My under-eyes after I applied the color corrector in question.
I've struggled with dark circles since high school. Back then, they really bothered me. I wouldn't dare leave the house without swiping on a thick coat of concealer, and even then, they would stubbornly show through. Maybe it was because I was a self-conscious teenager, but I couldn't stand this perceived imperfection. When people would ask me if I was tired or not feeling well, it only made it worse.
Somewhere along the way, though, I began to tolerate and maybe even accept them. I stopped focusing on them every time I looked in the mirror. I stopped wearing heavy coats of concealer to hide them. While I'm enjoying this new "dark circles don't matter" attitude, there are still days when I prefer to brighten them up a bit. What can I say? I'm only human.
When I saw a certain color corrector going viral on TikTok, I thought it might be worth testing because who wouldn't want a product in their makeup bag that was sure to disguise dark circles? At the very least, I could use it on days when I'm short on sleep. Let me tell you—it worked. In fact, it made my dark circles vanish.
Fast-forward two years, and I'm still using the same color corrector. I've gone through multiple tubes of it, even scraping out the last vestiges of an empty tube before a new one arrived. I swear by the stuff. Keep scrolling to see why.
About The Exa Color Corrector
Pros: Great coverage, easy to apply
Cons: Can feel drying to some
Formulated to even and refine your skin, this color corrector contains key ingredients to brighten and hydrate target areas while absorbing excess oil. It was created with the perfect blend of marshmallow root, rice bran, licorice, Kaolin clay, amino acids, and antioxidants to prevent creasing or showing under foundation. It can be used on all skin types including mature, sensitive, and acne-prone. All you have to do is prime your skin and apply a thin layer of product using the applicator wand. Blend with your fingertips, beauty blender, or concealer brush before applying foundation.
How I Used the The Exa Color Corrector
Like any other color corrector, it should be applied and blended out before adding foundation and/or concealer on top. I start by swiping it on my under-eye area directly from the doe-foot applicator. Then, I lightly blend it with a damp Beautyblender ($20). Finally, I apply a light coat of concealer over the top. Usually, it's either the Il Makiage F*ck I'm Flawless Multi-Use Perfecting Concealer ($31) or the Haus Labs Triclone Skin Tech Concealer ($32).
I use the shade Pink, which works great on lighter skin tones, but the brand offers a range of shades to accommodate all skin tones. (More on that in a minute.) With just three steps, I'm done, and my dark circles are gone. The stubborn half-moons are instantly corrected and concealed. See my results below.
My Results: 2 Years Ago
For reference, these were my results when I first used the color corrector two years ago. My dark circles don't look too bad in this before picture, but I have good lighting to thank for that. In real life, they were way more distinct.
Still, after using the color corrector and topping it with concealer, my dark circles were gone—like, really. My under-eyes looked smooth, bright, and wide-awake.
My Results: Current Day
Here are some before-and-after pictures I took this morning. My hair is much darker, but my under-eye area is just as bright and refreshed as it was two years ago. The best part? It never looks cakey or unnatural IRL—the result is smooth, even, and undetectable. Can I take a second to applaud this transformation and extend a big thank-you to TikTok for the recommendation?
As I mentioned, this color corrector doesn't just cater to one skin tone or skin concern. There are six shades for diverse dark circle–correcting power. There's even a green shade to cancel out redness. Keep scrolling!
This shade cancels redness from blemishes, irritation, and rosacea.
This shade balances redness and dark spots on light skin tones.
This shade balances dark spots and dark circles on medium skin tones.
This shade balances dark spots and dark circles on medium-to-deep skin tones.
Use this one to balance dark spots and dark circles on deep skin tones.
Shop More Eye Products I Love
This is the concealer I mentioned before. I love its light, blendable texture.
A new favorite, this concealer covers all of my imperfections.
I like that this concealer has caffeine, which helps de-puff the skin.
My all-time favorite blending tool.
This eye cream makes my under-eyes look so plump and moisturized.
The same goes for this one, which is spiked with peptides and ceramides.
This one uses caffeine, watermelon extract, and ginseng to dial up brightness and diminish everything from fine lines to puffiness and dark circles.
I'm amazed by these eye patches. Click here to see how well they work.
This cloud-shaped vegan hydrogel eye patches are so cute. They also work to firm the skin and diminish dark circles, thanks to ingredients like caffeine and peptides.
This article was published at an earlier date and has since been updated.
