When I get ready during the work week, I'm all about looking polished and perfect. I reach for products that are tried and true. Let's just say that I'm incredibly risk averse. On the weekend, if I leave Brooklyn, I'm a little less perfected and definitely open to trying something new, which is exactly what I did this past weekend.

Normally I reach for my Revlon Colorstay every morning (what can I say - I love full coverage!) but I took a chance this past weekend on Neutrogea's Healthy Skin Makeup and the Healthy Skin Brightening Eye Perfector after being introduced to the line at Robert Verdi's Fashion Week Retreat. Neutrogena is such a well-respected brand when it comes to skincare, but I'd never considered their color cosmetics before. Normally I reach for the flashier brands, but there's definitely a time and place for looking like (a better version of) your natural self.

The Healthy Skin Makeup provides enough coverage to keep full foundation-loving girls like myself happy, but also is light enough to let your skin breathe. It also packs some skin benefits, too, like SPF 20 and an exclusive antioxidant blend to help ward off free radicals. To keep you bright eyed, even after all those TGIF cocktails, the Brightening Eye Perfector boasts SPF 25, antioxidants, vitamin E, and chamomile. It even helps out with those pesky dark circles and puffiness.

This weekend was all about staying close to home and getting in some extra rest. How did you spend your time off?

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

$39.00 by Smashbox at Sephora

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

$18.00 by Smashbox at Sephora

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?