Late nights, genetics, or even indulging in one too many salty foods at dinner can all contribute to under-eye bags and puffy eyes. And perhaps you’ve tried every under-eye concealer on the market to try and address this area — they may have done a decent job minimizing discoloration under the eye, but few can tackle puffiness.
The secret to tackling eye bags is to not ignore them and to employ a few different, effective actions — some of which don’t actually involve makeup (though, don’t worry, we’ll tell you how to cover them with a good color corrector and concealer, as well). Under-eye bags are super common. Here are some ways to cover them about go about your day and life with confidence.
Apply Something Cold To Your Eyes
Before you start priming and covering up your under-eye bags with concealer, tackle the actual puffiness with something cold. There are plenty of cold items around your house that will do the trick. Cover a few cubes of ice in a paper towel, grab a bag of frozen peas, or you can even take a regular spoon and apply it to your under-eye area so that its natural metal coolness starts to de-puff your tired skin. Cold compresses can also work, as can jade rollers.
Figure Out the Cause Of Your Eye Bags
Figuring out the root cause of your under-eye bags is one of the first steps toward addressing it. Of course, genetics may play a major role here, in which case, you work with what you have and make the best of it. But if you’re noticing your eyes getting swollen after you eat salty dinners or if you have allergies, your solution may be to cut sodium out of your life and speak to your doctor about nasal sprays and allergy medications that can help.
Apply Eye Serum
Applying an eye serum that is designed to target under-eye puffiness, especially one that contains ingredients like caffeine (which de-puffs) and hyaluronic acid (which helps hydrate and smoothen fine lines) is your best bet. Lightly pat the eye serum to your under-eye area after completing your skincare routine. And don’t forget sunscreen — UV rays can contribute to the loss of collagen and thinning of the skin, which makes under-eye discoloration and bags look worse.
Color Correct
Before we move onto the crucial step of concealing discoloration and eye bags, let’s not forget the crucial step of color correcting first. Apply primer to the skin under your eyes to get it ready for makeup. Next, apply color corrector in a shade that cancels out the colors under your eyes. If you present with a lot of dark purple and blue tones, a peach or orangey color corrector can help. If you have redness under the eyes, a green color corrector can neutralize the red. Use your fingers or a damp makeup sponge to apply the color.
Conceal
After you’ve applied color corrector, apply a concealer in one to two shades lighter than your skin onto the area beneath your eyes. Now blend it well using a brush or sponge. Try not to make the common mistake of thinking more is better when it comes to concealing under-eye circles — a few dots may be all you need, plus less makeup means less of an opportunity for it to settle into fine lines and creases beneath the eye. Set your makeup with a translucent powder and finish up with a spritz of setting spray to keep your makeup in place for hours.
You may not be able to banish under-eye circles and puffiness completely — and it’s completely normal and common to have bags and discoloration. But these steps take just a few minutes out of your morning and can help you look and feel more refreshed.
