We Tested 22 Concealers to Find the Formulas That Actually Cover Dark Circles — Shop Our Winners from Under $10

Our tester received compliments on how glowy and radiant her skin looked while trying out Anastasia Beverly Hills’s brightening concealer. Sold in 25 shades with a range of undertones, its thick and blendable formula is infused with sunflower seed oil to keep skin nourished. It provides an impressive amount of coverage, but doesn’t settle into fine lines or wrinkles. 

The concealer is creamy, but not too creamy; it has an almost whipped consistency that stays in place and gives skin a luminous finish. The coverage is buildable, and we appreciate the weightless feel on the skin. Best of all, our tester wanted to continue using it even after the testing period was over.

To avoid color transfer, follow up with a setting spray or powder. And if you’re looking for more precise coverage, you may want to use your own brush or sponge with a smaller applicator tip.

Shades: 25 | Coverage: Medium to Full | Size: 0.4 ounces

According to our tester, the NYX HD Photogenic Concealer “works just as well” as “‘higher end’ products that are five times the price.” (No wonder it has thousands of five-star reviews on Amazon!) This concealer is easy to blend out, it stays on very well, and it doesn’t crease after using a setting powder. Most notably, the lightweight formula has the perfect amount of pigment: “Once blended out, my dark circles were almost completely gone.” 

However, the brush did not hold enough product for our tester to apply using her typical method of swatching on the back of her hand before dipping a sponge in to then apply onto her face, but it was easy to blend out once applied directly underneath the eyes. She also noted that the consistency of the concealer could be a bit more smooth, “but that could be at the fault of the small applicator.”

Shades: 22 | Coverage: Medium to full | Size: 0.1 ounces

The Colourpop Pretty Fresh Concealer is probably way less than your current favorite. It has a blurring effect on the skin, but it won’t fully cancel out the appearance of blemishes or pigmentation, so you’ll still see a bit of your natural radiance shine through. The creamy formula blends into the skin easily, but you’ll want to blend it quickly — it dries down faster than most concealers we tried — and be careful about how much ends up on the applicator. 

Our tester reported that the lightweight concealer felt hydrating on her skin, smoothed out the look of dark circles, and left behind a matte finish. It won’t cover the most intense pigmentation, so we recommend layering a color corrector underneath if you have more pronounced dark circles. 

Shades: 30 | Coverage: Light to medium | Size: 0.3 ounces

Looking for stronger dark-circle coverage? Don’t just apply more product to achieve your goal. The Exa High Fidelity Balancing Color Corrector in Pink is a fantastic option for lighter skin tones, and the Exa High Fidelity Balancing Color Corrector in Red-Orange is best for darker skin tones. Since dark circles are bluish in tint, a color-correcting in these opposing hues can help cancel out the shadow better than just concealer alone.

With the pink option, our tester was surprised that despite its thick consistency, it blended out easily for a weightless feel. “It brightened my eyes perfectly while covering almost all of my under-eye bags,” they reported, and added that it really stayed in place once on: “There’s very little creasing.”

The only downside of this color-correcting concealer for dark circles is that it’s so popular, it often sells out. If you see it in stock in your shade, don’t think — just add to cart.

Shades: 6 | Coverage: Full | Size: 0.25 ounces

An affordable cure to dark-circle woes, this popular Maybelline concealer provides light, sheer coverage. The texture is great for mature skin because it won’t settle into lines and pores, and the creamy formula provides a great dose of hydration. To guarantee long-wear coverage, though, you’ll want to set it with a spray or powder.

The biggest complaint our testers had about this concealer was that the sponge applicator is a bit messy; it was difficult to be precise about how much product they wanted to use. (We recommend using a different tool to blend with more ease and control.)

Additionally, this concealer has a limited shade range of just 18 shades. It could definitely be improved with more shades catered to deeper skin tones.

Shades: 18 | Coverage: Light | Size: 0.2 ounces

Treat your skin while you hide dark circles with this lightweight skincare-meets-concealer. Fortified with vitamin C and red algae extract, this product helps brighten the under-eye area both beneath the surface and cosmetically as it sits on the skin. Apply using the slim doe-foot applicator for lightweight, radiant coverage that’s buildable without appearing cakey. It’s also waterproof for up to eight hours of wear, making it a perfect pick for warmer, sweaty months.

Our tester said that this product “does what the name claims — brightens!” And because it’s light and hydrating, they noted that it would be a great pick for someone with dry or mature skin. However, they did note that some creasing occurs as you layer on and recommends using less product to maintain the smooth application. And keep in mind that there’s just a dozen shades to choose from.

