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We ask a lot of the perfect under-eye concealer: It has to brighten, hide dark circles, blur fine lines and wrinkles, and ultimately make us look less tired no matter how little sleep we may have gotten the night before. So to find the very best ones, I consulted a panel of makeup artists to guide me toward the heavy hitters that not only conceal but also color-correct and moisturize the delicate skin under your eyes. Their favorites, below, include full-coverage, medium-coverage, and lightweight options as well as picks for mature skin.
Since it can be difficult to find your perfect shade, I highly suggest heading to your local cosmetics purveyor to have an expert weigh in and to test the product in person. But if you’re planning to purchase your concealer online, there are a handful of digital shade finders that can help you on Sephora and Ulta. And if you’re looking for even more makeup tips, check out our guides to the best mascaras and the best CC creams.
What we’re looking for
Texture
Concealers come in a few different formats, most commonly liquid, cream, or stick. Liquid concealers have a thinner, runny consistency that’s easily buildable. Cream concealers, which are packaged in a pot or palette, have a solid but spreadable texture and generally offer more coverage but tend to cake more than liquid concealers. Stick concealers are also solid and high coverage and are excellent for targeting dark spots and discoloration.
Finish
The finish of a concealer refers to the way it looks when it dries down and how it appears on the skin. This can range from a glowy, dewy radiance to a natural finish that blends seamlessly into surrounding skin to a matte look that doesn’t budge. What you choose ultimately comes down to personal preference and the type of look you’re going for (effortless everyday versus high glam, for example). Your skin type may also play a role: People with dry skin might want something luminous and hydrating, while people with oily skin may prefer something more mattifying.
Coverage
Concealers vary from full-coverage, highly pigmented formulas to more lightweight and sheer. However, many concealers are also buildable, meaning you can layer on more product to get as much coverage as you want.
Shade range
Finding the perfect shade match can be tricky. First, determine where you fall generally on the skin-tone spectrum, whether dark, medium, or light. The next step is to ascertain your undertone, which can vary from warm to cool to neutral. It can take a few rounds of trial and error to find something that perfectly matches your skin, but the more inclusive a concealer’s shade range is, the more likely you are to find one that works for you. You can also opt for a concealer in a darker or lighter shade for highlighting or contouring purposes.
Best under-eye concealer overall
Texture: Liquid | Finish: Radiant | Coverage: Medium | Shade range: 30 shades
First launched in 2013, NARS’s Radiant Creamy Concealer has ascended to become a widely beloved favorite with a stamp of approval from at least five makeup artists the Strategist has spoken to over the years. There are 30 different shades available, putting its shade range above average compared to other concealers on this list, and it has a creamy, buildable texture that blends seamlessly into the skin. Makeup artist Clara Rae calls it her “absolute favorite concealer” because of its “velvety finish” that’s “not too shiny and great for all skin types, from oily to mature,” Rae says. Makeup artist Ernesto Casillas calls it a “go-to” for most of his clients due to the creamy liquid formula and the beautiful color range. And hair and makeup designer Nadia Stacey — who has won an Academy Award for her work in Poor Things — adds that the “texture is wonderful to use and it has great staying power.” Both Casillas and Rae suggest applying the concealer to the under eye and letting it sit for about 30 seconds to one minute before blending it out for maximum coverage.
Best (less expensive) under-eye concealer
Texture: Liquid | Finish: Natural | Coverage: Medium | Shade range: 18 shades
Maybelline’s Instant Age Rewind Eraser is just as popular as NARS’s concealer, but it’s less than half the price. “This is a holy-grail favorite from the drugstore,” declares makeup artist Emma Elizabeth. “The formula is super-creamy and easy to blend, so you don’t have to worry about exaggerating your lines. But it also sets down and wears on the skin really beautifully.” She also likes how, in addition to 16 skin-tone shades, it comes in two corrector shades: “There’s a yellow and a pink, so you can neutralize your under-eye circles instead of just concealing them,” Elizabeth says. “And it’s a fantastic price point.” One trade-off for the affordability, however, is the overall smaller shade range.
Best long-wear under-eye concealers
Texture: Liquid | Finish: Matte | Coverage: Full | Shade range: 14 shades
This under-eye concealer from M.A.C lasts at least eight hours, thanks to its water-resistant, transfer-resistant formula. According to makeup artist and author of The Complete Book of Makeup Lorin Cole, it’s a staple in her kit for its blendability and long-wearing, matte finish. To doubly ensure it lasts all day, she suggests setting it with a bit of M.A.C’s Studio Fix Powder. Makeup artist Natalie Dresher also recommends this concealer, recalling how it “was everyone’s obsession in 2015” and declaring that it has recently made a comeback. According to Dresher, the formula “requires minimal setting and feels super-hydrating under the eyes” plus the pump packaging remains more sanitary than an applicator. Dresher suggests pumping the product onto the back of your hand and using a brush to apply it.
