As the saying goes, the eyes are the windows to the soul, but if the area under the eyes appear very dark, sometimes those windows can make us feel a little self-conscious or make us appear exhausted even if we don’t feel it.

Dark circles can appear for a number of reasons. Some of us are genetically predisposed to them, but they can also be a symptom of congestion, allergies, nutritional deficiencies, dehydration, depleted energy levels, and much more.

There is no rule that says you must cover up dark circles but if you do choose to conceal them there are some easy steps you can take to ensure the result looks natural and radiant. Here’s what you need to know.

1. Get your skin prep right

The biggest mistake people make when attempting to brighten under the eyes is skipping skincare. The skin under the eyes is thinner than the rest of your face, this means it is more prone to dryness. Applying concealer directly to dry skin can make the result patchy as even the most hydrating makeup formulas can sometimes cling to dry skin. So, top up moisture levels before you do anything else.

After cleansing and applying your chosen serums, pat a small amount of SKINLONGEVITY Long Life Herb Eye Treatment around your eye orbital region with your ring finger. It has been clinically proven to strengthen the skin’s barrier while its mineral-rich formula with California Poppy and Niacinamide provides valuable antioxidant protection and softens the appearance of lines while improving the appearance of dark circles. Focus your application on areas with existing lines, such as crow’s feet. A great trick is to smile into the mirror to emphasize your lines, and then pat eye cream directly onto the creased skin. Follow with moisturizer and SPF as you normally would.

2. Apply concealer strategically

If you’ve ever wondered where to apply concealer, this is what you need to know.

It’s tempting to apply concealer to the entire under eye area to make everything as bright as possible, but the end result can appear unnatural. Dot your chosen concealer into the very inner corners towards the bridge of your nose, where dark tones can be more intense, and then dot a small amount at the outer corners of your eyes before blending everything out. Avoid taking your concealer too close to your lash line and instead blend it out just below.

Complexion Rescue Brightening Under Eye Concealer SPF25 is a great option because not only does it lift and correct dark tones, but the clever formula helps to depuff and protect delicate skin. In testing, it has been shown to increase hydration after just one week of use and improve the appearance of puffiness after two weeks*.

For medium buildable coverage there is ORIGINAL Liquid Mineral Concealer. This creamy formula has a clever doe foot applicator for precision application and delivers crease-resistant, all-day wear with a luminous finish.

3. Hone your application skills

As for how to apply concealer or how to use concealer, you can achieve great, natural-looking results with a brush like Maximum Coverage Concealer Brush, or with fingertips. Using a brush will create a fuller coverage finish that’s ideal for very dark circles, while fingertips will provide a more sheer result.

If you have very dark, purple toned circles, you could try color correcting before concealing. Select a concealer with a pink undertone (even if your natural coloring has a different undertone) and use the shade to counteract the tones within your dark circles, before going over the top with a shade closer to your natural coloring.

However you choose to apply your under eye concealer, a great makeup artist trick for excellent dark circle coverage is to lightly pat over the entire area with a fingertip to help the color melt into skin and ensure it sits well with existing lines and texture. Do this before setting with powder for a truly seamless result.