Our lives are all hectic. It doesn’t matter what stage of life you’re in – a teenager forced to wake up at zero dark hundred for before school athletic practice, a student pulling an all-nighter to prepare for finals, a new mom up all night with a crying newborn, a busy professional jet-lagged from non-stop business travel, or a retiree who just doesn’t always sleep as well as a few years back – there are times when you wake up tired and need a little help to take away those tell-tale signs of a bad night’s sleep. That’s where we come in.

Related: The 10 Best Eye Creams for Dark Circles of 2020

We’ve identified the best under eye concealers on the market right now – concealers that can magically erase those dark and puffy circles under your eyes that make you look not so refreshed. Tested and touted by some of the top beauty experts and influencers, these top under eye concealers will have your face looking daisy fresh no matter how much coffee you need to get through the day.

While the packaging of Veil Cosmetics Complexion Fix Concealer may have a retro kitschy mid-century feel, the product is fully 21st century technologically sound. Veil Cosmetics is a relatively new company, but has made a mark on the crowded beauty scene. This concealer multi-tasks like a good millennial, working overtime as a concealer, highlighter, and corrector. It blends nicely into the skin and works wonders as an under eye concealer, masking even the darkest circles.

It comes in pen form, making it easy to dab onto tricky under eye spaces. The highly pigmented formula can be layered over or under foundation for color correction that lasts all day and doesn’t seep into or highlight wrinkles or creases. It’s oil free, water based, and paraben free. Veil Cosmetics Complexion Fix Concealer is available in a variety of shades, first by general skin tone – porcelain, light, medium, and tan, and then by season – pink, neutral, and gold, making matching your own skin color super easy. The downside is that there are fewer options for those with significantly darker complexions.

The finish you’re left with after using Veil Cosmetics Complexion Fix Concealer literally takes years off of your face. It has the uncanny ability to cover up blemishes, hyperpigmentation, and feels healing when you put it on, leaving your face looking refreshed and toned. It’s cruelty free, hypoallergenic, and works well on the most sensitive of skin. The texture is liquid, but not runny, and it can be used without setting with powder.

Key Features
  • Available in 15 shades
  • Healing formula
Specifications
  • Coverage: Sheer to medium
  • Waterproof: No
  • Consistency: Smooth liquid
  • Brand: Veil Cosmetics
Pros
  • Doesn't crack or crease
  • 12-hour coverage
  • Calms irritations
Cons
  • A lot of concealer comes out at once

Professional makeup artists preach that you should moisturize and hydrate as part of your skincare regimen from an early age. But what if you were late getting the message? Well, start now, because you’re not getting any younger. And find products that build hydration and moisturizing into your day. Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Concealer does just that. Hyaluronic acid pumps moisture into your skin, especially those sensitive, always too dry under eye areas that tend to crease up when applying thick foundation or concealer.

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Concealer is a creamy stick product that you can apply directly under the eyes. It’s so silky smooth and blends effortlessly with your fingers or a sponge. The medium coverage formula works to cover under eye darkness without settling into fine lines or creases. It’s not quite pigmented enough to completely cover scars, dark sun spots, or angry blemishes, but for masking tiredness under the eyes it lives up to its name. While some sticks are tricky to apply, the composition of the Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Concealer is such that it glides on perfectly. Be prepared to set with powder for a longer lasting finish, and even then it might only last a few hours. Reapplication is a must if you want all day coverage. It’s definitely works best for a more natural look without full coverage.

For light coverage and hiding minor imperfections it works nicely. The best thing about it is that it moisturizes while covering. Layering it with other products will provide a nice, hydrating base for your skin.

Key Features
  • Available in 5 shades
  • Opthalmologist tested, safe for sensitive eyes and contact lens wearers
Specifications
  • Coverage: Natural
  • Waterproof: No
  • Consistency: Creamy
Pros
  • Extremely hydrating
  • Very blendable
Cons
  • Not long-lasting
  • Only available in five shades

For a drugstore brand, or any brand for that matter, it’s hard to go wrong with L.A. Girl HD Pro Concealer. It is lightweight yet provides opaque coverage and does a great job as a camouflage for redness, dark circles, or any other imperfections. It’s not really matte, not really dewy, which works nicely for almost any skin type. L.A. Girl HD Pro Concealer comes in several different shades, including various color correcting and neutralizing shades. It’s inexpensive enough that you can mix and match and experiment with combinations to find something that works well for your complexion and for what you’re trying to solve for.

