I've never been a good sleeper. Between my racing mind and knack for sinking into a Netflix rabbit hole or juicy novel right before bedtime, I never seem to catch enough zzz's. And it shows: Right under my eyes...in circles that have only become more defined over the years.
While I dutifully slather on under-eye treatments morning and night, day-to-day I need a quicker fix, which I've found in It Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye Anti-Aging Concealer, $24. I'm not saying it's magic, but if you told me it was conjured by Hermione Granger in Potions class, I would totally believe you.
Its thick, creamy, full-coverage texture makes dark circles vanish -- in a poof-they're-gone kind of way -- without creasing. It's also got a slightly dewy finish that brightens the area, making me look more awake. Plus, the formula contains skin-loving ingredients, like vitamins C and K, which makes me feel like I'm cramming in as much under-eye TLC as possible.
And like any person who claims to witness the supernatural, I've quickly become a Bye-Bye Under Eye evangelist. Once I went as far as to forcibly apply it to some of my most over-worked, under-rested pals during a girls' weekend. (After seeing the product's peeper-perk-up powers, they became believers, too.) So even though my mind still races at night, I don't ever lose sleep over my under-eye circles. --Mary Squillace
See more of Mary's picks on Instagram @msquillace
While I dutifully slather on under-eye treatments morning and night, day-to-day I need a quicker fix, which I've found in It Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye Anti-Aging Concealer, $24. I'm not saying it's magic, but if you told me it was conjured by Hermione Granger in Potions class, I would totally believe you.
Its thick, creamy, full-coverage texture makes dark circles vanish -- in a poof-they're-gone kind of way -- without creasing. It's also got a slightly dewy finish that brightens the area, making me look more awake. Plus, the formula contains skin-loving ingredients, like vitamins C and K, which makes me feel like I'm cramming in as much under-eye TLC as possible.
And like any person who claims to witness the supernatural, I've quickly become a Bye-Bye Under Eye evangelist. Once I went as far as to forcibly apply it to some of my most over-worked, under-rested pals during a girls' weekend. (After seeing the product's peeper-perk-up powers, they became believers, too.) So even though my mind still races at night, I don't ever lose sleep over my under-eye circles. --Mary Squillace
See more of Mary's picks on Instagram @msquillace
Recently my male coworker made reference to my "natural" blonde hair. ROFL! Boys, right!? I guess he's not hip to the fact that pretty much every adult woman with baby-blonde highlights pays for them. And, boy, do I pay for them -- with ever-drier, ever-tanglier texture from increasingly frequent dalliances with bleach.
Then I used Kérastase Initialiste Scalp & Hair Treatment. When I rub a few drops on my hair, it becomes so dreamily silky, frizz-free, pleasantly perfumed and manageable that I can't stop running my fingers through it. (Another novelty: being able to run my fingers through it.) I even deemed it worthy of carting along on my twice-monthly, carry-on-only plane trips out of state.
I'm almost through with the bottle, but I'm so desperate at the thought of not having any left that I'm trying not to use it, letting the last bit linger in my medicine cabinet like a precious relic. I know it doesn't make sense. Then again, neither does shelling out $60 for 2.2 ounces of hair serum -- that is, until you try it. --Katie McCarthy
Then I used Kérastase Initialiste Scalp & Hair Treatment. When I rub a few drops on my hair, it becomes so dreamily silky, frizz-free, pleasantly perfumed and manageable that I can't stop running my fingers through it. (Another novelty: being able to run my fingers through it.) I even deemed it worthy of carting along on my twice-monthly, carry-on-only plane trips out of state.
I'm almost through with the bottle, but I'm so desperate at the thought of not having any left that I'm trying not to use it, letting the last bit linger in my medicine cabinet like a precious relic. I know it doesn't make sense. Then again, neither does shelling out $60 for 2.2 ounces of hair serum -- that is, until you try it. --Katie McCarthy
Pale skin plus dark circles? Not a winning combo. Which is why I feel like I'm constantly searching for that one concealer that will not only camouflage the fact that I only got five hours of sleep, it will also work with my porcelain skin tone.
Enter: Marc Jacobs Remedy Concealer Pen in Bright Idea, a sheer, peach-tinted concealer that neutralizes the sallow skin and dark bags underneath my eyes without creasing or feeling heavy and sticky. And the cooling metal applicator is a great morning pick-me-up for any sleep-induced puffiness. I like to use it in the inner corner of my eyes for a subtly brightening effect. If there was a way to break into this sleek, pen-shaped applicator to get every single drop, trust me, I would have found it by now. --Allie Flinn
Enter: Marc Jacobs Remedy Concealer Pen in Bright Idea, a sheer, peach-tinted concealer that neutralizes the sallow skin and dark bags underneath my eyes without creasing or feeling heavy and sticky. And the cooling metal applicator is a great morning pick-me-up for any sleep-induced puffiness. I like to use it in the inner corner of my eyes for a subtly brightening effect. If there was a way to break into this sleek, pen-shaped applicator to get every single drop, trust me, I would have found it by now. --Allie Flinn
With 23 products and counting, my BB cream collection rivals that of a freshly stocked Sephora. My sensitive skin can't handle heavy, creamy foundations, or greasy liquid ones. And because I'm still prone to breakouts, using powders means multiple applications, plus adding primer and concealer to the mix. While most BB creams make my skin more glowing, they don't always provide enough coverage, which means I'm constantly moving from one tube to the next.
Until I discovered Dior DiorSkin Nude BB Creme, which makes my other multitaskers seem basic. It has a light, fresh scent and creamy texture that somehow hydrates dry patches in winter, but doesn't get greasy in the brutal heat of summer. One light application with a foundation brush or sponge blends away dark spots, circles and redness from acne or rosacea. Plus, it lasts longer than most because of its pump dispenser, which lets you control how much product you want to use -- as opposed to the giant gobs of cream you get from a tube. --Marissa DeSantis
Until I discovered Dior DiorSkin Nude BB Creme, which makes my other multitaskers seem basic. It has a light, fresh scent and creamy texture that somehow hydrates dry patches in winter, but doesn't get greasy in the brutal heat of summer. One light application with a foundation brush or sponge blends away dark spots, circles and redness from acne or rosacea. Plus, it lasts longer than most because of its pump dispenser, which lets you control how much product you want to use -- as opposed to the giant gobs of cream you get from a tube. --Marissa DeSantis
I was a member of the foaming, exfoliating, more-is-more cleanser camp until I tried Tata Harper Refreshing Cleanser. I had no idea a cream cleanser could remove makeup and make my skin look and feel amazing -- but that's what this one does. It has pomegranate enzymes to help exfoliate dead skin, grapefruit and bergamot to cleanse, pink clay to detoxify and willow bark to minimize pores. I give it credit for keeping me almost completely breakout-free since I started using it a couple years ago.
Like all Tata Harper products, this cleanser is completely natural and contains ingredients grown on Harper's farm in Vermont. I've gone through more bottles than I can count.
--Dawn Davis
Like all Tata Harper products, this cleanser is completely natural and contains ingredients grown on Harper's farm in Vermont. I've gone through more bottles than I can count.
--Dawn Davis
Ever had a beauty product you love so much that you shook, hacked, scraped or squeezed its container until you were absolutely positive you had expended all of its precious contents? Rare indeed is the product that elicits that deliciously desperate feeling, especially in beauty editors. So when our team of beauty mavens encounters a rave-worthy product, you know it's the real deal. Herewith, our editors rattle off their "beauty empties," aka the best beauty products that they can't help but use until the last drop. Read on for their best nail polishes, hair products, skin care products and makeup now.