woman applying concealer to show how to cover dark circles

How to Cover Dark Circles Under the Eyes

How to Cover Dark Circles

Nothing gives away a bad night’s sleep more than dark circles under the eyes, so if you want to stay looking fresh you’ll either want to double up on your sleeping time or find some quick fixes on how to conceal your dark circles. Rest assured, we’ve got some great tips on how to cover dark circles so you can look wide awake no matter how busy a bee you really are!

Prep your skin for makeup

Using a daily eye cream should be part of any good skincare routine, not just for waking up eyes in the morning but also for long-term prevention of fine lines and wrinkles around the delicate eye area.

Choose an eye cream with skin-lightening ingredients such as vitamins C and K and gently dab onto the eye area working from the nose outwards. The eye cream will help to plump the skin, making the dark circles and veins less visible. It will also create a layer between your skin and your makeup for extra hold and blendability.

Color correct your dark circles

While it may be tempting to pile on the concealer to hide those dark circles, it’s actually much better to work in layers and take a quick look at the color wheel to work out how best they’ll be hidden. Applying a color corrector first will help to neutralize any unwanted discoloration before going in with your classic concealer.

Color correctors typically look darker than concealers and are stronger in color. For fair skin, peach and apricot tones work best, for medium skin tones we recommend orange and for deeper skin tones, reds are perfect. Applying these shades will help counteract the blue, grey and brown tones of dark under eye circles for a more neutral finish.

It’s best to use an actual color corrector for the job, as although your favorite red lipstick may be tempting the formulation won’t be right for the delicate eye area and may fade quickly throughout the day. Stick to a designated color corrector which has a matte finish and long-lasting hold.

Choose an appropriate concealer

Again, even after color correcting, you may be tempted to reach for the thickest and highest coverage concealer you own to conceal your dark circles, however, there are definitely better choices out there. Thick and heavy concealers will crease easily and may just draw more attention to your area eye so it’s actually better to go for something lightweight with a more natural finish.

How to cover dark circles

When it comes to applying your concealer, it’s best to work in thin layers, using the smallest amount of product possible and only applying extra concealer where you really need it. Follow our tips below to find out how to cover dark circles:

Use your finger to apply under eye concealer


For the most natural finish, your finger is the best tool you have for concealer application! The heat of your fingers will help warm up the product to ensure a seamless coverage and minimal creasing and you can always go in afterward with a fluffy eyeshadow blending brush to finish the look.

Never drag or glide concealer onto your skin

The skin under your eye is incredibly delicate so if you want to stay wrinkle-free for longer, always pat the concealer into your skin rather than dragging it around on top of the skin. This will also give you a more natural finish.

Don’t apply your concealer directly under your eye

If you really want bright eyes, your concealer should go a fingertip underneath your eye rather than directly underneath it. The concealer will reflect upwards giving the illusion of brighter eyes rather than looking unnaturally masked.

Once your first layer has set go in with extra coverage

The chances are, a thin layer of concealer will do 99 percent of the work when it comes to concealing your dark under eye circles, so you should only go over extra dark areas at the very end.

Setting your concealer in place

The best way to ensure your new and brighter eye look stays in place all day is by setting your makeup with a little powder. Avoid anything with coverage as this can go on cakey, instead opt for a translucent powder and lightly dust over your under eyes with a small, fluffy brush. You may also want to spritz your look with setting spray as this will ensure maximum hold on your entire makeup look for the day ahead.

Of course, the best way of how to cover dark circles is to tackle the problem straight on and try upping your hydration levels and having a better night sleep. But for those days when a quick fix is needed, you can’t go wrong with our prepping, correcting, concealing and setting technique.