I’ve been battling creased under-eye concealer, but this clever trick smoothed it out in seconds
According to Penelope Cruz’s makeup artist, a slick of one unexpected product is the quick fix I’ve been searching for
It’s one of makeup’s great ironies. The bit of cosmetic kit that many of us – me included – turn to in midlife to hide dark shadows and minimise crinkles around our eyes can do the exact opposite hours after application. Yes, I’m looking at you, concealer.
It may make under-eye skin look brighter, fresher and smoother when you tap it on, but from my experience, it quickly dries up and draws attention to shadows, fine lines and wrinkles by caking and sitting in the crevices.
This concealer conundrum is such a common bugbear that the question, “How do I fix this without reapplying my eye makeup?” has been asked by millions of online users, from TikTok through to Reddit. The answer, according to Ash K. Holm, makeup artist to Penelope Cruz and Salma Hayek, among others, is a quick slick of one particular eye balm.
The US makeup maestro recommends RoC Multi Correxion Revive + Glow Eye Balm, a twist-up, solid skincare bullet that she refers to as her “fix-it stick” for fast de-creasing. “This is an industry secret you need to know about,” she says via Instagram video. “You can actually fix creased concealer without having to redo your makeup. It doesn’t matter what kind of concealer you use… it smooths out any texture.”
How does the trick work?
It may not be the most glamorous analogy, but think of adding balm to concealer a bit like adding water to cracked clay. As skincare balms tend to be packed with nourishing oils and waxes, they are ideal for infusing moisture back into cakey concealer, plumping it up with hydration and transforming it into a smoother consistency.
This in turn makes the colour more malleable again, so you can re-blend it seamlessly over skin, while applying directly from the stick means minimal makeup disturbance.
Being in stick format, balms are also perfectly portable and ideal for pulling out of your handbag later in the day when needed most. I’m particularly impressed by Holm’s choice of RoC eye balm, not only for its concealer-revitalising power and lightweight feel, but because the formula is also packed with brightening vitamin C and skin-strengthening peptides.
Those benefits will, of course, take longer to work than a single application, but I do find the cooling effect pleasantly de-puffing, and the skin around my eyes definitely looks more luminous every time I apply it.
After trialling a few other skincare sticks, I also highly rate Tatcha's The Serum Stick to put my fine lines into soft focus and give my skin a hint of radiance that counteracts dark circles.
Holm and I aren’t the only ones turning to balm to tackle creased makeup in midlife. Legendary makeup artist Bobbi Brown says she uses her own Jones Road Oil Stick to stop things from looking cakey.
What's the trick to applying eye balm over concealer?
Similar to Holm, who applies her balm in small, feathery strokes wherever concealer is creasing, I sweep it under my eyes with very light pressure, working from the inner corner outwards to trace the lash line.
You can see the soft sheen where you’ve applied it, so use your middle finger to gently press in with the tiniest circling movement, then leave to settle for a moment. As the concealer and the balm meld together into a flattering velvety texture, start softly blending over shadows, lines or wrinkles with your fingertip or a fine concealer brush.
My top tip is to add a tiny extra pop of balm at the inner corner of each eye to give a pretty sheen and reflective brightness. And voila! Your concealer looks as fresh as when you first applied it – and my creasing concealer conundrum is solved for good.
Why does undereye concealer crease?
The layers of muscle and tissue around the eyes – just inside our orbital bone – are expressive, moving as we smile, speak or frown. Naturally, the outermost layer of skin moves too, meaning that any makeup sitting on top of it doesn’t stay in place either (it’s the same reason your eyeshadow creases, but that’s another story).
Whether a powder, cream or liquid formula, concealer can start to settle in any folds, like fine lines and wrinkles, as it moves around. Combined with the makeup’s colour pigment drying out during the day, as the oils in the skin absorb powder or the water content in liquid formulas evaporates, you’re left with clumpy, creased-up coverage that needs rehydration.
