I used to use Dermablend all the time, for years. I don't get dark circles w/bags under my eyes so much as that dark pigmented look from thin skin. (There is a name for that, IIRC, I just can't think of it.) But guess as my skin aged it started not working so well, got fine little creases in it. (It conceals better than anything I've tried, imo.) tina, the Bare Minerals conceals surprisingly well for a powder, and it's not loose or flaky. I'll have to check out gdust's color, yellow is a good concealer on my skin tone. The Summer Bisque is more taupe and on the cool side, but still does the trick. (Even better in winter.) Mineral powder doesn't bother me a bit (and can't stress enough how much I don't like makeup, the less, the better.) ;) And the 'white stuff' in the Cover Girl/Olay Simply Ageless can be pretty bright, but that can be avoided by using mostly the flesh tone and dabbing just a bit of white in with it. I mix it right in the pot. It gives the eyes a more 'awake' look, not racoony, if that makes sense. Clinique used to have a "Find Line" that was an 800# for discontinued products (depending on how far back it was discontinued). Check this out, they still have the # to call plus a link to a locater on their site. I've seen Clinique at Ulta also, if not discontinued ages ago maybe they would have it?

Arnica can sometimes help bruising, and I have heard of people using arnica cream for dark circles under the eyes. I always have dark circles under my eyes. People say kidney, or allergy, etc. My doctor said it is because I don't get enough sleep (eye roll). Finally friends convinced me to go see a chinese herbalist. They said he could look in my eyes, at my tongue, etc. and diagnose whatever is wrong with me. So I went. He peered at my eyes (a long time, and an inch away ROFL). He looked at my tongue. He stared at the skin on my face and hands with a magnifying glass. His diagnosis? I have thin skin. ROFLMAO! Dances.

3katz, I get Botox 4 times a year, 1/2 syringe I think, mostly in my forehead, between my eyes (those two vertical lines between my eyes, know what I mean?). It runs about $300 a session because there's a points program you can apply to future costs. Where I go this would cost Ida $600 since she gets Botox twice a year. I don't color my hair. If I did, I'd need a touchup at least every 4-6 weeks. I'd want it done well. How much do I save not having to do that? I just looked at prices on a couple of invoices I saved. With discounts, I paid $875 for Voluma and $495 for Restylane. The Voluma lasts a year or so, fills general low spots and deeper lines. I don't use it to inflate my cheekbones which are fine. Restylane is for my undereye area and will last 15-18 months. It's the difference between a hollow, haggard look and a smooth area that doesn't look "done" at all. So, based on my usage, it costs me maybe $200/month, although I don't get stuff every month. As others have said, we all have things we care a lot about, that others would consider nonessential, even frivolous or shallow. Why shell out money for new bedding? Who's gonna see my bedroom anyway, and why do I care what they think of it? My car is 15 years old and it drives just fine. If I were unable to afford groceries or pay my utilities on time because of my vanity expenses, I would have a problem. I have enough of what I need. I can even give some away. If someone wants to feel better about their appearance (hello, makeup? haircut? laundered clothes?), go forth and do so.

chispa: "Your cabinets are not 100% full overlay. I would not be happy with the gaps showing between each cabinet box." The gaps allow the doors to open. Wouldn't changing the doors to full-overlay require a different type of hinge? In other words, the cabinet maker can't simply make larger doors, right? bjstem: "What bothers me, is the gaps aren't even consistent." The gaps are per-cabinet. The doors on the over-the-range cabinet and the cabinets on each side all open, hence the double-gaps between them. It appears that the far-left-hand cabinet door does not open so there is only a single-gap between it and the cabinet to its right.