Six Tips For Covering Pesky Dark Circles & Under-Eye Bags

If there was one thing I would take with me to a desert island, it would be a massive pair of sunglasses that covered my dark circles and sallow skin. Although I'm pretty confident in the rest of my complexion, those pesky dark areas residing under my peepers always give the game away. No matter what I do, how much water I drink or how many early nights I have, the delicate under-eye skin still makes me look knackered. Over the years I've learnt not only how to look after this delicate eye area, but how to effectively cover dull areas and give the impression that I've had the best night of kip ever. Here are my top tips on how to get rid of those pesky bags...

1. Invest In A Great Eye Cream
Although it won't provide immediate results, using a great eye cream will help hydrate the skin in the long-term and even smooth out the fine lines that create the impression of tiredness. Using an eye cream under makeup (and before any other serum or moisturiser to avoid overloading the skin,) will help to tighten and lift as well as aiding the creation of a great base on which to layer product. Have a read of my post on how and why you should use an eye cream here too!

2. Blend Foundation Into The Eye Area
Creating a uniform base is essential when attempting to hide dark areas and imperfections. Using a foundation brush and a lightweight base, blend the product all over your face and right up into the creases of your eyes. Stopping too low down will create too much of a contrast between this delicate area and the rest of your face, making the problem even worse. If you use foundation to cover up skin pigmentation issues then you also need fewer layers over the top, which can often lead to creasing and cakey-ness if there's too much product.

3. Use A Creamy Concealer
After many, many trial and error scenarios, I can finally recommend that creamy concealers are the best at covering dark circles and under-eye bags. If your concealer is too chalky or powdery it's harder to layer, creating a cakey feeling or causing the product to sit in the creases around your eye and look ten times worse. Creamier formulas are easier to apply and blend, plus you need a minimal amount to get a good result. Dabbing (rather than rubbing) a small amount on with your index finger is the best way forward in my opinion, as it really allows the product to melt in your skin rather than sitting on the surface.

4. Highlight The Crease
One of the biggest mistakes in makeup is how highlighters are applied around the eye area. Rather than slapping the liquid on haphazardly, a tiny amount dabbed and blended into the crease between your cheek and under-eye area will help lift the skin and reflect the light. I filmed a whole video on how to use YSL's Touche Eclat, which will help explain this a little better, but a touch of highlighter will make the world of difference and help your peepers to pop.

5. Avoid Powdery Finishes
Although I'm a fan of adding a touch of powder over the top of my base to keep it in place all day, adding an excess to the under-eye area can cause makeup to crease and sit in fine lines - making all your efforts completely redundant. If you want to add a sweep of powder across your face then I would definitely recommend avoiding the eye area, or at least using the most finely milled powder you can find (such as Corn Silk.) It will make the world of difference.

6. Add a Touch Of White
My favourite makeup trick has to be adding a touch of white to the inner corners of my eyes. It instantly helps the whites of my eyes to pop and to conceal any dark areas, giving the impression of a wide-awake look. I've written before why white eye pencils are your new best friend, but suffice to say it's the perfect way to finish your look and ensure you're looking well-slept and ready for the day ahead.

Do you have any top tips on how to beat the dark circles that appear under your eyes?