My recent post about bags under the eyes has brought up some very good questions from a reader. The question was, “ What product do you recommend for dark circles under the eye? How does one choose the right shade? And, do you have tips on how to get rid of those? I did try putting cucumber on both eyes once but I find it really cumbersome.”
Many of you don’t know why you even have dark circles under your eyes, or why they suggest you use cucumber to relieve them. Dark circles are actually bruised sinuses. That is why they can get so much worse if we are sick, have allergies or have been up crying all night long. The more bruising and swelling we have in our sinuses, the more dark 
circles we get. One of the major reasons cucumber is suggested is because a cold cucumber can help reduce bruising. Ice works much the same way. Have you ever seen those gel eye masks in the drugstores? Well that is what they are for, to reduce swelling and bruising in the sinus area. If you have heavy bruising I would suggest the eye patches over the cucumber. Both make a minimal difference in day to day sinus bruising, but can work wonders when we have excessive bruising from allergies, colds, etc.
As for products, there are many great concealers out there, but there is one in particular that I find myself reaching for most often. Unfortunately this concealer is in my Top Ten list so I can’t tell you which one it is quite yet (sorry). Although if you keep an eye out over the next few weeks, I guarantee it will pop up on my top ten.
As for finding the perfect shade and color for a concealer, there is definitely some tricks. Lets start with the shade. Depending on what time of the year it is, winter or summer, you would be picking a different color concealer. I always recommend buying one shade in the winter and another one in the summer. When choosing a concealer, pick up all the ones that are close to your skin color. If the only options are either a shade darker than you or a shade lighter than you, you should always go with lighter. Just a note the color the woman is wearing on the left, would be considered too light for her.
Now, the real trick comes with the undertone. Just because the shade is right for you doesn’t mean it’s going to cover those circles. Depending on what color you dark circles are, you will pick a different undertone. What I mean by this is, in order to cover the circles under your eyes, you have to use the opposite color on the color wheel to cancel the dark circles out. For example if your circles are blue in color you want and hint of orange in your concealer. If you have purple colored circles, then you would use a concealer with a hint of yellow and so on. You can bookmark this page and use this color wheel as a reference.
I always suggest when buying a concealer for under the eyes, you choose a line that has a hint of reflectors in it. That way you don’t get that cakey look like you do with other concealers.
Good luck, and if you have any more questions on how to pick a concealer or any other product, click on “comments”.
-Vancouver Makeup Artist.
Have you ever wondered why when you are watching T.V. why all the girls skin looks so flawless? It’s not just the skin on their face, but their arms, legs and even their backs have such a beautiful glow. Well, that is because we put that glow there! Whenever an actress has a part of her skin exposed, we use body makeup or lotions on it. There are a lot of different lotions and body makeups to choose from, but “Scott Barnes Body Bling” is my all time favorite. It is different from the lotions with some shimmer in them, because it is also a body makeup. For those of you who don’t know who Scott Barnes is, he is most popularly know for being JLo’s makeup artist and is originally responsible for giving her the “glow”.
Unfortunately we have to remember is it makeup and it can rub off on your clothes if you are not careful. Even though it looks best against white or other light colored clothes, I wouldn’t recommend wearing them together, unless you are okay with a little staining. When wearing it outside during the day, you have to remember that the simmer acts like a magnifying glass just like lipgloss does, so you must wear sunscreen underneath it. In fact I never use it on actors and clients if they will be outside in the daytime. I recommend you limit wearing it to your fabulous evenings out. 
Yesterday I had a great question from a reader. She asked about laser skin treatments. Being a makeup artist in the Vancouver T.V. and film industry, I know of a lot of actors who have had this treatment done and most were happy with the results. Since I have neither gone through the procedure nor seen it being performed on anyone else, I wanted to make sure I knew more about it. I looked in to the different types of laser treatments, and I have gathered some information for you guys on the most common and least invasive type of laser scar treatment.
The most common laser scar treatment seems to be microdermabrasion. This works as an anti-aging procedure and can be offered as a treatment for acne scars, hyperpigmentation, texturally rough skin, striae, and photodamaged skin. Microdermabration is usually performed on the face, but is also used on the neck, back, arms, elbows, chest, knees and hands. Although you can see the benefits after one treatment, it is said that it works best when you do a series of peels.
When deciding if having this done is right for you, it is important to weigh the pros and cons. Lets look at some of the advantages of Microdermabrasion. When compared to other laser or surgical treatments, it is rather inexpensive and there is much less recovery time. As well there are fewer side effects than chemical peels and anesthetics aren’t required. It is said that is it safe for those of all skin tones. The best part of all is, it’s a quick procedure.
Procedures of microdermabrasion are also commonly referred to as “sand blasting”, a process that uses a high-pressure stream of aluminum oxide crystals to superficially peel the upper layer of the skin.
Earlier today my husband and I were talking about the difference in my before and after photos for the eyelash extensions. He asked me a great question. He said, “why are eyelashes so important? Why do they make such a big difference?” 
If your lashes are already long enough, but you wish they were darker to help frame your eyes, you have two options. If you don’t really like wearing mascara, then perhaps you should try tinting your lashes. Of course this should always be done by a professional! 
