Covering Some Ground

I had skin on my mind when I entered Sephora earlier this week. My original intention was to have a look at the Nars skin care line, and especially at their brightening serum that got rave reviews from several bloggers. Koneko wrote that it would work as a primer, as well as being an under foundation glow thingy, only with very little shimmer and some serious skin benefits. Sounds perfect, only problem that neither the store on 5th Ave/19th st. nor the one on Union Square had the skin care products. Also, they didn't have the new makeup collection for spring. I wanted to check the Corinthe lipstick and see what was all the fuss about the Habanera eye shadow duo. But it was not to be. Curiously enough, all these products are available on the Sephora web site, just not in the stores I visited.

But I was not leaving without some goodies. I wanted a serum and was thinking about brightening. I have a couple (as in two, actually) of freckles/spots that I could do without (note to self: get very serious about using a sun block), so I picked up Caudalie's Vinoperfect Radiance Serum. I figured that it was worth a chance before I try the really big guns like ReVive that require taking a mortgage. It'll be about a month before I can write a review (4-6 weeks until you're supposed to see results), but so far it feels nice under my moisturizing cream (still rocking Secret de Vie with excellent results).

The other thing I wanted was a new concealer. I'm nearly out of the discontinued Chanel one, and after nearly nine months it's time for replacement. The selection of concealers in every Sephora store (or at any department store, or even Target) is bordering on the overwhelming. There are so many brands and they all make concealer in every texture and consistency under the sun. Trying them on is way less fun than playing with lip gloss. The results aren't that striking and you're forced to pay careful attention to an area of your face you usually do your best to ignore: the under eye (cue horror movie music).

I knew that I prefer something on the creamy side, which ruled out a product or two. Then I decided to zero in on Lorac, just because I dearly love Carol Shaw's products. Everything I purchased so far has been a success, both in texture and color. The tiny pots of creamy Coverup concealer caught my eye and I tried it on. My initial guess that I needed the C3 proved to be wrong. My color was actually C2, light.

The cream went on easily (I used my finger), looked smooth and did magic for my undereye circles. It is as close to erasing them as I could hope for. The color blended nicely with my skin, didn't crease or sink into it, thus avoiding the bad effect that too thick concealer create on my face. It also evened out my skin where needed and brightened that suspicious side-of-the-nose area. It's actually a very light product. It glosses over the dark areas, but it doesn't cover those two dark freckles I have on my cheeks. So, if you need more than a moderate coverage this might not be the concealer for you. But, for a light-handed smoothing and brightening job it's perfect and I couldn't be happier.

Coverup has an excellent staying power (I do use primer most days, but it lasts even without it) and keeps in place through the day or a night out on the town. No fading/creasing/flaking. The first Sephora I went to was temporarily actually out of C2 (as is the website), but the one on Union Square still had several, and Beauty.com has it in stock.