Dark circles are such a pain and they are even more of a pain if you are not sure why they have appeared. Some dark circles are caused by lack of sleep, poor diet, illness, and allergies. Other dark circles are tougher to combat and they may also be caused by heredity. The aging process may also cause dark circles to be more noticeable as the skin around the eyes thinks out and the blood vessels beneath become full and causing a blueish tint.
Personally, hereditary dark circles have been the bane of my existence along with many other things since around about puberty and hence my obsession with concealers and subsequent makeup addiction (hey, we all have our vices). The tricky thing about concealers is that in some cases, they may actually make your dark circles look worse. I have found the standard advice to “select a tone 2-3 shades lighter than your own” to be about as useful as two cucumbers placed on my eyes (hint, hint, I’m not impressed by this “home remedy”).
There is far more to selecting the best concealer that will provide a natural look than just choosing one that is “2-3 shades lighter than your own skin”. The skin is full of different undertones, and no two people are alike. There is no one-size fits all solution for concealers and what looks good one one person may look an absolute, certified, hot mess on another. Here is a quick guide on selecting a concealer color that is best suited for your dark circles:
Red Circles-Go Green.
Dark Purple Circles-Think Pink.
Blue Circles-Hello Yellow.
Thankfully, there are several brands available that offer the above color variations for concealers.
e.l.f. offers the HD Lifting Concealer , a liquid concealer that can be used on dark circles and is also said to “hide imperfections” and give the skin a radiant appearance. Depending on your tone issues, the HD Lifting Concealer is available in 6 different shades.
Sometimes, concealer and foundation powder is just not enough to mask severe dark circles. I picked up the e.l.f. Studio Tone Correcting Powder which is supposed to balance out skin discoloration to see if it would help to improve the appearance of dark circles. The Tone Correcting Powder is supposed to help balance the complexion brightening and neutralizing tones where necessary. The powder is available in a small palette that consists of yellow, blue, green, and pink colors. They are meant to be blended together and applied at the same time. The powder goes on with a lightweight dusting and matte finish. It may not be effective for darker skin tones as it may cause a ashy veil to appear over the skin.
What do you think about e.l.f. HD Lifting Concealer and the Studio Tone Correcting Powder? Share your tips and suggestions in the comments below.