I haven’t talked about cosmetics in a long, long, long time. Months.. maybe years?? I used to be totally obsessed with skincare and cosmetics, trying them all out like my life depended on it. But in the past few years, my interest has dwindled. My skincare is routine and has been for years – I use Rationale skincare, a cosmeceutical range from Australia. It’s the only thing that controls my really bad skin, and I’m perfectly content with it, so I don’t vary my skincare regime much except for bits and pieces here and there when I randomly buy a new lotion, etc.

Cosmetics wise, I still have a TON of stuff that I’ve acquired over the years. I have a mega stash, but can’t use ’em up because I don’t really use makeup all that much. On weekdays, I don’t use foundation, just some eyeliner and concealer and blush. On weekends, if we’re home, I don’t use anything.. and will only really get dressed/made up if we’re out for a big night. I’m lazy 😛

Recently though, I’ve started using Covermark and holy crap, I am in LOVE with this brand. Let me get this straight though – this is NOT the same as Covermark USA.. which I find really outdated and strange (think cake-on thick makeup). This is Covermark Japan, which is entirely different. In fact, their foundation and concealer are consistently ranked #1 in Japan.

Their Liquid Essence foundation is absolutely astounding. Normally, I find foundation doesn’t feel nice on my skin – it feels like my skin can’t breathe (no matter what type of foundation or brand I use) and will slip off by the afternoon. This one, however, is totally different. It comes in a tiny bottle which surprised me, but you only need a few small drops for your face, thanks to their super sponge that spreads it really evenly and thinly. I apply a VERY thin/light layer and it sinks right in, leaving my face feeling hydrated but matte. It’s such a thin layer, and feels like nothing, yet it covers up ALL my dark spots and weird uneven skintone.

Then I apply the Stick Concealer (officially called their Bright Up Foundation) by making a smear under each eye. Let me just give you a bit of background – I have deathly dark eye circles. I sleep a ton, but I still have ’em. They’re so dark that people ask me if I’m sick if I don’t use concealer. I’ve bought virtually every concealer out there (literally, I’m ashamed to say!), and the only concealer that I’ve used that works for me (ie. covers, doesn’t cake, doesn’t slip off within 2 hours) is Estee Lauder’s double wear concealer. However, they discontinued it about 2 years ago and I’ve been left in the lurch since. But this Covermark stick concealer…. just WOW. It goes on thick, which scared me at first. But it smooths right in with my finger or concealer brush, and melts into my skin, forming a slightly powdery finish with NO uneven-ness or cakiness. It does NOT budge through the day. Plus, it comes in a small compact tube which I can pop into my bag for touchups if I’m going out in the evening. After having bought & used HUNDREDS of concealers, I can confidently say this one is a true WINNER.

Finally, I pat on the Loose Powder which comes in a large pot. The puff is ultra soft, and I just lightly pat-and-roll it over my face with the translucent skin-coloured powder. It sets the foundation and concealer and gives my face a matte but natural (can’t stand it when your face is so matte it looks kinda crepey and weird) look.

The result? I really do look like I have flawless skin. Pretty amazing, since I have lots of red spots (remnants of zit scars) and horrendous dark circles. Give my lashes a quick curl, dab on a bit of blush, and I’m perfectly made up for the day – with this awesome natural look (Chris couldn’t tell I had makeup on, he just noted “Your skin looks really really smooth”). HURRAY!!!

Covermark stash of goodies… hehe

The “before” shot – straight out of the shower with absolutely zero makeup. EEEEK!!!

A closeup of my cheek with dark spots (middle) and dark eye circles (top right)

Covermark liquid essence foundation on the Covermark sponge,
which is so superfine the foundation doesn’t soak through!

Wearing only the foundation. Hello smooth skin!

A closeup. Huge improvement, but my dark circles need a bit more..

A smear of Covermark stick concealer on them, blended in with a brush

Finally, a light pat-on of Covermark loose powder

The “after” shot – Covermark liquid essence foundation + stick concealer + loose powder

Really smooth skin, no? 🙂

(NOTE: All photos are completely UNTOUCHED. They’ve only been resized and saved as jpg files)