the beauty expert

THE BEAUTY EXPERT
Celebrity
HairLust
Step-by-Step Tips
Haven't Slept
In Forever?
Cures for Dark Circles
Page 186
Makeup
Artist
All-Stars I
Reveal Their Best Tricks
(#1: Get Naughty Black Eyes)
NOVEMBER 2012
Lauren
wJConrad
I "There's something to be said about someone
who is beautiful but isn't aware of it."
BB
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fBBs
The latest fad inface creams aims to solve
all your skin woes with one tiny tube. But
What do BBS actually deliver? By Jolene Edgar
November 2012-Allure 135
Skin Report
ou know what comes
across our desks every
day? New beauty products. You know what
doesn't come across
our desks every day?
Entirely new beauty
categories that make a whole nation of
women swoon. Enter: BB creams. In case
you snuck aboard the Mars Curiosity rover
and still think a BB is a kind of harmless
firearm, listen up. A BB cream is a tinted
moisturizer that also protects the skin. It's
Do you apply a BB
cream on top
of moisturizer, or
instead of it?
Short answer: It depends on your skin
type. Longer answer: If your skin is
anywhere close to dry, put on your
moisturizer before your BB. Most BBs
(and yes, the more you say "BB," the
funnier it starts to sound) are loaded
with silicones—silky, slippery materials that soften the skin and retain
moisture—but they're also loaded
with pigments and sunscreen, which
can be drying, says Ni'Kita Wilson,
a cosmetic chemist. So you've got a
battle between the slick parts and the
drying ones, and it basically comes
also a sunscreen that smooths wrinkles.
And a foundation that gets rid of age spots.
And a primer with antioxidants. The point
is, it kind of does everything. OK, almost
everything: In a weird twist of irony, BBs
(a.k.a. blemish balms or beauty balms)
aren't so great for acne—they don't contain salicylic acid or other skin-clearing
ingredients and can be a little heavy for
acne-prone skin. Like every single other
thing in the world, there are good versions
and bad versions. Here, everything else
you need to know about BBs.
down to which particular BB you're
using (some are more moisturizing,
some less so). But according to Jessica
Wu, an assistant clinical professor
of dermatology at the University of
Southern California, prepping the
skin first with lotion may help a BB go
on more smoothly and possibly even
work better, providing some actual
moisture for the silicones to lock in.
Short answer redux: It can't hurt to
moisturize first.
What about my
daily sunscreen?
Still need it. For the most part,
dermatologists want us all to wear
burkas, stay indoors, and draw the
blackout shades. Or, at the very least,
apply a thick layer of SPF 30 every
day and reapply every two hours.
"Look at a BB the same way you
would any other makeup with SPF,"
says Joshua Zeichner, director of cosmetic and clinical research at Mount
Sinai Medical Center in New York
City. "You're using too little of it to
get the true SPF value on the label,
you're not putting it everywhere you
need protection, and you're not reapplying throughout the day." If you
feel like you just got yelled at, don't
despair. Those who spend most of the
day indoors and who use a BB with
SPF 30 or higher at this time of year
should be fine. See more sunlight in
your life? Apply your regular sunscreen before your BB (just give it a
few minutes to sink in).
Antioxidants, peptides, niacinamide—BB creams seem to offer some pretty
impressive ingredients. Will they replace my current anti-ager?
Think of the anti-aging qualities of a BB like a white-wine spritzer (seriously, stay with us here): If
you're looking for a stiff drink, you'll be sorely disappointed. But if you want a glass of fizzy
water with a nice kick, you'll be thrilled. In other words, a BB will do a lot more for your skin than a
plain old tinted moisturizer, but a prescription-strength retinol it is not. A BB with antioxidants
or peptides is perfect for you fresh-faced twentysomethings, but if you're old enough to remember
the first President Bush, the first Iraq war, or just have a lot of sun damage, use your BB by day and
keep your retinol around for bedtime. Although BBs pack in high amounts of antioxidants, peptides,
and niacinamides, the key ingredients may not sink in as fast or as effectively as they would in
a serum, because "they're generally entrapped in film-forming ingredients that can impede
penetration," says Wilson. The rate of release varies from brand to brand. If you layer, make sure
your treatment product is absorbed completely before you apply your BB.
136 Allure-November 2012
Skin Report
Well, what will
it replace?
A BB will certainly replace your
primer and usually your foundation
(occasionally, even your concealer).
