Each morning, I look at myself before I apply my makeup. I stare intensely into the mirror, examining every pore, every bump, scar and patch of discoloration. The other imperfections can be dismissed and easily concealed, but for the life of me, I cannot spackle away my dark circles. Whenever a skincare expert takes a look at my skin, they swear that they cannot see them, but they will always be my first point of insecurity.
For about 30 minutes after I apply my foundation and concealer, I'm perfectly happy with how my eyes look. There's no puffiness, no hint of dark circles and I look as awake as I would if I had spent the entire morning attached to the coffee pot via IV. There are so many products on the market designed to treat this area, but it's always about finding the perfect mixture, a cocktail of sorts, that works best with your skin. Just 15 minutes ago, while reapplying my makeup in Starbucks, I found my magical combination.
Smashbox Halo Yellow Color Correcting Hydrating Powder
Smashbox's Halo Yellow Hydrating Powder sat in my powder drawer for many months. Sure, it's great to correct redness, but I rarely have any red areas on my face. Recently, it hit me - why didn't I try using it to set my concealer and for touch-ups throughout the day? This thought ended up being the magic ticket to help conceal my dark circles and especially balance out the purple/grey tones that are often made more prominent when I wear these shades of eyeshadow. How is this hazel eyed girl supposed to not wear purple?!
The container is a bit bulkier than I might want to carry in my makeup bag every day, however with the powder shaving applicator, I can easily shave off a bit of the powder into a portable container for my on-the-go needs.
Smashbox Photo Op Under Eye Brightener
There are those products that you "hear" about - and question whether or not they work the way it seems everyone is gushing about. For me, Smashbox's Photo Op Under Eye Brightener was one of those products. I've used so many highlighters and concealers that I wondered how this one could be different. Boy, was I wrong.
Highlighter formulas seem to fall into one of a few categories. Either the formula is a little too thick, or the "luminizing effect" comes from massive chunks of glitter that end up down your cheek or the formula is so thin that it ends up being watery. Photo Op doesn't fall into any of these categories.
The formula is thin and effective. A couple of swipes of the flexible brush tip applicator under each eye offers fantastic coverage and helps bounce light away from anything you might be trying to conceal. Set the area with the Halo Yellow powder, and you're ready for your close up.
Do you struggle with under eye circles like me? How do you treat them?
