The mostly commonly asked question I get is “How do I conceal my dark circles?” “How can I brighten my eyes?” Concealing and brightening eyes will differ for everyone in my opinion. Like snowflakes, dark circles differ especially since we all have different undertones so perhaps you don’t necessarily have dark circles but maybe blue ones or even yellow. Darkness will vary from skin tone to skin tone.
I don’t think I necessarily have a major problem with dark circles mostly my eyes suffer from puffiness if I’m working on a few hours of sleep or over computer use and gaming, straining my eyes will make my eyes look tired, puffy, and old. I already have some fine lining combined with dryness so indeed my eyes do tend to look tired.
Below you’ll find some of my favorite products and tips to brighten up my eyes, conceal dark circles, and give me a the illusion of looking like I had eight hours of sleep when in fact it was only five.
Ok, so my top five products I personally use daily to look conceal under eye and to look flawless are as follows:
Benefit Lemon Aid
Don’t neglect the top of your lid and eye area! Lemon Aid is a soft buttery yellow that preps and conceals eyes beautifully. It brightens, it conceals smaller veins, redness, or even darkness around your lid and eye area plus it brightens the entire area up!
It Cosmetics Concealer
This is my HG concealer of the moment! Holy grail that is. It’s a highly concentrated thick, creamy concealer that will hide EVERYTHING! Seriously, this is super pigmented.
E.L.F. Studio Concealer Brush
I can’t live with out my cheap as chips E.L.F. Studio Concealer Brush! Believe me I wasn’t into concealer brushes in the least until I discovered this but it literally works fantastic to “paint” concealer into place prior to blending.
My Fingers
Yes, my fingers! After I use my conceal brush to apply concealer I blend and pat into place using my trusty fingers
Skin Food Salmon Brightening Powder
Prior to discovering this powder I was scared to death to attempt using any powder under my drier eyes. This is a yellow powder you can use over your concealer to not only set it but also to brighten eyes up and diffuse dark circles even more.
Bobbi Brown Dual Sided Blending and Concealer Brush
This is sadly not sold by Bobbi unless you purchase her concealer palette on QVC as it comes as a set. But it is a great brush! I don’t use the concealer side but I can’t leave without the bushier blending brush that resembles the MAC 224 but with far softer bristles. I use it to set my concealer with the above mentioned powder.
I typically start my routine with Benefit Lemon Aid on my lid and above my eye. Basically all over the lid area is where I place Lemon Aid. Some folks don’t love this product but for the past ten years or more it has been my staple for beginning my routine.
After that I squeeze a tiny amount of the It Concealer on the back of my hand and swipe my E.L.F. Brush into it. I proceed to swipe the brush under my eyes paying particularly attention to the inner corner. Bobbi Brown had a video with concealer tips and she was always adamant about placing concealer in the inner corner to diffuse the appearance of darkness and she’s right so don’t neglect this area. After the concealer is in a thinner layer under my eyes I start patting and blending outward. I use a sort of blend and stroke technique to get it into place. Although I didn’t mention it above prior to doing ANY of this I hydrate well with an eye cream patted gently under my eye and left to set while I do my hair.
My final step I tap a small amount of the Salmon Powder into the lid and circle my brush in it, tap off excess, and brush it gently under my eyes.
That’s it!
Done.
My eyes are typically brighter, fresher, and flawless after these simple steps. It Concealer is one of the best concealers I’ve run into recently and I’ve been using it daily since discovering it. I do cheat and try new concealers from time to time or others in my arsenal. Some of my favorites are my Bobbi Brown Concealer Palette, Kat Von D Concealer, etc…
What are your tips for concealing dark circles?
How do you start and end your concealing routine?
Which products do you use?
http://www.sephora.com/pro-airbrush-concealer-brush-57-P313020?skuId=1419480
seriously swear by Sephora’s concealer brush
I pat on some concealer and buff it in with the brush… also I’ll dip this brush in a little MUFE HD finishing powder … buff that on to set
for days that i’m not using full makeup .. i’ll dip this baby in Bare Minerals powder concealer and buff that in.. it’s amazing!
