Buying guide: the best undereye concealer

Thought you’d found the best concealer? The truth is – finding your perfect match under eye concealer can feel never ending – one second you’ve found The One, then before you know it, Charlotte Tilbury rolls out a gamechanging new formula (darling) and you’ve parked The One for The Shiny New One. 

But what if I told you that there’s a formulation and fix designed specifically for you, RN? A makeup match made in makeup heaven. The Rachel to your Ross. The G to your T. The sock to your, er, other sock.

Made for exhausted undereyes, for tired, puffy eyes, to colour correct, to brighten dark circles, for light-to-full coverage, to treat hormonal skin, to blur fine lines… There’s a concealer out there that you can 100% commit to. 

Longing to find your No 1? Well 78 formulations later, here are my eight GREATS – aka the best undereye concealers, worthy of your time and money. But first things first…

Often touted as the best undereye concealer for brightening dark circles, Lancôme’s lightweight, sweat-resistant undereye corrector promises 24-hour hydration with full coverage (aka no need for powder) and it suits even my sensitive skin. Available in 20 shades, so… snaps all round.

If anyone knows brightening, it’s YSL and its megawatt wand. Available in 11 shades, and yours for a luminous, lit-from-within finish, it offers (surprisingly) high coverage, minus any creases. But it’s the MUA’s magic ingredient – caffeine – that’ll have you looking more awake, fast.

Bye Bye reached cult status way back in 2010 when it sold out on launch, fast becoming one of the world’s most popular undereye concealers. Available in 26 shades and designed to conceal, blur and colour correct, its thicker consistency provides matt, long-lasting high coverage – ideal for oilier types (and no need for powder). It’s also packed with skin-loving peptides and antioxidants.

The best vegan undereye concealer, Charlotte Tilbury’s wonderwand reduces the appearance of blemishes, dark circles, redness and pigmentation. Available in 20 shades, and yours for medium coverage (with a flash of radiance), Tilbs calls it ‘elastic second skin’ – I call it sorcery, of the best kind. But it’s the easy-use precision applicator sponge that makes this The One for fast, fuss-free, on-the-go application. 

With a creamy texture and nourishing hyaluronic acid, Skin Full delivers featherweight full coverage, helping to disguise dark circles and blemishes with zero creasing. Available in 23 skin-true shades, for natural, grownup glow and a smooth, seamless finish.

The most natural-looking undereye concealers feel weightless, blurring dark circles and diffusing light for a brightening, ‘lifted’ effect, without the ‘full face on’ feels. Available in 22 shades, Flawless promises 12 hours of high-performance wear (think: wedding day, board meeting or, in my case, 5am starts) for lightweight coverage that, sure, won’t cover scars but, thanks to the silk powder and silica, will erase exhaustion, fast. 

Too Faced’s multi-use concealer doubles as full-face coverage that blurs blemishes too. The foam covered applicator tip (doe-foot shaped should techical terminology be your thing) is precise enough for the inner corners of the eye, while the creamy texture is non-comedogenic (won’t clog pores), blending beautifully on cheeks. Available in 35 shades and loved by MUAs, it promises zero flashback, making it the perfect plus-one for any wedding/holiday/big day photos too. 

A one-of-a-kind, undeniably fancy, feels-like-cashmere concealer. The kind of ‘wake up makeup’ that’ll see you forgoing the rest of your kit, this five-star rated, award-winning, pro favourite coverup is… wait for it… longwearing, crease-resistant, waterproof, pore-diffusing, light-reflecting, highly pigmented yet weightless – and promises maximum results, with minimal product. Available in 22 shades, it conceals and brightens, for a soft-focus, celebrity finish. It’s delish.