Dark circles can tend to make you look a lot older than you are. While there are a number of reasons why you can end up with dark circles, they're most commonly prominent because of genetic conditions. What's worse about them is that if you don't do your makeup the right way, you can actually end up highlighting your dark circles and making them look worse. So, if you've noticed that your dark circles are looking more prominent once you put on some makeup, here are makeup mistakes you should avoid making to help tone down their appearance.

Although we've often been told that we should be applying blush in circles it will only end up giving you an unnatural look that will accentuate your wrinkles and might end up making your dark circles look even worse. So, make sure to sweep the blush gently along your cheekbone to create that natural-looking flush.

Green concealer is famous for its ability to effectively cover up spots and blemishes but that's all it should be used for. Some people tend to use it to cover their entire undereye area which is actually a big no-no. “If you apply concealer in the entire under-eye area, it doesn’t hide dark circles — it can accentuate them,” explains an expert.

An under eye moisturiser is far more useful in the day time before makeup than in your night time routine. Depending on your skin type, pick yourself a creamy or gel like moisturiser. A thick layer of the moisturiser will prep your skin and brighten it instantly. Additionally it will also reduce the chances of your concealer creasing.

While a colour corrector is absolutely magical if you want to make your dark circles disappear, many don’t know how to apply it. A corrector application should only leave a hint of orange or red. The layer should be extremely thin and dry before the concealer application, so that it doesn’t mix with it.

It's important to not brighten the areas surrounding the eye socket, as this emphasises the contrast between your dark circles and the highlight--thereby making your under eyes look darker and duller. The only thing that this does is makes your face look puffier, and make the dark circles look darker in comparison.

While you may want to opt for a rather sexy smokey eyed look, what actually happens when you have dark circles and opt for a smoked out lower waterline is that it makes your dark circles look worse. This type of makeup can make you look tired instead of working to help elevate your beauty look.

If you've got such dark and prominent under eye circles then you absolutely must use a colour corrector on your face. Unless you do this, even if you use the right foundation and concealer, the rest of your face will have an even tone but your dark circles will still be visible. If you have light skin opt for a peach-hued corrector, for medium toned skin opt for a salmon-hued corrector and for dusky skin opt for an orange-hued colour corrector.

Yes, we've heard the rule that says your concealer should be a shade lighter than your foundation but here's why it doesn't apply to people with prominent dark circles. People with dark circles have deeper looking sockets due to pigmentation so when they use a concealer that's a shade lighter than their foundation, it gives them an ashy look.

Please do NOT do this. When you apply mascara to your lower lashes, it makes your eyes look even darker and more tired. And as if that wasn't enough, since mascara elongates the length of your lashes, their shadow will fall on your under eye area and make things worse for your makeup look.