Overnight Bags

Today's post comes via one of my loyal readers....

Dear BGND,

I am a super busy mother of two so I don't always get my recommended 8 hours of shut eye a night (oh who am I kidding - I am lucky if I get 6 hours a night!) As a result I often end up drinking more diet coke than water - adding dehydration to the mounting fatigue. The results of this combo? The bags under my eyes have gone from bad to worse! I feel like I have tried so many concealers and brighteners but nothing seems to make me look - oh I don't know - awake! Any suggestions?

Sleep deprived in Savannah

Oh SDIS - you are not alone! The under eye bag/circle/dark patch can torpedo an otherwise glowing face. (One time someone asked me when I got my black eye....I simply hadn't put concealer on my eyes that morning and my thin skin/blue veins underneath looked like a shiner- glamorous!)

There are two main (cosmetic) ways to combat this very common problem.

1 - Step up to the big leagues in terms of concealer.
(This is the way to go if you have darkness and bags as your main issue.)

Not all concealers are created equal. For one BGNDer, a thin smooth brush on concealer might be enough...for others- Spackle is the only thing that will hide their skin discoloration. In the later category there is one clear cut champion...

Laura Mercier Concealers
Her concealers are pretty THE best for thick but natural coverage. The two best for under-eye darkness are the Secret Camouflage and the Secret Concealer (which I have posted about before). Either one could work for you depending on your level of darkness. If you have the cash to spend and are ready to invest- I would go with the Undercover Pot ($34) - shown below. With the Undercover Pot you get both the Camouflage and the Concealer with a translucent powder to set the combo. It is a killer deal and will work wonders on those dark circles.

Another great option for a thicker concealer is Erase Paste ($26) and Boi- ing ($18) both from Benefit Cosmetics.

But don't just assume that layering a thick concealer will fix everything. Sometimes you need a brightener to wake your look up after you have hidden what you need to hide.
The second option to help with the eye area?

2 - Go Pink.
(This is the option for those who want to look more bright and awake.)


The Eye Bright Pencil ($20- shown below) from Benefit is amazing. It is used as the last step in your cosmetic process and is best for the deep and dark inner corners of your eye (my biggest darkness concern). It gives you just the slightest "awake" and perky look.

I also love the Powderflage ($28) from Benefit. Designed to be brushed over concealer or used alone, this very pink powder brightens and highlights the face ever so slightly. I would highly recommend using it over a thicker concealer to give you the awake look after you have cover your darkness.

So I hope I have not confused you more than you were when you wrote in!
My final parting advice would be to hit your local Sephora and try some of these thicker concealers on a clean make-up free face. Try a different one on each eye and see what works for you. Then layer the brighteners and see what works best with your complexion.

There are many routes to go but if you get a thicker concealer combined with either a brightening powder or stick- you'll be looking like you got 12 hours of sleep in no time!


Keep looking fabulous,
BGND