How to Hide Your Dark Circles

Too much under-eye make up can give a tired, wornout look

With stress and bad lifestyle habits taking a toll on our skin, applying makeup has literally become a ‘facesaving’ exercise for most of us. This holds especially true when it comes to hiding those dark circles under the eyes. Here are some tricks to help you with the perfect ‘cover-up’.

Choose the right productThis is the most important step — a concealer that is too dark will emphasise your dark circle, making it look darker. On the other hand, a shade that is too light will end up looking unnatural and violet-gray. So, go for one that is closest to your natural skin tone. Sonic Sarwate, a senior makeup artist with a leading cosmetic brand, says, “Buy a palette with more than three shades — it will allow you to mix and match till you get the perfect shade for your skin.” Concealers in yellow shades that are a bit lighter than your natural skin tone help hide dark circles that are purpleblue.

Remove the puffiness“Take two cold spoons and hold them over your eyes. It will combat unwanted puffiness,” says Ritu Singh Tanwar, an aesthetician. You can also keep cold tea bags on your eyelids and get the same effect.

Hydrate, moisturiseThis is a must, say experts. Generously apply a good-quality, intensely hydrating eye cream. This will enable the concealer to glide smoothly over the undereye skin.

Prime your skinApply a primer before the foundation — it will help hold the concealer better. Sonic says thefoundation will even out your skin tone. Also, you will end up using less concealer that way.

Tap it onThe cardinal rule is, never pull or stretch the skin near your eyes. Once your eyes are primed, use your ring finger to tap on six to eight tiny dots of concealer underneath. Tap repeatedly, from the inner corner of your eyes to the outer corner. Ritu says,“The layer of concealer should blend and not be thick.” Do not cover the entire area around the eyes. It should be applied in a crescent moon shape just to hide the dark area.

Less is moreThis is the golden rule while applying any make up. Never overdo. Too much under-eye makeup can give a tired, wornout look. If you have crow’s feet, avoid applying too much concealer. It will make the lines more prominent.