But think about the bigger picture
here: The question you should be
asking is, how often do you actually
apply a full two ounces of sunscreen,
rub in your moisturizer, dab a few
drops of a treatment product around
your eyes, then work in a primer
and finish with foundation? Unless
you're an anchor at Fox News, you
probably take a few shortcuts. And
we're not judging. The appeal of BBs
is that they pack five benefits into
one little tube. Does one little tube
work as effectively as five separate
steps? No. But on the days that you're
rushing to get out the door, are you
grateful for one step instead of five?
You're welcome.
If you f a l l on the very
fair orrery dark
end of the akin-color
spectrum, look,/'or
a BBfroni a compan
that offers al least
four shades.
OK, got it.
So what the heck
are CC creams?
It was bound to happen. BB creams
are already being one-upped by newer initials: CC creams. Standing for
color and care or color and correct,
BB creams come in only a few shades (sometimes just
these formulas strive to offer even
one). How can they possibly match my complexion?
more—more coverage, more moisSay
you're a Creamy Natural at one counter, but you're a True Sand
ture, more lasting benefits. Chanel
launched one in China earlier this
at another and a Warm Beige at a third. It can make you feel a
year. Now, Olay is bringing one of
little Shell Shocked at all of them. In the world of BBs, there are
the first CCs to the U.S. with Olay Total usually only a few shades to choose from because some (especially
Effects 7 in One CC Tone Correctthose that only come in one shade) contain "self-adjusting"
ing UV Moisturizer. To keep their CC
or "tone-blending" ingredients, meaning the pigments change
lightweight and easy to layer, Olay
slightly to match your skin tone. To make sure you select the
added only an SPF 15. The question
right
shade, let foundation be a (rough) guide. Makeup artist Troy
is, with a vast selection of BB creams
Surratt
suggests first visiting a cosmetic counter to see where
already delivering a multitude of
immediate and long-term benefits,
you fit on the foundation-shade spectrum. Look for a brand that
how much better can a CC actually
offers 12 to 16 colors: "The display will usually be organized
be? "CCs, as a category, are supposed from lightest to darkest," he says. Divide the range into groupings
to hydrate better than BBs and focus
of three or four. If you fall within the first group, you're likely
more on correcting the complexto wear a fair or light BB (with the former being the lighter of the
ion," says Wilson. "But since so few
two). If you're in the second section, you're medium. Third,
exist, their performance remains to
dark
or deep; and fourth, extra deep. If you fall on the very fair
be seen." In the meantime, we look
or
the
very dark end of the skin-color spectrum, look for a BB
forward to a future in which we all
have double Ds.
from a company that offers at least four shades.
138 Allure • November 2012
I
Skin Report
Most
Wanted
Since BBs are designed to
be multitaskers, finding the
best one requires prioritizing:
Choose one based on your
primary complexion concern,
and the other benefits will
follow. Here, our picks.
Your focus-. Dryness
Our favorites: Estee Laud. er DayWear Anti-Oxidant
*~i Beauty Benefit Creme
^sa and Gamier Skin Renew
Wr
Miracle Skin Perfector BB
Cream are both excellent
at reviving parched cells with hyaluronic
acid and skin-softening lipids.
Prep the skin with
lotion to help the BB go on
more smoothly—and
possibly even work better.
HE-^
Your focus: Blotchiness/
Uneven Tone
Our favorites:
n
Swap
your
.;
s^
foundation for
•*
lx
Clinique Age
-i3 irrf
^f
Defense BB
LI
ft
Cream or Dior
Hydra Life BB Creme, which offer nearly
full coverage "but can be made sheer by
warming them in your palm and applying with fingers," says makeup artist
Joanna Schlip. (Two that are a bit more
translucent right out of the tube: Maybelline New York Dream Fresh BB 8-in-1
Beauty Balm Skin Perfector and Stila
Stay All Day 10-in-1 HD Beauty Balm.)
Your focus: Fine Lines
Our favorites: Dr.
Brandt
Signature
Flexitone BB Cream
and Origins A Perfect World BB do
damage control with
potent antioxidants. Bobbi Brown BB
Cream targets wrinkles with peptides
that boost collagen growth.
140 Allure • November 2012
Your focus: Dark Spots
Your focus: Sun Protection
Our favorites: Olay's CC
*fi
^*B cream contains N-acetyl
(.V-r
f
glucosamineand niacinamide—a combination
shown to reduce discoloration in as few as six
weeks. Dior Diorsnow UV Shield BB
Creme and 3Lab Perfect BB shut down
pigment-producing enzymes in the
skin with patented lighteners.
