How to Cover Dark Circles

Last Updated: February 18, 2022 References

Dark circles tend to be worse in the morning, but you don't need to cross your fingers and hope they clear up on their own. A careful choice of concealer should hide the circles from view and blend them in with your natural skin tone or with a full face of makeup. This method also works on melasma, also known as pregnancy mask when it occurs in pregnant women.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Covering Dark Circles

1
Wash your face using a gentle cleanser and cold water. Even splashing your face with cold water as a final step can help. This decreases blood flow in your face, and helps reduce puffiness, which can minimize the look of dark circles.
2
Apply a moisturizer. Apply a facial moisturizer over your whole face, and then dab an eye cream or moisturizer into the crease under your eye, avoiding your lids. This will help the makeup apply more evenly. If your skin is easily irritated, use a special eye moisturizer rather than a face moisturizer.
- Don't worry — it's a myth that rubbing your eyes will cause wrinkles, unless it becomes a constant habit.^{[1]
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3
Use a primer for even skin and long-lasting makeup. Primer can be used under foundation or by itself. It will smooth out your skin tone and keep your makeup in place longer. Use your fingers, an applicator, or a makeup brush to apply the primer onto your entire face the same way you would foundation. You can find a primer that's formulated for your skin tone:
- If you have dry skin, you may opt for a moisturizing primer.
- People with dull skin may prefer an illuminating primer.
- For oily skin, try a mattifying primer.
- You can also find color correcting primers for skin issues like redness. For example, you can find a green-tinted primer to neutralize redness.^{[2]
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4
Put on foundation. As always, choose a foundation that matches your skin tone and skin type. Don't go overboard; this is a base for the concealer, not a product that will cover the circles on its own.^{[3]
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Research source} Applying foundation first allows you to use less concealer, making a natural look easier to achieve. If you're applying powder foundation, makeup artist Franklin Sanderson suggests "placing your loose powder in a tissue and then shaking it out. This prevents you from applying too much at once."
- Powder foundations tend to be easier to control, allowing you to target the dark areas more accurately.^{[4]
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5
Choose a concealer that is one shade lighter than your skin. Starting at the corner of your eye near your nose, dab tiny dots of concealer under your eye from your nose to the outer corner of your eye. Then use your finger or a makeup brush to lightly tap the concealer until it's blended into your skin.^{[5]
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Research source} According to makeup artist Franklin Sanderson, "You can also use your concealer to cover other imperfections on your skin."^{[6]
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Expert Source

Frankie Sanderson
Makeup Artist & Stylist
Expert Interview. April 14, 2020.}
- Do not rub the concealer, as this makes the coverage uneven.
- If you can still see the dark circles, you could try doing a color correction concealer before applying your foundation and regular concealer. If you have fair skin, apply a peach or apricot concealer to counteract the blue tones prevalent in most under eye circles. For medium skin, try an orange concealer. Darker skin tones can use darker oranges or red.^{[7]
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- Consider using a stick concealer. They use a thicker, creamier formula that covers dark areas more effectively. Keep in mind that a stick concealer may trigger an acne breakout on oily skin. If this is a concern, use a liquid concealer. Load your puff up with powder and gently press it under your eyes. This will add a little more coverage and help your concealer to last throughout the day.
6
Blend thoroughly. Blend in the edges of the concealer until they are no longer visible. If the concealer is still obvious, apply any other desired makeup to the rest of your face and blend again. It may help to use a different shade of concealer on your cheeks and forehead, in between your skin tone and the tone of the eye concealer.
7
Apply shimmering beige or white eye shadow to your tear duct area (optional). This will immediately brighten up your eyes and make you look more awake. The brightness also draws attention away from under eye circles. For more staying power, use white eyeliner underneath the shadow.
8
Highlight cheekbones (optional). Highlighter along the top of your cheekbone can reflect light to nearby shadows, brightening any remaining hint of darkness.

Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Preventing Dark Circles

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Protect your eyes from sun. Yes, your eyelids can get a tan, and the brown cast can make dark morning eyes harder to conceal.^{[8]
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PubMed Central
Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health
Go to source} Use a moisturizer with SPF 25 or greater, or ordinary sunscreen. Sunscreen which uses only zinc oxide or titanium dioxide as the active ingredient is less likely to irritate the skin around your eyes.^{[9]
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2
Make small lifestyle changes. Getting enough sleep can help you avoid pale skin that makes dark circles stand out. Drinking plenty of water and minimizing salt can prevent water retention, which is one factor in puffy morning eyes.^{[10]
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3
Treat allergies. If you have a congested nose or sinuses, your eyes probably appear darker due to swollen blood vessels.^{[11]
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Trustworthy Source
PubMed Central
Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health
Go to source} Take antihistamines or visit the doctor for other allergy treatments.
- These "allergy shiners" are more common in children and teens.
4
Fix puffy eyes. While this won't make your eyes lighter, it can make dark circles less noticeable. Here are a couple treatments:
- Chill a pair of spoons in the freezer. Lie down with the bowls of the spoons over your eyes and let the cold reduce the swelling.
- Give yourself a facial massage to encourage lymph drainage. If this helps reduce swelling, you may have poor lymph drainage, which you can address with lifestyle changes.^{[12]
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5
Visit the doctor if this problem appeared suddenly. While eyelids do change in appearance as you age, this is a very gradual process. If your eyelids have become much darker or more swollen in the past few months, ask your doctor to examine them. There are many conditions that can cause a change in eyelid appearance.^{[13]
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Trustworthy Source
PubMed Central
Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health
Go to source}

Expert Q&A
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Question

What do you use purple concealer for?

Laura Martin
Licensed Cosmetologist
Laura Martin is a Licensed Cosmetologist in Georgia. She has been a hair stylist since 2007 and a cosmetology teacher since 2013.

Laura Martin

Licensed Cosmetologist

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Purple concealer is used to offset sallow, yellowish skin. It is not a good choice for undereye circles.
Question

How do you choose the right concealer?

Laura Martin
Licensed Cosmetologist
Laura Martin is a Licensed Cosmetologist in Georgia. She has been a hair stylist since 2007 and a cosmetology teacher since 2013.

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You should choose a concealer that matches your skin's natural level (its lightness or darkness) and that has a tone that is opposite on the color wheel from the condition you are trying to correct. You can also work with a concealer that matches your skin exactly or is up to half a shade lighter, but this may be less effective for covering strongly pigmented areas such as dark under-eye circles.
Question

What color foundation do I need?

Frankie Sanderson
Makeup Artist & Stylist
Franklin (Frankie) Sanderson is a Makeup Artist and Stylist and the Founder of TheStudeo, a styling business based in Washington DC that specializes in hairstyling, makeup, and personal image consulting services. He specializes in hair extensions, chemical services such as highlighting, Balayage, Japanese straightening, keratin treatments, and designer cuts. He has a BFA in Fashion Design from Virginia Commonwealth University and has trained at the L'Oreal Soho Academy, TIGI, Vidal Sassoon, Redken, and Wella. His clients include Nicole Kidman, Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams, Tina Fey, Jane Lynch, and Alicia Keys.

Frankie Sanderson

Makeup Artist & Stylist

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When you're choosing a foundation, make sure it matches the color of your skin, as well as your undertone. For instance, if you have a cooler skin tone and you use a warmer foundation and powder, it will leave an obvious foundation line once the product oxidizes.

Warnings

Be careful not to get moisturizer or concealer in your eyes.

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Only use moisturizers that are especially for your eyes around your eyes, other types can irritate the delicate skin.

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