Generally, the best option is to use a concealer and foundation to hide the discoloration and lines. For dark circles, look for a concealer with yellow undertones, as this will help counteract the darkness.
Dark circles tend to be blue or gray in color . To conceal them you need to apply a color that's opposite on the color wheel, which would be peach or orange. If you have fair skin, choose a light to medium peach color. For medium to dark skin, pick a dark peach or orange color.
Our top pick is the Nars Radiant Creamy Color Corrector, thanks to its exceptional ability to neutralize dark circles and provide a seamless application. The cherry on top: it's a long-wearing, crease-proof formula.
Dark circles tend to have a bluish undertone, so shades of peach and orange are ideal for canceling them out. Those with lighter skin tones should reach for a peach color corrector.
It may seem complicated but it's actually quite simple. “For lighter skin tones, a warm peach will cancel out the blueish purple in under-eye darkness, and a true orange/red will work best for darker complexions,” says celebrity makeup artist Nick Lennon who counts Charli XCX as a client.
The reason concealer alone cannot address dark circles is that it often creases and makes the issue much worse. Moisturizing and applying color corrector can help minimize the look of dark circles.
When to Use Peach to Orange Color Corrector. Colors in the orange family help correct darkness and dark spots on the skin, especially for bluish under-eye circles. Choose a shade in the orange family to correspond with your skin tone- more peach for lighter skin up to a darker orange for deeper skin tones.
According to Quinn Murphy, a celebrity makeup artist and host of In My Chair podcast, the best way to counter dark circles is to apply some variation of orange. "The key is to apply it only where there is darkness, so that you don't see the orange hue," he says.
It's often referred to as base because it's just that—a base for the rest of your makeup. It's hard to judge how much concealer you actually need to use until you've applied your foundation, so it's for this reason that makeup artists often suggest you should apply concealer after foundation, not before.
Since dark circles tend to have a purplish-blue hue, an orange or peach-toned concealer is what you need to neutralize their appearance. Apply your color corrector in a dot pattern in the under-eye area, and blend until even. Keep in mind a little goes a long way, so use it sparingly.
Best Overall: Armani Beauty Luminous Silk Concealer
This past Beauty of Beauty winner is super thin and lightweight—so it layers nicely without creasing—but also pigmented enough to mask dark circles and redness in one go.
It is not always possible to permanently remove dark circles under the eyes. However, certain treatments and lifestyle changes, such as getting enough sleep, may reduce their appearance. Other ways to reduce or hide dark circles under the eyes include applying cold compresses, vitamin C products, or concealer.
What Deficiency Causes Dark Eye Circles on Skin? Vitamin deficiencies that are associated with dark circles include vitamins E, D, K vitamin, A, and B12. In addition to that, iron deficiency is also a root cause of dark circles.
Focusing your concealer on the darkest spots such as on the inner corners and under the eyes, and then blending out the edges into your foundation helps to disguise and cover the look of dark circles in seconds!
Here's a quick cheat sheet on which color-corrector shade to use: For redness: Neutralize red and pink tones with a green color corrector. For dark circles and dark spots: Use a peach color corrector if you have fair skin, or a deeper orange shade if you have medium to dark skin.
If you're working with a powder foundation, it generally makes more sense to apply concealer first. If blemishes, dark circles or dark spots are more prominent, you could apply concealer before foundation and then reapply it in the same area after foundation. This creates extra coverage but still appears natural.
Dark circles under the eyes are usually more noticeable when you're tired. Other lifestyle factors that may contribute to dark circles under the eyes are smoking, drinking too much alcohol and stress.