Makeup Mondays With Mario: How To Set Under Eye Concealer

Celebrity makeup artist Mario Dedivanovic is answering your burning beauty questions!!! Every Monday, he will answer a beauty/skin care question as part of a weekly column on Spoiled Pretty, Makeup Mondays with Mario.

Hi Mario,

I have been struggling to find a powder to set my concealer without it caking or eventually creasing. I don't know if I'm applying the powder wrong. I use a sponge and swipe my compact, then press it under my eyes. What powders - both high end and drugstore - would you recommend to set concealer? And with what makeup tool should I apply it with (i.e. sponge, powder puff, makeup brush)?

Thanks,

Alyssa

Hi Alyssa,

You should not be using a compact powder to set your under eye concealer. Pressed powders are too heavy to set that area with. What you want is a very fine loose translucent powder to set your makeup with. Dip a basic cosmetic sponge (I like the white wedges from the pharmacy) into your loose powder to pick up a generous amount of the powder and pat/press over the concealer under the eyes. Follow with a clean brush to sweep away the access powder from that area.

Be sure to get a powder that is colorless or a couple of shades lighter then your skin tone so that you don't get that "muddy" look which happens when foundation is set by powder that is too dark. Any brand of loose powder will work - it's just a preference. I suggest you go out and try a few to see what feels best on your skin. Thanks for visiting Makeup Mondays with Mario!

xo,

Mario

Got a question for Mario? Email your makeup and skin care queries to spoiledprettyquestions@gmail.com, and check back next Monday to read Mario's expert advice!

Polished: How To Remove Glitter Nail Polish

I love glitter nail polish. It is sparkly and fun and statement-making and just so nice to look at while I type all day. I do not love removing said glitter nail polish. I usually apply 2-3 coats to get maximum sparkle impact, but then am stuck scrubbing and scraping it off when I decide it is time for a new manicure. Personally, I do not think it is right to spend more time removing nail polish than it took to apply it in the first place.

Enter my glitter fairy godmother at a nearby beauty store. I had a bottle of Deborah Lippmann Bad Romance in my hand – it is a gorgeous color, but I was complaining about what a pain it is to remove glitter nail polish.

She suggested placing a nail-polish remover soaked cotton ball on the polished nail, wrapping the tip of your finger and cotton ball in aluminum foil, waiting a few minutes, and the glitter would come right off.

I was skeptical but intrigued. After Google-ing “nail polish remover + aluminum foil interactions” and deciding that this method would not make my fingers fall off, I gave it a try.

HOLY CRAP, did it work. I made myself little alien fingers, waited about 5 minutes, and voila! The nail polish came almost completely off, and the leftover edges came off after another swipe. I am beyond excited to have a foolproof way to remove my most glittery polish!

-Alyssa