I’ve Tried Dozens Of Under-Eye Concealers For My Dark Circles, & These 8 Really Work

Please raise your hand if you’ve ever been personally victimized by the following statement: “You look tired!” Well-meaning? In most cases, yes. But when you have dark circles due to genetics, you can begin to feel like you are constantly being compared to the Crypt Keeper.

My ultra-dark undereye circles are something that no amount of creams or sleep will help. The darkness comes down to genetics, a fact that has taken me decades to make peace with. In that time, I have tried literally dozens of different concealers. Seriously, we’re talking 15 years of trying out different formulas in an effort to cure the incurable. But, because of this, I have a wealth of knowledge on what concealers actually do what they claim.

I’m breaking down the best of the best concealers I’ve tried over the years, from light coverage to simply brighten up my complexion to the heavy-duty concealers I bring out for big events.

Light Coverage

Available in 15 shades, the Saie Hydrabeam Brightening + Hydrating Creamy Under Eye Concealer feels like it’s melting into your skin. And that makes sense when you look at the ingredient listing! Saie promotes its concealer as a skincare/makeup hybrid made with hydrating ingredients like squalane, glycerin, and cucumber. I find that a few swipes of this adds a ton of brightness underneath my eyes, helping me look more awake.

All the way back in high school, I tried my first-ever concealer — this one. Available at most major drugstores, this is a classic for a reason. Available under $10, this lightweight concealer is brightening and barely detectable under your eyes. Since I started using this, it has widely expanded to 18 shades and is now touted as a do-it-all that can contour and correct.

It took me a while to venture from the world of liquid concealers to cream concealers, but I’m glad I did. The RMS Beauty UnCoverup (available in 16 shades) was the first cream concealer I ever used, and it worked perfectly on the dry, thin skin under my eyes. The formula is deeply hydrating with coconut oil and jojoba oil, so if you’re in a warmer climate, you may want to consider setting it with a bit of powder. However, it’s super buildable, making it a great option to build up from light to medium coverage.

Medium Coverage

This is one concealer on the list I was fully #influenced into buying —but I'm not mad about it. Rose Inc is model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley's brand, and every product I've tried has lived up to the hype. The concealer, however, is hands-down my favorite. Made with hydrating ingredients (seeing a trend here?) like squalane, vitamin E, and hyaluronic acid, the formula is super luminous. The brand claims this one is full coverage, but I personally feel it lies more in the medium category. Still, I'd agree it can be built up well! The concealer is currently available in 20 shades.

The Kosas Concealer is one you’ve likely seen all over social media as a favorite of celebrities and influencers alike — and there’s good reason for that. The hype is real with this concealer, which provides medium coverage and a radiant finish. In fact, the finish is so good that many fans have used this as a full-face foundation! Available in 28 shades, my one gripe with the concealer is I do find a lot of the lighter shades lean more yellow in undertone, which can make finding your perfect match a little bit harder.

The Rare Beauty Liquid Touch Brightening Concealer is an excellent pick if you’re looking for a similar formula to the Rose Inc Concealer at a lower price. Available in an impressive 48 shades, one swipe of the creamy formula under your eyes will immediately help to brighten and correct. It blends well and lasts an outstanding amount of time throughout the day.

Full Coverage

Don't let the name of the NARS Soft Matte Concealer fool you. While it markets itself as being a soft matte, the creamy formula blends perfectly on the skin and leaves you with incredibly natural-looking full coverage. Available in 30 shades, this and the Dior Forever Skin are what I bring out when I need some serious coverage. Think night out, a wedding… anytime pictures are being taken and I want optimum coverage, this is one of my go-to's.

Pricey? Absolutely yes. But let me be the first to say that the Dior Forever Skin Correct will last you forever. That's because you only need the smallest amount of this highly pigmented formula to cover and brighten dark undereyes. Available in 30 shades, this is one of the only liquid concealers that won't budge on your face, no matter what you do throughout the day. It's one of my secret weapons when I'm most tired.