Our favorites: Unless
you reapply every
two hours and com*•
pletely cover your
skin, you can't count
these as sunscreens.
But among those with the highest digits are Dior Diorsnow UV Shield BB
Creme (SPF 50), Dr. Jart+ Premium
Beauty Balm (SPF 45), and Slab Perfect BB (SPF 40).
' T
Your focus: Brea kouts
Our favorites: Ba~T~i sic, featherweight
""•- formulas, such as
Dr. Jart+ Water
Fuse BB Beauty
Balm and Boscia
BB Cream, are least likely to trigger
pimples. (If products with silicone
tend to give you zits, try Omorovicza
Complexion Perfector BB Cream—a
rare BB made without the stuff.)
.*„
T
vour focus:
t(
Your
Sens'iti vity
Our favorites: Boscia BB
Cream reduces redness
with jojoba leaf and willow
herb extract. For those
who have rosacea, creams
with niacinamide, like Dr. Jart+ Renewalist BB Beauty Balm, "can increase skin's
production of ceramides and essential
fatty acids to repair its barrier, quelling
inflammation and sensitivity," says Wu.
I
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I
I
o
Q
O
Dark
Shadows
There are four primary causes of undereye circles, and a
full eight hours won't help with any of them. Experts
reveal what's really behind those stubborn shadows—and the
treatments that WOrk. ByJolene Edgar
"^^^^""•^^^
ark circles are a democratic affH
ifck liction: People of every skin tone
K
^k and age group are susceptible; they
i^K
I can show up on the most sleep•
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Hf "a fix-all solution doesn't exist,"
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says Joshua Zeichner, the director
—J^»___^^^
of cosmetic and clinical research
at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City. That's
because there are several different reasons for undereye
circles—and they all require a different course of action.
The bright side? The right diagnosis and treatment will
have you stepping out of the darkness in no time.
melanin with trichloroacetic acid in just a few three-minute
treatments. "It's very effective," says Jeannette Graf, an
assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai
School of Medicine in New York City. "Patients can usually
see improvement after a single visit."
Hyperpigmentation
THE PROBLEM: Irritation can cause skin to overproduce
melanin. Eczema, makeup remover, and plain old eye rubbing can also leave behind dark spots. "Some people rub
so hard they get brown post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, plus actual bruising," says Graf. Bruises can turn
golden brown and stick around for weeks or even months.
THE FIX: Hydroquinone can safely diminish brown areas
under the eyes by inhibiting melanin production. Start
with a mild 2 percent formula, like Ambi Skincare Fade
THE PROBLEM: If you have light skin, hair, and eyes, Cream, dabbing it on dark areas every other night—and be
chances are you've inherited dark blue circles as well. Fair sure to wear sunscreen during the day. If your skin is too
skin can be too translucent to hide the purplish network of sensitive for hydroquinone, look for an eye cream with
broken blood vessels underneath, sometimes referred to gentler brighteners that work similarly, like daisy extract
as "vascular circles." People with dark complexions—espe- (found in Jurlique Herbal Recovery Eye Cream) or vitamin
cially those of Indian, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and K oxide (found in Auriderm Illume Eye Cream). Whatever
African descent—typically have heavier concentrations of cream you choose, keep in mind that it can take up to
melanin under their eyes. "It's not unusual to see dark cir- three months to see improvement. For faster results, ask
cles even in young children," says David Bank, an assistant your dermatologist about the Q-switch YAG laser, or diode
clinical professor of dermatology at New York Presbyterian laser. Expect a few days of redness and swelling. To comHospital/Columbia University Medical Center.
bat bruising caused by eye rubbing, try the Vbeam laser,
THE FIX: Rctinol. In skin products, "nothing beats it," which goes after broken blood vessels.
says Bank. "It fades pigment and thickens collagen, making skin more opaque." Choose a product specifically
formulated for the eyes, such as RoC Retinol Correxion,
and limit your use to once a week initially, to minimize THE PROBLEM: "Over time, the sun breaks down our colskin irritation; over time, you can work up to a nightly or lagen, making the skin even more fragile and transparent,
every-other-night routine. For faster results, consider try- which in turn reveals bluish blood vessels," says Bank. "The
ing the Glytone by Enerpeel, a professional peel that fades undereye skin is already about the thinnest on the body."
Genetics
Aging
186
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What's more, he adds, fat pads under
the eyes start to deteriorate and droop
as early as age 30, either hollowing
the undereye area or creating puffy
bags just below the shadows.
