After meeting with my extended family (sans makeup) the other day; instead of a polite hello, my cousin greeted me with an earth-shattering: “HOLY EYE CIRCLES! Are you an insomniac?”
After giving him the finger (I kid. Maybe.) I talked with my other female cousin, his sister, about dark eye circles and what we do about them. I’ve been lucky to find some gems (Benefit’s Boi-ing concealer is freaking fantastic and Laura Mercier’s Secret Concealer is not bad either), but I know many suffer from extreme dark eye circles. (And judging from my cousin’s reaction, so do I.) Instead of simply applying concealer and hoping for the best, I decided to source out any other tips and tricks to hiding those pesky things.
I found myself at a tip Bobbi Brown wrote about in her book, Bobbi Brown Living Beauty
, where she talks about “serious dark eye circles”. I wrote sometime back how there are no real ‘cures’ out there, and Bobbi Brown confirms this: “There are no products on the market that actually lighten under-eye darkness. At best, eye cream can hydrate the eye area and give it a fresher look.” Phew. Glad to know that I know what I’m talking about (at least where this blog is concerned!)
I’ve found that the best way to brighten extremely dark under eye circles (circles that have a greenish or purplish tinge to them) is to start with a pink- or peach-toned corrector, then layer on the yellow-toned concealer. The pink or peach shade may work alone sometimes, but mostly you’ll need to layer it.
For problem dark circles keep the focus on the upper part of your eyes. Many women with extreme under-eye darkness also have dark eye-lids, so lighten the area with light (white or bone) shadow. Don’t line the lower lash line or apply mascara to lower lashes. A pop of bright pastel pink or peach blush on the apples of your cheeks will also steer your eye away from the dark circles.
Thanks, Bobbi! I’ve always loved her beauty books and devoured them when I first got into makeup, but I’ll have to re-read some of them as I have the memory of a goldfish. This beauty tip seems logical though, so I’ll be trying it out sometime.
What do you think of Bobbi’s tips? Will you be trying this method out? :)
If there’s one lip color I love, it’s coral: they are less intense than reds, yet much more funkier than pinks. I personally think that’s the lip color that suits me the best, and I love it! (Those with warmer skin-tones would love it, too.) I already have two lip products by Bobbi Brown that are the closest to corals, but I just need the real thing!
Bobbi Brown herself loves the shade so much, she dedicated her Spring 2010 to coral colored products in her collection Bobbi Brown Cabana Corals.
The collection includes:
- Metallic Lip Color in Coral Reef, Coral Glaze and Calypso Glaze.
- Lip Color in Cape Coral and Guava.
- Shimmer Lip Gloss in Coral Sand, Golden Nectar and Sunset Beach.
- Pot Rogue in Cape Coral.
- Shimmer Brick in Nectar and Pink Quartz.
Bobbi Brown explains: “This spring, there is a beautiful selection of coral-colored shades for lips and cheeks. Coral Cabana offers coral tone in all variations – from pink on nude to intense bright – so that every woman can find the shade that is right for them.”
A few years ago I remember never being able to find anything coral – in fact “orange” was frowned upon on all types of makeup – so I’m so glad to find out that it is celebrated now-a-days. Excuse me while I buy the whole collection. :)
What do you think of corals? Will you be purchasing something from this collection? I’m thinking of getting a few lip colors, but that Shimmer Brick is calling my name as well ….
One beauty book I really like is Bobbi Brown Teenage Beauty: Everything You Need to Look Pretty, Natural, Sexy and Awesome
. Not only is is pack full of beauty and makeup tips for beginners, Bobbi emphasizes on the importance of inner beauty; which is especially important for women in this age group. The book starts off with Bobbi’s ten basic rules of teenage beauty, which I feel is great advice for every age – so great I have to steal it and share it with you all (I give credit of course). So, without further ado, makeup queen Bobbi Brown’s basic rules of teenage beauty …
- Rules do apply. Knowing what’s appropriate with makeup really matters. Save the drama for the school play or going out. Whether you are 13 or 19, just keep makeup simple and natural for school and everyday hanging with your friends.
- Finger paint. It’s not cool or modern to be too perfect with makeup. Dabbing on a lip stain with your finger is the way to go. Be loose. Spread it on. Have fun with it. Don’t be too glued to the mirror. Express yourself! What’s the worst thing that could happen? You’ll have to blend a color to tone it down or, if you’re really unhappy, wash it off and start over.
