For those of you keeping track, here’s a list of things that Gen Z has decided that they don’t like about older generations: skinny jeans, side parts, ankle socks, liquid eyeliner, top sheets, and making large purchases on computers. Now, we can add undereye concealer to the list, too! According to Gen Z TikTokers, using concealer to hide the dark circles under your eyes is so over. This opinion is part of the post-Covid “clean girl aesthetic” trend that favors wearing less makeup and embracing your “real” skin and its texture. They feel that concealer actually reveals fine lines and looks unnatural. For those who still want to cover up their dark circles, some influencers have started using bronzer instead of concealer.
Concealer is, apparently, on the outs, according to the young TikTokkers who have sworn off the under-eye camouflage, calling it a “game-changer” for their complexion. While some are swapping concealer for bronzer to hide their dark circles, others have ditched the product altogether, arguing that it accentuates fine lines and doesn’t look as natural.
“I’m never using concealer again,” vowed one creator.
Even makeup artists agree that heavy-handed under-eye concealer is suffering the same fate as liquid eyeliner or skinny jeans — also canceled by Gen Z.
“I have ditched super bright undereye concealer on myself and on my clients,” Los Angeles-based makeup artist Delina Medhin told Allure, adding that “less makeup looks better in person. The times are changing.”
After the pandemic and the subsequent emergence of the “clean girl aesthetic” — marked by minimal makeup, sleek style and slicked-back hair ‘dos — the rejection of dense, caked-on products seems like a natural progression.
Anita Bhagwandas, a beauty writer and author, thinks “people are fed up” with the over-filled, overdone, overly-perfect appearance touted on social media, prompting “a movement towards embracing ‘real’ skin and ‘real’ skin texture,” she told Refinery29.
And, NYC makeup artist Karol Rodriguez told Allure that people are now “questioning the true need of every product.”
“Everyone’s trying to achieve maximum impact with minimal effort,” they said. “In the same way, I don’t know anyone who wears wired bras anymore, a super bright under-eye feels a bit overdressed.”
But, because not all complexions are equal, not everyone is so quick to trash their holy grail products. For those with darker skin tones and noticeably dark under-eyes, concealer is a must, one woman, whose name had been changed to Aliyah, told Refinery29.
“This trend is a no from me. I need concealer as the bare minimum,” the 27-year-old told the outlet. “My dark circles are literally purple, and I know if I go to work without concealer everyone will be like, ‘Honey, are you okay?’”
While experts hope the san-concealer trend will inspire widespread acceptance of the nuances in skin tones and complexion, Medhin has a piece of advice for those who are still clutching to their under-eye products but want to look au natural.
“If you insist on less concealer, just put it in the inner corner in the darkest hollow of the eye and the outer corner to brighten up and lift the eye,” Medhin told Allure. “The trick here is: make sure the concealer matches your skin tone so it looks like nothing.”
At the end of the day, my feelings on beauty matters is “to each their own.” If you want to wear makeup and it makes you feel good about yourself or more comfortable in your own skin, then go for it. If you think au naturale is the way, then rock that natural skin texture. Also, let’s check back in on the women pushing this trend in another 20 years, lol, and see how they’re feeling about showing off those dark circles then. (I’m kidding!)
Much like skinny jeans and ankle socks, I will never give up my concealer. I have puffy dark circles under my eyes thanks to genetics and it is just something that I am self-conscious about. Even when I am well-rested, I always look tired! The bronzer thing is interesting, though. When I first started wearing undereye concealer, I always tried to make it to my skin tone, but at some point, someone corrected me and told me that I needed to go brighter, so I did. Have I been doing it wrong all of these years? Is the key to go darker, not matching or lighter? I did a little more research on this and for those of us with natural dark circles, some women recommend using bronzer as a color corrector and then putting concealer on over it. I thought it looked really good the woman in this video. Now I want to try this!
Photos via YouTube and credit NJBeauty
I agree. I’ve never used concealer for this very reason.
