Want Your Skin To Be Smooth, Soft and Healthy? Keep on Reading - Part I

by Olga Tsiba of Glamorized Skin

SKIN TYPES 

Let us begin by reviewing skin types and their characteristics. There are four skin types: oily, combination, normal and dry/sensitive. The easiest way to understand your type is to pay close attention to your skin first thing in the morning. Does it have sheen to it and feels greasy? Does it have dry patches and feels tight all over? Does it have inflamed patches? Or is it a combination of things? Now that you have thoroughly observed your face, check out the types and their descriptions below:

OILY                            greasy and shiny with enlarged pores 
                                      and has a tendency to break out with   
                                      acne;

COMBINATION    patches of dry and oily skin, usually dry
                                     on the cheeks and around the eyes, and 

                                     oily on the forehead, nose and chin; also 
                                     tends to break out;

NORMAL                 least problematic, feels clean and smooth;

DRY/SENSITIVE  sallow tone, with fine lines, fine pores and 
                                     prone to irritation; may become tight 
                                     and inflamed;

Each skin type has its own skin care routine and tricks that help to keep it as healthy as possible. In this post, I will only cover OILY and COMBINATION skin types in order to keep things focused. The rest of the skin types will be covered in future posts. 

Before I begin, let me tell you about the greatest source of information on skin care I was able to find. I have learned much of the information presented herein from Paula Begoun aka the Cosmetics Cop. Glamorized Skin team started reading her books almost ten years ago (Don't Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me and The Original Beauty Bible: Skin Care Facts for Ageless Beauty). We highly admire Paula for thorough research and standing up to cosmetic giants. It is our belief that her work is positively influencing the products that are available to consumers.

The methods, techniques and nutritional information is based on our own experience and constant experimentation in search of finding something that works and provides long lasting results. Please keep in mind that although some products recommended here may be designed by the manufacturer for a different skin type, in this post, I recommend them specifically for oily/combination skin type. The ingredients on the back label and experience rather than the claims on the box serve as the basis for our conclusions.

THE ROUTINE

Oily/Combination Skin Daily Routine Summary (bold items are required; non-bolded are optional depending on skin condition and may be required if acne or other skin conditions are present)

AM: Cleanse, Exfoliate, Disinfect, Additional Products, Moisturize with SPF

PM: Cleanse, Exfoliate, Disinfect, Additional Products, Moisturize without SPF

CLEANSE - for oily/combination skin type, you absolutely must clean your face both AM and PM in order to remove all traces of make up and dirt that you gather throughout the day and any grease and products that have not been absorbed in the morning. There are no excuses, ifs and buts. Just do it! There is one caveat: your cleanser should be GENTLE and not contain any harsh ingredients (i.e. sodium lauryl/laureth sulfate). It also should NOT be a soap bar. Oily combination skin has a natural pH factor of 4-5, while these harsh ingredients are much more basic on the pH scale with solid soaps at a pH as high as 11. Using such harsh ingredients, your skin returns to its normal pH only later in the day and at a price. Excess oil is released to restore the skin's protective acid mantle. Before the acid mantle is restored, the skin's natural antibacterial protection is down and you are more susceptible to acne. So clean, but be gentle. Your products at home can be perfectly good, and you can check them with pH or litmus paper sold on eBay (80 strips for $1). You are looking for a pH of 5-6. 

Recommended cleansers: CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser, Earth Science Clarifying Facial Wash, The Body Shop Aloe Calming Facial Cleanser for Sensitive Skin.

EXFOLIATE - oily/combination skin tends to have larger/visible pores, which increase the chance of acne. Acne appears when these pores do not shed enough dead skin cells and oil's exit paths get clogged. Add some bacteria, and you have got inflammation. Sometimes, the dead skin cells in the pores solidify and you get a blackhead, those black dots on your face. To prevent that from happening and to increase cell turnover, you need to exfoliate. If you exfoliate regularly and correctly, your pore size will shrink given time. There are two methods to exfoliate: chemical and manual. For oily/combination skin types, chemical exfoliation includes BHA aka salicylic acid and manual exfoliation includes scrubs and masks. There are additional ways you can exfoliate at the dermatologist's office, but at the moment we will focus only what you can do at home. 