THE FIX: A broad-spectrum sunscreen (we like Neutrogena Pure &
Free Liquid Daily Sunblock SPF 50
because it doesn't irritate eyes) and
oversize sunglasses help prevent
collagen loss. Use an eye cream with
retinol or peptides, plus plumping
humectants, like glycerin and hyaluronic acid, such as Dr. Brandt Flaws
"The sun breaks
down our collagen,
making the skin
even more fragile
and transparent."
No More R3P Eye cream. It will help
thicken skin and restore the natural
curvature of the undereye area, says
Bank. At the doctor's office, hyaluronic acid fillers, like Restylane,
eliminate shadows and hide blood
vessels for up to two years. For bulging fat pads, some doctors suggest
radio-frequency treatments, such as
Thermage, Pelleve, or eMatrix RF,
which help tighten the skin.
Allergies
THE PROBLEM: One symptom of
allergies is bloated circles caused
by the release of histamine (the culprit behind all that itching). The act
of rubbing your eyes can "alter the
position of blood vessels," says Hema
Sundaram, a dermatologist with
offices in Maryland and Virginia.
"They float up a bit, so they look more
obvious under the skin."
THE FIX: If your allergies bring on
dark circles, "take an over-thecounter antihistamine once a day to
prevent a reaction," says Zeichner.
Sleeping on an extra pillow can
keep fluid from pooling under the
eyes. And caffeinated eye gels, like
SkinCeuticals AOX+ Eye Gel or Vichy
Aqualia Antiox Eye Stick, can act as
a diuretic, draining excess blood and
fluid trapped around the eyes.
188
Vicious Circles
One woman recounts her fear and loathing of her own
ghoulish undereye shadows. By Gem Hirshey
s a child, I used to dread
the rare visits of my
dad's cousin Helen, a
large woman who chainsmoked, complained in
a voice like a rusty gate, and looked
down at us kids with terrible, darkringed eyes. They were plum-hued,
shiny and deep, striated with grooves
and folds. If Helen had been a nice
person, I might have grown up without the knee-jerk assumption: Bags
are bad. Scary bad.
At 18 or so, I began to detect certain hereditary shadows gathering
beneath my own greenish eyes. Even
then, my nascent circles threatened
to eclipse those bright orbs. It seemed
a darkness foretold. I just prayed I'd
never grow a pair like Helen's.
Mercifully, my dark circles are not
epic. But by my late 30s, they had
settled in permanently above a pair
of high cheekbones, and I became a
tireless scout for effective concealers.
What I could not easily accept was
how others seemed to interpret my
contours. Even on days when I had
slept well, the sun shone, my heart
sang, and not a single bill had arrived
in the mail, people persisted:
"Smile—it can't be that bad."
"Rough night?"
"Have you tried Ambien?"
Then there was the piercing coup
de grace, from my daughter's kindergarten bus driver: "Are you her mom
or her grandma?"
After years of fielding these
annoying queries and their implications, I've come to realize that dark
circles can signal a host of negatives
to the unafflicted beholder: insomnia. Dissolute behavior. Depression.
Advanced age. It's not always true, and
it's surely not fair. And now, in highdefinition everything, the circles
loom larger. (Come to think of it, my
mom always looked radiant in photos
shot with a blurry Kodak Brownie.)
The cruel HD pixilation is just the
latest wrinkle; "bags are bad" sublim-
A
inals go way back in pop culture. Even
Disney animators have used deep
curved lines to etch evil beneath the
eyes of villainesses. Think Cruella De
Vil and Ursula, the malevolent sea
witch drawn with vivid blue bags in
The Little Mermaid (she's a dead ringer
for cousin Helen). On the silver screen,
men get more of a pass for having
basset-hound peepers: As Sam Spade,
Bogart had bags that were as sexy as
his stubble. But as rings deepened
beneath Bette Davis's eyes, her casting
was all Hash...Hush, Sweet Charlotte
and Sweet Baby Jane. The horror.
In similarly afflicted friends, I
have found a supportive Sisterhood
of the Sacks; we trade camouflage
tips and confess our increasing camera shyness. I became the default
family photographer so as not to be
in the frame, and if I must pose, I try
to work the angles. This had some
comic effects in group shots taken at
our son's recent college graduation,
where I seem to be gazing toward the
heavens instead of at him.
It was silly of me, and it showed.