For under eye discoloration and dark circles it’s truly an amazing product. Once you hit on the right formula, layering over or under foundation, or on its own, the L.A. Girl HD Pro Concealer completely covers the most stubborn under eye circles without feeling caked on. It doesn’t soak into creases and will last all day, especially if combined with a setting powder.

The brush tube package is convenient, especially if you’re on the run or don’t want to fuss with a lot of brushes and sponges. It’s easy to blend and set using just the brush applicator and your fingers. The texture is creamy enough that it’s easy to apply directly to your face. L.A. Girl HD Pro Concealer doesn’t provide completely full coverage, but will cover nicely if layered on top of itself or a foundation or powder. It also works well to cover blemishes and scars.

Key Features
  • Available in 43 shades
  • Sheer semi-matte formula
Specifications
  • Coverage: Medium to full
  • Waterproof: Yes
  • Consistency: Creamy
Pros
  • So many colors!
Cons
  • Not as natural of a finish as competitors

Our winner for the most perfectly textured concealer is undoubtedly NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer. It’s not heavy, yet provides exquisite coverage, the colors blend dreamily. It comes in tons of shades, so it doesn’t matter if you’ve got porcelain skin, are rich with melanin, or any shade in between, you’re covered. It works wonderfully for under eyes, but also doubles as a blemish hider, highlighter or for contouring.

Along with the active ingredients, NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer blends botanicals like magnolia bark extract, grape seed extract, and Vitamin E to deliver anti-oxidant protection and strengthen the skin. A small bit will do the trick, which will save you money in the long run. It’s simple to apply using the sponge-tipped wand applicator, professional brush, or even your fingers. It’s easy to layer on top of foundation and apply blush or powder on top, without looking caked on or overdone, it’s formulated to be hydrating so a dewy finish is easily achievable. The finish is natural and breathable and works with a variety of skin types. It’s non-irritating to skin and made to last all day.

Beauty bloggers, casual customers, and professional makeup artists alike are wild about this product. What they mostly note is the wide range of colors and how amazingly effective it is at covering up everything from dark circles to acne scars to blemishes to wrinkles and fine lines. It won’t settle into lines or wrinkles under the eyes and does not need to be set if you’re in a hurry.

Key Features
  • Available in 30 shades
  • Long-lasting
  • Dermatologist and opthalmologist tested
Specifications
  • Coverage: Medium
  • Waterproof: Yes
  • Consistency: Creamy
Pros
  • All-day wear
  • Sweat, humidity, water-resistant
  • Wide range of shades
  • Velvety texture, blends easily
Cons
  • Very thick

IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye Full Coverage Concealer is so highly pigmented that you’ll only need the tiniest dab to correct your under eye imperfections. It works magic, but you’ll need to do a little prep to avoid it settling into creases and going on ultra cakey and dry. To achieve best results, one beauty reviewer recommends using a quality hydrating eye cream first, and applying the IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye Full Coverage Concealer before the eye cream fully soaks into your skin. A pin tip size amount of concealer will work for both eyes and you can blend it in with a concealer brush.

Using this technique your eyes will instantly look brighter and refreshed. The anti-aging, full-coverage cream is meant to be intense and opaque, but that’s why it works to conceal even the darkest circles. It comes in a variety of shades, but pairing it with the right foundation and properly blending is key. But for severe darkening or redness you can’t beat the coverage, which lasts up to ten hours. Proper application is a must, including appropriate prep or primer, and using a brush rather than your fingers.

It also works well on blemishes, again – a little goes a really long way. Don’t overdo it. It lives up to the name of Bye Bye –you can easily get rid of troublesome puffiness, intense dark circles, broken capillaries, rosacea, hyperpigmentation, and other blemishes with only a tiny bit of this fabulous under eye concealer.

Key Features
  • Available in 48 shades
  • Anti-aging formula
  • Doesn't crease or crack
Specifications
  • Coverage: Full
  • Waterproof: Yes
  • Consistency: Thick and tacky liquid
Pros
  • All-day wear
  • Lots of available shades
  • Developed with plastic surgeons
Cons
  • Hyperpigmented formula needs careful application

One of the most talked about products on the pages of beauty bloggers and influencers all over the web, YouTube, and Instragram is Tarte Double Duty Shape Tape Contour Concealer. Trendy as it is, it does actually live up to the hype. The product was christened Double Duty because it acts as both a concealer and a contouring highlighter. There is a catch. To use both as a concealer and for contouring and highlighting, you likely will need to buy it in two or more different shades.

