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My Favorite Under Eye Concealers and My Daytime Makeup Look

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Photo of makeup laid out on. sheepskin rug. An opened compact of blush, tube of lipstick, tubes of concealer and CC cream and mascara. An eyelash curler, a few brushes, a pot of eyebrow color and jar of eyelid concealer.In a recent blog post I mentioned my non-crease concealer and many of you wanted to know what I used. Well after writing that post I tried yet another concealer I find to be even more perfect. This post will share both of my under eye concealers as well as my everyday makeup look. Get ready for some unfiltered no-makeup morning photos!

bare faceThis is me completely bare face, only moisturizer. You can see under my eyes I deal not only with darkness but bags. I also have a couple small breakouts on my chin, and it's hard to see in this photo but I deal with redness under my nostrils.

c of concealer around eyeOn your left my right I am going to do my latest concealer fave – IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Undereye Illumination Anti-Aging Concealer. I have it in Medium. You need an extremely small amount, smaller than a pea or any other term used. I use my ring finger and dot it in a C around my eye, spread it a bit with my finger, and then buff it in place with a soft brush (IT Cosmetics has their own brush but I'm all about using what I already have if it can get the job done, I'm using the Expert Face Brush from Real Techniques which I picked up a few years ago).

it cosmetics bye bye undereye before and afterAnd here's the eye with the concealer, and one without. This concealer is a bit lighter than my skintone, which helps hide the dark circles. But this means I can't wear it by itself, it really looks weird until it's under at least a BB cream or a lightweight foundation. But as you see, it does a great job of hiding everything without looking like my skin is caked in product. I'm really loving this concealer, and it has become my go-to when I want a complete face or need makeup that will last for a long day or evening.

becca under eye brightener techniqueOn my other eye (your right, my left) I am going to show the concealer process I was doing for months before I tried IT Cosmetics. It's a two-product process, but ends up looking natural and will hold up for a few hours. I start with Becca Under Eye Brightening Corrector in Light to Medium, applied with a brush (this is a Mophe brush that does NOT want to stay attached to its handle, here is a similarly shaped brush). I tap the dry brush into the Becca Brightener, tap around my eye, and use the brush to gently buff.

glossier stretch concealer techniqueThen I use the same brush with Glossier's Stretch Concealer in Medium. I like the consistency of this concealer, that it stays in place without being too dry, and the color is a good match for my skin. Same process, I tap the brush in the pot and buff on the skin.

it cosmetics versus glossier

And here is the final result. Your left, my right is IT Cosmetics, your right and my left is Becca with Glossier over it. The Glossier option is a bit more creamy looking, closer to my natural skintone, and can be worn without foundation over it. However, it doesn't last as long and can sometimes crease.

how to prevent under eye concealer from creasingTo prevent creasing, I will tap another Real Techniques brush (this one is the Setting Brush) into a tiny bit of IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Pores loose powder and gently brush/tap it under the lash line. Not so much it looks dry, but enough to set the concealer and prevent creasing.

Before trying IT Cosmetics, my normal daytime look was first applying Dr. Jart's Cicapair, and then the two-step concealer process, the hint of powder, a bit of blush, brows, mascara, and either lip balm or a red lip. Since I started with a completely bare face, I am going to bypass this look and show you the one I do with IT Cosmetics (though the Glossier concealer is still on the one eye).

it cosmetics cc cream review

I apply the IT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ Cream in Medium in dots all over my face, and then use my fingers to blend. Sometimes I pull out the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush again to buff it all; soft swirls of the brush helps the product settle into the skin and look more natural. My goal isn't to hide everything, just to look myself only better. This CC cream is buildable; I use more of it instead of concealer to hide the bumps on my chin and the redness under my nose and can apply it heavier if I wish to have a more perfect finish to my skin. I love that it is SPF 50, and is inflused with hydrolyzed collagen, peptides, niacin, hyaluronic acid, antioxidants and vitamins A, B, C and E. My skin stays looking hydrated and this doesn't cake, crease, or get weird throughout the day. This is the effect with maybe a pea-sized amount of the CC Cream: me only better.

