Conceal Dark Circles Under the Eyes

Under eye circles happen for many reasons. Prevention is always best, but dark circles can easily be covered. You can use concealer or a combination of concealer and lipstick to cover the dark areas. Choose a concealer that is suitable for your skin complexion, and always set your concealer with translucent powder.

Steps

Using Concealer

  1. Prep your face. Wash your face with a gentle cleanser before you start. You may also apply a lightweight under eye cream before you apply your concealer. Look for a cream that is formulated for daytime wear. Nighttime eye creams are too heavy and will not do well under your concealer.[1]
    • Look for an eye cream that promises to plump and strengthen the skin under your eyes.
    • Your eye cream should have ingredients like vitamin K, alpha hydroxyl acid, or hydroquinone.[2]
  2. Apply the concealer. A concealer with peach or pink undertones will neutralize dark circles with blue, gray, or brown tones. Use a small pointed brush, concealer brush or your fingers to pat the concealer on the dark areas. Be careful not to rub it in. If you rub, you will move the concealer to the side and your dark areas will still be visible.[1]
    • If the concealer does not provide enough coverage, you may need to apply a color corrector first. If you have fair skin, a pink color corrector is best. If you have medium to dark skin, a peach or orange color corrector is best.
    • Only use the pads of your fingers to blend the concealer into your skin. Make a gentle, rolling motion with your fingers.
  3. Set the concealer. Once your concealer is blended, set it so that it will last throughout the day. You can use a translucent setting powder. Stay away from mineral powders. These powders are shiny and may highlight the creases around your eyes.[1]
    • Use a small eyeshadow brush to apply the setting powder.
  4. Put on eye makeup. Additional eye makeup will take the attention away from your dark circles. Mascara, eye liner, eye shadow, and a strong eyebrow will help people focus on other parts of your face. Also take the time to style your hair and put together a nice outfit. If you are well put together, people may not notice your dark circles.

Covering with Lipstick

  1. Apply a bright red lipstick. Red lipstick helps to neutralize the darkness under your eyes. Use an eye shadow brush to cover the entire dark area with the lipstick. The lipstick you choose will depend on your skin tone.[3]
    • If you are fair skinned, use a lipstick with red with pink undertones.
    • If you have medium skin, use a red with purplish undertones.
    • If you have dark skin, use a red with orange undertones.
    • You may have to use more concealer if you use this technique.
  2. Use concealer. Cover the lipstick with the concealer of your choice. Start with a thin layer and blend the color until you can no longer see any of the red. You can use a brush or a makeup sponge to blend. Again, do not rub the concealer in. [3]
    • This may work better for people with darker skin tones.
  3. Set your concealer. Once you have applied and blended your concealer, set with a translucent powder. You can then finish the rest of your makeup routine. If you notice a pink-ish or orange like color under your eyes now, simply apply another thin layer of concealer until the orange or pink is no longer visible.
    • Remember a polished look will distract from your dark circles.

Preventing Dark Circles

  1. Use an eye cream. The skin around your eyes is very delicate and is much thinner than the other skin on your face. Some extra attention can go a long way. Eye creams can be used day and/or night. These creams work by strengthening the blood vessels around your eye, reducing inflammation, and strengthening the skin.[4]
    • Look for creams that contain retinoids, hydroquinone, arbutin, kojic acid, topical caffeine, or peptides.[5]
  2. Place cucumbers or tea bags on your eyes. Cold cucumber slices or cold green tea bags can reduce puffiness and dark circles. Place either one of these on your eyes for 15 minutes. You should see a difference as soon as you take them off.[6]
    • The cucumber slices should be in the refrigerator for an hour before you place them on your eyes.
    • Soak the green tea bags in cold water before putting them on your eyes.
    • You can also do this before you conceal your dark circles with concealer or lipstick.
  3. Get plenty of sleep. A good night’s sleep is one of the best ways to prevent dark circles. If you are a teenager, try to get 8-10 hours of sleep each night. If you are between the ages of 18 and 64, try to get 7-9 hours of sleep each night.[7]
    • Elevate your head with two pillows and sleep on your back to reduce the amount of blood building up under your eyes.[4]

Tips

  • Make sure that your makeup doesn't look too cakey or people will know that you are trying to cover something up. Apply thin layers of concealer and add more as necessary.
  • Follow a healthy diet and drink plenty of water.
  • Try to keep stress off your mind and relax.

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 http://www.elle.com/beauty/makeup-skin-care/tips/g8069/dark-circle-cover-up-tips/
  2. ↑ http://www.realsimple.com/beauty-fashion/skincare/conceal-under-eye-circles
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 http://www.makeup.com/red-lipstick-concealing-trick
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 http://www.realsimple.com/beauty-fashion/skincare/skincare-face/treating-dark-circles-under-eyes/page2
  5. ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4924417/
  6. ↑ http://helloglow.co/puffy-eye-natural-remedy/
  7. ↑ https://sleepfoundation.org/media-center/press-release/national-sleep-foundation-recommends-new-sleep-times

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