The absolute best thing I have for under my eyes is the Ulta brand under eye brightener. It’s a stick in a metal tube – I have the pink one. I make circles on the product with my ring finger to warm it up and tap it under my eyes gently. It has a lot of moisturizer products in it so it’s more like skincare. I do this After I’ve done my overall skincare.
It’s phenomenal.
If I do anything else – I take a bb cream or a skin tint – add a serum or lotion I like using under my eyes to a dab of it – mix thoroughly and dab that under my eye. Tap don’t rub.
Neither creases nor settles in my fine lines and wrinkles.
I look into that… seriously. If it disappears, I’m in!
The BB Cream thing, that’s me. I have had the deep creases in the inner corner of my eyes since I was a kid, so make-up settles there. I was shown in my teens so add a bit of lotion to your foundation (that’s what I used at the time, BB cream was not a thing then) and dab it. Now it’s BB and it works great! Everything is the right colour and, if it does happen to settle in the heat or whatever, just give it a gentle dab and it looks like new.
PSA!
if you have under eye bags – do NOT sleep on the Peter Thomas Roth instant firming eye serum. It’s a miracle worker.
There are other eye creams that also do similar things. A search of the eye cream and others like it will show you all you need to know.
PSA – I know no one will probably see this. But eye cream with vitamin k has been clinically proven (peer reviewed etc) to diminish dark under eye circles. Look up Shereene idriss on YouTube and watch her dark circles video. She shows how to tell if the circles are vascular or not as well as products in a wide price range to help.
It looks like the first video used concealer on top of bronzer, to make the concealer closer to the skin tone. Most people use concealer that is way too light. Getting a shade closer to your skin tone will work better.
This is the simple answer. Match your skin tone, or go just a tiny bit lighter. This bronzer/ concealer trend is an extra and unnecessary step if you stay with your natural skin tones.
I wear make up about once a month and yep, never used concealer but honestly never needed it. I enjoy make up sometimes but I’m out of the loop of how it’s done these days. I just go natural. While I’m CarolE Middletons vintage I don’t go for that crazy blush and black eye-liner overkill. 80s makeup was tragic then.
This “hack” seems unnecessary. There are lots of concealers for different skin tones. Mixing bronzer with a straight concealer is pretty much doing the same thing. After 45 I need a little help. I am firmly middle age and I’ve inherited dark circles from dad. Yay genetics! You will pry concealer (for medium brown skin) from my cold dead hands.
Same here! I have purple-hued hereditary dark circles under my eyes, and I will never stop using concealer (Xennial with sallow / pale skin, FWIW.)
Oh, my gosh- try Beauty of Jeoson Rice & Alpha Arbutin serum- it’s only $17usd for an ounce, it is amazing. This is a general facial product, but I also layer it on my under eye areas. I use skin care products from CosRx and BoJ, and my 58 yo skin looks 10 years younger- amazingly effective and affordable products. You can buy directly from their websites or go to Olive Young dot com, which is like a South Korean Sephora, I think. You won’t be disappointed.
I’m having trouble finding a concealer for “mature eyes”. I use a brightening stick (Ulta brand) that i adore. Learning about color theory has also been amazing
If I’m using concealer – I add an equal part serum or lotion to it. Rub it together in the back of my hand to warm it and tap it in place with my ring finger. Been a game changer.
If you don’t mind I have a great recommendation: SALT New York Best Case concealer. It has just the right amount of pigment but is hydrating and isn’t heavy. It makes the undereyes look so hydrated. It gives the effect you[‘re talking about without having to mix anything. I have been using it non-stop since I got it in April (I am 44 for reference)
https://saltnewyork.com/
Yup, find the concealer that works for you – both color wise and product wise (I find some concealers are too sticky or heavy).
I’m 42 with dark circles. When I was 20 I didn’t care about concealer either. Now I do, lol.
