The ultimate glow up (Picture: Rebecca Spencer/Tanyel Mustafa)

This article contains affiliate links. We will earn a small commission on purchases made through one of these links but this never influences our experts’ opinions. Products are tested and reviewed independently of commercial initiatives.

Despite what every eye cream promises, little can be done about dark under eyes.

I learned this as a beauty intern some years ago from my editor who said unless your darkness has been caused by something recent you can pinpoint, you’re typically just born that way and a cream can’t do much about it.

Sigh.

I’d always had suspicions of this conclusion, as I’ve never noticed a cream actually making my under eyes lighter – but this was still sad news. And, as her beauty knowledge is unparalleled, I abandoned my eye cream search and decided concealer was the way forward.

For this same reason, I’ve tried probably around 70 concealers over the years, if not more – from high street brands to one that costs an eye-watering £55.

Slowly I have figured out which ones work for me to cover the darkness without looking cakey, but I’m always open to a new method.

Enter Huda Beauty.

Known for giving a ‘snatched’ look that some critics might call ‘heavy’, there’s no denying the brand is all about full beat glam.

It has a method of getting your concealer just right, so you look brighter and more ‘lifted’.

I was game for giving it a go – so here’s how it went.

This is how I started – makeup done, aside from under my eyes (Picture: Tanyel Mustafa)

You can see naturally I have a shadowy tint under my eyes – a purple-ish shade that only high coverage concealers can mask.

I think without concealer I often look quite tired, but I don’t like applying loads – as it creases under my eyes.

So I was a little worried when I saw how much I was being instructed to apply: a full swipe from the inner corner of my eye right to the end of my brow in an upward motion.

I was also told to do the same under my cheek bone to lift that part of the face too.

Concealer on (Picture: Tanyel Mustafa)

I was also told to not apply the concealer too close to my lash line as this can ‘close the eye’ by makeup artist Nadia Fihema. I’d never noticed before, but this is spot on – you can see in the image below the eye with concealer does look slightly smaller.

To blend the product in, I was told not to use fingers (which is how I normally apply it) and instead use a wet sponge for more seamless application, using a light tapping motion rather than rubbing.

I was happy to leave it here as this was enough product under my eye and actually did, quite impressively, hide my dark circles.

But there is more to the Huda method.

My left side without concealer, my right eye with the Huda method (Picture: Rebecca Spencer)

Next, you have to apply a load of powder to ‘bake’ and set the concealer. It takes me back to my student days when baking was all the rage.

This gave my skin a matte look and, while it locked the concealer into place, I’d skip this next time as my dry skin looked a little sad.

Having said that, I really did look ‘snatched’ and noticed how defined and contoured my cheekbones looked too.

Powder up (Picture: Tanyel Mustafa)

Something to be wary of, however, is going too bright.

Huda recommends using a shade or three lighter than your usual for that ‘lifted’ effect, and while that worked under my eyes nicely, along my jaw it brought too much focus to the lower part of my face – making it appear bulkier and wider.

Nadia fixed this, but I’d say makeup beginners can easily overdo it here so proceed with caution.

Tah-dah! (Picture: Rebecca Spencer)

The verdict? I’ll be doing this on nights out and occasions when I want a ‘put-together’, sculpted complexion.

For everyday, it’s just a little too much for my liking.

But those who want to look and feel glam on the daily should definitely give it a try.

That’s my new headshot sorted (Picture: Rebecca Spencer)

It absolutely works, and I don’t think you need to use the power unless you’ve got oily skin.

A long swipe of concealer with a damp sponge is all you need for a perfected dark circle-free look.

Although ‘barely there’ makeup is incredibly popular right now, I think concealer can be the one area in which I go full coverage.

Tempted to try it yourself? Here’s what you need.

Do you have a story to share?

Get in touch by emailing [email protected].

MORE : The best skincare for prepping your face before makeup

MORE : Lip gloss nails are 2023’s update of the glazed doughnut manicure

I’ve tried probably around 70 concealers over the years, if not more, in the hopes of hiding my dark circles.