We all have flaws. Maybe it’s problematic eyebrows, breakouts or dark circles – we all have an Achilles’ heel when it comes to our appearance. We all know to accentuate the positive and play to our strengths, but sometimes the difference between a magazine cover look and that just woke up face is as simple as knowing how to cover flaws. Here are four common problem areas and some tips for addressing them.

Thin Eye Brows – Whether by genetics or an overzealous session with the tweezers, thin eyebrows can ruin a great look. Brows should not be overbearing, but a firm line helps to frame the eye and anchor your look. To build up thin brows, try some eye shadow in a shade close to your brows. Apply it with an angled brush to fill in thin areas. Be sure not to go too dark with the shadow to keep the look natural. While eyebrow pencils are made for this kind of application, they often go on too heavy and obvious. Using the brush helps to blend the color with your natural brows for a convincing look.

Injection Bruises – After spending the money on any kind of injection, there is the chance (or probability) of bruising. Of course the eye injection shiner is not the look you are going for, so to disguise injection site bruising, there are some simple tips to follow. The first step is to use a good opaque concealer the same shade as your skin. Apply a luminizing concealer over that will help diffuse the darkness. If you need an extra boost, a swipe of a shimmering powder can also even out the way the light reflects.

Breakouts – We all live in fear of breakouts. No one wants to wake up to unwelcome blemishes and we do all we can to prevent them. But when they show up unannounced and unwelcome, we need to run damage control. The first tip? Don’t squeeze. Squeezing blemishes will only add redness and potentially spur on additional infection. Once you’ve talked yourself down from search and destroy mode, apply some concealer to the blemish. Since blemishes are raised, they cast a shadow when the light hits them. To combat the deadly shadow, apply one shade darker than your skin to the top of the blemish and one shade lighter than your skin to the bottom.

Dark Circles – No matter how much sleep and how good a diet, these pesky fiends show up morning after morning and sometimes stick around far longer than we would ever hope. Let’s get right to it. Start with foundation. The better your foundation, the less concealer you will need to use. This is a good thing. You will, of course, need concealer, but be sure to use only as much as you need. Excess concealer will settle into fine lines around the eyes and make you look older – the last thing you want. For purple circles, try concealer with a yellow base. For dark brown circles, use a pink tone and for bluish circles an orange base. No matter what, stay close to your skin tone to keep the camouflage subtle. Save the dramatic statements for your eye shadow and lip color.

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