Concealer for dark circles - update and stuff I learned (longish)

I requested concealer recommendations to cover up my dark circles in this post and got a lot of very useful information.
http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....-concealer
Thank you all for the recommendations!

I had a bunch of consultations at the various makeup counters and this is what I found:

- Touche Eclat and other illuminators don't work for me because my dark circles are due to underlying blood vessels and thin skin and not just general tiredness. However, they are very good for the dark areas near the nose creases, upper lip etc.

- I was advised to use a corrector under the concealer. The color corrector is used to offset the color of the dark circles so the job is not left entirely to the concealer. Orange correctors seemed to do a pretty good job.

Steph's recommendation of Smashbox concealers was one of the few that worked with the dark circles without needing the corrector. Several folk also recommended Laura Mercier and their Undereye Eye Perfector worked great.

A lot of the makeup reps recommended Cle de Peu concealer as a top of the line product. It has been widely recommended by Instyle magazine and is supposed to work especially well for ageing/dry complexions. It is $70, though.

I ended up ordering two orange correctors - one made by Khuraira for women of color and Jane Iredale's Enlighten concealer. The Jane Iredale was very flaky and I plan to return it. I have not tried the Khuraira enough. There are several other correctors that are supposed to be good. However, they are not easy to find and I haven't tried them yet.

Here is a tip that was given to me by one of the make-up reps at Sephora - try one brand of concealer under both eyes and shop around the mall for sometime before you hit the next makeup counter. At the second make-up counter, wipe off makeup under only one eye and try the next brand. Wait for a while more and then compare both eyes. I ended up having to do this about 4 times before I found the concealer that worked well! A lot of concealers appear to match well when they are applied but turn flaky or too gray/yellow when they 'set'.

I am still working on the application techniques so I haven't been able to replicate the results at the make-up counter. Any tips on this front will be much appreciated.

ETA: The skin under the eye is sensitive and very thin, so it is good idea to check the safety rating of the concealers on EWG's Cosmetic database.

14 years ago

MsMaven

Veteran

Ages ago I took a class based on Color Me Beautiful that was taught by an owner of a local modeling agency. I can't remember her name or the agency, but I remember it was on Bascom Avenue in San Jose. She recommended a greenish primer base under the concealer. I do remember it was like magic in making the dark circles invisible. She recommended a lavender to others in the class. I bought products from her for several years--can't remember why I stopped.

I have seen a version of green primer some where else. Did you find anything like this when doing your research? I had forgotten all about it until I read your post.

I had been using Laura Mercier, but got lazy and just bought the stuff from Loreal at the drugstore.

Good idea to try different concealers under each eye. Thanks for your report.

elpgal

Choosing the corrector or primer is based on the colorwheel. So, to correct my bluish dark-circles, orange works since it is the complementary color for blue on the color-wheel.

MUFE has individual correctors in liquid formulation

http://www.sephora.com/browse/.....inate=true

or in a palette form categorized by skin tone:
http://www.makeupforever.com/p.....lette.html

Sephora had some made by Smashbox. I think Jane Iredale had one with limited colors

I was told that the key thing to keep in mind when choosing a concealer/corrector is to get something with a high concentration of pigment so you can get away with using very little of it.

chouette22

Thank you, elpgal, for your extensive research and report. I have very dark circles as well and will definitely look into some of the products that seem to be working for you.

Sveta

(website)

I am "blessed" with the dark eye circles too and have not found a good concealer yet. elpgal, thank you for your detailed report, it definitely got me thinking that a trip to a makeup counter...

Barbara

Great post, elpgal. Thanks for the extensive research!

I have tried many concealers myself and found that Neutrogena's works the best for me. The little brush makes it easy to apply over my foundation. Plus it's a bargain price.

Scarlet

enjoyed reading your detailed report!

lynne

Thank you for all the good information and detailed report. Please keep us updated as your quest continues. My dark circles seem to be getting darker all the time.

ms maven,

Physician's Formula makes concealer sticks in yellow AND green, which, depending on your skin tone, are ideal. They are very creamy and relatively inexpensive ($5 at Amazon.com).

taylor

I have genetic dark circles too, they have always bugged me.
I liked reading all the input...thanks!

I am glad you all found it useful.

Choutte & Sveta, Don't be worried about not buying if you are not convinced that the product works for you. It is very easy to feel disenfranchised when it come to something personal like makeup. Ask for samples whenever possible.

Barbara, Can you share which Neutrogena product you use? I use a makeup brush to dab on the concealer and then tap it around with my finger.

For those of you who suffer from allergy induced dark circles, using a neti-pot might work.

Hey Elpgal,

Upon further inspection of the worn out label on the bottom of my concealer, I discovered it's actually L'Oreal True Match concealer in Light Fair Neutral N1. I dot it on sparingly under my eyes with the little brush applicator and dab it in gently. I usually don't wear much foundation, so to look my best I just need a touch of this rich and creamy concealer to hide my under eye circles. It's good for covering small facial spider veins too.

Lisa

Love this recap. Thanks for sharing! I've been using COVERGIRL and Olay Simply Ageless Concealer lately. I like that it has eye moisturizer in it, it saves me a step in the morning and makes it smooth and easy to apply.

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