The Difference Between Concealer vs Under Eye Corrector

If you’ve seen under eye correctors pop up in your feed on social media and wondered what the difference is between a corrector and a concealer, this is the post for you!

As a former professional makeup artist, I can say that both products are essential products to create a flawless under eye area and I’m happy to explain in this post how, why, and where each product is used.

I know that it seems like using two products might be a hassle. However, I find that when I use a corrector, I end up using far less concealer and get a much better finished result, no caking or creasing!

Let’s get into the details of how they are different, where to place each product, and the formulas available.

HIT PLAY

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN COLOR CORRECTOR + CONCEALER

In short: Correctors are used even out discolorations to match the skin and concealers are used brighten shadows and lift the face.

UNDER EYE COLOR CORRECTOR

Corrector: Color correctors have long been used by makeup artists to counteract any tones in the skin that vary from one’s skin tone. Correctors make that area match the rest of the skin, prior to the rest of the makeup being applied.

Under eye corrector specifically counters the blue-purple or brown discolorations that are common at the inner corner and/or under the eyes.

Under our eyes is where the skin is thinnest and it’s easy for veins and discolorations to show through, when there aren’t layers and layers of skin with pigmentation to cover them up.

My Favorite Under Eye Correctors | best affordable corrector . budget friendly w/shade range . extreme coverage

UNDER EYE CONCEALER

Concealer: Concealer is used to brighten under the eyes and center of the face, as well as cover up any skin spots, like sun spots or pimples, or redness on the sides of the nose. Our under eye area is an area of the face that recedes compared to the nose, forehead, and cheeks. Because of this, natural shadows can occur and make under eye circles seem darker.

Generally, concealer formulas contain more pigment than a foundation. Concealers provide additional coverage to completely cover skin past what most foundations can offer, so they are perfect to add a more opaque brightness under the eyes to counteract the shadows and dark circles.

My Favorite Concealers | best affordable concealer . my current fav . total coverage concealer

CORRECTOR + CONCEALER SHADES

CORRECTOR: When you are choosing a corrector shade, generally pink and pinky-peach look best to counter blue or purple under eye circles. Deeper peach or salmon shades look best to cover blueish-brown circles.

CONCEALER: For under eye concealers, you’ll want to choose a concealer that is one shader lighter than your skin tone, with matching undertones. To find your skin’s undertone, watch this video or read this post.

Both correctors and concealers come in formulas that have either a matte or an illuminating finish.

RELATED POST | My Favorite Under Eye Correctors

HOW TO APPLY UNDER EYE CORRECTOR + CONCEALER

step 1 | Tap your finger ever so gently on the top of the corrector and use a dabbing motion to blend the product into skin.

Corrector is applied first to even out skin. For cream correctors, less is more with the amount used.

step 2 | For me, the area of biggest discoloration is at the inside of my eyes, so I start there and am careful to not let the corrector get past the blue areas.

It’s important to only place corrector on the discolored areas. When you are finished applying corrector, that area should be the same shade as the rest of your skin.

step 3 | Then, as needed, apply concealer a little bit lower than the corrector and blend upwards.

step 4 | I spray one pump of setting spray into my concealer brush and tap that over both the corrector and concealer to set the products in place and prevent creasing.

I hope this information is helpful! Under eye circles can be one of the toughest areas to figure out when it comes to makeup, but I truly think that under eye correctors are a concealer’s best friend. They are a great combo to really make eyes look awake.

RELATED POST | How to Apply Concealer Like a Professional Makeup Artist

PIN ME