Brown under-eye circles: Which concealer should you choose?

Dark circles under the eyes are among the most common cosmetic concerns and can give a sad and tired appearance to the gaze. There are several types of dark circles, among which are brown circles, also called pigmented circles. As their name suggests, these have a brown color that darkens the peri-orbital area.

Brown under-eye circles are the result of a high concentration of melanin in the skin around the eyes. This highly sensitive area is easily prone to hyperpigmentation due to its thinness: it is indeed estimated that the skin here is 5 times thinner than on the rest of the face.

Sun rays can thus easily penetrate this area to stimulate the melanogenesis, the process of melanin synthesis, which leads to the accentuation of brown circles. Finally, this type of under-eye circles can also have a genetic origin. It is indeed observed that they affect more people with darker skin, producing more eumelanin, a form of dark melanin.

Etymology : Contrary to what one might think, the word "dark circle" is masculine and comes from the Latin circinus , which means "circle", "compass".

When it comes to color correction, the key is to rely on colorimetry and take into account the color wheel. This tool, used in both artistic and scientific fields, allows us to better understand the relationships between colors. According to Johannes ITTEN, a Swiss painter from the 20th century, "the color wheel is a fundamental element of aesthetic color teaching, as it represents the classification of colors".

Several theories revolve around the color wheel. When it comes to choosing a color corrector, the most important one is that of complementary colors. These are the colors that are directly opposite each other on the color wheel. For example, red is complementary to green, blue is complementary to orange, and yellow is complementary to purple.

When two complementary colors are mixed, their hues cancel each other out.

When it comes to brown dark circles, it's a bit more complex as this color doesn't have a complementary color per se. However, being a very dark color, close to purple, we advise you to rely on a corrector with very light orange to yellow tones. These soft shades will subtly lighten and neutralize pigmented dark circles, while restoring radiance and light to your gaze.