Brown under-eye circles: which concealer should you choose?

Dark circles under the eyes are among the most common cosmetic concerns and can give a sad and tired appearance to the gaze. There are several types of dark circles, among which are brown circles, also called pigmented circles. As their name suggests, these have a brown colour that darkens the peri-orbital area.

Brown under-eye circles are the result of a high concentration of melanin in the skin around the eyes. This highly sensitive area is easily prone to hyperpigmentation due to its thinness: it is indeed estimated that the skin here is 5 times thinner than on the rest of the face.

Sun rays can thus easily penetrate this area to stimulate the melanogenesis, the process of melanin synthesis, which leads to the accentuation of brown under-eye circles. Finally, this type of under-eye circles can also have a genetic origin. It is indeed observed that they affect more people with darker skin, producing more eumelanin, a form of dark melanin.

Etymology : Contrary to what one might think, the word "dark circle" is masculine and comes from the Latin circinus which means "circle", "compass".

When it comes to complexion corrector, the key is to rely on colourimetry and take into account the colour wheel. This tool, used in both artistic and scientific fields, allows us to better understand the relationships between colours. According to Johannes ITTEN, a Swiss painter of the 20th century, "the colour wheel is a fundamental element of aesthetic colour teaching, as it represents the classification of colours".

Several theories revolve around the colour wheel. In terms of choosing a concealer, the most important is that of complementary colours. These are the colours that are directly opposite each other on the colour wheel. For example, red is complementary to green, blue is complementary to orange, and yellow is complementary to purple.

When two complementary colours are mixed, their hues cancel each other out.

When it comes to brown dark circles, it's a bit more complex as this colour doesn't have a complementary per se. However, being a very dark colour, close to purple, we advise you to opt for a concealer in very light orange to yellow tones. These soft shades will subtly lighten and neutralise pigmented dark circles, while restoring radiance and brightness to your gaze.