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clinique

Beauty, Makeup

#OnMyVanity: The 5 Concealers That Make My Skin Look Flawless

I receive a slew of samples, and when I find something I like, I can’t wait to tell you all about it!

Let’s face it; no one’s skin is perfect…unless we’re talking about Lupita Nyong’o because her’s is flaw-less! Whether it’s acne that pops up at the worst time, undereye circles that appear after an all-night Netflix binge, or uneven tone from scarring or a lack of sun protection, it can make us feel insecure.

Sure, there are plenty of pimple solutions on shelves, but they often take a few days to eliminate the acne and can leave some redness in its wake. And if you’re a picker like me — yes, I know — or regularly deal with hyperpigmentation, you’re often let with a dark reminder after the inflammation goes down. Not to mention, dark circles need more than just a cool set of spoons or an eye patch to disappear.

But while we wait for our skin to return to its homeostasis, many of us reach for a concealer to hide those blemishes and even out our tone. So you’re starting with a blank canvas wherever you go from there, whether it’s a couple of coats of mascara and a little lip balm or contouring and highlighting until you’ve sculpted a perfect visage. But not all concealers are created equal, as I’ve learned from testing a load of formulas. Some are amazing at eliminating the look of a zit, and others are better at brightening your undereyes.

Since concealers are a staple in every makeup maven’s kit, I’m sharing a few of the favorites that I return to when I need to hide any blemish I’m uncomfortable with or any undereye evidence of a late night. They pack enough pigment to get the job done but lie down smoothly enough to blend with the rest of my makeup seamlessly. Check them all out below!

May 1, 2018 by Val

Beauty, Body

Sasheer Zamata Sashays Her Way Into Kate Spade’s Latest Campaign

Photo via KateSpade.com

Sasheer Zamata has moved on from the SNL soundstage to the beauty counter as one of the fresh faces of Kate Spade’s latest fragrance, In Full Bloom.

Zamata joins award-winning actress Laura Dern (aka Admiral Holdo from The Last Jedi or Renata from Big Little Lies) and Rookie editor and actress Tavi Gevinson. While the ads mark the first major beauty contract for Zamata and Dern, Gevinson has pulled up to the beauty bar before (so to speak) as the former face of Clinique’s 2015 #FaceForward campaign.

While most beauty brands tend to tap one star to solidify the image of their latest breakthrough, Kate Spade sought to craft a campaign that would touch women of all ages by tapping the three all-stars whose 21 (Gevinson), 31 (Zamata), and 51 (Dern). “We focus on a psychographic instead of a demographic,” Brian Vander Meyden, vice president of global marketing and prestige sales at The Premiere Group, Kate Spade fragrances’ distributor, told Women’s Wear Daily. “To have women of three different ages speak to what in full bloom means to them makes [the fragrance] unique.”

As part of the campaign, the trio shot individual video “love letters” to themselves that you can check out below. They also shared pearls of wisdom in a few clips with Zamata highlighting how important it is to have friendships built on lifting each other up; Dern reminding everyone about how the mistakes we make ultimately end up helping to shape who we are; and Gevinson focusing on the building of trust and the subsequent feeling at home with your S.O. when it comes to love. And all of the videos are worth a watch if you want to brighten up your day.

When it comes to the scent itself, In Full Bloom features fresh and vibrant notes of rose petals, rose centifolia, peony, lemon and green tea. The juice comes housed in a teardrop-shaped bottle topped with the same white rose at the heart of the perfume (though it appears a little reminiscent of Marc Jacobs’ throwback aroma, Lola). The perfume will be available tomorrow, March 1, in four sizes with prices ranging from $28 to $98, plus a body lotion priced at $50 so you can slather the scent all over before spring even starts.

February 28, 2018 by Val

Beauty, Entertainment

Gina Rodriguez Partners with Clinique to Inspire & Empower

via People.com

Gina Rodriguez’s strands are set to stun thanks to John Frieda, but the star’s newest beauty campaign is looking inward to empower others.

The Jane the Virgin actress joins five other inspirational women as part of Clinique’s new Difference Maker campaign, which is aimed at inspiring confidence and empowering women to create change that affects their lives and their communities. The group also supports charities that focus on women’s healthcare and education through the brand’s Clinique Difference Initiative, continuing the conversation with the hashtag #DifferenceMaker. Rodriguez looked to her Chicago roots to help the youth turn education into empowerment by partnering with the brand for a special video.

In it, Rodriguez describes the scope of her upbringing in a “gang-infested” neighborhood with limited means of breaking the cycle of “can’t and won’t.” She notes that she had the “unfair” advantage of her family, who appear alongside her in the clip, pushed her to pursue her dreams, even with the many racial, economic, and social challenges she faced to break into the industry—all by giving her the ticket to success: education. “It pains me because I feel really lucky and thank God I had giants around me to stop that view of life, otherwise my life wouldn’t look as beautiful as it is today. I don’t want to be the only one living that though, ” she explains in the powerful video. And her parents are right! My mom taught me the same lesson from an early age, and it’s helped push me to where I am today and keep striving for tomorrow.

And it’s prompted her to talk to young people who still face those challenges and turn education into empowerment. “There’s a difference between my passion, which is acting, and my life’s purpose.My life’s purpose is to free someone from those invisible shackles because they are invisible; they are an illusion,” she points out. “What do you do? You go back, and you change it. I go and I talk to high school students, grammar school students, I go to universities and talk. We need people to say, ‘listen, I know what you’re going through, I know what you went through. I went through it too, and it sucks.’ Education is the only way to get out. It’s about confidence and self-worth. You can, and you will.”

And it doesn’t take a high-profile to shake up the systems of oppression and make positive changes for the future. “All of us are capable of being difference-makers,” she told the glossy. “All of us have that power. It’s the small stuff that makes the great amount of change. Our voices are so powerful, and I think that’s something we can start giving to our youth.”

Head over to People.com to check out the video clip but keep those tissues handy.

July 8, 2016 by Val

Beauty, Body, Hair, Skin

The Father’s Day Grooming Gifts That Will Be Used Immediately

A photo posted by @valsvanity on Jul 24, 2014 at 4:40pm PDT

As a beauty editor, I’m blessed with a slew of products to test-drive on the daily. I’m happy to share the extra lippies, liners, and other beauty buys amongst family and friends, which means I can’t arrive at a party empty-handed. On the rare occassion a men’s grooming product come across my vanity, I immediately hand it over to my dad. He covets the samples I share, saving them for special occasions. But honestly, what’s the point? They’re meant to be used! So instead of searching for value sets he may hold onto for months, I decided to search for a slew of grooming goodies that I won’t be able to pry from his hands until they’re empty. The great thing is you can bundle a bunch of these buys and create a cute basket (or pack into a nice toiletries bag) to deliver to dear old dad on his big day. But be sure to order soon to ensure it arrives on time!

June 13, 2016 by Val