Ask KKZ [ applying concealer, cream blush, setting hair with hot rollers]

Welcome to the Third edition of Ask KKZ! This is the official style advice column where KimmiKillZombie answers all of your beauty, hair, and lifestyle questions.

How, When, and Where do I apply concealer? – AliceWunder.

The great concealer question. Yeah, it can be tough. Concealer is like a really condensed foundation. It is a lot more opaque and harder to spread then foundation, so if you cake it on, it will look really visible, really tacky, and will create creases and lines on your face way early in the day.

To properly put on concealer, think ‘Less is more’. Don’t use it everywhere. In fact, take a quick look in the mirror and note all of the red spots, dark spots, unflattering shadows, and dark circles that you would like to cover up.

Before you apply concealer, you’ll want to apply your liquid or cream foundation as you normally would. If you use a powder foundation, you’ll want to apply concealer first, so ignore the next step.

Once you do a quick wash with your general foundation, take a look at all of those spots you noted earlier. Most of them should be practically invisible. For all of those spots that still need some tlc, probably a pimple or dark circles under the eyes- is where you’ll want to apply your concealer.

some people say to purchase concealer two shades lighter than your eyes. I’ve even heard people say get concealer two shades darker. I’ve also heard get a ‘yellow concealer’ or a ‘green tinted’ concealer to hide redness. Just get one that matches your skintone and the foundation you are using. The problem with getting all of those different shades, and light concealers and dark concealers, is that what may conceal one spot perfectly, may make another spot look muddy.

So just get one that matches your skin tone.

You’ll want to purchase a small foundation brush to properly apply your concealer. avoid using sponges, as they will leave streaks in the thick cream, and lift off more than they apply.

Then, the key is just to apply it lightly. Use less than you think you’ll need. If it does turn out to be not enough, you can always go back and add more, but if it is too much, it’ll take a lot longer to fix.

When you are happy, remember to powder it with a translucent powder to set it and keep it crease free.

Whenever I apply cream blush, it always ruins my make-up. It goes all speckly, and makes my face look swollen almost. -A

I’m not a huge fan of cream blush. I do however, like using it in the wintertime because it is the best way to give almost everyone a natural ‘glow’, the kind only the winter air [and cream blush :P] can give you.

The key to applying cream blush is applying it before using any powder. That’s probably why it’s going all ‘speckly’ because cream doesn’t spread over powder.. it just dries up and separates. So if you use powder foundation, or just a translucent powder, use it after you apply your cream blush.

If you were applying the cream on cream or a nude face, then it could be that your cream is old. Give it a quick sniff. If it smells sour at all, toss it and go out and buy a fresh one. Sometimes even when you just buy make-up, it could have been sitting on the shelf for months, so always do a quick sniff to make sure the product is at it’s best.

I like applying cream blush with my fingertips, but it can be difficult to maneuver, because fingertips are small. I like using them because your fingers almost warm the cream, so it spreads smoother, and more sheer.

The easiest way to apply cream blush is with a brand new, completely clean sponge. Apply it lightly, and blend in smooth circles, either on the apples of your cheeks, or just along the cheekbone.

If you are having trouble spreading, just do a few quick warm breaths on the loaded sponge.

Once you are happy, be sure to set it with a translucent powder. If you want an extra punch, you can always go over your cream blush with a powder blush. This is good for evening looks, or high fashion- when you are looking for something high hued, with a lot of depth, and something that’s really dynamic.

I like to curl my hair every once in a while. I have an ancient set of hot rollers, and they’re supposed to be the ‘best’, but when I take my hair out of them, only the ends are curly, and they fall out before 9:00 pm and I am left curl-less. Am I doing something wrong? -CurlessCutie.

Here’s a tip. Go invest in some overnight foam rollers. They look like large twist ties covered in foam, and that’s how they work. Then, the night before you’d like a day of curls, take clean dry hair, and roll it up in about 30-50 of these curlers depending upon thickness.Spray them with a firm hold hairspray, then, sleep on it. When you take them out in the morning, separate each section into about 3 curls, and spray generously. You’ll have 24 hours of curls.

The reason why your hot rollers aren’t curling your hair, is because although they give the ends a bit of a curl, they are only meant to ‘set the hair’. This means, give the ends a nice wave, and give lift to the roots. Think Angelina Jolie Hair.

Hot Rollers are also good  to set your hair in certain positions to make it easier to do updos, and to make pinned curls. It just makes the hair really willing to sit, and bend, and not fight back. heh.

So from now on, save the hot rollers for really glam waves, and invest in a couple sets of foam rollers. They’re super cheap, and I’m telling you, they take half the  time [not counting sleeping time, obviously] of a curling iron.