Concealer Brush

Okay, when you've found your perfect concealer, the next stop is finding the right way to apply it. Some people prefer to use their fingers, some prefer sponges. I prefer using concealer brushes. I like the sponges too but I personally think the application is more precise when I use brushes specifically designed for concealers.

So anyway, I have two concealer brushes, Bloom's and Bobbi Brown's.

Bloom concealer brushes are made from taklon, a form of synthetic fiber which is perfect especially if you're using cream concealers. Generally, the best concealer brushes are made from synthetic fiber. I like Bloom's concealer brush because it's soft and it's wide, which helps in spreading the concealer more evenly.

The Bobbi Brown concealer brush has a narrower, more tapered tip, which is fantastic for hard-to-reach-areas. I found though, that it hurt the area under my eyes when I tried to apply it. It's good for depositing just the right amount of concealer, but then I'd have to put the brush aside and use my fingers to spread it around. I use this on problem areas like maybe a pimple or the sides of my nose. I also like that this brush comes with a cap so you can bring it along in your kikay kit and not have it smudge everything in it.

All in all I use my Bloom concealer brush more, because it already does everything. It packs in just the right concealer and I don't have to use my fingers or sponges to spread it evenly. Still, these are two excellent brushes and I would definitely recommend them if you're looking for concealer brushes.

Concealer reviews

Hello ladies! I have missed all of you! Even if I've been such a delinquent, please don't think that my interest in makeup has waned a single bit. If anything, I've become more into makeup and skin care products than ever before. I have to, unless I want eyebags, wrinkles, breakouts and all other stress-related problems to completely take over my life.

Moving on!

The topic for today is CONCEALER.

You all know my obsession with concealer. It really is heaven sent! Well, at least for those like me who really need them.

I've been trying different concealers and so far, here are some good choices.

1. TheBalm Time Balm Concealer
- Tucked away on a little, inconspicuous shelf in Beauty Bar is the Time Balm Concealer of The Balm. It's easy to miss this product, especially as this is surrounded by other big name brands like Smashbox or Red Earth but do go check this out. The Concealer comes in four shades (if you're morena, I suggest you go for Medium). The texture is creamy, although it's less creamy than say, Cinema Secrets or MAC concealers. It's chalkier and not as easy to apply, but don't let that deter you. When you apply it, it stays on forever! Really, I go running with this baby. I can sweat a lot and it still won't rub off.

You don't even have to put on powder over it anymore. Once you put these on dark spots, or dark undereye circles, you're good to go. You can even use it on your legs, to hide unsightly scars or small varicose veins, although if you do that I suggest you top it off with powder to enhance its staying power. It really does the trick of covering dark undereye circles, which is a perennial problem of mine. Plus, if you suddenly find yourself out of powder, you don't have to worry as the color of the concealer blends seamlessly onto your skin.

One last tip: Go to Beauty Bar in Shangri-La, because they actually have testers for this product. Other Beauty Bar branches don't, which is a pity. You have to rely on guesswork, and that really takes the fun out of makeup shopping! Not to mention you risk paying good money for a product you're not sure works well on your skintone.

2. Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage -The Secret Camouflage is one of Laura Mercier's bestsellers so of course I had to check it out. What I like about Secret Camouflage is that one package comes in two colors, so you can blend to get an exact match for your skin tone. I suggest you go for set 04. The consistency is similar to that of Time Balm, in that it's not super creamy, but it spreads out evenly. It really does cover imperfections very well and it didn't cake on me when I used it under my eyes. Staying power is excellent too! No wonder this is such a hit.

3. L'Oreal True Match Super Blendable Concealer
- This nifty little liquid concealer is a particular favorite of mine. It does the job of brightening up dark areas, like undereye circles. The downside maybe is the brush, because you can't really use it as a concealer brush. It's only good for applying the product onto the skin. The brush is too small and too soft to actually blend the product well. What I do is just use my fingers, or those wedged sponges to even out the product.

