Even for the most well-rested among us, dark circles can, unfortunately, be hard to get rid of. (You can blame genetics on that one.) While plenty of eye creams and concealers promise to mask the tell-tale purplish haze, few actually get the job done. One buzzed-about product that claims to be a magic wand for dark circles is Revolution Beauty’s Eye Bright Illuminating Under Eye Concealer. The $10 gem from the British beauty brand has emerged as one of its most popular products. Reviewers have called it a “must-have,” “like nothing else,” and even, simply, “perfect.” In addition to its eye-brightening powers, intrepid social media users have found alternative application methods. “Saw this on TikTok as a dupe for the Charlotte Tilbury contour wand,” shared one savvy customer. “I have olive skin and got the shade deep caramel and it works perfectly.” Ahead, keep reading as I try out Revolution Beauty’s viral find for myself – and judge whether it’s worth the buzz.
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The Test
Revolution Beauty’s Eye Bright concealer is a twist-up pen that dispenses product through a sponge-tip applicator. After the concealer began to saturate the sponge (this took about seven or eight turns), I dotted my under-eye area and tapped to blend. The medium yellow shade was lighter than I expected but still worked well to visibly brighten things up. (On Revolution Beauty’s U.S. website, six shades are available. On Ulta Beauty, you can currently choose from eight, and 12 shades are available on Revolution’s international site.) The shade range, IMO, needs more work — even for a product that is designed to bestow sheer, flexible coverage. Hopefully, the options available stateside will expand to include the brand’s full range. I, for one, am keeping my fingers crossed for a shade extension at some point in the near future.
Most under-eye concealers I’ve tried tended to be highly-pigmented, peach-toned formulas with a matte finish since they’re meant to mask dark circles. Revolution Beauty’s pen, on the other hand, was pretty sheer and had a luminous finish. As such, I was initially worried the stuff wouldn’t really show up on my skin, nor do its job in brightening my eyes. However, the concealer is actually quite buildable and can be used to create a subtle or more dramatic eye-brightening look. Since my everyday makeup is pretty natural, I aimed for somewhere in the middle with my application. The result: A natural yet visibly more even tone that made me look like I’d literally woke up like this. For a concealer, the overall finish was surprisingly un-makeup-like — which I was very much here for.
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Another thing to note is the texture; as I mentioned, concealers can sometimes be too pigmented and thus difficult to blend – not this one. The liquid felt moisturizing and didn’t settle into fine lines, making it perfect for the eye area specifically. While people love it as a dupe for the Charlotte Tilbury contour wands, I probably wouldn’t use it anywhere else since the sheen might be too much for my oily skin. I’ll also be totally transparent that I tend to avoid products with sponge-tip applicators since I find them hard to clean and thus a magnet for potentially acne-causing bacteria. (I spot cleaned mine with a makeup wipe after using it, and it worked pretty well.) In this case, I actually didn’t mind the sponge tip since it did a nice job of diffusing the product onto the skin for a natural, airbrushed finish.
Even in my most sleep-deprived college years, I’m lucky that my dark circles tend to be not that bad. As such, I typically skip under-eye concealer since I’m pretty low-maintenance with my makeup as it is. However, I can see myself using this product as well as recommending it to anyone who is a fan of Maybelline’s similarly popular (but less glow-y) Instant Age Rewind concealer or the much pricier Touche ´Eclat from YSL.
Makeup Revolution Eye Bright Illuminating Under Eye Concealer, $10
“This product is like nothing else I have used. It brightens the eyes up massively and makes you look so awake.”
revolution Beauty reviewer
The Verdict
The reviewers were right: This is basically a magic wand to instantly look a little more awake. The result is subtle and not makeup-y at all; IMO, that’s a very good thing! The coverage won’t totally cover deep, dark circles, but warm undertones help offset the greys and purples found there. Even if you do want to go with a more full-coverage concealer to better cover dark circles, a dab or two of this on top can help brighten your eyes and better fake a good night’s sleep. The limited shade range available for purchase seems to be a reflection of high demand (as it so often is), so if you can’t find your shade right away, don’t lose hope — the wait will be well worth it.
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