush.  However, I stopped once I understood why I kept needing to change one formula of under eye concealer for the next. 

What I learned is that the oils in our fingers warm as we blend that concealer, causing the formula to thin out instead of give more substantial coverage as intended. I found that relying on a concealer brush really made the concealer cover more thoroughly.  

Excited by this finding, I decided to test this theory on a few other liquid under eye concealers that I was about to toss that were still in my makeup bag.  Believe it or not, a concealer brush will help improve the quality of that darkness coverage most of the time. I cannot say all of those under eye concealers passed the test to my satisfaction because some formulas were still less than perfect, but there was a definite difference.

I dare you to try this same experiment before you replace a concealer that hasn’t lived up to your expectations.  You just might find that the cause of that poor under eye coverage isn’t coming from the product itself–-only from the addition of the oils from your fingers as you work it into to your skin to change the integrity of its formula.

Pur Minerals Disappearing Ink 4-in-1 Concealer Pen (Light) Review + SWATCHES!

**Disclaimer:  This post has been compensated through a free product (s) or monetary payment.  Opinions are solely mine. All links are "no-follow" links.**

Pur Minerals Disappearing Ink 4-in-1 Concealer Pen (Light)

One cosmetic that I find indispensable is concealer, especially if you have year round allergies as I do. Therefore, I am always interested in testing new ones to see if they fare better for my darkness problem than their processors.  This time I got to put Pur Minerals Disappearing Ink 4-in-1 Concealer Pen (Light) to the test.

This product is a pushup pen that not only covers and brightens with its diamond complex, but also cares for the skin with anti-aging ingredients found in ceretin complex.

What I found was great was that it went on smooth, did an excellent job of hiding the darkness, and didn’t settle into fine lines under eyes as some others do over time.  You can really wear this products for hours without worrying about creasing.

The only thing that disappointed me was how dark Pur Minerals made their lightest shade.  Their Light was entirely too deep beige for someone like me that is fair to light.  I have used other concealer shades labeled Light without any problem.  This one, however, was more on the order of a medium shade to me.

Here is a swatch of Pur Minerals Disappearing Ink 4-in-1 Concealer in Light.  

My only wish is that Pur Minerals adjust the color or simply add a Fair color for those of us that are paler.  

The Pur Minerals Disappearing Ink 4-in-1 Concealer Pen retails for $23 at their website. You can also stop at Kohl’s and check the colors in person.  

*Disclaimer:  This is my own honest opinion.  A free product was provided solely to facilitate this review.*

A Helpful Trick to Conceal Serious Under Eye Darkness!

IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye Concealer is one of my favorites.

Trying to cover up my allergic shiners has taught me quite a few things of what works and what does not when it comes to dealing with heavy duty under eye darkness. What I am about to share with you is a great trick to use on those days when your circles are extremely dark.

Try dabbing some creamy white eye shadow in the corners of your eyelids at the top and bottom. Those ladies with a dark complexion can try the same technique only use a light brown shadow instead. Now blend well before layering on concealer on the area and around the eyes.

I also found that the best shades of concealer are ones that have pink, peach or yellow undertones to offset the blue and green darkness lurking beneath your eyes. 

Furthermore, concealers that have light-reflecting pigments are the most helpful.  This variety of concealer will redirect light–and attention away from that darkness.

On those occasions, I suggest steering clear of certain eye shadow colors such as purple, red, plum and blue shades.  Instead of being complimentary, those particular colors will work against you.  You’ll just end up looking like you lost a fight so keep that in mind when making up your eyes and opt for ones that are neutral or have warm tones in brown, peach, or gold.

Mally Beauty Cancellation Concealer System (Fair) Can Help Banish Darkness (Review)

**Disclaimer:  This post has been compensated through a free product (s) or monetary payment.  Opinions are solely mine. All links are "no-follow" links.**

This is the color of the concealer.

I count myself lucky to have a nice complexion.  However, my luck ran out when it came to under eye darkness due to my constant battle with year-round allergies.  As you can guess, I rely heavily on concealers to cover up those allergic shiners of mine or someone might accidentally take me for an extra zombie in Living Dead !

Naturally, this is not the type of attention I would like to attract.  As a result, I probably have more different brands and forms of concealers than some women have shoes. Though I had tried quite a few products from Mally Beauty, I had never gotten around to Mally Roncal’s solution. Therefore, I thought her Concealer Cancellation System (Fair) would be great to review.

This comes in a nice bag handy to pack and store.

What arrived is a three-piece system of a cream concealer (pink container), a finishing powder (silver container), and brush, housed in an adorable, soft pink pouch with a snap closure to store each separate metal container.  

As you can see from my photos, the color of the cream concealer is a light beige with a bit of peach to it, which is ideal for me with my light warm complexion.  After you load the flat side of that brush with product and dab it on any darkness, this concealer has a creamy texture and feels moisturizing.  

Make sure to remember just to dab, dab, dab instead of rubbing the concealer underneath your entire eye.  If you do that, you will run into problems just as you would with any concealer and have it settling into those fine lines.   The only finger that you should use as your secondary tool is that pinkie since it is the smallest and least likely finger to tug on fragile skin and ruin your concealer application.

I concentrated on the inner corner of under the eye near the nose and the far corner at the edge of the eyes, where I have pockets of scary black.  Once I dabbed with the brush carefully just to those small, targeted areas, I used my pinkie finger to gently tap the concealer in.  This is where you stop because you do not need to spread concealer on the entire under eye–only where it is needed.

Next, I flipped the brush to the other side and loaded it with the accompanying powder.  This is essential to locking in the concealer’s staying power because once I did, I had an extra bit of brightness that was good to go all day!  

Here is the powder for the final touch!

Seriously, if you’re having problems with your concealer, I recommend two things.  Do look into Mally Beauty’s Concealer Cancellation System ($35) because it will not leave you disappointed.  Equally important, I recommend changing your technique because a great product works hand in hand with how well you apply it.  Together, you can’t go wrong and will be amazed at how much better you’ll lighten that darkness!