How to Achieve Kim K's under eye concealer + My Foundation+Concealer Routine

Sorry for the lack of posts, once again got busy with work. I hope this post makes up for it :)

Anyways, I decided to make this post since I know a lot of ladies out there face the same issue DARK CIRCLES boo!!

I have deep dark circles, and out of all my mom's beautiful features I had to inherit her dark circles. 

Any concealer that claims to cover the darkest of circles I've tried! And I've learned, after years of experience, the secret behind concealing dark circles is layering. I wish I was like those bitches who are lucky enough to use YSL touche eclat and are set to go.

Let's get started. Before applying anything wash your face.

Moisturizer and Base

First off start with a moisturizer, base, and under eye cream. I start with Mac's Comfort Cream followed by MAC's Fast Response eye cream then Gino McCray Base (which I got from Thailand). Then gently pat your face with a tissue paper.

 (Note: These product are not part of my Morning and Night skin care routine)

This is how my eyes look with no make-up obviously!

Dark circles :(

Concealer Step 1

Second, apply a corrector. Since I have purple under eye circles I have to use something with pink undertones to cancel the darkness.

This step is very important for people with dark circles.
Bobbi Brown's corrector in Dark Bisque is the best I've used.

Foundation

Then Apply your foundation. My Holly Grail foundation is Chanel Matte Lumiere in 30 Beige (used to use 40 Beige but it's a tad dark on me 30 is a better match). I'm also loving Chanel's Perfection Lumiere in 30 Beige + 20 Beige (20 is too light I just use a dot on each side to balance it out since Perfection Lumiere tends to oxidize)

Mini review: I'm in LOVE with Sigma's F80 Flat Kabuki brush. It's beyond amazing. Foundation wise it works better than the beauty blender since it gives more coverage whilst the Beauty Blender absorbs a lot of product, but that doesn't mean I love my beauty blender any less! I just can't live without both of them now :) 

Concealer Step 2

After the foundation using my Bobbi Brown cream shadow brush I apply my all time favorite concealer that works best for me, Clé de Peau in Ocre. I used to use Bobbi Brown's concealer, the thing is it's too creamy for my liking. 
Clé de Peau's concealer works great for me it covers up my dark circles and I'm quite satisfied with it.

Concealer Step 3

 Now to achieve the "Kim Kardashian effect" can be a bit tricky but this trick seems to work out for plus covering my dark circles.
I know this may sound crazy but you got to mix and pair several concealers sometimes to achieve a certain result, that's one of the things I learned at beauty school.
As I said previously stated the secret to covering dark circles is layering.
Using my Makeup Forever 6N brush I use 3 shades of Makeup Forever full cover concealer paired with Makeup Forever's lift concealer. You can see the exact amount + shades I use in the pictures above. I Blend the concealer with my Beauty Blender.
Obviously this is lighter than my skin tone but for it to give that light effect similar to Kim Kardashian you have to go lighter just under the eye. Don't worry It won't look too light or too obvious.

Under eye Powder

My all time Holy Grail under eye powder is Laura Mercier's Secret Brightening powder. I can't stress enough how AHHHmazing this powder is. It brightens the area without giving you the panda effect, which I was afraid it might since a lot of brightening/translucent powders do. I use a powder puff to set the powder.
I remove the excess powder after the second step. If you need more powder I either use my Sigma face tapered brush F25 or my Bobbi Brown Eye Blending Brush.

Face Powder

I recently started using Chanel's Poudre Universelle Libre in 30 Natural after reading great reviews and I'm quite pleased with it. I used to use Bobbi Brown's Face powder in Yellow Pale1 which I still love and use. Both powders are great, can't pick one over the other. I use my Sigma face tapered brush F25 to set  my foundation.

Eyebrows

After applying the powder I draw my brows. I fill in my Brows using MAC's eyeshadow Cork then draw the shape using MAC's Brow pencil in Spiked. I've been using Spiked for years and it's the best brow pencil I've used and I've tried plenty.

(Another tip Cork is one of my favorite eye shadows to define the crease)

Another brow powder which I've used for years, I recently switched to Cork, is Shiseido's Makeup and eyebrow and eyeliner compact. This is one of the best powders out there and it sometimes can be hard to find. Everyone I recommend this product to loves it.

The brush I use to fill my eyebrows with is Bobbi Brown's eye definer brush which I forgot to photograph.

