Dark Circles be Gone!

I have incredibly dark under eye circles.  It doesn't matter how much I sleep or what products I buy...they are always there:(  Standard skin-colored concealers do a great job of evening out the skin and highlighting, but they don't do much for those dark circles.  Blue and Orange are opposite of one another on the color wheel.  Purple and yellow are opposite of one another on the color wheel.  These colors cancel each other out.   If you have dark circles they are probably on the blue/purple side.  It is no surprise that makeup companies created concealers that have yellow/orange undertones.  These concealers were created to cover those pesky dark circles.  Salmon colored concealers (pink/peach colored) do the trick as well. 

I am always looking for the best products.  I have tested out four concealers that have a color correcting color added.  I tend to use these under my concealer, but feel free to use them alone if you want a more natural look.  I pat them under my eye gently and blend them out with my ring finger.  I quickly take my concealer of choice and blend it over top with my Beauty Blender.  I always set my concealer with a powder because I don't love the creasing look that happens to most.  If you want an extra bright look, set your concealer with a yellow finishing powder (Ben Nye Banana Powder or NYX HD Finishing Powder in the color Banana.)  Yellow powder will blend into your skin without looking unnatural.  

I would head to your local Target or Sephora (Ulta has the Becca, Tarte, and Benefit concealers as well) to swatch them and see what product would be the best addition for your beauty regimen.  Sephora has a great return policy.  If you do not like a product you can return it as long as 3/4 of the product still remains!  You can always have the Makeup Artists at Sephora to apply the concealers to your face to see what works best for you.  Unfortunately, the same situation does not apply to the Pixi Concealer at Target.

Pixi Correction Concealer in Brightening Peach

Pixi Correcting Concealer- $12 at Target

Benefit Erase Paste- No. 1 Fair 

Benefit Erase Paste $26 Sephora

Becca Under Eye Brightening Corrector 

Becca Undereye Corrector $29 Sephora

Tarte CC Undereye Corrector- Light-Medium

Tarte CC Undereye Corrector $24 Sephora

The Pixi Correction Concealer is Brightening Peach is a great product for the price.  It is on the thick side so I tend to blend this with my BeautyBlender to get an even application.  If you do not have a BeautyBlender, your ring finger will do the trick but be patient and gentle as you blend it out.  Your eye area has very thin skin and that is why most tend to get wrinkles there before the rest of the face.  Your ring finger will warm the product and it will blend out.  This product does last a long time if I set it with a powder.  The Target Cartwheel App will often offer this brand for 10% off.  

The Benefit Erase Paste is a lot thinner of a consistency than the Pixi.  I used to reach for this all the time, but I personally prefer an under eye brightener with a stronger peach/salmon colored tint.  I think that this is great for natural days, but for me this doesn't do as much as the other types mentioned.  If your under eyes aren't incredibly blue/purple this would be great for you.  It blends seamlessly and adds a lot of brightness to your eye area.  This product comes in three shades: Fair, Medium, and Deep.

I absolutely love the Becca Under Eye Brightening Corrector.  It has a shimmery look to it which concerned me initially.  Putting glitter under your eyes emphasizes fine lines.  This product did not have a shimmer effect once it was applied though.  It reminds me of the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powders that blur imperfections.  It counteracts the bluish color under my eyes, but it isn't very thick.  I think that it sits better under concealer than the previous two that I mentioned.  It is a pricy, but a little goes a long way! 

The Tarte CC Colored Clay CC Undereye Corrector is a great product.  It is a little thick initially, but it thins out nicely with a little warmth from your finger or the dampness of a BeautyBlender.  This is very pigmented and does wonders with my under eye area.  I can almost get away with using this without applying any additional concealer on top.  Due to the color I have to because otherwise my under eyes would be darker than the rest of my face.  I am incredibly fair!  Tarte uses natural ingredients which is an added bonus.  This product comes in two shades: light-medium and medium-deep.