I ask a lot of a concealer. It needs to soften my stubborn dark circles, make me look rested, and resist the temptation to settle into every line around my eyes.
Having spent years testing makeup, I can confirm that the last part is where plenty fall short. After you hit your 40s, coverage is only half the conversation. There’s also how it sits on skin that may be drier than it used to be, and whether disguising a shadow means drawing attention to a crease. I’m perfectly happy to have laughter lines at the age of 48. I’d just prefer my make-up didn’t underline them.
Which brings me to Jones Road’s new concealer duo. Makeup artist and founder Bobbi Brown knows a thing or two about making tired faces look fresher, and this pairing takes a familiar professional technique – colour corrector followed by concealer – and makes it reassuringly straightforward.
First, though, you don’t necessarily need both products. Much as the beauty industry enjoys turning one purchase into several, this depends on how much darkness you’re dealing with. In my case, though, quite a lot! Especially after a tired night.
What is the new Jones Road concealer system, exactly?
The Concealer, available in 25 tones, can be worn alone, and I can comfortably get away with doing exactly that most of the time. Which in itself is impressive. For everyday use, it gives me the coverage and brightening I’m after without another step. If your circles are fairly mild, I’d start here and see whether you actually feel anything is missing.
The Neutralizer, in nine tones, is for darkness that still shows through concealer; an issue which I often have. Its pink and/or peach tones help counteract discolouration underneath, rather than relying on more skin-toned pigment to cover it.
Choosing the right shade (more on that below) means considering both your complexion and the colour of your circles, so this is worth a little more thought than simply buying your usual concealer shade. It’s this personalised approach that really helps to deal with stubborn show-through. But the Neutralizer is an extra, rather than something I’d insist everyone buys. If concealer alone gives you the result you want, there’s your answer.
Beauty editor’s verdict
Personally, I do like the two together. On my under-eyes, the appeal is the brighter, fresher effect, rather than a more comprehensively covered finish. I’m not aiming for an entirely blank area beneath each eye. I still want my face to look like it belongs with the rest of me.
That fresher look doesn’t mean putting up with caking, either. For years, I thought covering my dark circles meant accepting that concealer would settle into my fine lines. But this duo proved me spectacularly wrong. Not only do I look more rested, but I also feel more confident knowing my concealer won’t turn cakey a few hours after application.
The balance between blendability and staying power is what also stands out for me. I can work the formula into place easily, and once it settles, it stays put well. That’s why I rate the longevity — although staying power and completely crease-free wear aren’t quite the same claim. I wouldn’t buy either expecting it to hide crow’s feet.
The useful job here is softening darkness without making the surrounding skin look overloaded with make-up. Job done. My dark circles have met their match – and it only took me 48 years.
How to choose your Neutralizer shade
There are two things to consider: your skin tone and the colour of the darkness you’re trying to disguise. Start with the shade depth that corresponds to your complexion — fair, light, medium, dark or deep — then look at your bare under-eyes in natural daylight.
For this range, Jones Road recommends pink or peachy-pink shades for blue and purple discolouration, with some also addressing redness. Peach shades target brown, grey or greenish tones; Dark Apricot is the option for brown or grey discolouration on dark skin.
For example, fair skin with blue-purple circles points towards Fair Pink, while fair skin with brown-grey circles points towards Fair Peach. So don’t automatically reach for the palest shade in the hope of looking more awake. It’s the colour match that does the useful work here. I used 1N concealer and Fair Pink neutraliser, and it worked perfectly.
How to apply the products
What I particularly like is how the formula responds to the warmth of my finger. It becomes creamy and easy to blend, giving me time to work it into the skin. Then it settles down, rather than staying slippery and moving around.
Both products offer buildable, medium-to-full coverage, with ingredients including shea butter, squalane and vitamin E. Even so, I’d resist taking ‘buildable’ as an invitation to keep going. Start with a small amount, concentrate on the darkness and assess before adding more. It’s easy to keep correcting something when you’re very close to a mirror that you’d barely notice at a normal distance.
