It's the product junkie in me! I'm not a fan of the "franchise", but can't help but peruse and purchase the latest and "greatest" on KKW Beauty (and every other cosmetic site I can think of). There's something about the KKW Beauty brand AND it's not the makeup! Admittedly, I have fallen victim to the Kardashian world domination effort.

I love the KKW Beauty packaging. It's good quality and attractive. The brushes are great. They're dense, soft and a pretty shade of pink (me and pink is like a bull headed for a red flag). I haven't washed any of my brushes yet, so I might retract that statement..

I lost the instruction card that came with this light concealer kit, so I watched the KKW Beauty tutorial a few times to be sure I'm getting the application right. The tutorial shows Mario Dedivanovic applying Kim's makeup and explaining his process. Kim Kardashian starts off by saying that Mario doesn't want her to speak during the tutorial, but she continues to chime in.. No surprise there - she is royalty after all!

The concealer is nice. The color in the light kit is No. 4 and suits my pale, olive-toned skin nicely. The texture is medium and blends well. I would compare this concealer to the Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion Ultra-Longwear Concealer (LOVE this one). The KKW Beauty concealer does have a strange chemical scent - Hmm.. This liquid concealer comes in a small 0.162 oz container and has a doe-foot applicator. It's not gonna last long.

As per the Mario Dedivanovic KKW Beauty tutorial, let the baking begin.. But first, lets put things into perspective here. Kim Kardashian has a near perfect base (no-makeup base) and doesn't have the same struggles as most of us. I'm pushing 40 and masking dark circles is the least of my worries.

I think women of a certain age should stop wearing eye liner and mascara under the eye - makeup is meant to accentuate and why would you want to call attention to your tired, puffy, wrinkled eyes? You don't! Thats is why I avoid powder in this area. It seeps into your wrinkles and creates a dried-up prune"ish" look.

KKW Beauty Baking Powder is no exception and not suitable for anyone with even one wrinkle. This stuff made me look dry AF and only accentuated my wrinkles. I let the baking powder sit for a about 10 minutes and tried to smooth out the result with my beautyblender, but the powder was relentless and caused serious streaks under my eyes.

Step 3 - I applied the Brightening Powder No. 1. I hoped this would finalize the application process and possibly make it look better, but NO! It's too light and I looked like an alien! It definitely covers dark circles, but unless you plan to pile on a ton of makeup, this look is too much. This is not a no-makeup-makeup kinda look.

I have NEVER experienced makeup "boogers" before and was checking may eyes all day to make sure none had returned. I had these pale clumps of goo in the corners of my eyes and am assuming it was the excessive powder under my eyes. GROSS!

Should women approaching or over 40 "bake" their under eyes? NO, keep the baking in the kitchen and I don't mean do your makeup in the kitchen. Women of a certain age should opt for minimal makeup. Eat healthy, drink water and get lots of sleep - leave the faux, too much makeup look to the youngins. Under eye makeup baking is a dangerous zone for most of us.

Albeit, I love the KKW Beauty brushes. The Dual Ended Sponge and Brush Applicator in the concealer kit is perfect for travel. The sponge is great for blending under the eyes and around the nose. This dual-ended brush has landed a permanent spot in my Cosmocube.

I'm sure the KKW brand was created and is backed by expert makeup artists and specialists and suitable for the younger generation, but this kit fell short of my "old" expectations. I was hoping for a perfect look, but ended up with prune face - I get botox three times a year and take good care of my skin, so if this kit accentuated my minimal wrinkles, I'd be cautious if I had a few.

JANUARY 19th - It's been a few days since my initial experience with this kit and my opinion has slightly changed. I'm still not a fan of the the baking powder, BUT I revisited the Brightening Powder No. 1 over my go-to concealers and LOVE the result. I apply Laura Mercier and Bobbi Brown concealers, let it sit and after 15-20 min, I gently swept the Brightening Powder No. 1 along the dark areas. This powder made my eyes look brighter and gave me a fresh look. I'm a fan!

Concealer is the arch enemy to my under eye! I've watched countless videos and can't seem to mimic the flawless concealer look most vloggers achieve with ease. Mind you, I am older than most beauty bloggers and once the botox begins to wear off and the wrinkles appear my concealer creases. A few days ago I had Dysport injected into my under eye area (under my eye, not the sides) to combat the little lines. I'm hopeful.. Will let ya know..

I'd like to use full-coverage concealer (sometimes I need it), but I gotta stick to light layers of sheer concealer and a little 'baking'. I'm a creature of habit and admittedly addicted to Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, but lately, I've been exploring other brands. To my surprise, I'm switching concealer brands. But first.. Bobbi Brown Tinted Eye Brightener has been my go-to under eye pick-me-up for years. It's sheer, glides on nicely and brightens the under eye area. I use Light Bisque 2 - the pinkish shade works well to combat slightly dark circles. The Tinted Eye Brightener is meant for minimal under coverage and is just not enough for me anymore (FU*K AGING). 

When the Intensive Skin Serum Concealer and Corrector released, I was excited. New, lightweight under eye products by my favorite brand. I purchased the concealer in Ivory 2 and corrector in Light Bisque 2. The concealer is similar to the Tinted Eye Brightener - silky and weightless. The color is yellowish and it definitely brightens the under eye, but the coverage is light. I use the concealer first to combat the dark circles and then the Tinted Eye Brightener to lighten that area even more. The corrector in Light Bisque 2 doesn't jive with my skin tone AT ALL (despite the Tinted Eye Brightener being Light Bisque 2). I tried it a few times and am not willing to invest another $40 experimenting with different shades. I can't say if the product is good or not, cause I didn't give it a fair go.

In come the 'NEWBIES'.. Laura Mercier Candleglow Concealer and Highlighter is AMAZING! It brightens the under eye area and highlights for a luminous under eye glow. It is sheer coverage, but the highlighting aspect makes a big difference. LOVE. The round applicator is nice to the touch and allows for easy application. I use Fair to Light 1 - a shade lighter than my foundation.

Another brand I've been obsessing over lately is Glossier. IntoTheGloss.com beauty blog comprised a cosmetic brand based on expert opinions from the 'coolest girls on the planet'. I'm a fan of the blog and am falling in love with the cosmetic brand. One of the MANY products I purchased is the Stretch Concealer. It comes in a glass pot - preferable packaging (so you get every last bit). The formula is lightweight, silky and when applied with your ring finger, goes on nicely. It is sheer coverage, but layers well. The nourishing oils are apparent in the texture and results. I can see myself applying this concealer to other areas on my face for a little brightening and sheer coverage on dry spots.