The proper way to conceal dark circles
And the expert tips guaranteed to keep them hidden
Sometimes, no matter how many hours of solid sleep you pack into your night, dark circles can get the better of you, and – more annoyingly – get in the way of an otherwise flawless and radiant makeup look.
And while there are a few things you can do to help fight those dark circles in the long term, we got the lowdown from a few of the pros on the proper way to conceal them so it’s like they didn’t even exist, plus, how to make sure it stays that way. All. Day. Long.
1
Prep, prep, prep
If you’ve been going straight in with your concealer, you’ve already missed the most important step – prepping your undereye area. This will help the longevity of wear, how smooth your application will look, and avoid creasing as the day goes on.
So when your skin is clean, dry, and moisturised, add some extra hydration to the skin under your eyes. Alphie Sadsad, Bobbi Brown Cosmetics Pro Artist suggests a simple eye cream or eye serum will do the trick, while Revlon’s Makeup Director in Australia Melanie Burnicle recommends an eye primer, especially if you’re prone to creasing.
Try: Bobbi Brown Hydrating Eye Cream or Elizabeth Arden Skin Illuminating Brightening Eye Serum
2
Counteract the darkness
“It’s really important to understand that dark circles are normally of a bluish hue, so to counteract this you need to use a yellow or orange undertone in the concealer depending on your skin tone,” says Burnicle.
Sadsad recommends a salmon coloured corrector if your undereyes have more blue and purple tones in them, and a peach one if there’s more brown to your circles.
You can use either your fingers or a concealer brush to gently dab the colour under your eyes in an upside-down triangle shape, ensuring to blend it in completely.
Try: Pixi Correction Concealer or Maybelline Master Conceal Camouflaging Concealer
3
Conceal
When it comes to picking your concealer shade, choose one that’s about half a shade lighter than your natural skin tone – any lighter may make your undereyes look ashy or too light.
Then, for application, Burnicle recommends pressing in your concealer with your finger. “When you need concentration of a product you want to press or pat the product gently. If you are moving the fingertip back and forward you are blending the product, so try patting it into place to keep the concentration of it and then blend away the edges,“ she says.
Try: Revlon PhotoReady Concealer, Estée Lauder Double Wear Waterproof All Day Extreme Wear Concealer or Clinique All About Eyes Concealer
4
Illuminate
For extra radiance, once you’ve corrected and concealed, you can use a highlighting or brightening concealer under your eyes. Light-reflecting particles will help create the illusion of brighter eyes.
Stephen Gaskett, Elizabeth Arden National Makeup Artist also recommends, “applying highlighter on the inner corners of the eye, concentrating on the side of the nose, as well as the orbital bone, as this can help brighten the eye area and can detract from the dark circles."
Try: Yves Saint Laurent Touch Éclat or L’Oréal Paris Lumi Magique Concealer
5
Set with powder
To ensure your hard work lasts for hours without rubbing, fading or creasing, set your concealers with a light dusting of powder. Burnicle warns not to go overboard with your translucent powder, as you don’t want the area to look heavy by caking it on.
Try: Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder or Nude by Nature Pressed Mineral Finishing Veil
Photography by: Edward Urrutia
