What is the most important item in your makeup bag?

My concealer is definitely the most important item in my makeup bag. Yes, I do need blush and mascara, but nothing makes more of an impact as the use of my concealer.

With the swipe of the brush I can wipe out dark circles, a sun- spot or two and a blemish on my chin. There are three tricks to finding the right concealer: consistency, coverage and color. I want a concealer that doesn’t settle into the fine lines yet one that has enough opaqueness to “conceal” what I am trying to camouflage.

When purchasing a concealer avoid products with light- reflecting qualities if you also plan to use it to hide anything other than dark circles. Light reflecting properties are great for under eyes but there is no point in drawing attention to blemishes, broken capillaries or redness you are trying to cover.
Color is also important. The shade you choose should be slightly lighter than the skin tone on your face.

My beloved concealer is so critical to me that I keep one at home, one in my purse and I even stash a spare. I’ve spent a small fortune trying dozens of concealers so now I’m hoping they never discontinue the one that finally works perfectly for me.
There are lots of good products to choose from. Some of my favorites are from Lancome, Origin, Neutrogena and Glo Minerals. I use Glo Mineral (color: golden).

My advice: when you find the one you really like, buy three!