If you feel your eyelashes are too short for you, in this case I would suggest some sort of an extension. If daily maintenance doesn’t bother you then after curling your lashes and applying mascara then you can add a few individual clusters to the corner of your lashes. This gives you some length without the false look you can get from strip lashes. If you feel like this is too much work for you and you wanted something that requires no makeup and much less maintenance, then I would definitely recommend to semi-permanent extensions. You can learn a bit more about them on my 
I can’t believe how many people are asking me to cheat and tell them what the next product will be on this list. I can’t ruin the surprise for you, now can I? My #8 favorite product is something I use on myself almost everyday. Working as a makeup artist in the Vancouver T.V and film industry, continuity becomes important, so for nails that always look fabulous, we use O.P.I Nail Envy. Not only do I use it on my actors, but I personally use this product almost everyday. For those of you who have never heard of this Nail Envy I will tell you a little about it.
I have always known about Nail Envy and have used it for clients and celebs for years now, but having acrylic nails myself, I never had the chance to use it. About 4 months ago I decided to take a break from having my nails done and did my natural nail felt so painful. They had been ground down so much under the acrylics that it hurt me to run my hands under water. I thought “I am gonna have to put the nails back on pronto. Until I get a chance to go back I will try some of my Nail Envy from my makeup kit.” It was amazing! I always knew it was a great product, but didn’t realized how strong it was. I decided that I wouldn’t go back to the acrylics anymore.
concerned about, but rather the drying time. Granted it does seem to dry quicker than most strengthening polish’s and works a lot better too. How many of you have 30 minutes each and everyday to do your nails? I know I don’t, so I tend to not use it exactly as directed. Not using it as directed does not give you the same results, but I find it works well enough for me. 
How many of you are wondering how to get rid of those bags under your eyes? Most eye creams advertise that they are wrinkle preventers, but what about those sacs that you get under your eyes after a night of no sleep? Guess what? Like everything else, there is a solution. Working as a makeup artist in the film industry in Vancouver, you pick up little tricks along the way. There is a miracle eye cream for your bags under your eyes, but it isn’t actually an eye cream at all. Interested?
Something to keep in mind… If you do decide to add this cream to your makeup kit, then I would also buy a little clear bottle to put the cream in, unless you don’t mind getting caught with Preparation H in your bathroom. 
Over the past few years I have been seeing them more and more. Eyelash extensions, what an amazing idea. They are the new makeup trend, and are becoming the next big thing all over the world. All the hollywood celeb’s are getting them done, they have become extremely popular in the Asia, Europe, US, and Eastern Canada. So why has it taken so long for it to become popular in Vancouver? Why is it that we are always the last ones to catch on? 
After my first client I was really nervous to hear what she would say after she got them done. Her first words were, “Wow I can’t even feel them!” and then followed by ” I love them so much, thank you.” I knew right then and there that I had made a great decision. 
I love these little tissues. I also like the ones from Clean and Clear, but I picked the Mac ones because they are slightly larger, which gives you more use out of one paper. Working as a makeup artist in the Vancouver T.V and Film industry, the number one thing we have to watch out for is too much shine. Under the hot lights the cast gets very shiny very quickly. You can imagine how quickly the powder can build up. Especially now with high definition television over-powdering is more noticeable that ever. This is why I always keep a pack of mac blot tissues in each cast members’ bag.
As well when working with brides, I always recommend they keep a pack of these in the maid-of-honour’s purse. Brides are extremely busy on their special day so I am sure they don’t get a lot of chances to go the bathroom and re-apply their powder. The last thing a bride needs is to get her wedding pictures back from her photographer and realize she was a soggy mess.
Like I said all good things have an opposite side as well, so lets look at the con’s. Mac blot tissues are more expensive than the other tissues, about $15 CAD. The clean and clear wipes are a little more cost friendly, they go for about $7, but like I said they are smaller so sometimes you have to use two at a time. Also if you don’t always have a garbage can handy you will have a whole lot of oily wipes in your purse (gross!). As good as these tissues are they are not nearly as strong as powder, so for people with oily skin they will have to carry both in their purse. 
Did you know that the very outer layer of your skin is actually dead skin cells? Your skin forms new layer of cells and the dead ones on the surface come off on their own. Whether you realize this or not, your skin does this everyday. Over time you can start to get a build up of old skin on the surface of your skin, resulting in skin that appears dull. Often this also leads to clogged pores, which causes the skin to breakout. This is why getting rid of the dead skin is essential to have healthy looking skin. Lets talk a little about the different forms of exfoliating.
Make this part of your skin care routine by using a mechanical exfoliant once a week. This will ensure your skin stays healthy looking and maintains that natural glow. Remember not to limit your exfoliating to just your face. Exfoliating can benefit all areas of your body. By removing the dead skin on your feet they will stay softer, smoother and be less likely to smell. Exfoliating the elbows and knees can help with eliminating the dry rough skin on them. So don’t forget to love the rest of your skin with a weekly mechanical exfoliant.
I love this foundation, I prefer using it through the airbrush but often I apply it directly to the skin. The name says it all “Colorstay” this foundation needs little to no touch ups and provides excellent coverage that lasts hours. It has a matte finish and doesn’t require caking on powder to keep it in place. It’s seems to be semi water resistant, so I tend to use it on for a rainy day wedding or while working on a film set when I know my actress may get wet. Revlon Colorstay has a variety of colors so its perfect for women of all skin tones. My favorite part about this product is that you don’t have to break the bank to have it. One bottle goes for about $16 CAD. 
