How to make dark
circles vanish
The one thing that most people ask me for help with is concealing dark circles under their eyes. Follow these 7 easy steps to make your dark circles disappear:
1.Protect the eye area
Apply SPF under your eyes every single day - sun exposure can increase melanin levels, making dark circles more dramatic.
2. Prepare the eye area
Pat on an eye cream to smooth out your skin, so concealor will go on evenly. Just avoid any lotions that have a thick texture or leave a film as these can make your concealor cake and peel, which is never a good look. Try Clinique All About Eyes Moisturiser (£26.50).
3. Use a colour corrector
Choose a colour corrector that will offset the purple cast. Sound confusing? It's easy, just stick to these simple rules... if you're fair, pick a pink-based shade; if you're dark, try a peach-based one (try Bobbi Brown Colour Corrector, £19). Apply the corrector to the inner corners of eyes and under the eyes, all the way to the outer corners (right above the cheekbones).
What's a colour corrector?
These are different from concealers because they neutralise a colour to allow you to add your concealer on top. This allows you to use less concealer and prevents the area looking 'cakey'.
4. Use the right colour concealer
Choose a colour two shades lighter than the foundation. The skin under the eye is very thin so the purple veins tend to show through. A yellow toned concealor masks this discolouration and brightens the skin.
5. Apply concealor correctly
The application of under-eye concealor is the most important step in any makeup routine. But, where should you apply concealor? Under the whole eye, right? NO! This is the mistake that most people make so take note... only add the lighter concealor where your dark circles actually are. That is typically a semi dark circle from the inner corner of the eye down to the cheek. Next, with your finger, apply a thin layer of concealer and tap sparingly over the same area where you applied the corrector. The two products combine to create the illusion of perfectly even, slept-like-a-baby skin.
6. Set the concealor
Use a fine dusting of yellow-toned powder to set the concealor. This will counteract dark spots on just about any skin tone (make sure the powder is matte as sparkle can settle in creases). Sweep it under the eyes with a puffy brush or powder puff.
7. Apply blusher
Add a pink blush onto the apples of your cheeks (try Bobbi Brown Cheek Tint in Sheer Pink, £19.50). This distracts from dark circles and adds a healthy glow to your face.
And there you are... seven easy steps which will leave you bright eyed and ready to face the world!