Reader Picks: The Best Under-Eye Concealers
May 20, 2019
Choosing an under-eye concealer is like choosing a restaurant in a city you have never visited. You ask for advice. You read reviews. You look at the photos. Then, you throw caution to the wind and give one a try, hoping for the best.
Some of the best advice I’ve received over the past 11 years (!!!) was from the readers of this blog. It’s nice to have a community who is just as particular as I am. I know when several of you endorse a product, it’s going to be good. So I decided to create a new feature that asks you to endorse your favorite beauty and skincare products.
Last month, I asked you about the best under-eye concealers. A handful of brands rose to the top. So if you struggle with under-eye darkness, your fellow readers have advice for you. Here are your best picks.
Most Talked About. Several of you voted the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer ($30) the best concealer for under-eye. No wonder it’s one of Sephora’s top sellers. From superior blending to all day wear, this concealer got rave reviews.
Sarah said, “NARS delivers. It covers my circles, my acne and my hyperpigmentation. If they discontinue it, I’ll cry my eyes out.”
Other readers pronounced it a must for this with hard-to-match skin tones. With 30-shades and correcting formulas, you’re likely to find the one you need.
After all the rave reviews, I picked up the mini-version at Sephora. It covered well, but it wasn’t strong enough for my seriously dark circles. I gave the mini to a friend with a similar skin tone and she loved it. So your mileage may vary.
Need the Drugstore Dupe. The Internet agrees that the Maybelline Fit Me! Concealer is the best affordable alternative to the NARS concealer. It comes in 12 shades.
The Crease Fighter. Do you need a concealer that won’t move, fade, or crease? The women who wrote in to recommend Tarte Shape Tape ($27) used phrases like ‘life changing,’ ‘wonderful,’ and ‘magic potion.’
“I don’t have dark circles. I have raccoon eyes. Thanks allergies and three kids,” writes a longtime reader. “Shape Tape makes me look awake and doesn’t settle into my fine lines.”
Other readers talked about how lightweight the concealer is for something full-coverage. Some raved about using it as a highlighter and contour, as this reviewer did. Tarte products are also vegan and cruelty free.
The Drugstore Find. If you are searching for an affordable option, look no further. Maybelline Age Rewind ($7) is a light, buildable, medium-coverage concealer. It’s formulated to treat dryness and under-eye darkness with goji berry and Haloxyl.
“I bought this concealer on your recommendation six years ago. I’ve never looked back.,” said Jess. “If I need more coverage, I add a pink corrector underneath it.”
If you need a corrector, my favorite costs $6. The NYX pink under-eye concealer layers well under any concealer.
The Full Coverage. Bye Bye Under Eye Illuminating Concealer ($26) also came highly recommended if you need full-coverage. Some readers also mixed it with primer to create a medium coverage option. “The Bye Bye in the pink tube is the only reason I look human most mornings. And coffee,” wrote one Instagram commenter.
I’ve used this concealer myself, and it really covers. The issue I ran into is that if you don’t wear foundation, or you wear light coverage, it looks heavy. But if you need more coverage, this is the one for you. It also brightens instead of looking matte, which I prefer.
The Lighter Choice. Not everyone needs an under-eye concealer that could double as speckle. I do, but some of you are probably genetically blessed or under-25. For lighter, buildable coverage, Instagram was united in its support for Glossier’s Stretch Concealer ($18).
“Stretch Concealer blends better than anything else I’ve tried,” said HJ. “I can also re-up during the day without it looking heavy or caked on.”
“Best concealer? Glossier, full stop. Apply it with a wet Beauty Blender and you’ll never look back.”
I’ve used this concealer as well, and it’s one of the best I’ve tried. Readers who testified to its blendability are right on the money. If you need a nearly invisible concealer, this is the one for you.
Need the Drugstore Dupe. This e.l.f. Concealer Stick ($6) is a popular choice for those who don’t want to pay $20 for concealer.
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So what is your favorite concealer? Did it make the list? Leave your thoughts in the comments.