over 40 daytime makeup lookAnd this is my finished face. I use Tarte Amazonian Clay Brow Mousse on my brows (it comes with a two-sided brush so you can apply with the slanted brush and blend with the spoolie). On my cheeks is NARS blush in Sex Appeal, applied with the Bobbi Brown blush brush. This blush is like their famous blush color Orgasm, but a little less intense of color and without the shimmer. I used to focus on the apples of my cheeks but as I have gotten older I think it looks better to start at the back of the apple and swipe up towards my temples. I curl my lashes with the Kevyn Aucoin lash curler and then applied Blinc's Mascara Amplified in Black (original review of this mascara here). My lids were looking a bit red, so I added some Perricone MD's No Eyeshadow Eyeshadow to them. To set it, a spritz of rosewater and glycerine. Today I felt like a red lip, this one is my everyday go-to: L'Oreal Riche Matte in Eva's Red. The final effect is polished, it lasts for several hours, but isn't a lot of color or a lot of effort.

Many of you were curious about IT Cosmetics, which is why I bought the concealer and CC Cream last month. I get the hype, this line can really transform your skin without making it look caked on. I listened to an episode of the podcast Fat Mascara where the founder, Jamie Kern Lima was on. I liked her, I liked the story about the brand, and was pleased to find the products work as well as they claim to on the informericals. I also dig that the line is and always has been cruelty-free. I only wish the line had a more extensive color range. It's ridiculous to have only seven shades available, especially with the darkest being “Deep” which looks like a shade of medium tan that is likely too light for most women of color. A quick glance on their website shows negative reviews for their limited size range going back for years yet they haven't added more colors. IT Cosmetics can be purchased on the brand's site, but I got mine from Sephora so if I didn't like it I knew it would be easy to return.

Full Face Recap:

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16 Comments

  1. Thanks for this post! I’ve been really struggling with my concealer lately; my undereye circles are terrible. I was all set to buy a new concealer but then I noticed you used a different style of brush to apply than I’ve been using. Mine is very small and pointy, which might work well for pimples but not these giant circles. I tried using a different brush and I swear I look 5 years younger and with an extra month’s worth of sleep!

    1. I too was using the flat/pointy brush for concealer.. it’s what came with my Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage years ago so I figured it was best. I learned to use this kind of brush from a Sephora employee!

  2. I’m 44 and I normally wear no makeup at all because I get so frustrated with my skin. I have rosacea and I’m constantly battling with it. No foundation or concealer for the redness can look good if my skin is flaky and bumpy. I wish I could look more polished but I can’t seem to figure it out.

    That said, you look great, as usual 🙂

    1. I have a lot of texture and redness on my face. I used to hate it. Allie introduced me to Cicapair by Dr. Jart and its made a world of difference in how my skin looks. I also added a few products from The Ordinary to my routine. They help, but the Cicapair and some colorless powder make the biggest difference in how my skin looks.
      I got the small travel size first to try it out and see if I liked it before I splurged on the big jar, so that’s an option too.

  3. Thank you for sharing your everyday makeup routine. It’s encouraging to see a normal makeup look on an over forty face. You look like “best Alison” which I think all of us want—to look like our best selves.

  4. Thanks for this post! I had loved Nars “Orgasm” for years! It used to always work…summer or winter, sick or healthy, put on in the bathroom at home or the car at a red light. Then I hit late 40s and wanted no shimmer or glimmer on my face, settling into wrinkles or highlighting them. I just place an order for “Sex Appeal!’ I have tried different, non-shimmery Nars blushes that have been good but not the perfect “Orgasm” color. Lookin’ good, Momma. Keep up the good work.

    1. Thanks Angela! Yes, I bought Orgasm as a 30th birthday present and when I got around 40 I felt it was just too much. I tried a couple different NARS blushes, this one was worn by a no-longer blogging blogger and I gave it a try and I’m on my 3rd or 4th compact!

  5. Thanks for this post. I love your look. I have visible dark spots from sun damage also aged eye bags and hardly wear makeup. Now that you have given me ideas, I will make an effort to wear the IT CC Cream in my stash more.

  6. Gorgy! I used to use the same It concealer, but after awhile I felt like it was still a bit too “slide-y” even though the shade I was using was perfect for me. Now I’m into Tarte’s Creaseless Concealer, which really is far more creaseless yet still dewey. I don’t feel like their colors are as close (even though they offer more of a selection than It) so I use Becca’s Under Eye Brightening Corrector over the top to really wake up my eyes.

  7. I’ve been trying a version of this lately. Wondering if you are still using the Cicapair? I like it but find I have to rub rub rub to blend it. I do love my NARS concealer but this looks interesting.

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