I’ve pretty much given up trying to do anything about my dark under eye circles.

A while ago, I wrote a post about the different health issues that can cause them and the measures you can take to reduce their appearance.

And although there are times when the skin under my eyes seem to recover some of their brightness, for the most part, my dark under eye circles are here to stay!

So I’ve resorted to covering them up with make-up. Hooray for make-up and the ability to hide your imperfections!

Here are four concealers that you can find in my beauty cabinet…

1) Fake Up By Benefit

Despite the rather superficial sounding name, Fake Up concealer gives the most natural looking coverage of any concealer I’ve ever tried. Not only does it conceal dark blemishes, it also works to hydrate the delicate skin under the eyes. The resulting look is brightened skin and no cakeyness!

The Positives: Natural, luminescent coverage. Hydrated skin. No creases.

The Negatives: Holy smokes, the price! Also, coverage is not long lasting.

How Much: $24 at Sephora for 3.5 g

2) Collections Lasting Perfection Ultimate Wear Concealer

I received the Collections Lasting Perfection Concealer from a Beauty Swap. Unfortunately, the medium color is much too pale for my skin tone. But that hasn’t stopped me from trying it out. And yes, it really is as long-lasting as other bloggers have claimed.

The positives: It’s incredibly long-lasting, you need to use only a small amount to get the coverage that you need, and it’s very price-friendly.

The negatives: It tends to settle in the creases.

How Much: £4.19 on Boots for 4.0 g

3) Yves Rocher Flawless Finish Corrector

Technically this isn’t a concealer. It’s a corrector. But I’ve used this alone, as well as in combination with a different concealer. It just depends on how bad my under eye circles look on any given day. I also use this to cover other dark blemishes before applying foundation.

The positives: Good coverage. Lasts long. Goes on lightly and does not settle in creases.  Multi-purpose. Price-friendly.

The negatives: Goes on dry and the tint is a bit dull.

How Much: €7.5 at Yves Rocher for 5g

4) MAC Pro Longwear Concealer

For the longest time, this was the only concealer I used. And I was quite happy with it. So I’m not sure what it was about this concealer that made me start looking for others. Maybe it was because I found it difficult to apply. Or maybe I felt like it made my skin look dry and take on an orange tint. In any case, there are still a lot of redeeming qualities about this concealer.

The positives: Great coverage! Long lasting. Goes on smooth. Does not settle in the creases. A little goes a long way.

The negatives: The pump is tricky. Usually, you will end up taking out a lot more than what you need. Dries out quickly, so it’s hard to apply. And as I already mentioned, it makes my skin look dry and take on an orange tint after a while.

How Much: $18 at MAC for 9ml

Can you guess which concealer is my favorite? 

Naturally, my favorite is Fake Up By Benefit. Because the resulting look is so natural and luminescent. And to top it off, my skin feels comfortably hydrated.

(No Concealer)

(With Concealer)

But, (with the exception of the Collection Concealer because it’s the wrong color), I still find that the other concealers have their occasional use.

And you, do you use concealers to cover up your dark under-eye circles? If so, which products do you use?

March already! And this is my beauty shopping list for this month. Ok, you’re right.

This is probably more like a wish list…

First up on the list are two skin care products by Mad Hippie. A brand whose name made me jump up and say “Hey, I’m a Mad Hippie!” You’d think that this little infatuation of mine is nothing but branding and marketing. You would think that. But no. It’s not just about the name which stirs something in every secret hippies’ hearts. These skin care products are serious. And they are packed with crazy amazing ingredients.

The next pair on the list is a makeup stipling brush by Makeup Geek and a makeup highlighter by Benefit Cosmetics. If you know me, then you know that I am still feeling my way around when it comes to makeup. I’ve really been eager to play around with highlighting and contouring.  But these two products can be easily replaced if I can find a better alternative for them.

Next up is Secret de Nuit by Phyto. This is a hair serum that you leave on overnight. It’s supposed to moisturize and regenerate your hair fibre in order to leave the hair feeling very soft. I am really looking forward to trying this one.

I think I am just into any product that has the word Magic in it. Egyptian Magic‘s All Purpose Skin Cream is one of those cult beauty products that I’m so curious to try. And just as it says, you can use it to moisturize anything. The skin on your face, your eyes, your lips, your hair, your nails. From what I’ve read, this is actually more like a balm than a cream. And the ingredients list is so basic: Olive Oil, Beeswax, Honey, Propolis, Bee Pollen, Royal Jelly.

Now my questions for you are:
1) Have you tried any of these products?
2) Do you have suggestions for better alternatives?
3) What is your beauty shopping list like for this month?