With fresher’s week sadly over and lectures and coursework getting into full swing, it’s clear that some of us may be looking slightly worse for wear (I know I am). A combination of fresher’s flu, intense alcohol consumption and a severe lack of sleep has left my skin looking dull and my dark circles looking more like black holes. Luckily I’ve got a few lifesaving products which mean I can leave the house without looking like a zombie.
I introduced a colour corrector into my makeup routine a few years ago and now I don’t feel complete without it. The peachy-tone of the product counteracts the purple/blue in your dark circles, leaving you looking like you got 8 hours sleep (even though you got in from Pryzm at 4am). My all-time favourite is the Bobbi Brown Corrector as it blends really easily and is pretty full coverage, however it is pricey at £19.50. A good cheaper alternative is the NYX Dark Circle Concealer at just £7. Depending on how dark my under-eyes are that day, I’ll either put a concealer over the top or a brightening pen.
A cult favourite product is the YSL Touche Éclat (£25.50), which is a brightening concealer pen. It does provide some coverage but I personally can’t get away with using this alone as a concealer. It has light reflecting properties so it has a highlighting effect, brightening under your eyes to leave you looking awake and alert. I also like the slightly more affordable alternative, the L’Oreal Paris Lumi Magique Concealer pen (£8.49), which has a similar effect.
Lastly, to give myself a glowy, dewy finish, I use a liquid highlighter. As much as I love a powder highlight, I find that using a liquid blends much better with the skin’s texture and gives a more natural look (even though with the amount of highlighter I wear it never looks natural). The Cover FX Custom Enhancer Drops are incredible, giving almost a metallic sheen, but are extremely expensive at £34, so another option is the Barry M Liquid Chrome Highlighter Drops (£6.99) which are a new release and are practically identical to their more expensive dupe.
Edited by Isabelle Walker