Question: I’m having trouble finding a concealer that COMPLETELY covers dark circles. Can you help?

Tue, 10 January 2012 1:15PM

Welcome to Answer Time Tuesday, where we try to fix your burning beauty questions in the sharpest, fastest, most easiest-to-follow way possible. This week’s question comes courtesy of Chinadolls. 

Q: I am having trouble finding a concealer that COMPLETELY covers my dark under-eye circles. If I apply a regular amount, they show through. I’ve tried illuminators as well but nothing seems to completely cover them. Please help!

Thanks for your question Chinadolls. Dark circles are beyond annoying and unfortunately, the older we get, the more difficult it becomes to hide the buggers. Dark circles can be a sign of allergies, are often hereditary and as we age, the skin surrounding the eye area begins to thin which makes the vessels underneath that much more visible. From experience, I can tell you that 99.9% of the time, one concealer just won’t cut the mustard, especially if you’ve had a late night so here are some pointers and products to consider.

Make the switch to a brightening eye cream. Applying eye cream morning and night is a given to keep skin feeling soft and hydrated, but making the switch to a brightening eye cream can help cut the conealer workload that follows in half. If you’re in the market for a newbie, keep you eyes peeled for an eye-cream that’s packed with light diffusers, like teeny tiny pearl particles that’ll help bounce light off the skin. My vote goes to Origins Ginzing Refreshing Eye Cream, $64 from kit cosmetics. 

If you’ve got dry skin, are worried sick about wrinkles, or  simply fed up with your concealer looking cake-y and exaggerating any fine lines before the morning is out, then I strongly suggest you give this souped up part-eye-cream, part-concealer old girl, Covergirl & Olay Simply Ageless Eye Concealer,$17.95, a burl. Made with light reflecting particles and a hint of the much-loved Olay Regenerist serum, it’s effortless to blend and great for reapplying throughout the day.

 

Repeat after us: A lady must always layer her concealer over her foundation. As out of sorts as it sounds, if you apply your concealer first, you run the risk of blending away the product as soon as you buff the foundation on. Instead, prep the skin, including the eye area with primer and leave the foundation to settle for a few minutes before you pat on the concealer concealer.

Always use you ring finer to apply concealer. Unlike foundation that can be buffed all over the skin, you don’t want to be pulling and tugging at the delicate eye area, so use the pad of your ring finger to gently pat the product onto the skin. The skin-to-skin contact also warms the product making it easier to blend.

Go for a liquid concealer and layer more of it. A stick concealer can be tricky to blend so if you’re short on time, or are guilty of being heavy handed, go straight to a liquid or creme concealer that you can blend seamlessly, and keep the stick formulas for spot treatments.

You’re not finished unless you finish with a finishing powder. Once you’re finished applying concealer over the foundation, leave it to settle for a minute or two before dusting the eye area with a translucent powder. I recommend you avoid using a pressed powder and opt for a loose powder that you can blend easily, without buffiung away at the concealer.

And last but not least… Skip wearing mascara on the bottom lashes as it smudges too easily and can cast a shadow on the area. If you want definition, use a clear mascara instead.

And now, for my final trick? If you’re planning on going eye shadow free, I like to dab a hint of a pearly liquid illuminisor onto the centre of the eye lid up to the brow bone and despite the fact that I have zero scientific evidence to prove it, I’m convinced that the more effort you put into opening and lifting the upper eye area, the less obvious the dark circles that lurk below look.

The best 30 clams you could ever spend: Revlon Age Defying Spa Face Illuminator, $29.95.

Still want more? Make sure you read Yaz’s post over here for a more in-depth look at the causes and alternative ways to tackle dark circles.

Have you tried any of these products?

How do you go about tackling dark circles? 

Do you use a brightening eye cream? 

Do you apply foundation first or concealer? 

 

 

Posted by: Eliza Ashe

Comments (12) Print Send to friend Share

Tags: bags, concealer, dark circles, eye cream, foundation, hide dark circles, high lighter, illuminator