Chemical exfoliation is beneficial because the product is absorbed into pores and reduces inflammation, and can be used on the daily basis.  It may be an excellent alternative for those suffering from acne. My recommendation is to start applying salicylic acid in the PM and pay attention how your skin reacts to it. If flakes develop, reduce use to every other day. Otherwise, you can increase the application to both AM and PM for stronger effect. The real results will be visible after several weeks of use, but you should notice improvement in inflammation right away. Do not apply it to wounds that are healing from skin picking as long as there is a scab. BHA is an acid after all, and can damage the healing process. 

Taking some extra time to give your face a scrub (made of soft synthetic particles rather than apricot and other ground fruit pits) or a clay mask at the end of a hard day are your manual exfoliation options. Remember that although you can apply chemical exfoliants up to two times a day, scrubs and masks should be used once or twice a week, depending on how your skin reacts. If you use a scrub too often you may "scrub" off too much of the protective layer of your skin and it will start to flake, produce more oil and become more susceptible to acne. My favorite routine is to scrub after being in the shower for a few minutes and follow with a mask. The improvement in the way my skin looks is especially noticeable the next day. The process itself relaxes and reenergizes me.

Recommended chemical exfoliants: Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Stress Control 3-In-1 Hydrating Acne Treatment, Any of the BHA products from Paula's Choice (www.paulaschoice.com), Clinique Medical Skin Conditioning Treatment. I want to emphasize that I highly recommend starting with products I list here because the pH factor is extremely important for BHA products and these products have been tested for effectiveness.

Recommended manual exfoliants: Boots Expert Sensitive Gentle Smoothing Scrub, Neutrogena Fresh Foaming Scrub, Nu Skin Epoch Glacial Marine Mud, and Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Carbon Mask available at www.paulaschoice.com.  

DISINFECT - if you do not have inflamed acne, skip to step 4. Most oily/combination skin types have some redness and inflammation and this step will help you with that issue. Besides helping the skin shed dead skin cells, an effective skin care routine must include a disinfectant aka benzoyl peroxide. It simply kills bacteria that causes acne. You should try to apply this product at night after cleansing and exfoliation. However, if you want a stronger effect and your skin reacts normal to this step, try applying it in the AM as well. Be careful with this product and apply a very small amount only to the areas that are prone to acne because if applied too much it can irritate your skin.

Recommended disinfectants: Clinique Acne Solutions Emergency Gel Lotion and Paula's Choice Clear Acne Fighting Treatment 2.5% Benzoyl Peroxide available at www.paulaschoice.com. 

MOISTURIZE - AM moisturizing is optional for this skin type, but ideally, your moisturizer SHOULD include a lotion with sunscreen SPF 15 or higher. There are many conflicting facts about sun protection out there. On the one hand, the sun provides essential vitamin D, while on the other hand, it is the single most powerful source of skin aging. On the one hand, sun screens protect us from the harmful UVA and UVB rays, while on the other hand, recent studies found some of the active ingredients (i.e. titanium dioxide) may be cancerous if used in abundance. Therefore, I will leave the decision about sun screen up to you. If you are a true routine lover, you can just use a lightweight moisturizer with SPF 15 or higher every morning before you go out. Alternatively, if you believe that there is some benefit to the sun’s rays, you can use this type of moisturizer only when you know you will be outside for more than 15 minutes rain or shine. Of course if you are at the beach all day, I highly recommend applying and reapplying sunscreen every two hours because sun burns are linked to skin cancer later in life.  This is particularly important for people who take winter vacations in the tropics. I have seen my friends from the Northeast get burned immediately when they did not apply sunscreen generously right away, while on vacation in Mexico and the Dominican Republic.

Recommended AM moisturizers: Olay Regenerist UV Defence Regenerating Lotion SPF 15 or SPF 50, MAC Studio Moisture Fix SPF 15 available at www.maccosmetics.com or in stores, Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Daily Mattifying Lotion with SPF 15 and Antioxidants available at www.paulaschoice.com.

MOISTURIZE - PM moisturizing is a little different for oily/combination skin comparing to other skin types. If you have combination skin, you should apply a moisturizer to dry areas, such as cheeks and around the eyes. If your whole face is oily, you probably do not need a moisturizer, as your exfoliant and disinfectant will provide the necessary "moisturizing" feel. However, if your whole face gets really dry and you feel the need to moisturize, this can be a sign that your cleanser is too harsh, you use BHA/manual scrubs too frequently, or you need to increase your water intake. In general, oily skin does not require additional moisturizing before going to bed.

