As human beings, our under-eyes are naturally darker than the rest of our face because the skin is thinner with lots of blood vessels. Plus, it’s the most sensitive part of our face, making it prone to puffiness after late-night Netflix binge sessions. In other words, the under-eyes can easily become an eyesore. Fortunately, there are solutions—be it tea bags, slices of cucumber, or ice rollers—there are plenty of de-puffing and brightening hacks to be tried. But when you’re looking for a quick fix, the best solution for getting rid of under-eye bags and circles is also the easiest one: Learn how to properly apply under-eye makeup. The key word here is properly—for all the aforementioned reasons (thin skin, sensitive skin, and blood vessels, for instance), it’s easy for makeup to look clumpy in this area, counterintuitively making your under-eyes stand out more. If you’re looking for a seamless application that blurs the appearance of puffiness, strategy is key. Whether you have perma-bags or simply drank one glass too many last night, follow our step-by-step guide to eliminating both under-eye bags and circles. Tip: Use an actual eye cream, which is specifically formulated to treat this delicate area. Eye cream typically plumps the skin, thereby making the veins underneath a little less visible. You can choose one with light-reflecting pigments to further brighten the area, one with caffeine (it’s a vasoconstrictor, meaning it compresses blood vessels in the skin), or a gentle skin-lightening ingredient, such as vitamin K. If dark circles are due to sun damage, an eye cream with alpha hydroxy acid will help lighten the unwanted pigment. If your circles are very dark, see a dermatologist to ask about a prescription cream containing a lightening agent like hydroquinone. If you’re dealing with puffiness, you may want to apportion some extra time to apply under-eye gels (a cold roller works, too). Keep them in the fridge for at least 15 minutes, then place under your eyes for an instant cooling and de-puffing effect. Priming the eyes with a color corrector can make concealer more effective. Unlike using just regular concealer, using a color-correcting shade will essentially neutralize whatever imperfection you want to hide. Use complementary colors (which are opposite on the color wheel) to cancel each other out. That means when it comes to correcting pesky under-eye circles, you should reach for sunny colors, like peach, yellow, and orange. “The key is to apply it only where there is darkness, so that you don’t see the orange hue,” says Quinn Murphy, a celebrity makeup artist and host of In My Chair podcast. Try: Fenty Beauty Bright Fix Eye Brightener Concealer ($26; sephora.com). Swipe the formula over your dark circles in a “V” shape (so the tops of the “V” are at the inner and outer corner of your eye), then blend the “V” shape into your under-eye area using a concealer brush. Why under and not over? According to Murphy, this creates the illusion of lift, just like contouring does on your cheekbones. The visual trick will lift the surrounding skin to help recede any ballooned creases. Since under-eye bags are often textured, part of the goal in concealing them is to minimize texture and fake a smoother appearance. Bags can be enhanced by creasing concealer (which is a result of oily skin), so a light dusting of translucent powder, like Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder ($40; sephora.com) can be helpful. Instead of dusting it on, use a brush or sponge to “stamp” it into the skin to prevent streaking.