Texture: Liquid | Finish: Matte | Coverage: Full | Shade range: 36 shades
Another widely beloved under-eye concealer, Tarte’s Shape Tape concealer has been a go-to for makeup artists and beauty obsessives for years. Strategist beauty writer Rio Viera-Newton uses Shape Tape to hide her “chronic raccoon eyes,” declaring that it does “an incredible job of concealing blemishes” and dark circles. “After dotting the desired areas with concealer, I go in with a stippling brush to buff out the edges so the treated area blends seamlessly into the rest of my skin,” Viera-Newton writes. Dresher is also a fan of Shape Tape’s creamy and super-full-coverage formula, shouting it out as the concealer she reaches for when she’s aiming to achieve a soft-glam look. “I love that I can set it into place with a setting powder and not have to worry about creasing or transferring,” she says.
Best brightening under-eye concealers
Texture: Liquid | Finish: Radiant | Coverage: Light | Shade range: 14 shades
If you struggle with darkness or discoloration under your eyes, makeup artist Kornelija Slunjski suggests the “iconic” Yves Saint Laurent’s Touche Eclat All-Over Brightening Pen. She describes the coverage as sheer to medium, and lightweight but buildable: “This product really brightens and smooths your under eye with a luminous finish” because the formula is infused with ultrafine micro-pearls that reflect light and minimize the appearance of dark circles, Slunjski explains. It’s also infused with skin-nourishing ingredients like vitamin E, Moroccan-calendula extract, and Ruscus extract to deliver hydration and antioxidants to protect the delicate skin under the eye.
Texture: Liquid | Finish: Radiant | Coverage: Medium | Shade range: 52 shades
Strategist writer Arielle Avila initially tested this Sephora concealer as a potential Tarte Shape Tape dupe but eventually concluded that it’s actually even better than the Shape Tape. “My Sephora under eye looked like a bright-eyed version of myself, like those days when I’ve gotten eight hours of sleep and drank my full 64 ounces of water,” Avila writes, whereas the Shape Tape looked more like she was “laying the groundwork for a full-on evening look.” Even after a whole day of brunching and hanging outside, the Sephora concealer kept her under eyes hydrated and glowing so that she “still looked like that well-rested version of me when I got home at the end of the day.” It comes in 52 shades, giving it the distinction of having the largest shade range of any concealer on this list. It’s also one of the lowest-priced concealers on this list, so it’s a great value for what you get.
Best hydrating under-eye concealers
Texture: Liquid | Finish: Radiant | Coverage: Medium | Shade range: 20 shades
Some under-eye concealers can be drying but not Make Beauty’s Skin Mimetic Concealer. It has a thin, liquid consistency that “feels just like a serum,” says makeup artist Amanda Thesen. It also includes deeply hydrating ingredients like red-algae extract and squalane. “The under-eye area can tend to be drier than other parts of the face, so this concealer is really nice for keeping that area hydrated,” Thesen explains, adding that she also loves how the product comes in environmentally friendly glass packaging.
Texture: Liquid | Finish: Radiant | Coverage: Medium | Shade range: 38 shades
Kosas’s Revealer Concealer is a skin-care-packed formula that’s infused with hyaluronic acid and pink-algae extract for an extra hit of hydration, making it especially well suited for those with dry skin. Strategist writer Tembe Denton-Hurst can’t imagine her makeup routine without it — she has gone through three or four tubes at this point. “It’s super-creamy and blendable, and the color match is spot-on,” she says. “It also doesn’t cake up underneath my eye or separate after a few hours.” Whether she’s applying it with her Ami Colé concealer brush, a beauty blender, or her fingers, “it always looks good,” no matter what, and is “impossible to mess up,” she reports.
Best color-correcting under-eye concealer
Texture: Stick | Finish: Natural | Coverage: Medium | Shade range: 24 shades
When NYX released these color-correcting concealers, Elizabeth immediately stocked up “because even though it’s less than $10, it feels just like a concealer that’s $75,” she says. In addition to 18 skin-tone shades, there are six corrector shades: green, yellow, pink, and three shades of peach. “Instead of having to use a million layers of skin-toned concealer, you can just cancel out the discoloration and then go in with something lighter coverage,” Elizabeth says. The concealer’s creamy, blendable texture and the easy-to-use stick packaging make it easy to glide onto your under eyes.
Best under-eye concealer for dark circles
Texture: Cream | Finish: Radiant | Coverage: Full | Shade range: 10 shades
Sometimes a concealer isn’t enough to cover serious dark circles, pigmentation, and redness. Casillas often reaches for Bobbi Brown’s Under Eye Corrector when he needs a product to correct under-eye discoloration. Available in ten shades, the corrector is designed to have both peachy and pink undertones — “perfect for canceling out blue or purple discoloration under the eyes,” Casillas says. While the corrector can be layered under concealer if you want extra coverage, he finds that it can also be used on its own.