Recommended PM moisturizers: Clinique Turnaround Concentrate Visible Skin Renewer, Paula's Choice HydraLight Moisture-Infusing Lotion available at www.cosmeticscop.com, Olay Regenerist Daily Regenerating Serum, Fragrance-Free, Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Concentrate Recovery Boosting Treatment.

ADDITIONAL PRODUCTS - if you are using additional products such as skin lightening products, retinol serums and etc., they would be the last step in your skin care routine and are recommended to be used at night. At night, various healing processes take place in your body and your skin absorption is best. In order to keep your morning routine quick and simple, you should use a minimal amount of products in the morning and leave the rest for the evening, because so many other things require your time and attention whether it is preparing breakfast for your family or commute to work or both.

Recommended Retinol Products (OTC): Olay Pro-X Deep Wrinkle Treatment, Paula's Choice Resist Barrier Repair Moisturizer, Skin Remodeling Complex available at www.paulaschoice.com, Philosophy Eye Believe.

Recommended Skin Lightening Products: Alpha Hydrox Spot Light Targeted Skin Lightener, Paula's Choice Resis Clearly Remarkable Skin Lightening Gel, for All Skin Types available at www.paulaschoice.com.

Read Additional Tips and Nutrition for more information on beautifying your skin

Oily/Combination Skin Care Tips and Nutrition

ADDITIONAL TIPS

1. Do not touch your face or let others do it. It is adorable if your husband or boyfriend touches your face to show affection, but be ware: those hands carry bacteria and you will soon notice new breakouts precisely where he touches you on the regular basis. Your own hands have bacteria, so try to avoid mindlessly touching your face, while thinking, reading or driving.

2. Do not let your cell phone touch your face because it carries large amounts of bacteria. Handsfree and blue tooth devices are your friends for more reasons than one.

3. Change your pillowcases often and turn your pillow over every night in between, again, to keep bacteria away from your skin.

4. Wear sunglasses religiously and make sure to get good quality lenses that actually protect you from the sun rather than just have darkened surface.

NUTRITION

This section is for the brave and open-minded and everything I present here is gathered from extensive experimentation with my own body and skin. This is not medical advice by any means. Most of this information applies to adult acne and breakouts because unfortunately, I passed puberty before I came across much of this information. However, I think teens can try to implement some of the tips here as well.

Traditional Western medicine sees no connection between food and health and internal organs and skin. For years, I would ask every dermatologist I saw whether I should pay attention to my diet or take supplements and they all shrugged their shoulders and proposed antibiotics or birth control as acne. Eastern and European medicine see direct connection between everything that is going on inside your body and your skin. Here are some of the recommendations based on these schools of medicine:

1. Observe how your body reacts to certain foods and drinks. Food diaries have become popular for weight loss and you can just add a line for skin condition. For example, over the years, I noticed that I break out the next day after having beer or champagne. I excluded both from any social activities, and the skin symptoms related to these drinks stopped. I have read many times that people observe skin reactions from dairy.

2. In Europe, doctors believe that acne location on your face directly relates to the health or function of certain organs. Acne on your forehead is linked to liver, your cheeks to intestinal health and your chin to reproductive organs.

For acne on your forehead, your liver can be cleaned by supplements of Milk Thistle. They should be taken 3 times a day for at least 2-3 months for the first time and supplementation should be repeated several times a year. I found that brewing Burdock Root tea or dried Burdock Root in bulk is even more effective. Burdock Root liquid should be taken warm, three times a day, about 30 minutes before meals. I brew it in batches and store in the refridgerator and then warm half a cup at a time for individual doses.

For acne on your cheeks, the health of your intestines requires attention. While antibiotics may be effective in treating certain health problems, they take a toll on our intestinal flora. Problems such as constipation, poor nutrient absorption and, yes, acne relate to intestinal health. What should you do? Intestinal cleansing sets are very common now and can be found in many health food stores. As long as the set contains bentonite clay as one of its ingredients and includes a course of probiotics, you can pick whatever is available and affordable. If you are on a tight budget, simply look for food grade bentonite clay and complete a treatment course of two weeks long. Here is the Great Plains product I have used successfully. This specific product is taken two hours before/after meals with a dosage of one tablespoon for two weeks. You should also increase your water intake, as bentonite absorbs water in your body. The purpose of this clay is to collect negative bacteria, medicine remnants and other toxic items from your intestines. After that, supplement your diet with probiotics. Make sure your supplement is from the refrigerated section of the store and it includes bifidus, which is a probiotic that kills bad bacteria. Here is a good combination of multiple strains of the good bacteria: Natural Factors - Acidophilus and Bifidus. Probiotics should be taken 3 times a day. I take them in one-month cycles and repeat throughout the year, as necessary. Repeat every time you take antibiotics. Additionally, almost every culture has foods, which contain probiotics and I recommend their consumption. Yogurts, buttermilk, kefir, kim chi, miso, tempeh soured cabbage and pickles (marinated in salt water) are all on the list. You want to help the beneficial bacteria multiply in your body.

