Under eye concealer ALWAYS creases and looks dry

[Leela87]

I run into this problem all the time. No matter what concealer I use, no matter how much is claims to be crease proof, my concealer creases and looks dry. Idk how to fix it!

[488liberty5099]

I had the same problem.  Bought over $300 concealers because my under eye is also very dark and I need full coverage.   Nothing worked.  Finally I found the magic combo.  Shiseido benefiance eye cream ( ultra hydrating). After a few min add a little bit of Sisley eye contour mask ( green tube), then do other makeup/hair.  Once that has soaked in - add another light layer of the Shiseido eye cream then  Charlotte Tilbury beautiful skin concealer ( shades run light - I am shade light in most tinted moisturizers and need shade 7 or 😎 mixed with the Kulfi concealer. This lays down perfectly without aging my under eye.  Because it’s so hydrating I can even dust a light layer of the Huda easy bake powder on top.  I’ve never been able to put powder under my eyes before.  This lasts all day - no creasing, cracking and does not accentuate lines.    Took me 20 years to find anything that even wearable out of the house and this is magic.

[Kim888]

@Leela87 I prefer dabbing a bit of my smoothing primer under my eyes - I feel like it helps fill in some of the lines. For me, a lot of creasing is actually settling so that helps  Tatcha The Silk Canvas Protective Primer 0.7 oz/ 20 g Also, as I picked up from @darlyndar  KORA Organics Noni Glow Radiant Eye Oil .34 oz / 10 mL is awesome for plumping the undereyes and giving a hydrating base for concealer 

[darlyndar]

I totally agree with you on the Tatcha, @Kim888 ! I do that as well and love it because it has a great slip and doesn’t cause your concealer to cake. I only use that primer under my eyes. I wish I would’ve known because I would’ve just purchased the travel size. 

[SportyGirly125]

@Leela87 it all starts with good skin care. Make sure the undereyes are hydrated. I like applying  MILK MAKEUP Cooling Water Solid Gel Under-Eye Stick with Caffeine 1 oz / 30 g under the eyes and places where I tend to be dry before makeup application and after skincare.  I have dry/combo skin and it has helped lessen the creasing. Will your undereyes crease?  Yes because we are constantly making facial expressions. You can lessen this with good skincare, hydration under the eyes and a good setting powder. You only need concealer where you need to conceal so you don’t need to go heavy handed. I noticed that Hourglass Veil™ Translucent Setting Powder - Talc Free Translucent

[WinglessOne]

A few tips from someone who has dry undereye skin, fine lines, and deeper lines (which is where creasing tends to happen): 

“Creaseless” concealer does not exist. I’ve tried various concealers by NARS, Huda, Lancôme, MUFE, Glossier, Tarte, MAC, Shashbox, Too Faced, BareMinerals, Bobbi Brown, Sephora, Urban Decay, Charlotte Tilbury, Jouer, and others I’m forgetting right now. They all fall into lines. ALL of them. Even the ones that claim not to. 

So, don’t rely on a concealer’s “no creasing” claims. Instead, rely on your undereye skincare. 

Moisturize the heck out of your undereyes. Depending on how dry your skin is, that could mean applying one layer of moisturizer, giving it 2-5 minutes to absorb, then applying a second layer of that same moisturizer, and maybe a third or fourth layer if needed. The goals are to seal in hydration and plump your skin up a bit (understanding that the only way to “erase” lines/wrinkles and sunken skin is injectable fillers). The more hydrated and moisturized your undereyes, the less dry they’ll look under any concealer. 

My current AM undereye routine is whichever serum I use on my entire face that morning (usually The Ordinary Buffet, but now I’m testing Youth to the People’s vitamin C “Superfoods” serum), then Biossance Squalane + Peptide Eye Gel as an eye moisturizer, then sunscreen. There are plenty of other good eye creams/gels/oils out there, like Kora Organics Noni Radiant Eye Oil which I still occasionally use at night. Whichever one you use, make sure it’s great at sealing in hydration. 

Try applying moisturizer to damp skin. If your undereyes are quite dry by the time you reach your moisturizer step, tap some water on them. Your moisturizer should seal that hydration into your skin. 

When applying concealer, avoid your lines if possible. (Assuming you have lines under your eyes.) This is tricky depending on where your lines are and why you’re using concealer in the first place. I use concealer to mask darkness. Some mornings, my darkness is primarily in my sunken tear troughs, so that’s exactly where I apply concealer—and I apply only the tiny amount needed for that task. I don’t carry it up toward my deeper set wrinkles. That way, there’s no chance of creasing. Other mornings, I’ve got dark circles completely under my eyes (due to lack of sleep or allergy-driven eye rubbing) and have to decide if I wanna bother covering them or not. 

If your creasing’s caused by concealer sliding around—which is less likely if your skin’s dry—you can try an undereye primer (Smashbox makes one), or even just an eyeshadow primer, to help hold concealer in place. I personally don’t like doing that, but it works for some folks. 

Use less concealer and setting powder. The more concealer you apply, the greater the chance of caking and creasing. And you shouldn’t need much powder to set concealer. I mean, if you like doing the instagram/youtube concealer technique of “brightening” with lots of concealer, that’s cool, I won’t tell you not to. Makeup is a personal choice, after all. I’ll just say a lighter hand with concealer and powder can make a difference. 

You can also try tapping a little face oil over setting powder. This doesn’t work well for me, but it’s a trick others have used successfully. 

I hope some of this helped! 

[miklil]

I have experienced the same thing! It took me a while to realize this, the less concealer I put on the less it creases.

[SportyGirly125]

@WinglessOne such good info for people that don’t know. Thank you for always sharing your knowledge and going into detail. 

[WinglessOne]

Aw, thanks so much @SportyGirly125 ! 🙂 

[heartsmyface]

Less is more when it comes to concealer.  Less product means less travelling into creases.   If you’re trying to conceal dark undereyes it takes less product to color correct than it does to completely cover with your skin toned concealer.  

Peach/red on blue areas 

green on red areas 

pink brightens cool tones 

yellow brightens warm tones 

@Leela87