I have very dark under-eye circles, so I have to pay particular attention to that area or else I will look like a tired raccoon by the end of the day. So this is what I have to do in order to look somewhat fresh: I start with an anti-wrinkle serum or cream on the eye area, depending on how dry my face is feeling - I prefer Estee Lauder Perfectionist CP+1, Lancome Genifique, VMV Re-everything eye serum or Clinique - All about eyes.. I then follow with an all over face cream and, despite instructions to the contrary, I extend the cream a bit under the eye area, especially into the crow's feet - right now I'm using Lancome Absolue, Hope in a Jar by philosophy, Estee Lauder Resilience Lift, Olay Pro-X deep Wrinkle Treatment; sometimes I use Clinique Moisture Surge on my lips and lower face area that gets really dry.
Most days I'll skip the primer but when I'm getting really into my makeup I'll use it every time; I'm not an expert in primers, but to be honest I've used a broad spectrum of them in different price ranges - I liked the ELF primer just as much as the Smashbox Photo Finish and the Mally Perfect Prep Primer Glow. Of course the primer goes on top of the lids as well. I'll do my hair while the primer dries or while the creams get into my skin.
The secret to my make-up turning up really really nice is using a brightening, highlighting, shimmery product BOTH UNDER and OVER foundation. Due to the light reflecting formulas in these types of products they work a LOT better than concealers, no matter how much you cake them on - and they look and feel a lot lighter, especially with those wrinkles. Extremely dark circles aren't that easy to cover, so i discovered that a combination of brightener under the foundation and a light make-up around the whole eye area creates better results than a traditional concealer. The best coverage I've found in a concealer is from Physician's Formula Conceal RX - just make sure to use a lighter shade and apply very sparingly in the dark hollows under the eyes. The area around the eye and at the inner corners of the eye should be covered with BB cream or foundation, then a very light eye shadow shade, don't be afraid to go even a bit lighter.
Let's start with the products themselves: Dr. Brandt dark circles away collagen eye serum - I use it under foundation, but maybe just because I want that collagen closer to my skin and I don't shy away from applying around the whole eye area to remove shadows from the sides of the nose and on the lids, especially in the inner corner of the eye; and it works just as well over foundation.
ELF Shimmering Facial Whip - actually the only product I like to use as a highlighter on the tops of my cheekbones, I don't know why. Maybe it's the liquid formula - this stuff also covers dark circles, but only under foundation. It comes in several shades, many delicious pinks that can be used for many purposes.
Physician's Formula Talc-Free Illuminating Veil - the brush it comes with is too rough for my skin, so I just use my own powder brush - both all over my face and as a highlighter on top of my cheeks, around my eyes and on my cupid's bow.
Shimmery BB creams are the answer to something I had been doing for a while - combining a highlighter formula into my foundation in order to get lighter coverage with a subtle dewy glow. I just tried on the new L'Oreal Magic Skin Beautifier BB Cream and it seems to be going in the right direction with the luminizing effect. I'm sure there are more products out there that do the same thing and received better customer reviews than the L'Oreal. Personally I liked it a lot.
So here it is, my advice on creating a fresh, rested look even with extreme dark under eye circles. Hope this is helpful :)
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