I Swear By This Concealer When I Have the Worst Under-Eye Circles

"One more?" might just be the most-asked question in my household. In my early 20s, that same query might have related to the possibility of another vodka tonic before calling it a night, but as a pregnant 30-year-old, it now relates to one thing: whether I can justify watching another episode of my latest boxset binge despite having sat sedentary on the sofa for the entire night already. Spoiler: The answer is always yes.

Of course, the downside of binge-watching shows is that it's 1 a.m. before you know it and you're frantically calculating how many hours sleep you can squeeze in before your alarm is set to go off for work. Then, if you're anything like me, you'll wake later that morning, look in the mirror and be faced with an immediate sign that you definitely stayed up way too late again—aka very dark under-eye circles.

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(Image credit: @MICARICKETTS)

For me, there's no greater giveaway that I'm feeling totally shattered than the grey shadow that settles under my eyes when I'm feeling tired. Add in a little unwanted puffiness and I've lost count of the number of times that I've headed to work bare-faced only to be asked whether I'm feeling okay by colleagues concerned that I've come down with the lurgy.

With a baby on the way at the end of the year, the days of my boxset binges might soon be behind me, but I've cranked up the search to combat dark circles in anticipation at the many sleepless nights to come. In fact, a skin expert recently told me that there actually are proven ways to get rid of dark circles under your eyes. (Hallelujah.)

But you can't always predict when you're going to stay up late. On mornings when even the best eye cream just isn't going to cut it, there's one product I always rely on to disguise dark circles: concealer. And there's one in particular that's the best under-eye concealer for very dark circles…

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Before
(Image credit: @MICARICKETTS)

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After
(Image credit: @MICARICKETTS)

Drumroll, please: It Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye Illumination Concealer (£24) is my weapon of choice when dealing with major darkness under my eyes in the morning. More pigmented and with a much thicker texture than my usual concealers, it manages to completely cover any greyish-purple shadow beneath my eyes while brightening up my entire eye area. Plus it contains plumping collagen and protective antioxidants to diffuse lines and nourish dryness—another giveaway of tiredness.

Trust me when I say that a little of this goes a long way too. I find that it's best applied with fingertips. The texture of this under-eye concealer is quite thick, so I find that the warmth of my hands really helps to melt it into my skin for a natural, radiant finish. I use a drop about half the size of a pea to completely conceal dark circles under my eyes and often have enough left to camouflage any redness on the rest of my face.

For me, the only downside about this product is the shade range. Currently, there are only six shades available in this concealer (I'm in the shade Lightthe palest option), and although it is really blendable, you might struggle to find your perfect shade match. Worry not, though—I've found some other contenders for the best under-eye concealer for very dark circles and there are plenty of others that do an amazing job too. Keep scrolling to shop my picks, and then go ahead and enjoy that extra episode on Netflix tonight.

Next up, this is how to actually get rid of dark circles for good—according to a skin expert.

Mica Ricketts