Persistent acne on your chin, relates to your reproductive organs for females and could be caused by inflammation related to polycystic syndrome or other conditions. A visit to your doctor and a discussion about your gynecological health is a must in this case.

Go Back to Skin Types and Oily/Combination Skin Care Routine

Check out a product review: Boots No.7 Soft & Sheer Tinted Moisturizer SPF 15

Eyes That Sparkle

by Inna Grinblat of Glamorized Skin

While Lady Gaga's wild eye make up fits perfectly with her creative outfits and videos, most of us can allow ourselves such imagery only at masquerades and Halloween parties. However, we still want our eyes to be mesmerizing by bringing out their best potential on everyday basis. When women shop for eye make up, there are two goals they have in mind:

1. to have their eyes stand out in order for everyone to notice their beauty;

2. to wear eye make up that complements their eye color and makes them look younger, healthier and more energized.

Both of these goals can be accomplished by choosing the right eye shadow color, to complement your eye color. Let us examine each eye color separately: 

BLUE/GREY

Blue and grey eye colors can be in the same category because these colors are both emphasized by similar shades of eye shadows. For a day look, women with these eye colors should experiment with different shades of brown: golden brown, taupe, tawny, chocolate brown etc. Brown complements blue/grey eyes very well and will help you achieve that popping color effect. You can chose from a variety of browns including deep browns, reddish browns, and orange browns etc. For an evening out, you should use the same shades with richer, darker or more intense color, which has more pigments.  

GREEN/HAZEL

You will meet a person with truly green eyes very rarely. Usually, people have either brown or hazel eyes that have various amounts of green color in them. If you have green eyes, you should mostly experiment with purple and violet colors, which will make your eyes look like emeralds. Green can also be complemented by soft pinks and golden brown shades, which work well for a more conservative day look. If your eyes have hazel or brown color, you can try mauve and peach shades. Once more, for an evening look you should use the same shades with richer color pigmentation and just a touch of sparkle for that oomph effect.

BROWN/BLACK

Women with brown eyes are the lucky ones. Most eye make up shades look great with this eye color. However, brown eyes are best emphasized by deep browns, orange browns and golden tones. They also look very good next to soft purples, berries and silver greys. Deep black eyes should be emphasized by the same shades as brown eyes, but they mostly look very good with frosty pink and berry colors. If you have truly black eye color stay away from very light shades, as they may look unnatural with your eye color.

As you can see the rules to choose your eye make up color are not very strict and many shades look good with different eye colors. The trick is to experiment with different shades. For example if you have blue eyes, experiment with different shades of browns and greys to achieve a different effect every time. By using the right eye make up color, you will magnify the beauty of your eyes and feel more confident from day to night.  

8 EYE SHADOW COMMANDMENTS

1.    Always stay in the same color family when it comes to the rest of your face, i.e. wearing purple eye make up, orange blush and red lipstick is a no-no; instead, try pink, mauve or plum blush and lipstick. 

2.   If you are creating a strong eye effect (i.e. smoky eyes), lighter color blush and neutral, lighter colored lips are required for balance. 

3.   If you are creating a strong lip color effect (i.e. rich red lips) a classical look is a must for the top of your face. It would include neutral eye shadow, black liner and mascara with little else. 

4.   A bronzer will complement almost any make up look. Make sure to chose the right shade for your complexion. A bronzer should not make a blaring statement, but create a subtle shading on multiple areas of the face. It can be used in place of or together with a blush and it is also the safest way to tan!!!

5.   If you have expression lines, try to stay away from eye shadow with a lot of sparkles or glitter as it may attract more attention to the area. It is best to experiment with matte eye make up colors and use just tiny bit of sparkle on the inner side of the eye, if necessary. 

6.   Always start with a small amount of eye make up and intensify the effect little by little in order to keep the look as natural as possible and remember: BLEND, BLEND, BLEND!!! in order to hide those areas where one color meets another.

