Clarins Instant concealer

Those of you that have been reading the blog for a while now will know that my dark circles are the absolute bain of my life! My thyroid issues mean that my dark circles are ever present and can some days look like two black eyes.  Over the past few years I have learnt different ways to hide them somewhat, but I am always on the hunt for the next best concealer to not only cover the circles but bring a brightness to the underage area to make me look a little more awake.

Before and after

The Clarins Instant concealer promises to revive, conceal and smooth the under eye area. It contains some caffeine extracts which helps to stimulate the under eye area and reduce toxins and puffiness while at the same time making the eye area look a little more alert. It really is promising a miracle in a tube, but does it actually work.

Before, during and after ( I should really throw on a lipstick!!!)

First off lets discuss consistency. For me the true magic of a concealer lies in the consistency. I am someone who needs a concealer that is creamy and not too heavy, so that it doesn’t settle in my fine lines. As the Clarins Instant concealer is water based and infused with aloe vera, it really is beautifully creamy and light on the skin and really lovely to apply. I did find however that it took me a while to get use to the amount of product that was needed, as I normally only apply the tiniest amount of concealer, but to get the true punch from the Instant Concealer, I found that I needed to apply a little more than normal. I also liked to apply a a decent amount, as I found that the radiant qualities of the concealer were great as an under eye brightener. The light weight and yet creamy consistency of the concealer meant that it didn’t settle in fine lines, but I do find that I need to set it with a powder to stop it from moving on me throughout the day.

When it comes to concealer it really is all about the coverage and the Clarins Instant Concealer is a medium coverage but is buildable concealer. As you can see from the picture above, the left eye has concealer applied, while the right eye has none. Not only does it help to conceal the dark circles, but as I mentioned above it gives a beautiful radiance rather than overly highlighted look to the under eye area. This radiance helps to reflect the light and reduce the appearance of dark circles even more. Does it completely block out my dark circles? No, but when I pair it with my beloved Becca Under eye corrector, together they really give my dark circles the boot.

The only down side to this concealer is that it only comes in 3 shades. I wear shade number 1, but I have a feeling that this is going to be too dark for the paler skinned ladies amongst us. If you are going to pick this up, unless you’re sallow skinned, I would give shade 01 a try over the other 2 shades.

So would I recommend the Clarins Instant Concealer? Absolultey 100% yes. I really have been enjoying this concealer and the great job it does at covering my dark circles and brightening up my under eye area. I have been reaching for this over a lot of my favourites recently . You can buy the Clarins Instant concealer from any Clarins counter for €25, but I picked mine up in The Loop Duty Free in Dublin Airport last summer for €20.