Actually, on regular days, I can just use this concealer on problem areas, like my eyes, on the sides of my nose and around my lips and top it off with powder. No need to put on foundation because that already brightens up my face to a considerable degree. Then I just fix my brows, dust a little bit of eyeshadow, swipe on my favorite blush, put on lipgloss, curl my lashes, and that's it. I look human again, at the very least.

So here are some more concealers for you to check out. Next up: Concealer Brushes

The Hunt is On

...for the perfect undereye concealer, that is.

I haven't been blogging lately because I've been super swamped with work and my thesis. I don't get to sleep as much too so you can just imagine the horror my eyes have become. If you, like me, suffer from undereye circles then you'd understand my need to find just the right concealer. I have these undereye circles that can make me look like tired and stressed all the time. I sleep really late, like sometimes I don't get to sleep till four or five in the morning, so when I wake up, hello Uncle Fester! Even when my sleeping habits do return to normal and I get seven to eight hours of sleep, I find I still have these dark circles that just won't go away. Hence, my seemingly unending search for the perfect concealer that can banish these ugly dark circles to kingdom come. Stick concealers, cream concealers, liquid concealers, bring them all to me! Undereye shadows, begone!

Here are some of the concealers I've tried:

1) YSL Touche Eclat #3:
I chose number 3 because it seems to suit my morena skin tone most. Numbers 1 and two seemed too light. YSL Touche Eclat is a liquid concealer comes in a sassy gold pen-like case which is really handy for quick touch-ups. Just open the cap, pump the liquid and presto! Instant concealer and highlighter. I loved this at first, but now whenever I put this on, I get these unappetizing-looking orange streaks that won't fade even when I top it with loose powder. I suppose I got lighter, but when I tried the #2, it was too light! Plus, over time it kind of develops this smell that's well, not exactly a heavenly scent. While I like YSL Touche Eclat overall, I find that it works better as a highlighter and not so much as a concealer. It does nothing for my undereyes and nothing for my blemish spots. However, when I applied it as a highlighter on my nose or around my lips, it did a rather swell job. I really wanted to love it as a concealer, as I've heard so many raves about it. Alas, not even its ultra-chic golden packaging can help its lackluster performance as a concealer.

2) Watercolors Concealer
I'm a fan of cream concealers so I decided to pick this one up. While not as creamy as other cream concealers, Watercolors concealer does its job well. It brightens the undereyes and manages to hide the little imperfections without caking. The drawback is that it only comes in about four shades so choosing the right shade can be a little tricky. As for me, I got the one in neutral medium and it works just fine.

3) VOV
For just 395 bucks, VOV is just about the cheapest concealer I have. It's a cream concealer that also acts as foundation, so you get two for the price of one. However, finding the right shade for my morena skin wasn't that easy as VOV comes in only four shades. I ended up getting #3 since it's yellow-based and it's the closest I got to my skin tone. Closest, but still not the right match. I use this when I'm just going for a quick trip somewhere and I want to save on other concealers.

4)Cinema Secrets
I've been using Cinema Secrets since high school (let's just say that's a long long time ago!) and I love this product until now. It's creamy, probably the creamiest out of all my cream concealers, glides onto the skin very well and it doesn't cake or streak. Plus, it comes in sooo many shades which can make choosing the perfect shade for you quite difficult. Cinema Secrets is also a cult fave, used by makeup artists everywhere. For morenas, I suggest checking out #62, or #15. One of the best places to try out Cinema Secrets is in PCX at Powerplant. You get to check out all the colors you want. For a hefty price of 1k plus, you really need to test the colors first before purchasing them. Cinema Secrets also comes in a palette which makes concealing even easier.

5) MAC Studio Finish Concealer This is another cream concealer. For some reason though, I have to use a concealer brush to get the coverage I want. Unlike with Cinema Secrets, which I can just use with my fingers, getting the right coverage with this one takes just a little bit more effort. You have to be more careful with this one. If you get it right, you get a flawless finish. If you don't, it will tend to crease and settle in the fine lines. I like that the little itty bitty pot holds so much stuff that you can use it for months on end.

My favorite is still Cinema Secrets but I'm always on the lookout for cheaper alternatives. Plus I heard Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage and Bobbi Brown Concealer are good too. Will update when I get to check out those products!