How I Conceal My Undereye Discoloration

Undereye discoloration is something that a lot a people deal with. The discoloration can also travel to the inner corner of the eye. It’s a myth that dark circles are from a lack of sleep; rather, undereye discoloration is a result of genetics. It is something that I was lucky enough to inherit…

Here are my steps for covering up undereye discoloration:

1. Prep: Make sure you completely take off your makeup each night. It won’t help the situation if you have eyeliner and mascara smudges underneath your eyes! If there is discoloration from makeup, wash it off before you start the other steps. Also, moisturize your undereye area. This will help the products go on smoothly and not get cakey or crack. After moisturizing, I apply a face primer.

2. Salmon-toned products are supposed to help cancel out undereye discoloration. So, first I use a stiff concealer brush (I use the bareMinerals max coverage concealer brush) to apply a thin layer of the tarte Colored Clay CC Undereye Corrector in light-medium (also available in medium-tan) and then blend with my finger. This helps to cancel out any undereye discoloration. I apply it under my eyes and up along my inner eye. Sometimes I apply a thin second layer if necessary. I got this at Sephora.

3. Next, I go in with a lighter concealer to brighten the area. Sometimes I use the CoverGirl Ready Set Gorgeous concealer in fair (available in shades from fair to deep). This is the only concealer I have tried from the drugstore that is light enough to match my skin tone. Since the tarte CC corrector is darker than my skin tone and has a slight salmon shade, I need another concealer on top so that my undereye area matches the rest of my face. Sometimes, instead of using the CoverGirl concealer I will use the L’Oreal MagicLumi Highlighter in fair (available in fair, light and medium). This helps to really brighten up my undereye/inner corner area. The key with either of these products is to use a thin layer. You don’t want to put on too much stuff under your eyes or it’ll start to look cakey and crack. I dot either of these products under my eyes and then use my beautyblender to blend it out. You can get both of these products at drugstores or Target.

 4. Finally, I use a powder to set the concealers. I use the e.l.f. High Definition Undereye Setting Powder (around $3 at Target). It comes with a brush, but it’s too small for me and picks up too much product so I use the bareMinerals light stroke brush to apply a small amount over my concealer. This brush is slightly fluffier than the max coverage concealer brush. The powder helps everything stay in play and acts as a diffuser so everything looks soft and airbrushed. I’ll sometimes put this on my face too. Again, apply a thin layer. There are a lot of expensive setting powders out there (that I haven’t tried) but this works really well for me.

You can do these steps either before you apply foundation or after. I usually put concealer on after I apply my foundation. If you apply foundation first, don’t apply foundation under your eyes or you’ll add one more layer of product, increasing the chances of the products looking cakey or cracking.

Thanks to reader Maribel for requesting this post. I hope you found it helpful!

Disclaimer: These items were purchased with my own money and all opinions are 100% honest and my own. I do not provide positive reviews for payment. Products that work for me may not necessarily work for you.