If you have hyperpigmentation under your eyes and caking on endless layers of concealer just isn’t cutting it, the best color correctors for dark circles are what you need. These pigment-packed formulas work smarter, not harder, by neutralizing discoloration before you even reach for concealer—meaning less product, fewer creases, and a more natural finish.
Dark circles can result from a range of factors—genetics, lack of sleep, thinning skin, or allergies—but the right corrector can temporarily fade them in seconds. And if you’re not totally sure which shade to reach for, here’s a quick crash course: peach and orange tones help cancel out blue and purple shadows, while green correctors tackle redness and sallowness. Some of the picks on this list even have color-correcting powers built right into the concealer, giving you multiple benefits in a few swipes. And if you have dry skin, our favorite formulas are packed with hydrating, nourishing ingredients like hyaluronic acid, squalane, and vitamin C to smooth and brighten on contact.
Our Top Picks
Frequently Asked Questions
Ahead, we rounded up the best color correctors that leave your under eyes looking fresh, luminous, and more awake.
Best Overall: Caliray Hideaway Under Eye Color Corrector Concealer
Why it’s worth it: If concealer, luminizer, and color corrector had a baby, it’d be Caliray Hideaway Under Eye Color Corrector Concealer. True to Caliray’s laid-back, California-inspired vibe, this formula feels weightless and looks practically undetectable once it’s on. But don’t be fooled by its lightweight texture: The serum-like formula delivers buildable coverage with color-correcting, pearly pigments that instantly brighten. Meanwhile, a blend of three forms of hyaluronic acid, peptides, and glycerin floods the under-eye area with deep hydration, resulting in a smoother, plumper finish. Caffeine also helps depuff and brighten, while vitamin E (tocopherol) nourishes delicate, sensitive skin over time.
“I’ve been blessed with natural dark circles since basically birth. No amount of sleep will get rid of the shadows, so I have about 30 years of experience using under-eye makeup to disguise them instead. This color corrector is so sheer I assumed it wouldn’t get the job done, but it’s shockingly effective (even more so than a lot of the thicker concealers in my kit). In addition to using color theory to cancel out unwanted hints of purple and green, it’s ever-so-slightly illuminating, so light bounces off that under-eye area rather than getting sucked into it. I’ve used a couple of the shades meant for fair-to-light skin tones, but find that Dawn, a pale pink, works best for my complexion.” —Kara McGrath, content director
- Key ingredients: peptides, hyaluronic acid, creamy pearls, caffeine
- Shades: 10
- Fragrance-free: no
Best Shade Range: Bobbi Brown Corrector Stick
Why it’s worth it: Bobbi Brown has always been synonymous with skin-like finishes—the kind that look like you, just better. And if figuring out your undertones feels confusing (same), the brand makes it refreshingly simple with its Corrector Stick: Choose a shade under the Bisque category to counteract under-eye darkness that’s more purple, blue, or red-ish, or choose a shade under the Peach family to neutralize brown, grey, or greenish dark circles. Ingredients like coffee seed oil energize and depuff skin, while vitamin E helps smooth everything out. We’re also pretty impressed with the 15-shade range that manages to correct and brighten across a wide spectrum of undertones.
“You didn’t catch me on a particularly dark-circle day, but many days I have blueish-grayish circles under my eyes that love to remind me of my Tired Mom Face™, and this portable and convenient color-correcting concealer stick has become my go-to. The texture of this glides on super smoothly, and the blendability is unreal; it just melts right into my skin without any effort. With most concealers, I usually have to layer foundation to make it less obvious, but this one disappears seamlessly into my bare skin. It even has a slightly pearlescent finish that catches the light just right.” —Christa Joanna Lee, contributing commerce writer
- Key ingredients: coffee seed oil, vitamin E, salicornia herbacea extract
- Shades: 14
- Fragrance-free: yes
Best Multistick: Live Tinted Huestick
Why it’s worth it: Born from founder Deepica Mutyala’s viral red-lipstick hack for dark circles, Live Tinted Huestick takes that genius idea and turns it into an everyday multitasker. Created to serve skin tones often overlooked in beauty, this creamy crayon can do it all: correct dark spots and under-eye discoloration, add a flush to cheeks, or swipe on as lip color. It glides on like butter with the help of candelilla wax and leaves skin feeling hydrated from squalane and hyaluronic acid. Plus, vitamin C and E add a little antioxidant love for good measure. It’s an overachiever for brightening, blending, and bringing your whole look together in seconds.
