Product Review: Under Eye Concealer

Under eye circles can occur for a host of reasons from sleepless nights and dehydration to allergies and genetics and the simple fact that we're all getting older.  We'll all have them at some point in our lives, so it's best to have a few products on hand should you need them.  With the last few years of struggling with insomnia while simultaneously adding a few birthdays, I find myself with under eye circles more often than not these days and I've tried a number of different concealers to help cover them.  What I've learned from all this experimentation is that I can't use the same products in my mid 30s and beyond that I used in my 20s.  So for this post I'll present all the things I've tried and the pros and cons of each for women in their mid 30s and up.

Garnier Skin Active Clearly Brighter  Anti Dark Circle Eye Roller-$10

If you're looking for something lightweight, this one is definitely the best.  It doesn't settle into fine lines.  What it's not the best at is sticking around.  It seems like this stuff is absorbed or faded within an hour or so and the dark circles are back.  Even though it's reasonably priced, this product was the least effective and my least favorite.

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circles Treatment Concealer, Light-$7

This under eye concealer has a spongy applicator with a top that twists to refill the sponge.  It's a mid-weight cream.  Not so light that it's barely visible and not so heavy that it cakes or settles into fine lines.  The least expensive of the bunch, it's probably my favorite and the one I use most often.  I use it in the mornings on top of my foundation and in the evenings if I need a touch up, I use this same brand in the brightener.  When applying, I lightly dab two or three dots under each eye and then gently tap the area with my ring finger to blend.

MAC Prep+Prime Highlighter Light Boost $30

This concealer carries the heftiest price tag out of all the brands I tried and sadly I didn't think it was worth the money.  I like the soft brush applicator, and it is very light and smooth so it didn't cake, but it's so light that it's easy to over blend and have it disappear completely.  This one I ranked as second best.

NYX Cosmetics Concealer Jar, Yellow-$9

This one was my least favorite of the four.  It's clearly made for younger skin because it's so thick and waxy it settled into the lines under my eyes and created bag where there were none before.