Dark circles

I often get asked how to cover dark under eye circles.  I believe the best way to disguise darkness, is to think beyond concealer.  You need to approach the whole face, but this doesn't mean you need to apply a full face of makeup.  You can apply foundation, tinted moisturiser, or just moisturiser before you try the rest of my ideas. CLICK 'READ MORE'.........

I often get asked how to cover dark under eye circles.  I believe the best way to disguise darkness, is to think beyond concealer.  You need to approach the whole face, but this doesn't mean you need to apply a full face of makeup.  You can apply foundation, tinted moisturiser, or just moisturiser before you try the rest of my ideas.

Concealer colour: Of course, getting the correct concealer is important.  Look for a cream or liquid concealer, so it doesn't look dry.  The idea of going one shade lighter than your foundation does not work, in my opinion.  All it does is highlight the area and show everyone that you are trying to cover dark circles.  Your concealer will look best if you choose a shade that matches the colour of you foundation, or the colour of your skin. (This way, you can use your concealer even if you are not wearing foundation).  If you are purple/grey under the eyes, go for a concealer with a touch of peach in it.  The more grey your skin, the more orange/peach you want in your concealer.  If you are blueish under the eyes, look for something with a hint of pink. This will brighten the area by neutralising the colour under the eye.  You MUST try it on before you buy.

Application: Now that you have your concealer, you need to know where to apply it.  Of course you want it under the eye, but don't forget the darkest area, between your nose and your eye. Pat it on and blend the edges with a clean finger.  Many concealers can also be applied to the lid to work as an eyeshadow primer.  If you have lines around your eyes, don't apply concealer to the outer corner of the eye. The more makeup you put here, the more you will create "crow's feet".  Most people don't have darkness here anyway.

Mascara: To draw attention away from darkness under the eyes, I recommend you apply mascara to brighten your eyes. Apply to the top lashes, but not the bottom if you have very dark circles. You don't want to create a shadow. 

Blush: Now you need blush. Coloured blush.  You want to make your face look so radiant that people don't notice your dark circles.  If you have olive or a warm skin tone, use a peach blush. It's great for brightening up the face. If you are really fair, you will find pink looks better.  If you want to use on bare skin or over foundation that you have not powdered, go for a cream blush.

Lips: Next, put on some lip gloss or a tinted lip balm, for a bit of colour and shine.

Extra help: If you are still feeling really dark, you can apply an illuminating concealer over the top of your cream/liquid concealer. These wonderful little wands have a brush to make application really easy. They don't have a lot of coverage, which is why I love them over a heavier concealer. They brighten and reflect light away from darkness.  These are also great to use under puffiness to visually bring the area under the "puff" forward.  This type of concealer is great if you need to brighten the outer corner of the eye. Only apply a small amount, just above the cheekbone and blend well.

*Eye shadows and brow colour can also draw attention away from darkness. If you have time to apply them, light and gold eye shadows with a little shimmer will brighten.  Penciled or powdered brows will add definition and draw attention away from under the eyes. 

**If all of this fails, you can always put on the brightest red lipstick you can find. No one is going to be looking at your eyes if you have bright red lips!