[Warning! This is a long post!]
A while ago I was having a really really bad time with my under-eye bags so I decided to splurge and buy Chanel's Lift Lumière Smoothing and Rejuvenating Eye Contour Concealer.
The regular price at Sephora is 38euros, I think it might cost slightly more in other beauty stores...as for me, I got it with an additional 20% off as this was part of my 20% off Sephora week haul which I posted about here!
This concealer is available in three shades, though only two can be found in Italy, #10 beige lumière and #30 apricot (the other shade is #20 rose). I got #10. It comes in a convenient and hygienic pump bottle which dispenses just the right amount (at least for me!), though I must admit I always press the pump very lightly as I'm scared it'll start pouring out too much expensive product! Quantity is 15ml/0.5oz.
It has a nice creamy texture and spreads well. Personally, I prefer to apply this with a flat foundation brush (like Sephora Professional #47) rather than with my fingers or a smaller concealer brush, so that I can get better coverage. My initial thought after I had just put it on the first time was not overly good, because my under-eye area looked puffier than before and very shiny (scary, I tell you!) After a bit though, the bags tightened and appeared not shiny but luminous!
It contains a unique complex of light-diffusing pigments, mica and silicone powder. It also contains a pea extract that apparently rstores suppleness and tone, some other ingredient to reduce puffiness and also nourishing Camellia Oil.
The before photo...
It was actually hell to photograph the effect, I don't think light-reflecting concealers come out very well in pictures...but at least my bags photograph well, hehehe! Seriously, in real life the difference was/is much bigger, and my circles appear more bluish-ashen (pre-concealer). Note that I'm a glass-wearer so my eye-area always looks pretty tired and dark...not so much in the above photo, but trust me.
And the after photo...
In the enclosed leaflet it says this concealer "restores a sparkle of youth to the eye area"...what do you think, can you see a twinkle in my eye??
What is most striking for me is the reduced puffiness, I hope you can see it too! As for coverage, I'm sure there are more heavy-duty concealers for really bad circle days, but this definitely does a good job with fairly dark bags.
All in all I must say I like this eye contour concealer. After the initial "my eyes look like slimy golf balls" shock, when the shine became a subtle sheen and the puffiness subsided I was really happy with the brightening and long-lasting effect. Of course, it's not the concealer I reach for every day: with that price-tag I prefer to keep this for special occasions!
Other concealers I have used include Lancome Effacernes which I found pretty good, Rimmel's stick concealer (which I usually use in summer when I'm at the sea and need to hide something!) and some Shiseido ones (including one with two different shades of creamy concealer plus a whitish setting powder...liked this a lot, unfortunately it's not manufactured anymore!) and Nars' crappy double ended concealer, which I got mainly because my shade was Custard and I couldn't resist it (I LOVE CUSTARD!). In all fairness, the Harvey Nicks SA did try to convince me to get the stick one, but for some reason I was a different shade in that so I decided to ignore her...big mistake!!
The other concealer/illuminators I have in my camouflage kit (!!) at the moment are all Italian, 3 from Collistar and 1 from Kiko Cosmetics. In case any of you come here on holiday and need to hide late-nights tell-tale signs and zits induced by pigging out on Italian food, here's the lowdown.
From top to bottom:
* Kiko Cosmetics Concealer in stick form (I believe this is soon to be discontinued) in 03 Beige: I bought this after my summer holidays because my regular concealers were too light for my tanned face. This is quite a good product, feels a bit stiff when you dot it under the eyes straight from the tube, but then melts into your skin when you spread it with your fingertips. Good coverage, good staying power, ideal for both blemishes and eye contour.
* Collistar S.O.S. Imperfezioni (S.O.S. Blemishes): this is a little jem! It's a little glass bottle with applicator brush. It smells a bit strongly of medicine, as it contains salicylic acid, sulphur, zinc oxide and vitamins F and B6, and you have to shake it well before applying it with the brush (though a thinner brush would be better). I can imagine it would be a bit irritating for someone with super-sensitive skin, on me it works well, dries blending in with the rest of the foundation on my face (which is good considering there's only one shade of this, on the light side) and covers the blemishes nicely whilst also helping reduce the inflammation!
* Collistar Punto Luce Correttore Illuminante (Brightening Touch - Highlighting Concealer): this is basically YSL Touche Eclat for practically half the price! Just like the YSL it's not really a concealer but more of an illuminator, so you can of course use it to lighten unsightly shadows but also to emphasize the eyes or give volume to the lips if applied to the contours.
* Collistar Correttore Filler (Filler Concealer): as the name implies, it's a concealer for dark circles which smoothes out wrinkles and fine lines by filling them. Of course, it's a great product even if you don't have age-signs yet! It's long-lasting and also good on blemishes as it has a nice creamy texture. This is actually the concealer I use the most.
Sorry for the LOOOONG post, I hope you managed to get to the end!
And here is my totally predictable question for all my great followers (almost 50! A big thank you to each one of you!): what's the best concealer for circles and/or blemishes you have ever used??
Love,
Anna xx