I totally agree with putting concealer in the inner corner of your eye.. don’t miss that spot as it’s usually very dark on most people
sweep whatever is left on your brush upwards on the outer corner of your eye for a lift
I haven’t tried the IT concealer… YET!!
ditto!
actually use my ELF more but when I really want super airbrushed finish I use this ;-D It’s amazing 
thanks for sharing your tips Barb! SO helpful!
where do you find the skin food salmon powder? I don’t see it on ebay and the only seller on Amazon that has it is , and they sent me fake Skin79 bb cream before
you can try yesstyle.com, sasa.com, or zinoparks on E-bay
I’m always on the hunt for a product that will conceal the blueish circles I have under my eyes and I have found the Pixi Corrector (in a pot) is great for this! It is a peach color that conceals and brightens. Even though it is just listed as a corrector, I don’t have to top it with concealer cause it is so great on its own. First I moisturize under my eyes cause it is a little dry, then I pat it on with my finger till it covers, then just a little powder to set and I’m done. AND it last all day for me. It’s the best I have found…even better then Bobbi Brown corrector which for me only lasts a few hours before it’s worn off (I have oily skin).
I’ve tried that myself Jessica and it is quite good ;-D thanks for sharing your techniques
very helpful!
thanks but none of those sellers currently have it in stock, I guess I’ll just have to wait =/
I’ve been using Elf’s mineral eye brightener in buff and it’s surprisingly effective-I just bought it on a whim expecting it to be crap
sorry Sylvia
I’ve used ELF’s eye brightener as well, quite good for the price!
how do you keep the lemon aid from creasing? i have mildly oily lids and it creases on me within 5 minutes, even if i put on a primer beforehand
it actually doesn’t crease on me madeline…perhaps set with powder?
My current regime consists of Clinique all about eyes serum/depuffer and cream, then my new fave, Bobbi brown concealer kit in sand. Oh, this has revolutionized my eye concealer needs! And the setting powder is a must for me. Agree about elf brush.
I swear by the Garnier anti-puff roller (the clear one). It does an amazing job of firming. I not only use it over my entire eye (I find it helps with my hooded lids as well) but have been using it over my entire face and find it provides the same firming action to other problem areas as well. It is slightly moisturizing, and I have had no problems with it breaking me out. I get the best results when I use it first before my moisturizer so it has undiluted contact with the skin. It does take a little while to see the full effect.
I have had consistent issues finding pigmentation and hydration in the same product. Typically the more highly pigmented concealers are also drying, either immediately or over the course of the day, and difficult to blend. I have the best luck with layering. Currently I am using the Maybelline eraser in Brightening under my foundation (I also find this is great for covering persistent redness), and the Covergirl simply ageless concealer in Corrector on top. I do have yellow toned skin so if you are more pink you would be better off with one of the skin toned shades. Where application is concerned I focus on the darkest areas rather than applying product to the entire under eye. It seems to make more of an impact. When I apply to the entire area the darkest areas are still darker, if that makes sense.
I find that eye primer is just as important under the eyes as it is on top. Concealer blends better, covers more, lasts longer, and does not crease.
I also get better results applying powder under my eyes with a wedge sponge, lightly pressing the product in, rather than using a brush. Gives me a much smoother finish and makes my concealer last longer.
thanks for sharing Charlotte!!
I’ve just truned 40 and I’d say aomewhere around age 35 all concealors became my enemy. EVERYthing goes into the fine lines and creases – and makes me look older!!! I’ve tried every primer under the sun to cover up.
If you have any way to not make wrinkles look more wrinkly – let me know.
PS The Garnier Roller ball is also the best I can find too, it works the best so far. Still wrinkly but not as bad.
oh PPS – and the YBF (from HSN) Yellow eye creme is a total dupe for Benefit’s Lemon Aid – and works WAYYYYY better in my opinion.
have you tried Mally’s eye primer? That’s excellent for more moisture.
Hi Muse, We do very similar things with similar products. I start off with NYX HD primer and then use Benefit Erase Paste in medium to brighten things up. I use both fingers and brushes to apply. Next I use Tarte’s marajuca oil creaseless concealer in ligh in the hollows, they can create shadows and press the concealer in to visually “fill” them in and then set everything with BE multi tasking minerals in summer bisque or sometimes I will use BE Well Rested with my Real Techniques fluffy concealer brush. I really must try the IT concealer! I was hoping it would be part of the recent TSV on QVC but it wasn’t. Great post- thank you!!
thanks for sharing lisa especially the technique about the hollows of your eyes as I have particularly deep hollows. I was too
darn! Wish it was included!
Hi! First post here, I’m a bit shy :3
But it’s a really great article, thanks for sharing!
