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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Thursday, December 18, 2003

Conceal those holiday excesses

By Paula Rath
Advertiser Staff Writer

Laine Rykes made up half the face of model and mother-to-be Wana'ao Watson Eldridge. She started with Chanel Age Delay to lessen puffiness, followed by a pink-toned concealer under the eyes and a slightly orangy tone to correct excess pigmentation over the lip line.

Deborah Booker • The Honolulu Advertiser

The holiday season is all about excess. Too many salty foods. Result: puffiness. Too much alcohol. Result: ruddiness. Too little sleep. Result: deep, dark circles under the eyes.

Yup. It all adds up to looking lousy, just when you want to sparkle.

There's a simple cosmetic solution: concealer. Find the right formula and shade, and you can mask a multitude of sins.

Concealer is not just for women.

Applied properly, men can use it and no one will ever know they're wearing anything on their faces but a smile.

So listen up, guys.

We asked two professional Honolulu makeup artists to share their secrets regarding selection and use of concealers.

Laine Rykes has done makeup for television and movies for many years. Among her credits: "ER," "Baywatch, "Pearl Harbor" and the upcoming Drew Barrymore film "50 First Dates."

Bryan Furer also specializes in film and television makeup. Among his projects: "Raiders of the Lost Ark," "ER" and "Fantasy Island." He has applied concealer to a plethora of men, including Ted Kennedy, Bruce Willis, Burt Reynolds and The Rock.

Among the most common mistakes Rykes sees in Hawai'i is using too much concealer, producing a dry, caked look, especially in older men and women. This can be avoided by applying a lightweight eye cream as a base and placing concealer only where it's really needed.

Rykes
It's also helpful to have the right light in your bathroom, either natural sunlight or "Day Light" bulbs, available at home and lighting stores. If the light isn't just right, it's wise to check at a window or outside before leaving the house.

Furer advises trial tests of colors and formulae: "If you're not brave enough to go to the cosmetics counter and try some, call a professional makeup artist for a private consultation."

Before reaching for the concealer, Rykes recommends trying a product that may help reduce puffiness and under-eye circles, such as Chanel's Precision Eye Patch Total ($65, Macy's and Neiman Marcus) or Origins' "No Puffery" Cooling Mask for Puffy Eyes ($20) at Macy's or Origins in Ala Moana Center. Another option: a slice of cucumber placed over the eyes for 5 to 10 minutes.

If extreme puffiness is still a problem, there's a special technique to camouflage it. On the parts that protrude the most, use a concealer that's half a shade darker than your foundation. On the recessed portions, use one that's two shades lighter.

The right shade

Furer
In her book "Beauty Evolution," New York makeup artist Bobbi Brown, who has her own line of products, calls concealer "the secret of the beauty universe."

"No matter what, always reach for the concealer first," she says.

"I don't care if you've only got 30 seconds to get ready, concealer is the one thing you do not skip."

In another book, "Bobbi Brown Beauty," she writes, "the right concealer is yellow-based, not white, which will be much too light on the face. The biggest mistake women make with concealer is using a too light or too white shade. Search for a concealer that is one to two shades (i.e., subtly) lighter than your skin tone. Avoid green-, purple- or pink-tinted concealers, which only serve to make your face green, purple or pink!"

Rykes disagrees about the pink. She said a pink- or orange-tinted concealer placed in gray areas (such as under the eyes) can balance and warm the skin tone. For the pigmentation (sun spots) that plague so many Island men and women, Rykes said an orange- tinted concealer is the solution.

The latest innovation in concealers is the light-reflecting variety, ideal for any dark area that recedes, such as the inner eye, frown lines or nasolabial creases. Use it sparingly.

So go ahead and indulge. Just keep that concealer handy.

Reach Paula Rath at prath@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-5464.

• • •

What to use

We sent Rykes shopping for concealers and she offered these recommendations.

• General use: Maybelline (Longs), $5.99; Revlon Color Stay, only for those with oily skin who want a heavy-duty, long-lasting concealer that "sticks like glue," (Longs) $9.75; Prescriptives (Macy's), $17; MAC (MAC stores and Macy's), $22; Ben Nye concealers (Costume Closet in Kapahulu), $11.

• Pink skin tones: L'Oreal Airway (Longs) $9.95; Clarins (Macy's, Sephora) $22; Chanel Quick Change (Macy's, Neiman Marcus) $35.

• Orange skin tones: Bobbi Brown's coral blush stick (Neiman Marcus) $25; Laura Mercier's Secret Camouflage (Neiman Marcus) $27; YSL Touche Eclat (Macy's, Neiman Marcus) $35.


Application

Concealer can be applied with a brush, sponge or index finger, for different areas and effects.

• Brush: A small, firm, pointed brush allows you to reach difficult areas such as the inner eye, or to pinpoint tiny flaws such as pimples. A domed brush creates a smooth finish.

• Sponge: Not the best for application, but great for blending visible line between concealer and skin or foundation.

• Ring finger: Pat and press to blend and smooth. Do not rub, or the concealer will wipe right off.

Types of concealer

• Cream: The creamier the texture, the less coverage you'll get. It's usually sold in stick form or in a pot. Best applied with a brush, using a sponge wedge to blend and soften.

Upside: The heaviest of concealers with maximum coverage.

Downside: Can be greasy and collect in fine lines. Apply sparingly and blend well.

• Tube: More like a foundation, thinner and creamier. Apply with a small domed brush and blend with tip of sponge wedge.

Upside: Lightweight and convenient. Easy to apply with fingers if a brush isn't handy.

Downside: May not offer enough coverage for highly discolored areas.

• Wand or liquid with sponge applicator: Usually packaged like lip gloss in a tube with an applicator. Works well for the nasolabial area.

Upside: Almost as sheer as a foundation, easy to control. It travels well in a purse or pocket for touchups throughout the day.

Downside: May not offer enough coverage for highly discolored areas.

• Pencil stick: Comes in thick or thin pencil, like lip or eye pencil.

Upside: You can achieve pinpoint accuracy, so it's good for covering pimples, freckles and moles.

Downside: Can require tugging around delicate eye area.


Questions?

Reache Rykes by e-mail at: lainerykes@aol.com. Furer can be contacted through Prosperity Corner in Kaimuki.