Now should be the time for graceful
acceptance—with judicious application of concealer, of course. Why not
look on the bright side? After 25 years,
my husband still looks me in the eyes.^
I do believe—really—that a radiant
spirit can shine through dark window
dressing. I have also gained some wisdom from a family elder, my uncle
Tony, who at 90 is still tall, handsome,
and the best kind of wise guy. I went to
visit him after a recent plastic surgery; he'd had an eyelid tuck. Alas,
sagging upper lids are another lateinning family trait. His were so bad
that his vision was impaired and his
doctor ordered the procedure.
"You look fabulous," I told him
truthfully. The upper eye lift seemed
to brighten even the shadows below.
He put an arm around my shoulder
and grinned.
"Medicare paid for the eye job,
kiddo," he told me. "Just you wait."
Going Under Cover
Abracadabra. Here's how makeup artists make
dark circles and swollen bags disappear.
We asked doctors for
clues on how to diagnose
every dark circle.
areas—mainly the inner
corners of the eyes and
the half-moons belowthen gently tap the edges
with your ring finger.
Since product overload
accentuates circles, apply
concealer in thin layers
and build up to the opacity
you want, says makeup
artist Meredith Baraf.
Work in natural light.
"Overhead lighting casts
shadows, making circles
look worse and causing
you to use more product
than you need," says
makeup artist Tina Turnbow.
Try an optical illusion.
Tackle any remaining
shadows with a highlighting
pen, like Dior Skinflash
' If you have dark circles
in your third-grade class
picture or up and down your
family tree, genes are at
least partly to blame.
• To discover the source of
your discoloration, gently
press the bottom of a clear
shot glass against your dark
circles. "If they immediately
lighten, you're dealing with
blood vessels; if there's
no color change, it's probably
melanin," says Graf.
• Are your under-eyes puffiest
in the morning, and does the
swelling subside during the
day? Sounds like allergies,
especially if you have a runny
nose or watery eyes.
• If bags are ever-present
and have worsened with
age, odds are you've got
prominent fat pads.
Tweak your concealer.
For dark circles, choose a
concealer that's a half-shade
lighter than your foundation.
For undereye bags, "go
a half-shade darker," says
makeup artist Maria Verel.
Fight pigment with pigment.
Densely pigmented
concealers "with a slight
tackiness adhere to skin
and give long-lasting
coverage," says makeup
artist Troy Surratt. He likes
Amazing Cosmetics Amazing
Concealer (1) and Cle
de Peau Beaute Concealer
(2). "Just prep with an
eye cream first," he says.
Layer up. Using a small
pointed brush, stipple
concealer onto shadowy
Radiance Booster Pen (3) or
Neutrogena Healthy Skin
Brightening Eye Perfector (4).
They have optical diff users to
give the illusion of smoother,
brighter skin. (Brush over
concealer and blend.)
Ready? Set. Using a shadow
brush, dust translucent
powder over concealer to
keep it in place. This area
is rarely wrinkled, so don't
worry about the ptiwder
settling into your fine lines.
Try a light-reflective formula,
such as Estee Lauder Lucidity
Translucent Loose Powder
(5). To help disguise puffy
eyes, a matte powder, like
L'Oreal Paris True Match
Naturale Mattifying Mineral
Finish (6), is best.
I
Tip
A dot of concealer
or highlighter at
the inner corners
brightens the eyes.
The Sleep Connection
8o
Q
a
6
What's Your
Problem?
"Everybody talks about their eyes looking dark and puffy
from lack of sleep, but there's no real proven connection,"
says Zeichner. Correlations, however, abound. Consider
this: After 18 hours without sleep, our tear production
dwindles, and our eyes get dry and itchy, says Bank. So
we rub them, inflaming the skin and stirring up pigment.
Insufficient sleep can also mess with our skin's repair
processes. "There's a natural boost in microcirculation
that typically happens while we sleep," says Graf. And
without enough sleep, skin has a harder time moving
blood and fluid, so eyes look as tired as you feel.
Quick Fixes
Drink
ana's onto
water, which can cause
under-eyes to swell and
blood vessels to dilate,"
says Graf. "But drinking
water—up to a gallon
a day—can (lush that out."
Chill
Ice and chilled tea bags
depuff by constricting
small vessels and slopping
minor leaks. Cold milk
soothes tired eyes and
"normalizes the skin's pH
to further help reduce
inflammation," says Bank.
Define
Eye shadows in champagne
and peachy gold are
the besl brighteners, says
Turnbow. Try Chanel
Illusion Long Wear
Luminous Eyeshadow in
Emervcille or
CoverGlrl Eye Enhancers
in Champagne.
189