But we’re here to talk about concealers. As a concealer, it’s pretty wonderful. It’s full-coverage, but goes on relatively lightly. It blends nicely and does an excellent job covering blemishes and skin imperfections. It provides opaque and full coverage but is fairly hydrating, not to the point where the finish is truly dewy, it actually is more matte, but not terribly sticky. It does a great job at covering under eye darkness all day long, we recommend applying with a brush rather than the wand that is included.

The texture of the Tarte Double Duty Shape Tape Contour Concealer is what we love the most. It’s a liquid and made for full coverage, but thin enough to be highly blendable and doesn’t leave your skin dry or pasty when applied correctly. It works better on normal to oily skin, it can leave dry skin looking a little drier. Right now the shade range is rather limited, but given all of the press the product has had and the buzz about it, hopefully Tarte will expand the line.

Key Features
  • Available in 30 shades
  • Can be used to highlight, contour and conceal
  • Pigmented and hydrating
Specifications
  • Coverage: Full
  • Waterproof: No
  • Consistency: Creamy
Pros
  • Vegan, cruelty-free
  • Hydrating formula works well with drier skin
  • Long-lasting
Cons
  • Need to buy more than one shade if using to highlight, contour, and conceal
  • Strong fragrance
  • Wand dispenses more product than needed

The dewy finish of bareMinerals BareSkin Complete Coverage Serum Concealer isn’t an easy thing to accomplish when it comes to covering up difficult under eye circles. But this product manages to fully cover these uncooperative spots without leaving your skin looking overly made up. The finish doesn’t last super long, so you might need to tuck an extra tube into your purse for touch ups later in the day.

The texture is light and liquid and very hydrating, which is great for those whose skin under the eyes tends to dry out, especially in the winter months in northern climates. The richly pigmented formula goes on creamy and blends easily, masking dark circles effortlessly, leaving eyes brighter with a luminescent finish. Use for either a natural or full face look.

The applicator isn’t our favorite – it tends to hold more product than necessary. We recommend using with a quality concealer brush or blending with your fingers. It works well on blemishes and acne scars as well as an under eye concealer. It can be used over or under your foundation, whichever is your personal preference.

The BareSkin Complete Coverage Serum Concealer uses plant extracts like lilac along with the chemical formula to hydrate and for anti-oxidant and anti-aging properties. It’s thin, but not necessary to use a primer or corrector under the eyes. It will leave your face looking evenly toned without imperfections and reducing under eye shadows. It’s somewhat reflective and can be used as a highlighter in the right shade.

Key Features
  • Available in 6 shades
  • Anti-aging serum
Specifications
  • Coverage: Full
  • Waterproof: No
  • Consistency: Liquid
Pros
  • Cruelty-free
  • Little caking or creasing
Cons
  • Only lasts a few hours
  • Limited available shades

NYX Professional Makeup Can’t Stop Won’t Stop Concealer is creamy and a little bit thicker than some of the other concealers we’ve reviewed, therefore not the best for drier skin types. It dries quickly so it’s best to work with setting powder and foundation, maybe working one spot at a time so you have time to blend before it sets. If you’re inexperienced or aren’t accustomed to using products in layers or with sponges or brushes this may be more trouble than it’s worth.

But if you’re committed to the process, the NYX Professional Makeup Can’t Stop Won’t Stop Concealer is at a nice price point and covers quite nicely, lasting a full 24 hours. It comes in a wide range of shades, which is a bonus for anyone with a darker skin tone, who can be sometimes overlooked when it comes to skin products. The concealer works well for blending and covering up under eye pigmentation, as well as hiding blemishes. In a lighter shade it’s great as a highlighter, or in a darker shade can be used for contouring.

The shade stays true to its color after blending and goes on thickly as matte and full-coverage. It definitely works best with normal to oily skin. On drier skin there is a tendency to clump and look pasted on and not blend in as smoothly. The upside to that is that it is fully waterproof and lasts a really long time, perfect if you’re on the go and face long days without an opportunity for touch-ups.

Key Features
  • Available in 24 shades
  • Long-wearing
  • Matte finish
Specifications
  • Coverage: Full
  • Waterproof: Yes
  • Consistency: Creamy liquid
Pros
  • All-day wear
  • Easy to blend
Cons
  • Dries very quickly
  • Not great for dry skin types

A good rule of thumb when buying makeup products is to buy the highest quality product you can comfortably afford. What’s great about Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circles Treatment Concealer is that it’s a well-known drugstore brand that is highly accessible, highly affordable, and performs as well as, if not better than, any designer or department store brand. So save a trip to the boutique and drop this in your shopping cart along with your laundry detergent and veggies.

