I think the most important part of my makeup routine is covering up my dark circles. You know how people can skip concealer some days? Yeah, well I can’t. Unless I want to look like a zombie. It’s always sucked having dark circles, but it’s really fun covering them up, so I guess it balances out. I’ve spent years trying to perfect my concealer routine so my dark circles are completely covered, don’t look ashy, and don’t create a raccoon illusion in pictures. After numerous experiments, wasting my money on random concealers, and large amounts of frustration, I present to you: my concealer routine.

1. CORRECT. CORRECT. CORRECT.

You need to correct your dark circles before your put on your concealer because if you don’t and just go straight to concealing, your under eye will look extremely ashy and gray. If you have purplish/blue dark circles, the opposite colors on the color wheel are orange/peach. So, you need to apply an orange/peach corrector to neutralize your dark circles so you can proceed to actual concealing. My favorite corrector is the Laura Mercier High Coverage Concealer in shade 5. It’s a peach corrector, and you only need a teeny tiny bit to completely neutralize your dark circles. It’s expensive, but it will seriously last you for months.

2. Conceal

After neutralizing your dark circle, you can finally move onto concealing. I choose a color closer to my skin tone so I can cover the orange/peach tone. My favorite concealer to use is the Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser concealer in shade Medium. I put on one layer, blend it with my beauty blender, and then I’m set to highlight.

3. Highlight

Highlighting is adding a lighter concealer to your under eye so it brightens the area, illuminates your face, and creates a glowing complexion. To highlight, I use the Maybelline Fit Me concealer in shade Medium. It adds the perfect highlight to my face, and it’s not too light. Remember, don’t go so light because you’ll end up looking like a raccoon. Be light, but not too light.

4. Set

Setting is the final and most important step. In order to lock in your concealer for the rest of the day, you need to set with a setting powder. The powder I use to set is the NYX HD finishing powder in shade Banana, which is a yellow-toned powder. Banana powder is a good powder because it neutralizes your dark circle and adds a nice finishing highlight. I pack it underneath my eye and let it bake on my face for a minute. After it sets, I sweep it off with a fluffy powder brush. And you’re done!