Finding the right tools and products can help you banish your dark under eye circle woes.
It is often said that eyes are the window to the soul. Eyes can reflect many things – joy, sadness, and even confusion. Aside from looking into someone’s eyes to see what they may be thinking, dark undereye circles pose a level of concern for many. Dark under eye circles circles can be caused by many factors including allergies, illness lack of sleep and in many cases are hereditary. When it comes to makeup, dark circles not only make you look tired, they can also make your overall makeup application look incomplete – almost as if you skipped an important step.
Finding the right products, tools, and techniques to cover up dark circles is a task that many are willing to take on. While creams and serums may offer cumulative benefits in the long run, something that offers more of a quick fix is what many people are also searching for. This is usually in the form of a concealer.
Concealer is one of the most important products to have in one’s arsenal when it comes to wearing makeup. Like a foundation, concealers come in many formulations, finishes and levels of coverage. They can address many complexion concerns that one can have such as brightening, highlighting or concealing various areas on the face. The main concern however is usually neutralizing or concealing the dark tones under the eye.
In most cases the average concealer will address under eye concerns but there are instances when concealer is not enough. You know those times when you continue to apply and blend concealer but your under eye still looks dull, ashy or gray? In cases such as this, it’s not your concealer per se, it’s the tone of the discoloration that is peeking through. While some darkness and discoloration can be easily concealed, there are some cases where those dark tones need to be neutralized first. This is where color correction is needed.
Color correction, which is not a new concept, is based on color theory. Remember back in elementary school during art class you learned about primary and secondary colors as well the color wheel (complementary, analogous, and triadic colors)? For instance, when it comes to complementary colors, if you have a red tone you want to neutralize (think acne), you would choose the opposite color on the color wheel, which in this case would be green, to cancel out the redness.
The main color correcting tone when it comes to undereye is peach and the variation of that tone as it relates to one’s complexion and depth of tone discoloration under the eye.
Pink -fair skin tones
Peach- fair to medium skin tones
Apricot – medium to dark skin tones
Red – dark to deep skin tones
These pink, peach, and apricot tones will also brighten up the under eye area – even if really dark circles isn’t a concern for you.
Be mindful when selecting a color correcting shade because you don’t want the color correcting shade to change the actual shade of the concealer you actually want to wear. Look for formulas that are more fluid or serum like with a radiant finish and that is crease resistant because you want to avoid creating more texture than necessary.
When applying color correctors/concealers, you want to first prep the area with an eye cream to hydrate and smooth the under eye area. Give that a chance to absorb into the skin then apply a thin layer of your color correcting shade. Using a flat concealer brush is helpful for precise application however consider using your fingertip (ring finger) in a stippling/tapping motion works as well. Doing so (with your finger) helps to warm up the product and helps to press it into the skin. In most instances, the color corrector should almost disappear into the skin and the under eye area should begin to look brighter. You would then apply your concealer and finish off with a small amount of setting powder in a press, roll, sweep motion to set.
Often imitated but never quite duplicated, the BeautyBlender is the go to tool for professional makeup artists and beauty enthusiasts alike. Designed to help blend makeup with precision, the Beauty Blender is perfect for blending cream and liquid product into tight spaces such as the under eye area and the nose. The BeautyBlender can also be with setting powder for setting and baking. The best way to use a BeautyBlender is to wet it so that it swells up, squeeze out the excess water and apply product in a stippling/bouncing motion.
Sephora Collection Pro Concealer Brush #71
The Sephora Collection brush is one that can be used in multiple ways with multiple products. The tapered end can be used to apply product in a precise manner while the flat side can be used to buff, blend and sheer out product. This brush can be used to apply concealers, correctors, primers, eye cream and cream eyeshadow.
Makeup Forever Concealer Brush small #174
This small precision brush is perfect for concealing and perfecting those small area without going overboard with product or application into areas that don’t need concealing or correcting.
Sonia Kashuk Essential Flat Top Concealer Brush #172
100% vegan and cruelty free, this concealer brush is perfect for blending creams and liquids. The compact dense bristles are synthetic so they will not absorb an excessive amount of product. Also the shorter more densely packed bristles will allow you to build up more coverage in the areas that need it.
Nars Radiant Creamy Color Corrector
A lightweight but full coverage creamy color corrector that blends and absorbs seamlessly into the skin. This formula helps to keep skin hydrated and contains antioxidants to protect against free radical damage and helps to brighten the skin. Available in 4 shades.
MAC Studio Fix Conceal And Correct Palette
This is the perfect concealer palette for multi use and custom blending. Each Studio Fix palette contains 4 concealer shades and two color correcting shades in a lightweight long-wear formula that is crease proof with medium buildable coverage. Available in 6 shades.
LA Girl Pro is a wonderful and effective alternative to some of the more expensive color correctors/concealers on the market. The lightweight creamy buildable formula comes with a built in brush applicator helps for precise application.
Bobbi Brown Color Correcting Stick
The Bobbi Brown color correcting stick is a very smooth lightweight medium coverage corrector. Unlike many stick formulas, this stick is very creamy and helps to plump and hydrate the skin.
Charlotte Tilbury Magic Vanish Color Corrector
Available in 4 shades, this color corrector contains ingredients such as flavanoids to minimize eye puffiness and mica for smoothness and luminosity. It is a full coverage cream that can be used on all skin types. A little bit goes a long way for the coverage and correction that you need.
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