There are several things that annoy me, from a working-as-a-beauty-editor perspective. One, I have a hopeless sense of smell, which makes it hard when sniffing out new fragrances. Two, I am naturally inclined to be very lazy with my hair or nails – I often wish I was that ultra-groomed specimen most people expect beauty writers to be. And three, I just can’t seem to wear foundation. It just doesn’t seem to stay on. I’ve tried every kind of type and every kind of primer, but only the most minimal of coverage works with my skin. Paranoid? No. Makeup artists have told me my skin is actually very hard to mask. Which is fine with me, I’m happy to use just a tint and a concealer anyway.
But lately, my concealer hasn’t even been cutting it. Especially underneath the eyes. Even my usual three-layered trick (a peachy concealer, followed by a yellow-toned one, and then a light-reflecting one) is not hiding the fact that I look like I’ve been out partying the night away. And I don’t mind looking like that when I actually have been out partying. But when I haven’t, well I just feel really cheated.
Anyway, I recently remembered a makeup artist tip I’ve heard every now and then. It goes something like this: “If you have very dark circles, work with them rather than against them by using dark, smoky eye makeup. It gives you a sexy, mysterious look.” It used to really irritate me because, of course, these makeup artists are working with gorgeous young models who make anything, dark circles included, look like the new designer must-have.
I figured, I might as well give it a whirl - nothing to lose. If all my concealer, white liner and shimmery shadow were no longer doing the job, it was time to try another tack. So for the last few days, I’ve been smudging on some black kohl powder. And, know what, while it does make the whole area look darker and moodier, you actually don’t notice your dark circles as much as you do when they’re contrasted with light makeup. They look like they’re part of the effect. And even more surprisingly, dark eye makeup makes whites look clearer and irises much brighter. Think of it as the sexy been-out-partying look, without the bleary-eyed eye bit.