7.   Skin color matters. The darker your skin color, the more intense eye shadow colors you can use and keep your make up look natural.

8.   Try to go out of your comfort zone when you are experimenting and use one color or effect that you haven't tried before. Who knows? Maybe you will be able to achieve that desirable effect and your eyes will truly SPARKLE!

Read more about the importance of using the right colors here: Color Wheel Your Face 

Need perfect eye brows to frame your eyes: The Ultimate Brow

The Ultimate Brow - Part I

by Inna Grinblat of Glamorized Skin

Right around the time when women turn 13-15 years old, they begin to plug those little brow hairs to create a perfect arch to frame their faces. Some go all out and leave a very thin line, while others only tweeze a little bit, here and there, in order to define the shape a little better. Regardless of the result, everyone has a goal to achieve - ideal eyebrows that are not only neat and defined but also match the shape of their face. Today, we will discuss how to create these perfect eyebrows. Why don't you grab a mirror to help you on your quest for your perfect brows?

THE BEGINNING AND THE END

First, we need to figure out where your eyebrows should begin and end. In order to see where your eyebrows should begin, use the end of your nostrils as a starting point, as shown in the illustration, and draw an imaginary line going straight up. The spot where the line hits your natural eyebrow curve is where your eyebrows should begin. Now, again, use the end of your nostrils as a starting point and form an imaginary line passing through the outside corner of your eye. The eyebrows should end where the line hits your natural eyebrow curve. Do not be shocked if your natural eyebrows (not the ones you created by tweezing) do not begin or end where they "should" based on the technique described. In some cases, our eyebrows are too short or too long and that is just fine. An eyebrow pencil or matching eyeshadow is all you need to make them a little longer or a good old tweezer to make them a little shorter. However, in order for your brows to match your face and eye shape, you should always keep them as close as possible to your natural shape.

WHICH WAY ARE WE HEADED?

Next, we need to figure out where the ending of your brows should point. Your face shape will assist us in this task. In general, there are four types of face shapes: long, round, square, and oval. Some of these shapes have a sub-shape, but we will discuss those some other time.

• A LONG or oblong face is longer than it is wide. This type of face has cheeks, jaw and forehead of about equal width and both the forehead and jawlines are curved.
• A ROUND face is almost as wide, as it is long and cheeks are its widest part, and are usually well defined.
• A SQUARE face has a forehead that is almost the same width as its cheekbones and jawline, which are more pronounced than curved.
• An OVAL face is considered the perfect face shape. It is wider at the forehead and cheeks are usually the widest part, gently narrowing towards the chin.

Now is the time for you to look at yourself in the mirror and figure out which face shape you have. Once that is done, refer to the table below to identify where the ending of your eyebrows should point.

FACE SHAPE	BROW DIRECTION	WHY?
LONG	Above the ear, almost straight across	To counteract the impression of length
ROUND	Top of the ear	To eliminate curvature that accentuates roundness
SQUARE	Center of the ear	To “cut” the distance between your upper and lower face in half
OVAL	Lower lobe	To accentuate the harmonious oval line

I want to emphasize, one more time, that you should not change your eyebrow shape completely but try to keep it as natural as possible. If you are not able, in any way, to point your brow end towards your ear lobe, try to point it as low as possible, while keeping your natural shape. The same applies to your brow end that cannot be pointed above the ear. Again, try pointing it as high as possible, while keeping your true shape.

THOSE IMPOSSIBLE ARCHES

Finally, let us discuss the arch location. Usually, I would recommend keeping your arch where it is naturally placed. If you touch the bone right above your eye, you should be able to feel where it should appear. Some people do not have arches and they look very good with very straight eyebrows. Others have very high arches and it looks very nice on them. However, the general guideline is that the arch should be either directly over the outside of the iris, or diagonally from the end of the nostril through the pupil.

Now I've given you all the tools you need to have in order to figure out your perfect eyebrow shape. Please post your questions below and I will do my best to answer them.

Please check out Part II of The Ultimate Brow post.

Source: Makeup Training Manual, Academy of Make up and Fashion, Encino, CA.

COLOR WHEEL YOUR FACE

by Inna Grinblat of Glamorized Skin

Did you ever wonder why some lipsticks or eye shadow colors look flattering and some foundation colors seem to literally disappear on your skin, while others brashly stand out? Why do some concealers actually conceal breakouts and under eye circles, while others simply make them lighter? The answer lies in the Color Wheel.

