dark under eye circles

[summer111]

Forgive me if this has been covered before but I can't seem to find any relevant thread.
I have pretty dark shading under my eyes coupled with pale skin...resulting in me looking like death warmed up I have always used under eye concealer - touche eclat up until a few years ago until I changed to a heavier clinigue concealing product. I find that the heavier concealer just emphasises creases under my eyes - something which the touche eclat didn't do but with it, the darkness wasn't concealed very well. I'm torn between lighter concealer that doesn't emphasise wrinkles but shows the circles or heavier concealer that hides the circles but highlights the creases!!!
Anyone tried any good products recently? It's quite costly buying stuff to try out if it doesn't do the job. Is there any other product similar to touche eclat that provides better coverage?
Thanks for any advice you might have!!

[PhantomOfTheChocolateCakeAvena]

No products to suggest but have you had your iron levels checked?

[mrsmaidamess]

I use concealer...Prescriptives camoflage cream, its about £12 I think.It comes it loads of different shades.

And then I top up with Boots No 7 version of Touche Eclat, which at £11 is half the price, and I think just as good or better.

I think it covers slightly better than YSL so if I'm having not such a 'dark day' i can get away with that alone.

Do you wear blusher? I find slapping a bit of that on livens up my pasty face and draws attention away from the shadows.

[summer111]

no, except for when i had my kids (last pregnancy was 8 yrs ago). It was ok then.

[littleboyblue]

You sound like me, I am very pale with dark circles and do think it has something to do with iron levels as mine are low, so def get that checked.
I'd stick with lighter eye make-up to reflect light. I use good old rimmel conceler and foundation

[OracleInaCoracle]

i have this problem. dont wear make up unless i have to, but have to slap o no7 concealer everyday otherwise i look like a fecking zombie

[summer111]

mrsmaidamess, I might try the prescriptives one as I like the idea of getting a good shade match. I usually have to go for the lightest colour they stock. I haven't tried their products yet.
Re the blusher, I use a quick dab of bronzer

[janeite]

I am using the Boots No 7 one too but am not hugely impressed by it. I do find that a pot of blusher on my cheeks and on my temples helps to "lift" my face a bit though and distract about from the dark shadows - although I may well be deluding myself.

[summer111]

I love your description of looking like a 'feckin zombie' lissielou! I save myself a fortune on make-up at halloween put it that way!!!
I used to use rimmel concealer as a teenager but those days are long gone now

[summer111]

I read in the papers that accupuncture can help but its very costly...

[OracleInaCoracle]

i think dark circles tend to be hereditary tbh, v little you can do to eradicate them

[AnotherFineMess]

Do you drink enough water? My sister has trouble with her kidneys and a telltale sign of when it's flaring up is that she gets dark circles - docs have said that it's a build-up of toxins which aren't getting flushed out (feel free to ignore this, I'm not sure of my science!).

I have had dark circles post-kids and have found that trying to drink more water does seem to help quite a lot (coupled with lashings of a dead cheap but really good Collection 2000 brush/liquid concealer).

[summer111]

Do you know I think you're right lissielou. I can remember stading in line at school as a child and another classmate telling me that I had black eyes.. My mum had dark circles and I seem to have inherited it from her. It just bugs me really as it lets me down..Otherwise, I have pretty good skin from keeping out of the sun.

[summer111]

AnotherFinemMess, I'm not the best water drinker, I have to admit. Regarding the toxin thing, I think that accupuncture is supposed to help shift them too. Drinking water woud be alot cheaper so perhaps it's worth a shot? How much would I have to drink do you think?

[OracleInaCoracle]

i have v pale skin with an olivey tone, just like my dad and we both have eyes that look like we are trying to form a cure tribute band. unfortunately i also have red hair which highlights them nicely

[summer111]

I've lovely Irish colouring...says it all really!

[avaTsar]

Ooh coincidenace!

I am trying (on another thread tonight) to find out who has used Benefit Erase Paste and Benefit Powderflage.

It looks very much like it might do the trick, but it's expensive and I want reassurance before I buy some.

You could have a try at a Benefit counter. I did, and it was a good result but yikes at the price of them both.

[Tillyscoutsmum]

I started a thread on this a few weeks ago and got some good suggestions (some of which seem to be working a little bit.... maybe ....?)

Lots of water (aim for 6-8 glasses a day)

Taking milk thistle supplements - supports the liver so I suppose helps "flush out" toxins

Benefit eyecon cream - not a cover up, just an eye cream which is supposed to help dark circles

Benefit - Boing concealer to cover up - Quite heavy though so might not help with the "creases" issue

Not sure whether its the water, milk thistle or eyecon which is working, but they do seem to be a bit better...

[SomeKindofWonderful]

No.7 light reflecting pen. It is FAB for pale skin/heavy dark circles under eyes.

[AnotherFineMess]

Nice one Tillyscouts...

I wouldn't recommend Boing concealer BTW. I think it's the way it's packaged but it's in an open compact like a cream blusher. Mine got covered in fluff and stuff after a couple of weeks (minger emoticon) and it put me off it. But I also found that it was very heavy and creased loads, and I was only about 24 or something stupid...NOW I actually need expensive concealer I can't afford it!

[ClaireDeLoon]

With the concealer you need to have it as light and moisturising as possible - if it is heavy it will just emphasise other things as you have found. I use either touche eclat or prescriptives.

I have exactly the same issues as you summer - fair skin and dark circles - and have had them since a very young age. As a child I had blue coloured eyelids if that doesn't sound strange. The blood vessels were so close to the surface it made it look as if I had make up on and I remember being told at school (11 or 12 ish) to go wash my make up off and I had none on and was most upset.

[summer111]

Ah thanks so much to you all! So my plan is to drink alot of water - that's gonna kill me - and put benefit products on my Christmas wish list for hubbie to purchase

[avaTsar]

Ah Hoochie! It's worth it then I take it?

[SomeKindofWonderful]

Oh, and the No.7 light reflecting pen - you need ivory not the rose tinted one. The rose tinted one made my bags look much much worse. The ivory one is absolutely great. But you do need to wear some foundation with it to blend it to the red of your face colour. I use
No.7 Colour Calming make-up base, followed by
No.7 Light reflecting concealer pen, followed by
Clinique barely make-up (light)
Touch of clinique clear lip gloss/chanel slightly tinted lip gloss

...and then I look as I feel I should. Like I have no make-up on, just lovely looking skin!