My Under-Eye Concealer Creased Every Single Day—Until I Tried This

For as long as I've been applying makeup, my under-eyes have caused significant creasing. After I apply concealer, I watch, hour by hour, as the formula settles into my expression lines. It doesn't matter the formula, the blending, or the way I apply it, the result is always the same. I ultimately chalked it up to the fact that I just had a particularly expressive face and moved on (with a Beautyblender Micro Mini, ($18), in my bag).

Then I read one simple trick courtesy of Adele's makeup artist, Michael Ashton, that changed everything. "Dusting powder on top of concealer can cause creasing,” he told The Cut. "Prepping concealer with a primer first does not." Genius, I thought, as I quickly kept reading. Ashton suggests using Marc Jacobs Under(cover) Perfecting Coconut Eye Primer ($26), a product that smells like vacation and thus, instantly gained a cult following. Before finishing the interview, I had already requested the product to try myself. Yes, I was that excited.

Marc Jacobs Under(cover) Perfecting Coconut Eye Primer $26.00

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The small white tube arrived, and I unwrapped it like the precious commodity I knew it would soon become. It was originally designed as a base for eye shadow, and using it below my eyes felt like an exciting little secret.

"If you take a small amount and apply it to the area before putting concealer on, it creates this smooth, velvety texture for the concealer to lay over," Ashton told InStyle. "In the same way it keeps your eyeshadow intact, it prevents your concealer from moving around so much."

I smoothed it onto dry, clean skin in front of a lighted mirror on my desk. The color was nude but sheer, leaving zero residue on my skin and perhaps doing a little bit of color-correcting to boot. I applied my favorite concealer (NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer,($30) and was pleasantly surprised at how smoothly it went on. Then, all I could do was wait.

Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer $30.00

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I went about my day—wrote a few stories, ate lunch, and answered the overwhelming number of emails creeping into my inbox. Four hours later, I jumped up, ready to disprove Ashton's theory because concealer creases are a way of life for me. I peered into the mirror in our office bathroom and was shocked. There wasn't a single crease—not even one.

I walked closer to my reflection for a zoomed-in look, and the results were the same—flawless. I've been using the primer for days since, and I'm still just as happy with it. I'm floored, but definitely on board.

Next up: The 17 best under eye concealers