“I’m no artist, but I do understand color theory. The orange tone of this Live Tinted color corrector in shade Rise counteracts any blueish-purple circles under my eyes. This stick applies like a cream making it most compatible with liquid concealers. But it goes on with the lightweight finish of a powder so your undereyes will never have so much product that it gets cake-y or settles into creases.” —Jessica Cruel, editor in chief
- Key ingredients: squalane, hyaluronic acid, vitamin C, vitamin E
- Shades: 4
- Fragrance-free: yes
Best Full Coverage: MAC Conceal & Correct Palette
MAC Cosmetics
Conceal & Correct Palette
Why it’s worth it: If you’re confident in your application skills and want exactly what professional makeup artists can’t live without, MAC’s Studio Fix Conceal and Correct Palette is it. Inside are four concealers and two correctors, which you can mix and match to tackle everything from dark under-eye circles to redness or uneven tone. While the options in a color-correcting palette might seem overwhelming for beginners, “it has a colors you can mix and match to expertly cover or color correct under the eyes,” says New York City-based makeup artist Nick Barose. “This palette has enough pigment for full coverage, but you can also dilute the shades with eye serum or liquid foundation for a more sheer texture.” Long-wearing ingredients like synthetic beeswax, silica, and vitamin E help the formula stay smooth, crease-resistant, and comfortable all day.
- Key ingredients: beeswax, silica, vitamin E
- Shades: 6
- Fragrance-free: yes
Best Lightweight: Charlotte Tilbury Magic Vanish! Color Corrector
Charlotte Tilbury
Magic Vanish! Color Corrector
Why it’s worth it: If you want a quick fix for dark circles—no color wheel knowledge required—Charlotte Tilbury’s Magic Vanish! Color Corrector is your ultimate cheat code. The buttery, full-coverage formula melts right into skin, instantly neutralizing shadows without feeling heavy or cakey. “The great thing about this product is that it’s the perfect peach tone—it naturally cancels out the most common blue tones in under-eye discoloration,” says Talia Sparrow, a makeup artist based in London. It also earns bonus points for carnauba wax, which provides a silky glide, flavonoids that help depuff, and mica that adds a soft, radiant glow.
- Key ingredients: flavonoids, carnauba wax, mica
- Shades: 4
- Fragrance-free: yes
Best Smoothing: Tarte Maracuja Creaseless Creamy Color Corrector
Tarte
Maracuja Creaseless Creamy Color Corrector
Why it’s worth it: Merging color correction and skin care, Tarte Maracuja Creaseless Creamy Color Corrector wakes up tired eyes and neutralizes stubborn discoloration with the brand’s hero ingredient: maracuja oil, which is known for nourishing skin with fatty acids. Meanwhile, vitamin C amps up radiance, cloudberry extract delivers a boost of antioxidants, and diamond powder—which sounds fancy because it is—adds a soft, luminous finish that instantly brightens and blurs. The formula’s blend of dimethicone and glycerin keeps it silky and crease-free, while the skinny, brush-like applicator makes it easy to reach every little corner of your eyes without piling on product. The multiple color-correcting shades come in green to cancel redness, peachy pink to help brighten darkness, and peach, orange, and red to help neutralize deeper skin tones.
- Key ingredients: cloudberry, diamond powder, maracuja oil
- Shades: 5
- Fragrance-free: yes
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you apply color correctors before or after concealer?
“Usually, you want to apply corrector first to neutralize and correct the areas, then blend concealer and foundation over it. It looks less obvious and more seamless that way,” says Barose. By canceling out the discoloration first, your concealer can do its job more efficiently in your makeup routine—meaning you’ll need less of it (and less foundation too).
What’s a common mistake when applying a color corrector for dark circles?
A common mistake when applying color corrector for dark circles is thinking that more coverage automatically means better results. “Thinking you can just attack the area by piling on more coverage actually draws attention to the under eyes and makes you look more tired—but with more stuff sitting on top,” says Barose. Instead, he says it’s about being strategic: Start by prepping with a good eye cream or serum to plump fine lines and soothe any puffiness (he likes Chanel N°1 de Chanel Revitalizing Eye Serum), then apply your corrector with a precise concealer brush—”never your fingers, which can make the product cakey,” he says. Finish by setting with a light dusting of translucent powder (Barose recommends Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Setting Powder) for a long-lasting, seamless look.
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For our list of the best color correctors for dark circles, we considered each product’s performance across five primary categories: product ingredients and efficacy, packaging, fragrance, texture, and product wear. Every product was determined to have excelled in each category by our editorial team of in-house writers and editors, as well as contributors, along with special consideration from dermatologists. To learn more about our reporting and testing processes, read our complete reviews process and methodology page.
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