Shades: 12 | Coverage: Light to medium | Size: 0.17 ounces

We couldn’t not test out this buzzy Saie concealer for ourselves — after all, it’s “liked” by over 40,000 Sephora shoppers. We found that the popular concealer has a Goldilocks consistency: “It’s really soft; it doesn’t come out of the bottle too thick or too light, it’s easily buildable, and it doesn’t run at all,” our tester raved.

But while it feels lightweight and looks natural once blended in, it’s not a one-stop-shop for eliminating dark circles, particularly if you can’t find your shade match in its limited range. “It covers up my dark circles decently, but not fully,” they admitted. “Still, I’d recommend it because it’s a ‘clean,’ buildable formula that offers seamless coverage. I can’t feel it at all, and I think it’s good for everyday wear and special occasions.”

Shades: 9 | Coverage: Light | Size: 0.2 ounces

The Ilia True Skin Serum Concealer stands out for its lightweight consistency and wear, as well as its skincare-first formula. The weightless concealer is infused with brightening and skin tone-evening vitamin C and smoothing albizia julibrissin bark extract. Together, they elevate the medium-coverage concealer to a serum-like under-eye treatment.

“It looks natural (with no caking or smudging), feels smooth on the skin, and… still feels breathable,” our tester noted. “I wouldn’t know I had this concealer on my face if I didn’t already see myself put it on. Right now, my face feels clean and refreshed with the concealer on. I also don’t have a shiny or dewy appearance, which is a plus.” Just keep in mind that you’ll pay for this high quality.

Shades: 20 | Coverage: Medium | Size: 0.16 ounces

This Rare Beauty concealer, which has over 190,000 “likes” at Sephora, touts a liquid formula that provides medium, radiant coverage. “The product is nice and thin, so the coverage is buildable,” our tester said. “It blends out really smooth and even, and doesn’t seem to crease or settle into my face.”

She found one layer of the formula to be too sheer to fully cover her dark circles, but “with additional applications/layers it can be full-coverage.” And since a little bit of product goes a long way, be careful with how much is on your applicator; our tester wished it was “a little smaller” to avoid using too much at once.

Shades: 48 | Coverage: Medium | Size: 0.25 ounces

We were incredibly impressed that the first concealer from Mario Dedivanovic, Kim Kardashian’s longtime makeup artist, lived up to the hype. Its formula features fermented marine microorganisms — which gave us the tightening effect that Dedivanovic specializes in — and caffeine to reduce the appearance of dark circles and puffiness. 

Our tester dotted this concealer on (a little goes a long way) and effortlessly blended it in, watching as it canceled out blue and purple undertones and created the illusion of a more lifted eye. After wearing it all day long, from the office to the gym, she still had bright under-eyes and the look of lifted skin when she got home.

This concealer dries down semi-matte, so your skin’s natural luminescence will still be visible, just with a powder-like finish on top. That eliminates your need for setting powder, though Dedivanovic himself told us at a press event that he still likes to add a bit. 

Shades: 22 | Coverage: Medium | Size: 0.2 ounces

Finding your shade match is even more important when you’re trying to cover up dark circles — the wrong shade can actually make pigmentation look worse. Thankfully, the Fenty concealer nailed our testers’ exact skin tones thanks to its 50-shade range and virtual try-on feature.

The concealer provided medium yet buildable coverage and easily concealed age spots, but it did crease a little bit after seven hours of wear. The texture of the concealer is creamy and has a natural finish that sits somewhere between dewy and matte. 

With hydrating ingredients like prickly pear cactus extract, sodium hyaluronate, and persian silk tree extract, it brightens skin without making it look too shiny, but if you have a combination or oily skin type, you may need to set this with a powder.   

Shades: 50 | Coverage: Medium | Size: 0.3 ounces

While the original Shape Tape is often touted as one of the best concealers, the Ultra Creamy version offers even more hydration, making it perfect for mature or dry skin. Hyaluronic acid helps hydrate and plump the undereye, while avocado butter brightens dark circles. Plus, with 37 shades available, there’s a shade for almost everyone. 

Shades: 37 | Coverage: Full | Size: 0.33 ounces

This Nars concealer has a wide following, and it lives up to the hype. The formula is super buildable, so it works well whether you need just a little coverage or a lot. When used under the eye, it completely covers any darkness. It applies smoothly, but tends to get a bit dry over time, so if you need a concealer to last over really long days, you might be better off with a different product.

Shades: 30 | Coverage: Medium | Size: 0.22 ounces