I really like the Tarte undereye corrector. It’s got a little peachiness to counteract the purple. If I am having a particularly rough morning I will use concealer right at the ridge where the blue stops.
Bobbi Brown corrector and concealer have been my go to for years.
I’ve used Bobbi’s corrector and concealer for years and like it as well! And I have SUPER dark circles thanks to allergies and, you know, genes.
This is the best concealer I’ve ever used and the only thing that really cover my dark circles. I pray they never stop making it!! https://www.sephora.com/product/bright-future-gel-serum-concealer-P398009
I bought Shape Tape after reading the rave reviews and using the Tarte Creaseless Concealer with good results. The Shape Tape absolutely did not work for me. It was tough to apply because it is so thick and you need so little, and once I got it in place, it made the skin under and around my eyes look extra-dry and crepe-y (I’m 36). I felt like it highlighted every tiny wrinkle and crease and added 10 years to my eyes. I tried extra eye moisturizer, makeup setting powder, and watching a YouTube tutorial for “older” women with no luck. It was a disappointment for me.
Just a heads up that some Tarte products are vegan (but not all). The entire brand is cruelty free though, whatever that’s worth.
For those who do not know, vegan cosmetics do not contain any animal derived ingredients. Cruelty free cosmetics are those not tested on animals. It’s a fallacy to use the labels as synonyms and likewise consumers should not assume that just because a product qualifies for one designation it qualifies for the other. That is, a product can be vegan but not cruelty free and vice versa. However, in an ideal world, everything would be both.
I bought Tarte Shape Tape with the intent of loving it but hated it (heavy, cakey, too dark for my fair skin). The only concealer I’ve found that does the job is Too Faced Born This Way. LOVE!!!
I love the Glossier stretch concealer on the weekend for lighter coverage and/or when I’m reapplying my makeup for an after work event. Because it is so moisturizing I think it works better than using my normal concealer, NARS Radiant Creamy, which can look cakey if reapplied. On the weekends when I’m using the Glossier alone I like to let it sit for a few minutes and then blend it. It seems like it covers better and lasts longer when I do this.
I also got the Maybelline Age Rewind on your recommendation. For years it was been great for me. Then I had kids, and even primer and setting powder won’t save me from dark circles, esp later in the day. I’m using Fenty concealer with my shade match, and it seems to be working right now. I know that Fenty is hit or miss with a lot of people, but if you like the foundation, get a sample at Sephora. It might work for you!
Same here. Fenty matchstick in my shade match has been the best concealer I’ve ever used. Medium-tan olive skin + bone/eye structure that naturally hollows under the eye + allergies = really dark under eyes. I’ve tried the Nars and Maybelline age-rewing, among a ton of other concealers (as well as color correcting products), and they still made my under-eye look ashy or didn’t cover well enough. I don’t wear foundation, so just need to blend very well (and use a very light touch + maybe a Beauty Blender in areas other than the eyes, such as around the mouth to cover slight hyperpigmentation in that area). It lasts forever too, although I do need separate shades for winter and summer. Aside from Fenty, using YSL Touche Éclat in the 4.5 shade worked amazingly for my concerns but it was too expensive and lasted too little .
Not a true concealer- but Becca under eye brightner keeps me looking human. I use it alone or under Nars!
Laura Mercier under-eye brightening powder over a light concealer is really key for me.
Benefit Boing is my favorite concealer! I’ve re-purchased four times now. I am very curious about the Tarte shape tape.
I don’t wear much makeup and I use lots of free samples, drugstore brands and whatever I can get with Sephora points, etc.
But I have found YSL Touche Éclat to be worth it. Dark circles are my biggest insecurity and this just works for me. So I stopped beating myself up over it. Concealer is worth it.
I love this feature! Thank you for organizing this collective wisdom!
This came at a great time – I keep waffling on concealers. So many of them lean yellow, or are way too cakey. I essentially need the dewiness of a BB with the pigment of a concealer, otherwise it’s crepe-y fine line city. That even goes for the Radiant Creamy, despite the name.
The Bright Serum one someone linked below looks promising!
I love Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage.