Concealer is a must-have for covering up dark circles and brightening the under-eye area, but too often our makeup can crease after a while, and emphasise any fine lines around the eyes, as well as the smile lines at the side of the eyes, also known as crow's feet.

But we asked a top makeup artist for their secret beauty hack for fixing this beauty mishap, and best of all it is super easy to do. So next time you're applying your makeup, give this a go.

Image by Michelle Prunty via One Fab Day

Why Does Concealer Crease Around the Eyes?

First let's dive into why concealer and foundation can settle in the lines around our eyes, as this will help us understand how to avoid it happening. There are actually a few reasons why this happens. The first reason is that the skin under the eyes produces less oil than the rest of the face and can also be prone to dehydration.

When moisture is naturally lost during the day, the skin shrivels a little which creates fine lines. If concealer or foundatin is applied too heavily then this causes creasing as the skin shrinks up. This is why undereye hydration with eye cream is very important before and even after you apply your makeup.

Image by NavyBlur via One Fab Day

Under-Eye Concealer Beauty Hack

Vincent Ford, a leading MUA at NARS, says his concealer method will help you master making up the under-eye area. To cover dark circles, he uses two concealers; a correcting concealer and a regular concealer.

A corrector concealer is used to neutralise the darkness lying under the skin. Depending on the colour of your skin, whether your dark circles are blue, brown, or purple, you will need either a peach, pink, or yellow corrector to negate the darker tones. Your regular concealer is then used to match the under-eye area to the rest of the face. Vincent uses both on his model in the short video below.

1. Using a small, fluffy brush, he asks the model to smile so he can examine exactly where her eyes crease.
2. He then concentrates on buffing the concealer into her skin only where it's needed - her dark circles.
3. He then places the concealer just in the areas that don't move or crease when you smile.
4. Finally, set the concealer with a light reflecting setting powder.

This is a simple beauty hack that will make a big difference to how your makeup sits and lasts all day (and night!). But that's not all; we have few more suggestions below to help prevent concealer from settling and creasing in lines under and around your eyes.

How to Increase Under-Eye Hydration

• If you have time, pop on a pair of under-eye gel patches to increase moisture for longer. We like Pestle & Mortar's Pure Hyaluronic Hydrogel Eye Patches for fast-acting hydration, €34/30pairs.
• For brightening purposes, Ole Henriksen's Banana Bright Eye Stick, €29.90, is a colour-correcting moisturising stick that you can use daily. It comes in four shades for different skin tones.
• To top up moisture during the day, use Fenty Skin's Flash Nap Instant Revival Eye Gel-Cream + Eye Massage Tool, €43.70. Cooling and instantly rehydrating, the mini tool depuffs the under-eyes and refreshes makeup.

See Our Guide for the Best Camouflage Concealers for Scars & Tattoos on Your Wedding Day

How to Choose a Corrector Concealer

To get the perfect colour-correcting concealer, it's best to visit a beauty counter for professional advice. With minor dark circles, you may not need a separate concealer for this concealer hack to prevent creasing, but a corrector concealer is highly beneficial for more severe dark circles.

Depending on your skin tone and dark circles, artists at any beauty counter should be able to help you choose the right shade - peach, pink, purple, or yellow. Ask them to apply a tester to show you how to use it and so you can see the results. Over-the-counter corrector concealers we rate include Huda Beauty Faux Filter Colour Corrector, €29.90/six shades, Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage Concealer Duo, €39.10/16 shades, and NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer, €36/22 shades.

See here for more great hair, skin and makeup ideas, and let us help you choose the best hairstylist and makeup artist for your big day. Follow One Fab Day on Instagram for lots more wedding day ideas