Concealer can draw attention to fine lines, and the place we most often find those lines around the eye. Skin in the under-eye area contains fewer oil glands than anywhere else on your body, so it needs plenty of moisture. The more moist and supple you make this area before you apply your concealer, the better the results will be. Keeping this in mind, let’s go through covering dark circles step by step:
- Prepare the area underneath the eye by applying eye cream and letting it soak in for a couple of minutes. If it is really dry, feel free to apply on extra layer and let it soak in and dry. Be generous with your eye cream, because it’s next to impossible to over-moisturize this area. Just be sure to blot off any excess cream after a few minutes with a sponge or tissue, to make sure your concealer stays put. Using eye cream will help your concealer adhere and prevents it from caking up and drawing attention to fine lines, if the skin under your eyes tends to be dry.
- Next, use a brush to apply concealer along the line of demarcation – where the discoloration begins on your skin. Extend the concealer up and over the entire discolored area with your brush (stay just slightly below your lower lash line, because applying your concealer right up to the lower lash line can close your eye in and make it look smaller). You never want to extend the concealer past the line of demarcation (onto the skin that you are trying to match). If you do, you will lighten skin that is already the correct color, and you’ll be back where you started – with two uneven shades of skin.
- Now, with your finger, and using a stippling (patting motion), stipple the concealer along the line of demarcation to blend it in. This blends in the texture of the concealer and helps to make it invisible. Be sure to conceal any darkness in the inside corners of your eyes or eyelids, if necessary.
- When applying foundation over an area you have just concealed, be sure to stipple or pat it on. You don’t want to wipe away what you just concealed.
- Always finish with a light dusting of powder to set your handiwork. Serious dark circles call for serious concealer. Use one that is a shade or two lighter than your foundation and apply the concealer before your foundation. Yellow concealers are a great choice for covering severe dark circles on ivory/beige skin, and golden orange concealers work well for bronzed/ebony skin. These are called corrective concealers, because they counteract the look of severe discoloration. Both concealers can counteract all shades of skin discoloration, from red to purple to brown.
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