- Skip foundation. You don’t need all-over foundation. And don’t be concerned with highly technical makeup techniques, like contouring or shadowing. Just cover up what really bugs you and let your skin show through everywhere else. (For girls who are older than their teens, all-over foundation is completely fine; here’s how to do it.)
- Sheer genius. The perfect teen colors are sheer ones that you can see through. I like to use pale shades that look like natural washes of color on the face. Look for natural or soft pastel tones, nothing dark or bright. (P.S. These colors tend to be pretty mistake-proof, too.)
- It’s fine to shine. I love shimmer shadows and lip glosses for teens – nothing looks more beautiful. The exception: Super shiny faces, which look good in fashion magazines but not on the face in the mirror. Don’t try this at home.
- Dewy is awesome. Think cream, not powder. When buying look for a creamy formula – it looks more natural and goes on more easily. (Dewy is great for all ages – remember my last post on Charla Krupp’s book, How Not to Look Old
? This was one of her tips to look younger as well.)
- It’s only nail polish … Bright orange? Army green? Metallic blue? Why not? It’s inexpensive, easy to change and fun to look at.
- Shop around. Your local shop may be perfect for glam but you may want to invest more in your skin-care products.
- Avoid a makeup war. As long as you are still a minor, your parents still make the rules and you should try to be respectful of their wishes. If you choose to go against the rules, just be smart enough to go to something natural like brown mascara or pink lip gloss.
- Never say never. Keep an open mind about new ways to wear makeup.
What do you think of Bobbi Brown’s tips? I agree on all of her tips, maybe except the sheer makeup and pastel colors; you guys know how much I love my black eyeliner :) And how great is the model on her book? I think she’s gorgeous and her makeup is amazing – natural, simple and shows off her stunning face. I love it; this is what makeup is all about!
If you’re looking for a great lip balm that also acts like makeup – aka, ‘gimme some color!’ – then I highly recommend this little gem from Bobbi Brown - it’s definitely one of the better balms I’ve tried!
Although I said this lip balm was the best lip balm I’ve tried (it still is), this one from Bobbi Brown is great for days you want a natural look with a hint of color. Allure named it a best buy in 2008, and while it’s a little on the expensive side, I feel it’s worth it. There is a great range of colors that look very natural and beautiful, is very moisturizing, and dare I say it even gives a plumping effect? Not to mention, this sleek packaging fits into your pocket and slimmest of wallets and purses.
Has anyone else tried this product? :-)
Since the holiday season is coming up (I’m already in the holiday spirit!) I thought I should start posting on some ideas for holiday gifts.
I think a beauty book would be a great gift for those girls in your life who are starting out with makeup. In my circle of friends we all started getting beauty books or starter makeup kits around our 14 birthday (except me!!!) Or you could show them my Makeup 101 series. Ha! ;-)
Anyways, Bobbi Brown has come out with a brand new book, Makeup Manual. It has EVERYTHING you need to know from her 25 years of makeup experience, whether you’re a beauty fool or an expert. ;-)
Bobbi looks at everything from skincare basics to every aspect of facial makeup–from how to find the right color and type of foundation for any skin tone to how to apply every detail of eye makeup (Brows, Eye Liner, Eye Shadow, and Eye Lashes) no matter your eye color and shape.
Of course there are never-before-seen tips on blush, bronzer, lip liners, lipstick, etc. Each chapter has thorough step-by-step basic directions for makeup application and easy-to-follow photographs and line drawings, along with Bobbi’s expert, yet assuring, advice.
Plus, there’s a groundbreaking section of the book that will be of special interest to women who’ve wanted to know how makeup stylists do what they do: the top beauty secrets only these artists know, essential equipment to keep on hand, how to break into the business, and how to work with photographers and celebrities.
I’m definitely going to check this one out. I was tempted to buy the one released by Sephora earlier this year, but I flipped through it at the bookstore but I didn’t really like it! I have always liked the way Bobbi Brown focused on natural beauty and enhancing what you have – their eye shadow colors are so earthy and beautiful!
Bobbi Brown Makeup Manual: For Everyone from Beginner to Pro
is a steal at US$20 at Amazon.
Did anyone have any beauty books for when they were starting out?
Hello and welcome! I'm Renee and I created this site to combine my love for writing, the web, and of course all things beautiful. ;) You can find out more 