Between pink, golden, or neutral undertones and liquid or powder formulations, it can be challenging to identify the concealer that best suits your needs. Yet concealer is an essential cosmetic product that corrects imperfections, brightens, and smooths the eye area. What criteria should you consider when selecting a concealer? Continue reading to discover them.
How to choose the optimal under-eye concealer and its shade?
Summary
Published on June 23, 2022, updated on October 15, 2025, by Sandrine, Scientific Editor — 7 min of reading
Themes:
Which concealer formulation should you choose based on your age and specific needs?
The selection of an under-eye concealer’s texture primarily depends on skin type, the intensity of dark circles, and the desired finish.
Each format has its advantages and drawbacks, particularly in terms of coverage and wear performance. Liquid concealers are the most popular and the most versatile. Their fluid consistency spreads easily and enables natural correction, provided, of course, that they are applied sparingly. They are suitable for all skin types, including the eye contour area marked by fine lines, as they do not set into the skin. However, some liquid concealers exhibit limited durability on oily skin. For greater coverage and extended wear, you may opt for a stick concealer, which is more compact. However, this formulation tends to accentuate skin dehydration and is therefore not necessarily appropriate for mature skin, which is drier.
Powder formulas, less common, are primarily intended for oily skin or for makeup requiring extended wear. Their matte finish helps to absorb excess sebum, but they can accentuate dry or dehydrated areas of the eye contour. That is why powder concealers are more often used to mask facial imperfections than under-eye dark circles. They also have the drawback of providing less coverage and are therefore most often applied after a liquid or stick concealer.
Tip : For mature skin, it is preferable to choose a lightweight concealer to avoid product migration into wrinkles.
| Form | Coverage | Finished | Skin Typology | Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liquid | Adjustable Mean | Natural, luminous | All skin types, especially normal to dry and mature skin | Easy application, lightweight effect | May exhibit reduced durability on oily skin |
| Stick | Strong | Matte to satin finish | Young, normal-to-oily skin | Targeted correction, long-lasting wear | May exacerbate fine lines and dry patches |
| Powder | Light to moderate | Mat | Combination to oily skin | Absorbs sebum, leaving a velvety finish | Can highlight drought areas |
Comparison of different concealer textures.
4 minutes to understand your skin. Our dermatological diagnostic guides you toward the ideal skincare for your specific needs. Simple, quick, personalized.
How to choose your concealer shade to effectively neutralize under-eye dark circles?
Choosing your concealer shade requires taking into account both your overall complexion and your skin’s undertone. Contrary to popular belief, you should not test the shade on your wrist or the back of your hand: the skin in those areas is thicker, often more tanned, and does not accurately reflect the color of your face. For a reliable match, it is preferable to test the product along your jawline, a zone that provides a natural transition between face and neck and more faithfully represents your true tone.
When it comes to color, there are a few subtleties depending on how you use concealer. If you want to apply it exclusively around your eye contour, it is recommended to choose a shade that is slightly lighter than your skin – about half a tone – to brighten the eyes and create a light-enhancing effect under the eye. In contrast, for use as a corrector on the face to mask imperfections or redness, it is better to opt for a shade identical to your skin tone, since the goal here is to conceal without creating contrast. Another point to consider when trying out concealer: allow the product to dry for a few minutes before evaluating its color, as some pigments stabilize or slightly oxidize in the air, altering the shade perceived immediately after application.
Finally, the selection of concealer shade relies on the skin undertone, defined as the foundational hue that determines how colors integrate with the complexion. There are three primary undertone types:
Warm undertone : If the veins appear greenish, the skin leans toward golden or yellowish hues.
Cool undertone : If the veins appear blue, the skin exhibits pinkish hues.
Neutral undertone : If the veins appear both blue and green, the undertone is balanced, neither warm nor cool.
Identifying your undertone allows you to choose a concealer shade that naturally blends with your complexion: a golden beige for warm skin tones, a rosy beige for cool skin tones, and a neutral beige for balanced skin tones.
At Typology, to help you choose the tinted serum and concealer shade that best matches your skin, we have developed a shade guide.
Discover the various formulations of Typology’s tinted concealer.
At Typology, we offer a tinted under-eye concealer hybrid, meaning it sits at the intersection of skincare and makeup. It instantly evens out the eye contour with its high coverage, while also delivering long-term care and progressively reducing dark circles. Indeed, besides providing a healthy glow, it is formulated with three key actives: caffeine, a molecule known for its ability to stimulate microcirculation and thereby alleviate vascular dark circles, the niacinamide, which helps restore the skin’s barrier function, and the cornflower hydrosol, offering a decongesting action around the eye area.
Discover here the complete Typology tinted care line, including products for the complexion, lips, lashes, and brows.
