Some people, no matter how many hours of sleep they’ve had, wake up looking refreshed and rejuvenated. Spoiler: I am not one of those people. It doesn’t matter whether I’ve had nine hours or a nap, when I wake up, I look exhausted. 

Blame genetics or skin tone – dark circles around the eye area are common, and if you’re someone who has deep-set, shadowy under eyes, you might relate to my struggle. 

But there’s a new concealer placement technique doing the rounds on social media, and trust me when I tell you: it’s pretty impressive.

I spotted Mary Phillips  – the celebrity make-up artist who also gave us the viral underpainting contouring technique – using this technique on Instagram.

The idea is that you use three dots of concealer, strategically applied on parts of your face. One on the outer corner of the nostril, one on the inner corner of the eye and, finally, the last on the outer lashes. You then blend these together for seamless coverage. 

This specific placement results in a lifted effect, illuminating the area without adding too much concealer, which can then settle into fine lines, having the opposite effect. 

On the left-hand side, you can see that I’m wearing make-up but no concealer, and my dark circles are visible. On the right, I’ve used the three-dot concealer technique, and voilà, my whole eye area looks lifted and instantly more awake. 

I’m sold on this technique – it costs no more money and is easy to recreate. Another beauty hack we can thank Mary Phillips for. 

Images: brands