One of the beautiful things about concealer is its versatility. Find a good formula, and you can use it for everything under the sun—highlighting, contouring, diffusing the look of that pimple you woke up to, and, perhaps our favorite perk, camouflaging dark circles.
Now, it’s important to be aware that there are tons of culprits where dark circles are concerned, and rather annoyingly, not all of them are under our control. (For instance, allergies, bone structure, age, underlying skin conditions like hyperpigmentation, and genetics can all cause or worsen dark circles.) You can read our A-list esthetician’s guide to treating dark circles here, but for a quick fix, finding a concealer specifically geared toward dark circles is your best bet. And yes, some concealers are significantly more competent in the coverage, crease-proof, and all-day longevity departments than others.
Since there are about one million concealers on the market all geared toward dark circles, we did the muscle work for you by whittling down the masses to our top 21 picks. Below, you’ll find our most-trusted formulas and important information like shade range, ingredients, finish, and the like. Keep scrolling!
Shades: 24. When it comes to covering up dark circles on a budget, we always turn to this top-rated favorite concealer from Nyx. Not only does it come in under $10, but it’s also an almost identical dupe to another, more expensive, concealer on our list. The water- and crease-proof 24-hour wear is pretty impressive as well.
Shades: 12. From my 73-year-old mom to A-list makeup artists, everyone swears by this cult-loved magical little concealer from Maybelline. In addition to swiping away dark circles, fine lines, and puffiness, it’s enriched with strategic circulation-boosting ingredients like goji berry and Haloxyl so you look bright-eyed and bushy-tailed no matter how many hours of sleep you did or didn’t log last night.
Shades: 6 This is one of the best concealers for anyone with dark circles who also experiences lots of dryness. The unique formula helps tighten, brighten, and hydrate your under eyes so you’re getting the maximum benefit—almost like a treatment! Circulation-boosting caffeine is the hero ingredient, and the fact that all six shades coordinate with The Lip Bar shade families makes selecting your perfect color online fail-safe.
Shades: 20. Finding a concealer that can thoroughly cover dark circles in a flash and feel and look practically invisible on top of the skin is no easy feat. Yet this pick from Uoma Beauty achieves just that. Weightless, satiny, brightening, and hydrating, this concealer offers full, skin-like coverage that will last for hours and hours, no touch-ups necessary.
Shades: 36. This concealer is one of the more expensive on our list, but we promise it’s well worth the investment (especially if dark circles are the bane of your existence). The name says it all. This full-coverage, “radiant matte” concealer immediately obliterates dark circles and rehydrates dry, crepey under eyes with sublime perfection. It’s not tacky, and thanks to the brand’s signature Vita-Serum Complex, you’ll get all-day moisture and built-in line- and wrinkle-fighting perks to boot.
Shades: 34. When it comes to performance, coverage, and never-ending durability, MAC reigns absolutely supreme. Now, the brand makes a number of stellar concealer formulas, but this is our number one pick for concealing our deepest, darkest circles. If put to the test, it will last a full 24 hours (yes, I’ve tested it), and the oil-free “natural matte” finish never settles into lines or looks obvious and cakey. Basically, it’s our dream concealer.
Shades: 16 in the natural finish, five in the matte finish. Not to get corny on you, but this self-proclaimed magic concealer from glow goddess Charlotte Tilbury is truly a real-life magic wand where dark circles, redness, and breakouts are concerned. A few blots of the soft sponge tip over and around the under eyes immediately makes you look wide awake, refreshed, and all-around radiant. If you’re looking for a full-coverage concealer that won’t crease and imparts a radiantly natural finish, you’ve found your best match.
Shades: 22. My fellow beauty editor Courtney Higgs and I have been smitten over the latest concealer launch from Make Up For Ever. Full coverage yet pillowy-soft, it won’t move and will look freshly applied for 24 hours. The circle-covering, transfer- and waterproof formula singlehandedly helps conceal, correct, and contour anywhere you choose to apply. For how heavy-duty the coverage is, we’re repeatedly impressed by how natural the end result is.
Shades: 16. This concealer is another favorite among makeup artists and beauty editors alike. (It’s one of those products I tried and immediately wished I had discovered years ago.) Supremely silky and smoothing, this expert formula blurs the look of dark circles and provides lightweight, highly buildable medium-to-full coverage. But that’s not even the coolest part—this concealer contains three unique technologies to ensure you’re application is 10/10 for a full 24 hours (or however long you wish to wear it). Here’s the 411: ActiveForce Technology prevents sweat, oil, and facial movement (i.e. smiling, laughing, frowning) from messing up your finish; Responsive Sensory Technology adeptly conforms to your skin’s condition, tone, and texture so you get the most natural look possible; and last but not least, Smart-Correcting Powder helps to subtly improve the texture and overall tone of your skin. (So yes, we pretty much want to bathe in the stuff!)
Shades: 20. You know those days when you apply your makeup and just know you won’t have a single second to retouch or even check up on your face until the end of the day? We do, and that’s when we pluck this concealer from Huda Beauty from our arsenal. The name doesn’t exaggerate. This concoction is a true overachiever among the dark circle–covering clan and effortlessly hides shadows and any other signs of stress or fatigue. Plus, since it’s fortified with plenty of skin-loving ingredients like green tea, your under eyes will reap long-lasting beautifying effects as well. (The cooling tip is also appreciated for our most bleary-eyed mornings.)