Best lightweight under-eye concealer
Texture: Cream | Finish: Dewy | Coverage: Light | Shade range: 32 shades
For an “everyday, glowy, buildable concealer,” Rae reaches for Glossier. Because of its slight shine and creamy texture, she suggests blending it into the skin with your fingers. You can also layer it for more coverage if needed by tapping more product on. And, because of its silky texture, “you can even use it instead of foundation or on top of your foundation,” without it ever looking cakey. Rae prefers to use a slightly lighter shade than her client’s skin tone to get a natural highlighted and sculpted look under the eye and on top of the cheekbones. She also says that while this concealer does work great on all skin types, “if you’re oily or want a matte look, I’d suggest setting it with translucent powder, as it does give the skin a definite glow.”
Best waterproof under-eye concealer
Texture: Liquid | Finish: Natural | Coverage: Full | Shade range: 22 shades
While some people prefer a light touch when it comes to concealers, others require something more substantial — whether that happens to be because you’re going to a big event (perhaps even your own wedding) or just for general Instagram purposes. If you need a concealer that won’t budge, makeup artist Mollie Gloss recommends Hourglass Cosmetics’ Vanish Airbrush concealer. “It just looks gorgeous. It’s hydrating without being creasy and doesn’t settle at all,” Gloss says. “It has a really nice cushion to it, so it gives that effect of, I just put my eye cream on. And it really sets and stays put. It doesn’t move. It just looks stunning, and a little bit goes a very long way.” Gloss reports that everyone from her makeup-artist group chats to drag queens she follows has been raving about it: “They’re all like, ‘This has become my new favorite concealer of all time.’”
Best under-eye concealer for mature skin
Texture: Liquid | Finish: Natural | Coverage: Full | Shade range: 23 shades
For those with mature skin or who want their concealer to function as skin care as well as concealing, Rae recommends this anti-aging concealer from IT Cosmetics, which she describes as being “a great long-wear, waterproof, good-for-your-skin, buildable concealer.” She also loves the broad color range of the 23 shades plus the creaseless, highly pigmented formula that “has a slight luminosity to it, which is fantastic for brightening under the eyes.” It’s packed with hyaluronic acid, peptides, collagen, antioxidants, and vitamins to conceal texture, hide dark circles and discoloration, and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. And it will also gradually diminish fine lines and wrinkles from the inside out over time.
Best under-eye concealer with SPF
Texture: Stick | Finish: Radiant | Coverage: Full | Shade range: 11 shades
Cle de Peau’s SPF-infused concealer stick is makeup artist Lori Hamlin Penske’s favorite because “it covers dark circles and spots beautifully without appearing too heavy,” she says. While it is the most expensive option on this list, Penske says it’s worth it for the beautiful finish and no-budge formula. However, because full-coverage concealers tend to be a bit drier, she says clients need to make sure their skin is fully hydrated before applying to prevent creasing. Former Strategist writer Chloe Anello found that the Cle de Peau made her dark circles vanish — although the $70 price tag eventually forced her to find a drugstore dupe (the budget-friendly Maybelline Instant Age Rewinder, as it happens).
Best under-eye concealer with a wide shade range
Texture: Liquid | Finish: Matte | Coverage: Full | Shade range: 50 shades
No surprise here, but Fenty Beauty’s beloved concealers were also namedropped by two of the makeup artists we spoke to. “They have an amazing color range, are long-wearing, and apply to the skin like butter,” says celebrity makeup artist Ashunta Sheriff-Kendricks, whose client roster includes Taraji P. Henson. Fenty’s wide shade range revolutionized the beauty industry when the line dropped, and this concealer is now available in 50 different shades (one of the highest ranges on this list, second only to Sephora Collection’s Best Skin Ever concealer). Adds makeup artist Dusty Starks, who calls the concealer “creamy” and “buildable”: “I can thin it out or use it at full coverage, and it never cakes and still looks like skin.” While you can find your exact shade to apply to your under eye, Dusty also loves to work with the deeper tones in the line to contour and define other areas of the face.
Additional reporting by Dominique Pariso
Our experts
• Chloe Anello, former Strategist writer
• Arielle Avila, Strategist writer
• Ernesto Casillas, makeup artist
• Lorin Cole, makeup artist and author of The Complete Book of Makeup
• Tembe Denton-Hurst, Strategist writer
• Natalie Dresher, makeup artist
• Mollie Gloss, makeup artist
• Emma Elizabeth, makeup artist
• Lori Hamlin Penske, makeup artist
• Clara Rae, makeup artist
• Ashunta Sheriff-Kendricks, celebrity makeup artist
• Kornelija Slunjski, makeup artist
• Nadia Stacey, hair and makeup designer
• Dusty Starks, makeup artist
• Amanda Thesen, makeup artist
• Rio Viera-Newton, Strategist beauty columnist
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