It's really the best thing to go into a store and have one of the Sephora associates do the shade matching. If you really cannot go in person, the next best thing is to go only one shade lighter.

If I had to choose between one that was an exact match and one that was slightly lighter I might go slightly lighter, but only in certain circumstances. First, if you want to use this on your upper lid, it might be good to go a hair lighter than your usual foundation because upper lids are almost always a bit lighter and it does look odd if you have a darker lid. Also, lighter colors on the upper lid help open the eye up, so you'll look a bit more rested with a slightly lighter upper lid. If you're planning to use this under the eyes too, then it's hit and miss to choose a lighter shade. If it's much lighter, you'll end up drawing attention to the lower lid area. If it's only slightly lighter, though, you can achieve a brightening effect.

The most important thing to do is to use a very light hand and a concealer brush to buff this product onto the delicate skin around the eyes. That will give you the most natural finish despite what color you choose.

The old way? Go lighter. IMO this just calls attention to the area and is especially bad if you have any puffiness. Light colors advance and look bigger (think of white pants and a not-so-slim rear) and can result in the reverse raccoon look. I say match your make-up. I have had a hard time convincing even some cosmetic consultants of this, but they are often surprised at the result when I insist. Give it a try.

I would go a half shade lighter, not too light or you'll look like an owl.

I use both the fair concealer and fair foundation (I got a sample package initially that had them both together.) They work really well together for me.

It depends on what area you're trying to cover up. If you're covering up dark under eye circles, go a little lighter than your foundation. If you just want to cover up blemishes and other spots, definitely stick with the same colour as your foundation so there aren't any differently coloured blotches on your face

try it on in the store and see how it looks. you should be able to wear your concealer alone, so it should be close to your skin tone.

Someone once gave some great advice for this very situation and I've found it to hold true for everyone I've put makeup on ( which is a lot). Always apply foundation first and concealer second because foundation is going to give you some coverage and then the concealer will make up the difference. Which is way better then applying too much makeup. Its easy to apply more if needed but harder to remove too much. Another great tip : some concealers can be dry and difficult to blend into the skin you can mix some concealer and foundation together on your hand and then apply it to your skin for a even finish.

This concealer is so awesomely light that you can use it under OR over your foundation, whatever is more comfortable for you.

Under, because it will get flaky if you don't set it with concealer. I learned this the hard way, and it looks much better now that I've been putting my concealer over it. :)

I'm pretty fair too and one of the things I've gotten pretty religious about is an eye cream. I found that no matter what concealer I was using, it never looked as good as when I used an eye cream and helped to take care of any caking or coverage issues. I also use a powder foundation and don't actually even go under my eyes with it once I use this concealer because I don't think it needs to-you might find it does.

I put this on first to cover by "age spots" and bruise looking under eye circles. It covers beautifully without being cakey. I often don't even use foundation over it because it leaves such a beautiful radiant finish to my skin and blends nicely. This is the first and only product that actually works for me! I hope it works for you as well!

This really hides dark circles. For puffiness, you really should use under-eye serums or cooling gels (the better ones come with rollerballs). Just search under-eye cooling gels around Sephora.

Nothing really hides puffy because it's not a color. Some people have said to put a slightly darker color on the highest (point that is most puffed) and a lighter were the puff receads. Kind of a optical illusion. In theory it works I guess I havn't quite masterd it yet but I sure am trying. Best of luck...

It is hard to hide puffiness, and I confess I resorted to surgery for this problem, but in general the old rule of going a shade lighter for under eye circles just calls attention to the problem in my opinion. I say don't go any lighter than your foundation, light colors advance and the last thing one wants is the puffs to look "puffier"!

I don't have trouble with puffiness, however it does a great job of covering the darkier part's on my face (i.e. under eye and chin).

You sound like fair/light. However, here is a tip for picking out your color concealer.

(Oh, and I suggest trying it out in the store before you buy it.)

Use your ring finger (or brush) to dab the concealer underneath your eye. If it makes your undereye look grey, then the color is too light for you. Try the next shade up. Concealer should be a bit lighter than your foundation or about the same. At least that is my opinion. I like to wear makeup and make it look like I am not wearing makeup.

Try the Smashbox HD Concealer in Fair/Light. I have the same problem with other brands because I am too dark for the lightest shade and too light for the next darker shade and have golden undertones. That makes many make-up colors look too pink on me and I used to have trouble finding the right colored make-up -- until I found Smashbox.

I was doing the same think for ever. What I do now it pick out the shade I am drawn to initally then go one shade darker. Because you don't want a shade lighter then your skin it will just highlight the area you want it a bit darker not much just enought. With this I can finally get ahold on the darker areas under my eyes. Also I tend to have a pinkish undertone as I'm quite fair skinned but I went out on a lime and tried a slightly yellow based color and found that I was much more happy.... just some thoughts.

I have a light complexion, blue eyes and blonde hair. I choice "fairly light" shade of concealer and it blends in perfect with my foundation.

Yes yes yes yes yes! It will cover anything if applied properly. First I put it on the blemish with a concealer brush--just on the blemish itself, not the area around it. Then I have an airbrush concealer pro brush from sephora that I "buff" it with. Works every time.

This is actually great for covering acne. I have combination skin so I break out here and there, but since this concealer is so concentrated and lightweight, you do not need to use a lot in order to cover discolorations and really stays on all day. Not oily at all. Just be sure to take care and wash your face twice a day.

I used this product on my blemishes and was amazed by the results. I use Differin Gel which really dries out my blemishes as they heal. A lot of concealers and foundation accentuate dryness. I am in love with Smashbox products because they even out my skintone and minimize the appearance of dryness. This concealer fully covered my blemishes and my skin looks flawless. I use a concealer brush to apply this product and a little goes a long way. I squeeze the tube ever so slightly to make a little bit of product appear, dab my brush in it, and apply to my face. I don't waste any product and it goes on smoothly with the brush, blending in perfeclty.

If you plan on crying, swimming, or sticking your face out in the rain, then maybe you should skip concealer all together. Otherwise, this is lightweight, very blendable, covers up all day and I think it's the best concealer out there.

It's not waterproof, which does mean that if a longer wear time is desired a primer is probably necessary. As well as for any circumstance where you might sweat--photo shoots, exercise, etc.

No, this product is not waterproof. However, it is watery.

Not at all. In fact I think this diminishes the look of the fine lines and wrinkles.

Not as much as many others - more on the inner corners than the outer edges.

I think this is the best concealer I've ever used.

I was actually at Ulta and tried both, one under each eye. While I liked the Amazing sample I got from Sephora, side by side I liked this one better. The Amazing is very thick and can be hard to blend in on that delicate area. This had very good coverage and I didn't feel like I was tugging on my eye. This also seemed to brighten up the area better. I'm buying this one now.

I asked one of the sales associates at a Sephora store and they said because it's so great and lightweight, it can go on before OR after your foundation. Just a matter of whatever you are comfortable doing. Also, it lasts all day, which is why I think this concealer is the best. And trust me, I have tried A LOT of concealers.

Thank you ginger022! Also how long does the bottle last?

It does not clog pores! Coming from someone who is acne prone and has gone through so many concealers, I believe this Smashbox HD is the best!

I have acne-prone skin and I haven't had any problems at all.