How I Deal with Dark Circles Under My Eyes

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Like a lot of people, I feel like I have slightly dark circles under my eyes that get worse when I'm tired or not feeling well — and like most women, I've found my own ways to deal with these dark circles. Here's how I deal with the dark circles under my eyes — but I'd love to hear your tricks and tips! What are your favorite products, and do you have any fancy techniques?

How I Deal with Dark Circles Under My Eyes

My Daily Concealer: Glossier

In the past, I've really liked IT Cosmetics' concealer — it's so thick and creamy, but it comes out in such a tiny amount that it's easy to apply. I recently realized I was wearing the totally wrong color (after looking for foundations/BB creams, I realized I'm always the lightest shade, everywhere, yet my concealer was a medium shade somehow), so I've gone to an older Glossier concealer I happened to have.

It's a pot concealer, which I don't always love — I have an old one from Benefit that just came on so heavy and cake-like — but the Glossier one feels light, easy to spread, and feels like it stays all day.

It's $22 at Sephora or Glossier.

My Highlighting Concealer (or My No-Makeup Concealer): YSL or elf

I've written for years here about how I really like a very lightweight, illuminating concealer for touching up my makeup at the end of the day, and YSL's Touche Éclat has always been my holy grail. The gold container feels luxe, I love the light consistency of the liquid, and I think it spreads evenly. It always makes me look awake but not AWAKE, if that makes sense, which a lot of concealers can unfortunately do at the end of the night.

I recently found a pretty good dupe: the elf Flawless Brightening Concealer. Compared to the $40 for YSL, this one is under $7 usually, so I've been buying multiples and stashing it lots of places. Is it the SAME? No, the YSL is definitely better, particularly when it comes to an illuminating/highlighting effect — but they're pretty close.

I also will use either of these products by themselves, if I'm just running out the door and not doing a big makeup look. A bit of highlighting concealer, a blush (I really like this one lately for a no-makeup look), an MLBB tint, and I'm out the door.

Another way I'll use these products (particularly the YSL one): If I'm doing a full makeup look (2+ eyeshadow colors, 2+ eyebrow products, contour, etc.), then I'll use this one at the very end of applying all of my makeup, both to clean up any eye makeup that's gone rogue, as well as to do that “wing it towards your hairline!” thing that makeup artists talk about to bring your face “up.”

The Big Guns: Snail Bee Hydrogel Eye Patches

I got this brand, BENTON Snail Bee Ultimate Hydrogel Eye Patches, randomly during one of the Amazon sale days, but I like it — the patches feel nourishing and hydrating on my face, and they almost have a cooling effect. (If I have a headache or anything, I'll pop these on for 15-20 minutes because they feel so nice.)

I don't use them often, so my container is still pretty full, but I'd love to hear if you guys have other eye patches you like.

(I see many people on social media using the reusable eye patches with eye creams… I read on Beauty Brains, years ago, that most eye creams are the same thing as moisturizer, so I haven't really bothered to have an eye cream. The one I've liked the best is the Bioelements eye cream, but I've also used Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment, and I got a sample of what I think is this Drunk Elephant product with some other stuff of theirs that I bought. (Mine has a light green top, though, so it may be a previous version of it.)

Oh, but:

The Big Guns, Part 2: The Ordinary's Caffeine Solution Depuffing Eye Serum

I also very occasionally use this caffeine serum on my undereye area (and around my jawline, if I'm being honest). It's an extra step I usually don't care for, but some days if I'm making an extra effort, I'll do it.

The eye serum is $9.20 at Nordstrom (as well as Target, Sephora, etc.).