Wage War Against Under Eye Circles!

Recently I was asked by a friend of mine about what to do with dark under eye circles, or as she called them, "raccoon eyes". I know this is pretty common with a lot of women, so I wanted to put up some ideas/thoughts/solutions that might help. I did some research and pulled from several different resources that should hopefully help us attack "raccoon eyes" from all angles!

Basic Training

1. Get plenty of sleep.Though an obvious solution, most under eye circles are caused by lack of rest and skin damage from illness.
   
2. Try placing cool cucumber slices or black tea bags over your eyes for 20 to 30 minutes each day. These natural remedies minimize the swelling and redness associated with dark under eye circles and bags.
   
3. You can also try covering your eyes with thin potato slices for 10 to 20 minutes each day. Potatoes contain a skin lightening enzyme called catecholase(big word) which is used in many retail cosmetic products and aids in restoring discolored skin areas.
   
4. Apply Vitamin E or olive oil directly to under eye circles and dark spots. Break open a capsule (or purchase a cream if desired) and lightly dab the contents on your under eye circles. Vitamin E and olive oil contain hydrating ingredients that reduce the appearance of circles.
   
5. Drink plenty of water (8 to 10 eight-ounce glasses a day) and take a multi-vitamin regularly. Under eye circles are sometimes caused by a lack of hydration or balance of nutrients in the body and are easily treated by restoring these levels. Courtesy of www.ehow.com.

Choosing Your Weapons

• If you're fair-skinned, apply a sheer light pink concealer, which helps to bounce light off the dark areas.*
• If you have a medium skin tone, try using a peachy beige concealer.*
• For darker skin tones, use a golden beige concealer.*

On of my favorite things is Laura Mercier's Secret Concealer. This moisture-rich concealer is designed specifically for under and around the eye area to conceal discolorations and dark circles. It comes in 6 shades and retails for around $22. You can purchase this at Sephora, some department stores or at www.lauramercier.com.

 

If you're looking for a more budget-friendly solution, try NYC New York Color Corrective Cover Sticks.The soft formula will not pull or tug around your gentle eye area. Use yellow Corrective Cover Sticks to conceal dark under-eye circles and freckles.You can pick this up at almost any retailer such as Walmart, and it runs about $2-$3.

Ready, Aim, Apply!

Use your ring finger to dab on the concealer, since it's the weakest finger and won't pull as hard on your delicate eye tissue. Also, don't forget to apply concealer on the hollow sides of the nose(right next to your eye socket). This will open up your eyes and make them look bright and fresh.

I like to finish off my under eye treatment with another Laura Mercier product, Secret Brightening Powder. It's used to set your concealer, as well as add an invisible lightening boost. It retails for around $22 and can be purchased at the same locations as the LM Secret Concealer.

Get a medium-sized flat makeup brush, dip it into the powder, tap off the excess and apply to your under eye by pressing slowly from the hollow sides of your nose to the outer corner of your eye.

Other Tips and Tricks

(Courtesy of Bobbi Brown, one of my favorite makeup artists!)

Keep the focus on your upper eye. Most women who have extreme under eye darkness also have dark eyelids. Lighten it up with a white or bone-colored eye shadow. Don't line the lower lash line or apply mascara  to the lower lashes.**

*Crazy Busy Beautiful by Carmindy
**Living Beauty by Bobbi Brown