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Trusty old under-eye concealer, we expect a lot from you. We want you to be not crease, not be drying, last for a long time, brighten, and, well, conceal our dark circles (without it looking like we're actually wearing any). Unlike concealers to cover blemishes, for the under eyes, we need something that will set so it doesn't settle in fine lines or end up smudging our eye makeup. We also need to colour correct, which means shade matching is important, too.
That's not too much to ask, is it? With recommendations from some of the top makeup artists, it's certainly not. We quizzed Nikki Wolff, Daniel Martin, and Emily Cheng, plus nine others, to share which concealers — including Laura Mercier, Fenty Beauty, and Glossier, to name a few — they swear by for under eyes.
Turns out, there's a concealer to address every under eye issue imaginable: there are formulas to give you lit-from-within brightening, formulas with staying power to endure our banana-bread baking, formulas that perform near-magic colour correcting (see ya, dark circles), and formulas that do it all. Luckily for us, not only did the makeup artists share their favourite under-eye concealers, but they also shared some of their best advice on how to use them.
After choosing your perfect weapon concealer of choice, the key to successful application is gradual layers and correct placement. "Don't apply your concealer all the way up to your lower lash lines, as this will make your eyes appear smaller. Instead, only conceal the dark circles, and leave the colouring beneath your lower lash lines to naturally shade the eye," Chanel makeup artist Ninni Nummela said.
Once you've got your correct placement down, next up is learning how to apply it. "When applying concealer, the trick is to gradually build up the coverage. Your concealer is supposed to cover up any imperfections, without looking like you're wearing makeup," Nummela said. Starting out with a tiny amount, use a brush or the warmth of your fingers to dab the concealer onto the under eye area or anywhere you feel you need a little more coverage. Then, buff out those areas to blend it in with either your foundation or base. Remember: it's always easier to add product than to take it away.
If you are looking for a new under-eye concealer to dub "the one" or simply don't know where to start, read on to find out which of the best formulas are hiding in these 12 makeup artists' kits at all times.