Shades: 30. If you’ve heard about this cult-classic concealer and are wondering if it’s truly worth the hype, we’re here to confirm that it most certainly is. (FYI: According to the brand, one of these handy tubes is sold every 12 seconds!) You only need a few dabs to instantly blur away dark circles, and the full-coverage, vegan formula effortlessly helps brighten, firm, and lift the under-eye area as well. We attribute the high-results fervor to a unique ingredient roster featuring skin-improving additions like mango seed, shea butter, and licorice.
Shades: 25. Reviewers go absolutely gaga over this waterproof, long-lasting, anti-aging concealer from It Cosmetic. Perhaps it’s because it was developed, in part, by plastic surgeons and teems with amazing ingredients like peptides, antioxidants, collagen, hyaluronic acid, and vitamins aplenty.
Shades: 16. This creamy concealer is one of the newer products to supplement Kosas’s all-star lineup of clean makeup products, and it just might be our favorite (which is really saying something). It’s medium-to-full coverage and is packed with potent ingredients to immediately cover dark circles while imparting a luminous, ultra-brightening effect. The powerful formula featuring arnica, panthenol, caffeine, peptides, and hyaluronic acid is truly impressive, and the thirsty skin around your eyes will definitely thank you.
Shades: 12. If you want a clean concealer for dark circles that’s on the more natural-matte side of finishes, we recommend the above from Kosas. However, if a clean, glowy, and almost dewy result is more your beat, you’ll freak out over this best-selling concealer from Ilia. Almost serum-like in its consistency, this little bottle of magic still yields a notable punch of camouflage thanks to its medium coverage, and we appreciate the extra-credit additions like vitamin C and albizia julibrissin bark extract, which work to brighten, protect, and nourish our under eyes so we look more well rested even when we’re barefaced and concealer-free.
Shades: 16. Yves Saint Laurent’s original Touche Éclat pen rose to such fervent icon status that the brand began creating equally lovable riffs off the OG. You can pick your poison depending on the kind of coverage you want, but for dark circles, specifically, we think this is the best option from the Touche Éclat family. It contains the same beloved under-eye illuminating properties as the original (which effortlessly diffuses the most aggressive of dark circles), yet it boasts a weightless yet fuller coverage, so you can build and bury shadows to your heart’s content. Not to mention, caffeine helps quell swelling and puffiness, hyaluronic acid keeps everything dewy and hydrated, and a dynamic duo of vitamin E and calendula extract boosts your under eyes with a protective dose of antioxidants.
Shades: 30. Is there a more well-known, top-rated concealer in the world? Honestly, we don’t think so. Nars reigns supreme among the makeup artist and editor set, and the super-high ratings show just how much customers love this creamy, high-coverage formula as well. This concealer is truly an all-purpose option for any and all concealer needs, but thanks to one of the key ingredients—a special light-diffusing mineral powder—it easily covers and camouflages the purple, blue, and even green tones lurking around our under eyes.
Shades: 10. This French tube might not be the most well-known of concealers, but it’s one of the all-time best where dark circles are concerned. The waterproof, long-wear formula won’t fade, cake, or crease no matter how long you wear it, and it tackles dark circles as well as other signs of stress, fatigue, or lack of sleep like puff, uneven skin tone, fine lines, wrinkles… the whole shebang.
Shades: 22. I’ve turned so many people onto this concealer from Laura Mercier, and it’s actually one of the concealers both me and my mom obsess over. (And we have a 45-year age difference between us!) I love the fact that it caters to different undertones. It features cutting-edge technology to complement its 12-hour, crease-proof wear time; Skin Fusion Technology, which features emulsified polymers that fuse to your skin for flexible, budge-free wear; and a customized blend of blurring silk and silica powder, which creates a dreamy, smoothing, light-diffusing effect that nixes the look of wrinkles, dark circles, and fine lines in one fell swoop.
Shades: 14. When the people asked Benefit Cosmetics to come out with a lighter liquid version of the brand’s cult-loved Boi-ing Industrial Strength Full-Coverage Cream Concealer ($22), the brand listened, and we were blessed with this best-selling alternative. It still delivers that beloved full-coverage effect of the original, but it feels comparatively lightweight and is specifically formulated to resist caking, cracking, flaking, or settling into fine lines or wrinkles.
Shades: 20. Armani Beauty made waves earlier this year when it debuted the concealer counterpart to its holy-grail Luminous Silk Foundation ($64). While we do love that concealer, we happen to think this older concealer from the brand is actually the better choice for blotting away dark circles. It boasts a durable medium-to-full coverage, and it was specifically created with dark circles and shadows in mind. (That said, it also does amazing things for dark spots and hyperpigmentation.) We blame the magic on this concealer’s unique time-releasing oils, which make for better blending and an unparalleled smoothing effect.
I talk about this concealer a lot because, as someone whose main concealer-begging gripe is dark circles, I’ve found it to be one of the most natural-looking and effective formulas out there. The real-skin matte finish looks amazing and natural no matter how long you’ve been wearing it (this was always my go-to for long nights out on the town), and thanks to how high pigmented it is, a little goes a long way, and it easily erases every kind of conundrum—from purple and blue under-eye circles to pimples and hyperpigmentation. Up next, How to Get Rid of Stubborn Dark Circles Like an A-List Esthetician