For years professional makeup artists have touted various drugstore brands of mascaras and lipsticks, but they tend to be a little more selective, even pretentious, when it comes to skincare products. But even pros are sold on this product.

It goes on ever so smoothly and although it’s extremely light, the coverage is exceptional. Dark circles under the eyes are completely gone with one swipe. And your skin does not look like it’s layered in product. Just dot under the eyes with the wide, anti-microbial sponge tip, and blend with your fingers or your favorite concealer brush and you go from looking like you partied like a rock star last night to bright-eyed and ready for the office!

It can be layered over foundation and does not settle into lines, you’ll even have a little bit of a shine after applying instead of pasty and obvious looking texture. Off label, it can even be used as a foundation if you have the right skin tone. Because of the shine, it’s not even necessary to set with powder, it blends and dries with a soft, perfectly textured finish.

Key Features
  • Available in 18 shades
  • Anti-microbial sponge applicator
Specifications
  • Coverage: Medium to full
  • Waterproof: No
  • Consistency: Liquid
Pros
  • Easy to apply
  • Sheer finish
  • Blends easily
Cons
  • Better for under eye than blemishes
  • Tricky to match colors
  • Reusable sponge applicator not easily cleaned

We love that the Revlon PhotoReady Concealer comes in a super convenient scroll up lipstick tube for easy application and portability. It goes on ever so smoothly and blends nicely with a brush, sponge, or your fingertips. The coverage it provides for under eye circles is excellent, but it can settle into creases for some users. It truly does prime your face to be ready for photos under lights or casual selfies. Those dark under eye nuisance spots are blended away easily and the camera doesn’t pick up that you’ve cleverly disguised them.

There are so many under eye concealers out there, good, bad, and ugly, that many buyers feel like they have to spend a lot of money to get the results they want. Fortunately that isn’t necessarily the case, proven by this drugstore brand which can go blow for blow with products double or even triple the price. There is reason to be leery of using a stick type concealer, many can be drying, don’t blend especially well, and can go on cakey, leaving a lot of build-up. Not the case with the Revlon PhotoReady Concealer. It goes on smoothly and leaves your skin with a soft matte finish.

Revlon PhotoReady Concealer works well under the eyes, making you look like you had a restful night’s sleep even if you are actually running on fumes after cramming for an exam, partying with friends, or up for midnight feedings. It doubles as a blemish fixer as well and comes in a handful of shades.

Key Features
  • Available in 6 shades
  • Lipstick syle application
Specifications
  • Coverage: Medium
  • Waterproof: No
  • Consistency: Creamy
Pros
  • Light and silky, blends well
  • Breathable
Cons
  • Does not provide full coverage
  • Limited available shades

Before choosing a concealer, think about what exactly you’re trying to conceal. Dark under eye circles probably need something entirely different than a blemish or something with a reddish undertone. Since we are talking about under eye concealers, look at the hue of the imperfections under your eyes that you are trying to mask. Bluish pigmentation sometimes requires a concealer with a yellowish base to neutralize those blue or purple undertones. Peach is best for brown or yellow circles, and closely matching the surrounding skin is the best way to cover up anything reddish. You may need a lighter and a darker shade to expertly blend until you look flawless, and you may need to change up the shades depending on the time of year.

Consider your skin type. The skin under the eyes tends to be thin and prone to creasing. If your skin runs on the drier side you’ll want something that hydrates and moisturizes that won’t settle into fine lines and look cakey. Stick and matte concealers work better with oily or combination skin or for covering isolated blemishes. Prepping your skin with primer, foundation, or a base layer can help you achieve the right level of hydration.

Use the proper tools. Many concealers come with a built-in applicator, but that isn’t always the best way to apply the product. Professional brushes or sponges may enhance the efficacy of a particular concealer. It’s best to rely on the experts to guide you on the proper usage depending on the brand and texture of concealer that you choose. Brushes tend to provide more even distribution than your fingers and can dramatically change the results.

Related: The 10 Best Concealers for Dark Circles of 2019

And as with many products, not only beauty products but in all realms of consumer goods, price and brand do not always dictate what is best. We’ve selected a wide range of products, all because of their quality and usability, not based on price or brand. An affordable drugstore concealer may work as well, if not better, than a pricey department store or boutique brand with a famous name attached.

And vice versa, sometimes it’s better to splurge on something that you know will provide high-quality results instead of wasting a few dollars on a less expensive brand that doesn’t deliver. Hopefully, we’ve taken a lot of the guesswork out of it, and you can focus on what works best for your skin type and desired outcome.

Resources— Allure, Business Insider

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