By far my most common reader enquiry is how to disguise dark undereye circles. This is not surprising, because they affect almost all of us occasionally. Sometimes they’re the temporary symptom of too little sleep, too much travelling, work or baby settling, but just as often they’re the permanent result of a losing ticket on the genetic lottery. Either way, I respond with a semi-sinking heart, because I don’t believe there’s anything you can do topically to fix the problem, despite what the eye gel tubes claim.
The best you can do is camouflage it. This can be done very effectively with two separate products, and is less of a faff than that sounds. First (on top of foundation, if you’re wearing it), you’ll need a corrector. This is an improbable shade of cover-up designed specifically to counteract the tones in dark circles, much like a coloured filter. You must get this right: if your circles are brownish (possible on all skins, especially common in olive, brown and black tones), you need peach or orange; if they’re more blueish-grey (commonly, but not exclusively, seen in caucasian skin), you’ll need salmon pink. I fall into the latter camp, and use the truly genius Bobbi Brown Corrector in Light Bisque (£19; there’s an unheard-of-elsewhere 21 shades, so they cater for everyone), but I also highly rate NYX’s Dark Circle Concealer (£6.50; four shades, from fair to deep), which offers great coverage at a low-ish price point. Becca Undereye Brightening Corrector (£21; for pale to medium skins only) is a newer discovery for me, and I love it. It reflects light very well and doesn’t settle into wrinkles.
Whichever you choose, the application method remains the same: brush the corrector under the eyes and in inner corners, then feather outwards (I favour a small, round head such as Zoeva’s £9 concealer and buffer brush), then leave for a bit. Next, take a traditional concealer the same tone as your face. A full coverage is ideal if your circles are prominent. The best I’ve tried in ages is Bare Minerals’ Bare Skin Serum Concealer (£17.38), a deceptively light, thin texture that adheres to corrector very well (I find cream-upon-cream less successful). You’ll need relatively little (say, 20% concealer, 80% corrector), but that second layer is essential in normalising skin tone. Dust with a little powder for longevity, and you’ll look instantly brighter, even when broken with tiredness.
