It’s All in the Eyes- Concealers, Creams + Gels to Love

The early bird might get the worm, but it could also use some concealer.

Eyes are the window to the soul, but it’s also where the first signs of lack of sleep, poor hydration, exhaustion, and aging tend to show.

If you’ve been reading my blog for a while now, you may recall that I had the worst luck with finding an eye cream that would work for me. My skin can be quite picky and my under eye area loves thick, intense and almost greasy eye creams. For a while there, I gave up on eye creams completely because so many of them irritated my both my skin and eyes. I noticed that this was especially common with anti-aging eye creams.

I don’t expect much from my eye cream and eye gel products, simply because I don’t have much to complain about when it comes to my under eyes. No wrinkles or dark circles but I have to say that the skin under my eyes isn’t as smooth and supple as it used to be.

On occasions when I need something soothing or de-puffing, I go in with my hydrogels. When I need to brighten, illuminate or cover, I do it with the help of makeup. Other than hydrating/nourishing properties, I’ve learned not to expect much from an eye cream. Even if the product description says that it will help me with wrinkles, under eye bags, while also illuminating my skin, concealing dark circles and making me look younger…

This little Noni Radiant Eye Oil from Kora Organics is one of my favorite products to use on no-makeup days. It adds a little glow and radiance and has a rose quartz roller ball applicator that gently cools and soothes the skin. The oil is said to help with dullness and dryness, and I think it does an okay job with both. I don’t think it does anything to reduce dark circles, but I also don’t get them very often and when I do, they’re not terribly prominent. The main reason why I like it so much is because of how soothing it feels when used in the morning and the little glow it adds to the skin.

In the past, I only reached for translucent powders to set my concealer and brighten my under eyes. I constantly ran out of my two favorites: Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder for Under Eyes and NARS Light Reflecting Loose Powder. Now that my skin is less oily and more on the combo/dry side, most of the time I use Hourglass Ambient Lighting powder in Diffused Light. I find that it’s not as drying as other powders and still does a good job at setting the concealer. Diffused Light is also a soft, pale yellow powder that looks more natural and delicate- both in person and in photos. It just makes that area look bright and beautiful. I like that the mini size is small enough to fit in both an evening clutch and the little makeup case I keep in my handbag.

For some heavy-duty coverage and brightening, IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye Illumination has been my go-to for years. The coverage you get with this concealer is pretty intense- you can see how well it covers in my review right here published a couple of years ago. It’s a very long-lasting formula, but you do have to know how to use it in order to prevent it from creasing and caking up throughout the day. Because it’s so concentrated and pigmented, it’s best to use a very small amount. I like to apply it with a concealer brush, then blend it with my ring finger, gently dabbing the concealer into the skin. Using my finger warms up the product and helps it blend into the skin better.

My initial impressions of the GlamGlow BrightEyes Illuminating Anti-Fatigue Cream proved to be true. I really like the way it feels on the skin and find it to be a great daytime eye cream. It’s good at hydrating the skin around the eyes and it does plump and illuminates slightly. Love how rich and creamy it feels while not being greasy at the same time. It’s just what I love in an eye cream.

As long as I get enough sleep and stay hydrated, I don’t have to worry about my under eyes looking terrible, so I can’t say I’m too picky though. It’s a nice, hydrating eye cream that slightly brightens the skin, wouldn’t say it’s a miracle-worker. But I’m also not looking for one in an eye cream. I think that Ole Henriksen’s Banana Bright Eye Crème does a better job of illuminating the skin, but BrightEyes is more hydrating.

IT Cosmetics Perfect Lighting Wand in Perfect Neutral, Glossier Stretch Concealer in G11, YSL Touche Éclat in Luminous Ivory, IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye Illumination in Light. I avoided blending these swatches to better show the shades, they all give a much sheerer finish when blended, with the exception of the last one on the right. 

For just a touch of coverage and delicate glow, I like both IT Cosmetics Perfect Lighting Radiant Touch Magic Wand in Radiant Neutral and YSL Touche Éclat Brightening Pen in Luminous Ivory. Since on most days I don’t need a ton of concealing, these are my “everyday” favorites. Both have a very lightweight formula, add just a touch of sheer radiance, and can be used pretty much all over- under eyes, brow bone, cheeks, lip contour, etc. Touche Éclat is a bit more hydrating and has a formula that’s sheerer and more lightweight than the Perfect Lighting Wand. They’re a little similar and not exactly the same, but I love them both.