After I draw my eyebrows on I brush it upwards with a spoolie brush to soften the edges and make it more natural then I brush it upwards with a transparent brow gel, which I forgot to photograph as well.

Contouring+Blush

  

My all time favorite bronzer for contouring is Benifet's Hoola. I use it in the hollow of my cheeks, my forehead, chin, neck, and jaw line. Super Fab. I use the best brush for contouring Mac 100, a must have have been using it over a year now.

My current Favorite Blush in Nar Deep throat, Nars comes up with the craziest names! It's a subtle shimmery baby pink.

Final Look

In the Below Pictures I used MAC's latest Highlighter in How Beautiful.

Hope you like the final result.

Should you require further information don't hesitate to email me or leave a comment :)

How to: Transform your Mac eyeshadow palette from 15 pans to 21

I know how annoying it can be going through all of your eyeshadows or look for a specific one. Arranging your eyeshadow can save so much time and what better way than categorizing and arranging them your way. Plus, it can be fun..
Now, the palettes available in Mac carry only 15 eyeshadows, I'll be showing you how you can fit 21 or even 26 in one palette.
You can also save up money by buying the eyeshadow pro refill which is cheaper than the regular eyeshadows, In addition they come with magnates which makes it easier to place in the palette.
Now, the down side is you can't always find the shade you want in refills, if you don't there is a way. You can detach the shadow and place it in the palette.

 

So here are the steps:

That's how the palette looks.

what you have to do is remove the plastic cover that eliminates the amount of shadow you can place.

Unfortunately I already had mine removed.

All you have to do is lift the plastic definer, place a knife under it and pull it off.

Please make sure to be as careful as you can.

what I do after removing the plastic piece I glue the magnet so it stays in place. You can now easily place your refill eyeshadows.

Here's how you can transform your regular eyeshadow: 

Here's what you need:

Your Mac pro palette.

The eyeshadow/s you want to transform.

Cutter.

Scissor.

Lighter.

Permanent Marker.

Double sided tape.

Place the cutter on the edge of the shadow and pull it upwards to separate the piece containing the shadow from the case.

(please excuse my shipped nails. I have manicures on a weekly bases, the brand of nail polish I happened to use, which is Sephora, is so bad that it chipped within 2 days. )

  secure the eyeshadow with a scissor. Make sure you get a firm hold of it. (not too firm though, I don't want you breaking it)

Pleas try to be as careful as you can with this step. After securing the eyeshadow with the scissor lit your lighter and start burning the lower part. What the fire would do is melt the glue holding the shadow which will make it easier for you to pull the eyeshadow out.

Move the lighter in a circular motion for 10 seconds. Don't over burn it

once done with melting the glue. Grab you cutter once again and try to gently remove the eyeshadow. Be as gentle as you can for you can easily break your eyeshadow. Be careful not to burn your hands as the eyeshadow will still be hot. Lift the eyeshadow and place it on a flat surface to cool down for a minute. If you find difficulty in removing the eyeshadow it might be because the glue is not melted. Repeat the step. 

Doing this step might be slightly difficult at first but once you get a hold of it, it'll get easier.

Once the eyeshadow has cooled off grab you double sided tape and stick a small piece on the backside of your shadow then place it on the palette. Viola..

Another hint, you can also use magnets instead of double sided tape. I never found the right size.

This step is optional. I came up with a way of organizing my palette. The refill ones come with a label on the back but the ones you'll stick obviously don't. What I do is I number each row and place each shadow's label accordingly. 

Some people don't mind having them all mixed up or have their own way of remembering. In this case you can fit up to 26 eyeshadows in one palette.

Please excuse how messy my palette looks. It's so hard to keep it tidy as the excess powder gets all over the place =)

I separate my mattes from my shimmers. You can do yours the way you desire.

Don't throw away the cases. Save them up, and as MAC recycles for each 6 cases you get any lipstick of your choice for free. 

Any case from MAC will do lipsticks, eyelash containers, Blusher,....

Hope you found this post useful, and hope you enjoyed it. 

Got any questions don't hesitate to leave a comment...

I'll be starting giveaways as of next month, my first will be one of my must have make-up tools that I absolutely love and can't stop raving about, which is the infamous Beauty Blender..
All you have to do is follow my blog. 
Stay tuned...

xoxo