I’ve always had blue/purple/black dark circles on fair skin so I searched a long time how to hide them and the best trick I use is the same as you : I use a concealer (from Kiko, an Italian brand, a very good one) plus a pink powder on top. (I found this by a brush-in-the-eye accident 2 months ago)
I’m not sure if the powder I use is safe for my eyes or not, but I use Georgia from Benefit and the result is really nice. The powder has a little shimmer and gives light to the face.
aw don’t be shy tata so glad you shared your regime today
very helpful ;D
My eye area is weirdly shadowed– not because of lack of sleep or anything like that. For some reason, the skin around my entire eye (literally up to my eyebrow and down to my cheekbone) is almost brownish. It’s been this way my entire life!I know how to conceal blue or purple circles, but I can’t find a good product to for my pale skin and brownish eye area.
Regardless, right now I use TimeBalm anti-aging concealer and Sephora’s Airbrush Concealer brush.
aw lori we all have our issues
I hope time balm is working for you at least!
I usually treat that area with a eye contour cream to keep it hydrated, and cover&treat the dark circles using the Skinfood Dark Circle Concealer (it has some salmon-something that is said to treat that area), ans so far I’m ok with this.
really like the skin food dark circle concealer too! good stuff!
Muse,
What eye cream do you recommend? I have crazy dry undereyes and dry patches around the rest of my eyes. I always have a problem with applying concealer/foundation because of that. Help!!!!
hey there ;-D How are you? I’m always testing no stuff….:-D I really like Clinique Repairwear Laser Focus Wrinkle Correcting Eye Cream in the day and Philosophy Miracle Worker in the evening ;-D
Hi Muse,
Thanks for always sharing these new tips & tricks.. I dont write much but believe me I look forward to reading your reviews while drinking my cafe every morning.. =)
I had a question for you on the IT Cosmetics concealer.. What shade do you get it in? I wanted to try it but I didn’t know if I should get the medium or go a shade lighter and get the light.. Im like you I dont really have a problem with dark circles its more for brightening the area up so I am confused on which to get so I would love your help…
THANK you christina
very flattered. I’m a medium/neutral (that’s what the shade says on the tube). The medium is sort of a medium fairer color (not your typically beige medium). I’m the same, I don’t really have super dark circles but my eyes are tired and need brightening up 
I have a swatch of it but sometimes swatches don’t help because it’ll look different from monitor to monitor. But the medium is a good solid cooler natural and works great for me!
Hey Muse! I love your posts like this, where you share your beauty tips and tricks. On your recommendation, I hunted down the Bobbi Brown dual-ended concealer brush – for $13! – at my local Cosmetics Company Outlet. It’s sold a la carte there and was such a good deal that the sales assistant helping me set one aside for herself so she could buy it later.
I LOVE it, it works so well with the Skinfood powder and also for brushing away glittery/fallout from eyeshadows.
I AM so happy to hear that and wish my CCO had it! I’d buy a zillion of them LOL! ;-D It works AMAZING! with skinfood powder and I’m all kinds of excited you feel that way Hapa
It really is an HG brush 
YAY for you! What a great deal! and I’m so happy you enjoyed the posts, I’m really good at these how to guides but I like sharing what I use as sometimes it helps someone out and in this case it helped you! quite happy about that ;-D
OMG this post is amazing. people really needed that i think, thank youuu
and thanks for mentioning lemon aid i was planning to buy it. what do you recommend to conceal acne ?
check out our blog please, love you!
thanks appreciate gokce
I don’t really use concealer on my face tbh so I’m not really good at recommending one for acne…it cosmetics def has excellent coverage so should prove great for face as well as under eyes 
aw love ya back thanks! will def visit.
Hi,
I was wondering if you have tried Conceal Ex Physician strength concealer by Physicians Formula? I heard it said that it was like if Glamourflauge and Bye Bye Under Eye had a baby it would be Conceal Rx. If you haven’t could you review it? Also is Lemon Aid any good to correct under eye circles?
Thanks,
Jessica
http://www.musingsofamuse.com/2008/08/physicians-formula-circle-rx-concealer.html this jessica? it’s super drying unfortunately can’t really use it often. Not like Bye Bye Under Eye at all. Lemon Aid is best for lid concealing not under eye circles. Hope this helps!
Sorry for all the typos! Ugh! Anyways, that may be the same formula, but the packaging is different. The one I saw was called Conceal Rx not Circle Rx. Maybe they changed the name too. I tridd looking thru your archive, but didn’t see that. Thanks!
Jessica
Sorry Coneal Rx not Ex.
Jessica
I tried the SKINFOOD salmon concealer and found it way too emollient for my skin. I’ve been recently trying the Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Dark Circle Treatment in the brightening shade and really like this.
Where do you find It cosmetics? I have never heard of them.
qvc.com or itcosmetics.com