Nah, concealer for life. Will try the bronzer thing though, thats interesting. I have naturally dark circles too and if I can cover em, I will
Um, no, not for me. I barely use powder any more because it makes my skin look crepey. But for those who want to do that, go for it. I’ll just kick back in my skinny jeans and my dad sneakers and watch.
Color corrector has done a lot more for my dark circles than concealer ever did. I use Sigma Beauty’s dual color corrector (two colors) and it’s creamy enough for my aging skin. It does settle in wrinkles, but a little pat spreads it out again if necessary.
That is a GREAT color corrector. I think the main issue with color correctors is that people use too much. It’s meant to be a thin layer under concealer or on it’s own if the tone works by itself.
NARS concealer worked really well for me. I use the matte for under the eyes (spreads evenly, uses very little, and needs no powder to set even on my slightly oily lids) and the liquid for the face. I’m fair, so I use the vanilla shade as the corrector because it’s slightly darker and more warm toned and the lightest shade for blemishes. Chanel’s is really nice, too. This is one area I’ve found sinking money into helps. The closest I’ve come to on the drug store side is Maybelline’s FITMe line.
All these influenzas look ultra made up and far from natural. Two layers of pigment instead of one, cool cool.
It looks like a modified version of Underpainting. When you apply the bronzer then the foundation. Which I find give a more seamless look.
I think too many people apply too much concealer than it gets cakey. You really only need a dot or two.
I am also upset Sephora discontinued my beloved Sephora gel concealer. The new versions do not cut it for me.
But I love anything makeup related and will try it. And will try not to look like Bandit the Raccoon. The most fun thing about makeup is you can just wash it off and try again.
There’s a lot of people, me included, who still have a side part, wear ankle socks, and will never give up under eye concealer. Gen z have canceled nothing.
Right? I can’t give up the side part, my hair naturally goes that way. Anytime I have forced a centre part, I end up looking like Cousin It.
I only wear tall socks on the motorcycle to prevent my boots from chafing my legs and in my roller skates for the same reason, otherwise, I don’t need to look like a refugee from the 70’s. I lived it once. Thanks but no thanks.
I have very dark circles naturally. Wearing a color corrector and/or skin matching concealer is the most natural looking. Bright eyed concealer isn’t really an everyday look.
As a makeup content creator all I can say is…DON’T DO IT. Just use a darker concealer! Bronzer and concealer have VERY different formulations. Bronzer will not sit under the eye like a concealer would. Also – color correctors are meant to be used sparingly. No one should be applying that much and it shouldn’t be visible under your makeup. Just buy a slightly deeper concealer with the undertone you need.
Color theory is what I think they’re accidentally stumbling upon, IMO. Under eye concealers are supposed to be slightly darker and warm toned because it offsets the blue/purple of dark circles. Your regular concealer should match your skin to cover blemishes. No wonder it’s highlighting their fine lines when they’re slathering on that much, though. I only use a small dab and then use a blending brush to sweep it out and around the eye. Any powder I use is just in the corner because that’s where my lid is slightly oily.
Gen Z is still out there, figuring out new ways to make themselves look worse and older. I find it hilarious.
A part should be worn to complement your face shape. My oblong face does not look good with a middle part and will never look good with a middle part. Ever.
I mean if it works for you, do you but these are the same people who advocated using concealer way too light all over your face and it looks weird, especially on people of color ( of which I’m one). I just use a color correcter, over the darkness, blend and then let it set for a minute or two, then I put concealer in stripes right over the area, and blend. NOT all up under the eye but where the darkness is. I don’t use powder over it because it makes under the eye look dry and crusty, just my opinion.
What I am struck by is the amount of bronzer and concealer these young women with nice skin are using!
Isn’t this basically color-correcting? I use a slightly orangey cream under the eye before using concealer and it works well, depending on the product consistencies and how well they work together.
I have really dark undereye circles – I don’t enjoy people asking me if I am unwell or haven’t slept. I use YSL Touche Eclat concealer daily and you can pry that out of my generic dead cold hands in the far far future.