Concealer is dead, according to the beauty fans on TikTok. In their book, looking good is no longer about disguising your dark circles – it’s about embracing them.
I have some misgivings about that. I’m all for self-acceptance, but I know that it’s a great deal more complex than choosing to wear makeup or not. (Seriously, “women who wear makeup lack self-esteem” is reductive, pop-psych idiocy with less wisdom than a fridge magnet.) And I’m certainly glad to see the back of the matte, dry, caked-on concealer of five years ago.
I love to see skin, and I especially love to see people feeling comfortable in theirs. But I think it is perfectly fine to want to brighten signs of tiredness (I do it), and this indicates precisely nothing else about us.
Besides, it needn’t be a case of masking what lies beneath. There is a happy medium, with products that subtly lighten and brighten unwanted dark rings, rather than concealers that cover them completely.
My new love is Saie’s (£22) – I wear it in shade number 1.5, should that be helpful, but there is one for every skin. The company calls it “a sheer concealer” – I suspect for the SEO and algorithm – but it is designed specifically for adding instant brightness to dark circles.
It is so un-makeup-like that you could wear it with nothing else and no one would ever know it was there. And it works, providing a flattering, subtle veil of good light for sleep-deprived under-eyes. I just stroke the wand on to the inner/near side of my dark circles, then either tap the area with the pad of my middle finger or buff it with a concealer brush. It’s very easy to use, as are all of Saie’s products, which are more affordable than they could get away with.
Sculpted by Aimee’s (£13) also works a treat. Don’t be alarmed by the colours – a Band-Aid sickly pink and sickly peach, bright orange and coral. They go on sheer and are exactly what’s needed to cancel out grey and purple shadows in various skin tones. You can either take a concealer brush and buff into circles, or dab your fingertip straight into the pot before patting it on to any unwanted darkness.
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The pigment cancels out any shadows, while the very subtle iridescence reflects good light. I love its very moist, slightly tacky-to-touch texture, but if you are oily skinned and prefer a soft matte finish, Fenty’s (£22) does a similar job and comes in a comprehensive array of colours.
