If you suffer from dark circles, look this way - my latest discovery blows other concealers out of the water. Things are about to get a little gushy…
I own almost as many under eye concealers as I do lipsticks, forever in search of the perfect formula. Let’s start with what I’m looking for… a product that conceals and brightens without looking cakey and lasts throughout the day without settling in or magnifying fine lines.
Enter Bobbi Brown’s new Intensive Skin Serum Concealer and Corrector. As the names suggest, these are skincare and makeup hybrids designed to brighten and firm, instantly and over time, thanks to a cocktail of myrrh tree and mushroom extracts with ultrafine makeup pigments. I’m only skimming the surface here, but these contain a host of impressive ingredients also found in Bobbi’s Intensive Skin Serum Foundation, to re-energise skin and boost moisture levels.
The corrector and concealer are designed to be layered and while this isn’t essential, it does give the best results if you’re prone to dark circles. Younger skins with slight shadows don’t need both - the concealer alone should suffice (unless you’ve been out partying!). Intensive Skin Serum Corrector cancels out the very darkest shadows… less is more with this and really the tiniest amount is all I need. My eyes nearly fell out of my head when I saw how effective this was. Think an extra 4 hours of sleep in one swipe.
Intensive Skin Serum Concealer should then be applied on top - and no, it doesn’t cake. I’m a little more liberal with this one, dotting it along my under eye, from the inner to outer corner. I find it works best if I press it into my skin gently, then blend out with the smaller end of the Full Coverage Face and Touch Up Brush (more on that in a minute).
While these products can be used over foundation, I’ve been applying them first, on their own - a tip I picked up in my Pretty Powerful Makeup Lesson last year. Less layers = less chance of caking and in my experience, longer lasting power. I use less foundation as a result, blending the edges together where the two products meet at my cheekbones.
Essentially, the corrector removes the excess darkness and the concealer adds light - and in my case, life.
Porcelain looks a fraction warm in this swatch - the 2nd pic above gives a more accurate depiction. There are an impressive 16 Corrector and 15 Concealer shades to choose from; mine are among the lightest and they go right through the spectrum.
These colours are a perfect match for me - for ref I’m Vanilla in NARS Creamy Concealer, Ivory in Clarins Instant Light (a bit too dark/yellow on me), Fair Golden in Amazing Concealer and 01 Light in Estee Lauder Double Wear Concealer.
I’m prone to dryness but have been told they work on all skin types, which I can imagine, as they’re neither too matte nor dewy.
While both apply very well with fingers, they’ve been launched alongside a limited edition Full Coverage Face and Touch Up Brush. You don’t *need* this, but it’s described as delivering an ultra-polished ‘HD’ finish and I have to admit, it really is the best face brush I’ve tried. The smaller section fits into the corners of the eyes (and around the nose) for blending concealer, while the larger end gives liquid foundation a perfected skin-like finish.
Final thoughts: Used over an eye cream, these products do not settle in lines and don’t crease on my eyes throughout the day. They don’t look or feel drying and I find them more comfortable to use than the original cream formulas. I honestly can’t fault them. Although more pricey than your average concealer, they do have added skincare benefits and I can see them lasting me up to a year.
Bobbi Brown Intensive Skin Serum Concealer & Corrector are available now here and you can find the Limited Edition Full Coverage Face & Touch Up brush here.