Goodbye! Dark Circles Hello! Bright eyes: Makeup Tips

Hello my lovelys!

As you guys can guess by the title, today’s post is all about battling those insufferable under eye dark circles. We’ve all been there: pulling all nighters during finals, all night partying, or maybe it is just genetics (or like me, all of the above). Whatever your reasons, I decided to go over some products and tips with you guys to help you look a little less ‘Walking Dead’ a little more ‘Gossip Girl’.

Let’s start with Skincare

First thing’s first guys, there are A LOT of crèmes that promise to diminish dark circles, but truth of the matter is, at least in my case, these are all lies. I have yet to come across an eye crème that actually erases my dark circles, but with that said I have found a fair few that brighten my under eye area, which is better than nothing.

Clinique All About Eyes Serum is by far my favorite, and one that I reach for on a daily basis. It comes out a clear liquid with the tiniest-barely-can-see-them shimmer particles (yes, that is the scientific term) that instantly brightens, tightens, and de-puffs the under eye area. One of the reasons I love it so much is because you apply it with a metal roller ball, which is why it is excellent at de-puffing. *Tip: I sometimes like to leave it in the fridge overnight; the cooling sensation in the morning is nothing short of A-MA-ZING! If you are interested in this product make sure you ask for the serum version, as Clinique also does a crème version (you can try which ever formula you prefer of course, I just find the serum works a lot better on me).

Origins GinZing Refreshing Eye Cream is a cult favorite. I feel everyone and their mother raves about this product, and with good reason. It’s a cream, so it feels extremely moisturizing and it brightens just as well as the Clinique serum. The only issue I have with this, is that since my skin is so sensitive, if I use it daily it can irritate it. Even so, I wanted to mention it because I know not everyone’s skin is as sensitive as mine, in which case it’s a great product to try out.

Next up: Makeup

It is needless to say that an indispensable makeup product for dealing with dark circles is concealer. Now, concealer to me is a desert island product. I cannot (well I can, I just choose not to) leave the house without it. I don’t do it for me, I do it for the children, that way the sight of me doesn’t cause them to run away crying and possibly get hit by a car (I’m so selfless, I know).

First I use Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser for Dark Circles ( 60 Brightner), which I talked about in my last post, so I won’t go into much detail. It goes on really creamy and the pink shade cancels out the blue/purple tones of the dark circles.

Then I dab on (whether it’s with my ring finger or a brush) my concealer of choice. Lately, I alternate between two:

NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer (I wear shade ‘Ginger’). As the name states it has an extremely creamy formula, which means a little goes a long way and it’s very easy to blend considering it is a medium to high coverage concealer. It stays put all day, but if you have trouble with creasing under the eyes, I do recommend you use an eye cream before hand to prevent it.

MAC Pro-Longwear Concealer (I wear shade NW25). The MAC ‘NW’ shades have a slight pink undertone to them, which is why they are perfect for dark circles (even so, always ask a sales associate to match you, that way you get the perfect shade for your skin tone). I find this concealer has a more watery consistency compared to the NARS one, yet offers the same medium to high coverage. On me, this is a ZERO creasing concealer, seriously it does not budge, and perfect for oily skin types.

You can finish off with a little setting powder to prevent creasing and mattify.

To make yourself look more awake and rested, you can add a nude liner to your water line (it just opens up your eyes so much more) and a shimmery shadow on the inner corner of your eyes.

A good drugstore option for nude liner is the Rimmel ScandalEyes in shade 005 Nude (you can tell mine is well loved). It goes on really creamy and stays put for a long time; not all day though, which is why I keep it handy in my makeup bag.

As for shadows I always gravitate towards nudes: champagne, golden, and rosy shimmery colors. My favorite:

Stila eye shadow in ‘Kitten’. Literally use this baby everyday, either all over the lid or just on the inner corner. It goes on really opaque and has hardly any fall out.

L'Oreal Infallible Eye Shadow in ‘Iced Latte’. Now this is a pressed eye shadow, which means it is more powdery/loose than the Stila eye shadow. With that said, these shadows are practically identical (except in the price).

Kitten on the left, Iced Latte on right

You can easily apply any of these shadows with your finger, but I prefer to use a small brush. The one I reach for the most when applying on the inner corner, is the Real Techniques (by Sam & Nic Chapman of Pixiwoo) detailer brush. You can finally get your hands on some of the brushes within the line at Walgreens or for more options check online. You get really amazing quality brushes without going all Dracula and draining your bank account.

I am not the most confident when it comes to my dark circles, which is why I hope this post was helpful to any of you guys with a similar problem as me. As always feel free to comment and share and let me know if you have tried any of these products.

Thanks for reading!