THE BASICS

I learned about the Color Wheel while being professionally trained as a make up artist.  After having worked with many different skin tones, I can tell you that having the basic knowledge of colors takes most of the guessing out of my work.  A short article called Color Made Simple Using the Color Wheel published by the Yahoo Network Associated Press provides a very good summary of the color theory, the primary and secondary colors and how they relate to our faces:

"Let's start with the primary colors: red, blue, and yellow. These colors are basic. But once we mix red and blue, we get purple (violet); blue and yellow—we get green; and yellow and red—we get orange. Those are called secondary colors. Our skin pigments are made up of these primary/secondary colors. When these colors are mixed, it makes a category called "neutral browns". Once we mix white in with the neutral browns, they make a lighter brown, or a tan color—which is how we get light skin tones. When we mix black in with the neutral browns, we get darker skin tones.

Although our skin is made up of browns, whites, and black tones, it still doesn't change the fact that we also have the primary and secondary tones in our skin as well. Makeup is also made with those same tones, so there are perfect makeup shades for all of us out there."

NOW, LOOK IN THE MIRROR

Once you figure out your undertone it will be much easier to find make up shades, such as foundation, eye shadows, and lipsticks that will complement your coloring. Paying closer attention to the skin on your face (around the jawbone or neck) will allow you to have a better idea about what kind of undertone you have. This is the starting point for your “perfect” make up. Why do you think fair skinned ladies usually look amazing wearing a bright red lipstick? It is because they have a pink undertone and pink is from the color red family.  Why do you think burgundy dark lipsticks look better on some of the darker skin tones? You guessed it - they go well together because they both have blue undertones. Go to the mirror right now (or use a hand held one while you are reading this) and try to see the different shades of your skin. Do you see a very fair color with some pink showing through? Do you see a light shade but there is a slight yellow tone to it? Do you see a darker shade with a little olive tone showing up where the light does not hit your face? There are many different skin undertones out there: pink, yellow, orange, olive, green, purple and blue. Yes, even purple and blue. One thing we would like to add is that regardless of how light or dark your skin is, it could have any of the undertones. Both pale Caucasian and dark skinned African American women can have the cool blue or the warm orange undertone. In other words, there are many different shades of each skin color. Once you figure out your undertone you made the first step to glamorizing your skin.

SO HOW DO I PICK MY FOUNDATION?

So, before you visit the make-up counter to find the perfect foundation or concealer, make sure you have examined your face very carefully. Then look for similar characteristics in the product. If you have a yellow undertone, does your powder? You may need to try several shades and brands to find the perfect match.  If testers are offered, take them home and see how your skin looks in the daylight. The light at many stores is too unnatural, which intensifies the imperfections or bleaches out your skin, skewing the colors. You will look very different once you are outside, at home, at a restaurant or at a club. Although at a club, make up shades matter little because everyone looks good with a mixture of darkness and alcohol. 

HOW DO I MAKE MY IMPERFECTIONS DISAPPEAR?

Finally, let us explore the art of using corrective concealers that provide flawless coverage specifically for those hard to hide blemishes. In many instances your inner diva may be screaming,  “I want to look glamorous on my photos but my blemishes or dark circles are in the way!” The Color Theory will once again help you. The main point to remember is that each color cancels out its opposite on the Color Wheel. For example, green neutralizes red, which is the color of inflamed skin or acne. Of course you cannot just slab a green concealer on your skin without anyone noticing you have something green on your face. That is why when you are shopping for a concealer to hide your red blemishes you should look for something that matches the shade of your skin (light, medium or dark) but also includes greenish or yellowish tint.  The same goes for the concealer that will hide your under eye circles. Orange or peachy color neutralizes the bluish tint, which is what you are after when you try to conceal your dark circles. The product itself should match the tone of your skin but also have a slightly pink or red tint to it. Finally, if you are after covering very dark circles or some other dark discolorations on your skin you can try a purple tinted concealer. However, from my experience, orange pink tinted concealers do a good job covering dark circles. 

BEYOND MAKE UP

The color theory can be applied to many other things beyond make up. Hair color, clothes, jewelry, nail polish, and even your new bed sheets follow the same color rules. I hope the information I shared with you today can help you figure out your skin undertone easily, which should lead you to choosing make up shades that complement your coloring quicker and more efficiently. 

Source: Color Made Simple Using the Color Wheel @ http://www.associatedcontent.com/