by Colleen
The sensitive under eye area is prone to stress, lack of sleep and dehydration which leads to dark under eye circles. Genetics and the shape of you face also play a part in whether or not you have darkness under the eyes.
Concealing them correctly is tricky but done right it can make you look well rested and takes years off a face. You may find that with just some brightening under the eye, some mascara and lipstick is all you need to look fresh and youthful.
First things first, I like to prep the under eye area with an eye cream. Often on my clients I use Benefit’s Puff Off which helps to decongest any puffiness with it’s cool metal applicator (aptly shaped like a mini iron!) It also does a great job of filling in fine lines. For my personal routine I have been using First Aid Beauty’s eye duty triple remedy as it also has a cooling stainless steal applicator and a brightening cream with light reflecting pigments which immediately makes the undereye area brighter. It also has long term benefits like retinyl palmitate, licorice root and caffeine to help combat puffiness, dark circles and fine lines.Sometimes after applying the cream I feel no need for concealer.
If you wake up looking like you haven’t slept a wink, one trick I use is applying two very cold cucumber slices to the eyes and relaxing for ten minutes. The cold helps to deflate and the cucumber extract is said to have antioxidant properties that help to reduce irritation.
For concealer, the trick is to find the right shade and consistency. It needs to conceal and brighten the area without highlighting it and have the correct under tones for your skin. This will make the area brighter but still look natural, blending in with the skin around it. For my skin, yellow undertones work best as I have purple/blue under eye circles and pale skin. For an olive or darker complexion I have found that concealer with light peach or even dark peach or orange work the best. You need to experiment a little to find that perfect shade. Find a shade a bit lighter than the rest of your face, but not too light as to highlight it. Laura Mercier and Bobbi brown both offer great choices in concealer and these are staples in my pro kit. I love light and dark peach correcter from Bobbi Brown and secret camouflage cream from Laura Mercier. If you find it too heavy you can thin it out with some under eye cream.
Start by dotting concealer ONLY where you have darkness. No need to continue to the outer corners as this accentuates fine lines. If you have darkness beside your nose like I do you will add some there as well.
Tap and blend the concealer with your ring finger. The tapping helps with micro circulation to help decongest the area and the ring finger is still gentle enough for the sensitive area. Make sure to blend very well especially the edges to create a seamless application that appears natural.
Concealer should hide your darkness and brighten and lift the entire area naturally. In this photo I used the First Aid Beauty eye duty triple remedy first making sure to use the cooling applicator as a sort of massage for the under eye area. For concealer I used LaNeige BB cushion concealer in light, which uses the same cushion applicator concept as their compact and lasts all day without creasing.
Here are some other great concealer choices: