The Best Under-Eye Brighteners to Kick Dark Circles to the Curb
Bags and dark circles don’t discriminate! No matter your age or sleep quality, the under-eye area can always use a little sprucing up, regardless of skin tone or skin type. Unfortunately, poor genetics can play a role in said circles. Sure, there are eye creams with caffeine to help with puffiness and built-in shimmers to liven things up—but in our opinion (and any makeup artist or TikTok beauty guru’s), nothing beats an under-eye brightener. These often double as concealer or color corrector, packing a two-in-one punch. And luckily, many even contain skin-loving ingredients like peptides, hyaluronic acid, SPF, vitamin E, vitamin C, collagen, and niacinamide to combat dryness, depuff the skin, and help with plumping. The wide range of options ensures that mature skin, youthful skin, and everything in between has a chance to reap this product category’s benefits.
It’s important to note, however, that traditional highlighters are not the same as brighteners or under-eye concealers. The former is used to add natural-looking dimension to a full face of foundation by making the cheeks pop. Highlighters aren’t used for color-correcting, nor are they placed under eye circles or used to conceal under-eye bags. Under-eye brightener is typically accompanied by setting powder to lock the look in. It’s also typically dispersed with a doe-foot applicator. Also, we recommend applying eyeshadow and eyeliner before under eye products to avoid any fallout sticking to the formula.
If you’re new to the brightening bandwagon, let us be your guide with this list of our favorite under-eye brightener best-sellers below. Whether you shop online at Amazon or head to the aisles at Sephora, Ulta, or the drugstore, you’re sure to find one of the below eye correctors that suits you best.
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1. Best Under-Eye Brightener for Versatility:
LYS BEAUTY Triple Fix Brightening Concealer
Talk about the ultimate multi-hypenate. This trusty must-have livens up the under eyes with a durable, full-coverage formula while also spot concealing blemishes, redness, and dark spots. We not only love its multifaceted functionality but the formula itself, which is buildable and blendable—so it pretty much does it all.
2. Best Under-Eye Brightening Balm:
TULA SKINCARE Glow & Get It Cooling & Brightening Eye Balm
We get it—concealer formulas can be intimidating if you’re not well-versed in applying the product. That’s why when we want less commitment with a more minimalist finish, we turn to this beginner-friendly formula. Applied under the eye and on the orbital bone, this product offers a natural, approachable, lit-from-within glow with just a few quick swipes.
3. Best Under-Eye Brightener for Longwear Use:
FENTY BEAUTY Bright Fix Eye Brightener
While we’re huge fans of this product’s no-makeup makeup finish, along with its buildable, creaseless coverage, its proudest feature is its longwear ability. There’s no dance floor or summer rooftop that can’t survive Rihanna’s bottled-up pride and joy.
4. Best Under-Eye Brightener on a Budget:
KOKIE PROFESSIONAL Be Bright Illuminating Concealer
When we’re on the go and we need a quick toss in the bag, we reach for our budget-buy fave. Not only does it brighten and conceal, but it also features an iridescent illuminator that adds another layer of life to those tired, dull areas of our face.
5. Best Under-Eye Brightener With Retinol:
PÜR 4-in-1 Sculpting Concealer With Skincare Ingredients
Our favorite type of product is one that does all the heavy lifting on its own. That’s why this encapsulated retinol-infused all-star is a go-to. In addition to its skin-loving ingredients (it also contains antioxidant-rich superfoods), it helps brighten, conceal, and renew.
6. Best Buildable Under-Eye Brightener:
ANASTASIA BEVERLY HILLS Magic Touch Concealer
One of our biggest beauty pet peeves is having to apply layer after layer of a product to get our desired result, only to end up with pilling and creasing. When we’ve got an especially long day ahead and we’re slacking on sleep, we turn to this trusty pick. We can do all the layering we want while still ending up with blurred, brightened color-correction that looks like skin.
7. Best Superfood Under-Eye Brightener:
YENSA BEAUTY Skin on Skin BC Concealer
If you’re looking for an under-eye brightener so nourishing you can practically eat it, here’s our pick. OK, we’re exaggerating just a little, but this really is packed with all the good stuff your skin will thank you for later. Black sesame oil, seaweed, and tea are just a few of the powerhouse ingredients that make up this brightening and concealing product that will lead you to a flawless-looking finish.
8. Best Cult-Classic Under-Eye Brightener:
TARTE™ Shape Tape Ultra Creamy Concealer
You didn’t think we’d get through a list of the best under-eye brighteners without a mention of this icon, didya? The revamped version of the OG Shape Tape is a brightening dream with a fabulous formula. Don’t let the matte finish intimidate you. It’s blendable, buildable, and goes on without looking cakey, thanks to nourishing ingredients including shea butter, mango seed butter, and licorice root extract.
9. Best Creamy Under-Eye Brightener:
KOSAS Revealer Concealer
When we’re itching for a luscious, second-skin formula, this is what we keep close to our side. Packed with hyaluronic acid, peptides, and caffeine, this medium-coverage confidence-booster leaves us with a hydrating, radiant finish. It’s especially useful when we’re going for a no-makeup makeup look but we want to keep things looking awake under the eyes.
10. Best Under-Eye Brightener For Sensitive Skin:
TOWER 28 Swipe Serum Concealer
Not only is this all-star brightener lightweight and skin-loving (hello, hyaluronic acid, centella asiatica leaf extract, and lysine!), but it’s designed specifically for reactive skin. Lightweight, non-comedogenic, and silicone-free, this medium-coverage product leaves us with a vibrant finish every time.
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