Under eye circles may be a result of stress bought about by anxiety, lack of sleep and poor nutrition. So lets look at some of the things you can do to help alleviate those annoying under eye circles.

Lack of sleep: This is probably the number one reason for under-eye circles. Without the proper amount of sleep, fluids drain and accumulate under the eye area, causing swelling and turning your beauty sleep into stressful sleep. Tip: Try sleeping an extra hour every night to help bring about relief. You can also help by having your head slightly elevated when you go to bed at night. Not only will you feel better when you wake up, but you will also look better.

Stress: Are you stressed out? Being overly stressed due to job, family, and financial obligations, or for whatever reason can put a strain on your adrenal glands. Dealing with stress can cause you to reach for excessive alcohol, coffee, tea, sugar and salt consumption for comfort as we deal with the stressors in our lives. Before you know it, you are puffy all over and it can be most prevalent under your eyes. Stress is not always easy to control. However, you can control under eye circles by reducing some of your stress related comfort foods.

Try reducing your intake of salt which can cause you to retain water. Watch the amount of coffee and/or tea that you drink, unless of course its herbal tea. I am not a coffee drinker but I do drink tea. At the advice of my doctor who was trying to alleviate a severe post nasal drip from a chest cold, I had to switch to green tea. The withdrawal from my caffeinated tea was not easy, but I have grown to like my green tea. I have it sometimes twice a day with some vanilla soy milk for good measure. And by the way, the severe post nasal drip is history.

If you have a sweet tooth be mindful of your sugar intake. Switch to using honey instead which is better for you, and will not cause water retention. And for you alcohol lovers, it is best to cut it out entirely. But lets be real, for many that is not going to happen. So, if you must have your glass of wine, or your favorite alcoholic beverage, try not having it right before going to bed. You may not like the results when you wake up.

Allergies: There are many products that you may be sensitive to that can cause under eye circles, and discovering the cause can help you to avoid or manage them. Allergies are a contributing factor to under eye circles and some of the more common allergens are from trees, dusts, molds and I hate to say it — but it can also be from your beloved pet. A visit to your doctor will help you identify and treat your allergies which can in turn help to alleviate your under eye circles. I know, because it certainly helped me to say good bye to my puffy eyes.

Solutions:

Eye Creams: Using a firming eye cream in the morning and before retiring at night will give you the most permanent result by helping to strengthen the skin beneath the eye area. Tip: Try our Firming Peptide Eye Creme to consistently reduce the appearance of sagging contours for a noticeably more lifted and rested look.

Eye Gels/ Serums: The use of an eye gel or serum will help to soothe, comfort and fight visible sign of aging around the eye area. Because the skin around the eyes are thinner, using an eye serum in conjunction with a cream can take years off your face. Tip: Try our Decircling Serum for Eyes featuring powerful multi-peptide solutions proven to dramatically diminish puffiness and dark circles.

Concealers: The use of a concealer can make the difference in how the skin under the eye area looks. Before applying a concealer, be sure that your skin is properly hydrated by applying the appropriate moisturizer for your skin type, and your favorite eye creme. This will ensure that your skin is hydrated and your concealer will not cake due to dryness. Your concealer should match the color of your skin for the most natural look, and to perfectly blend in with the rest of your face.

Using an Oval Camouflage Brush, pat a small amount of your concealer under the darkest area of your eyes. Gently pat with your brush until it blends into the skin. Patting on the concealer will not only help blood to flow to the eye area, but no one will see where you applied it because it will look so natural. Tip: Try our Ultimate Brush-On Concealer with a brush wand applicator to effectively cover dark under eye circles; our Ultimate Concealer is a creamy opaque concealer designed to effectively cover skin discoloration with a smooth and natural coverage; and our Corrector Concealer is designed to be used when extra coverage as needed.

1. WEARING HEAVY MAKEUP

Wearing heavy makeup to give the appearance of a youthful face will make you look older, and draw attention to the lines you’re trying to cover up. To keep your skin looking youthful, skip the heavy makeup and choose a sheer foundation (such as Joy Lorraine Jojoba Foundation). Any excess foundation can be removed with a damp sponge. Keeping your skin well hydrated, and using a sheer foundation will give your skin a fresh dewy look.

2. WEARING A LIGHTER FOUNDATION SHADE

Wearing a foundation that is lighter than your natural skin tone, will add years and not youthfulness to your look. Instead, what you have done is make those lines and wrinkles much more noticeable. Opt for a foundation that is a shade darker than your normal skin tone for a healthy glow. This will make your skin look much younger.

3. HEAVY CONCEALER

Too much concealer under the eyes can make you look older, and draw attention to the dark circles you’re trying to cover up. As you age, the skin under the eye area gets thinner. Less is more, so your concealer should be as light as possible. Try applying your concealer with a brush for a more even distribution.

4. HEAVY FACE POWDER

If you have oily skin, use a blotting powder where oiliness is a problem such as your nose, forehead and chin to control shine. A light dusting of your face powder is enough to set your makeup and keep it looking fresh all day. However, using too much can make your skin look dry, and exaggerate facial lines and wrinkles. Stay clear of applying powder around your eye area unless of course, you want to advertise those lines on your face.

5. APPLYING BLUSH

When using blush, apply on the highest point on your cheekbones. Using a large brush, lift upward and blend on entire cheekbone area. A neutral color will flatter and brighten up all skin tones. (Try Joy Lorraine powder blush in Pink Brown.)

6. LIPSTICK THAT BLEEDS

As you mature, your lips become thinner and somewhat dry because it looses water and oil. Wearing lipstick can cause it to bleed into your natural lip line making it very unattractive. To alleviate this problem, try putting a barrier around your lipstick by using a lip liner to outline the shape of your lips. This will help to keep your lipstick right where you put it – on your lips. (Joy Lorraine Lip Liners does the trick.).

7. EVERY DAY LIPSTICK

If you have thin lips, the color of your lipstick will make all the difference in how you look. Women with fair and medium skin tone will look great in pinks and coral lip colors. Deeper skin tones will look great in deep pinks such as plums and berries. Stay clear of metallic or iridescent colors as these may prove too heavy for thin lips. Use a lip liner one shade darker than your natural lip line to outline the shape of your mouth. Apply your lipstick and add a sheer gloss to add fullness to your lips.

8. MASCARA ON BOTTOM LASHES

Mascara is an essential that you should never leave home without, but if you have crow’s-feet and dark circles, sweep a light coating of black mascara on your top lashes from the base to the tip to separate and make them look thick, and long. Avoid mascaras that are thick and clumpy to remove years from your eyes. Use less mascara on your bottom lash, or better yet, skip mascara altogether on your bottom lashes. (Try Joy Lorraine Super Lash Mascara in black.)

9. EYELINER ON THE LOWER LASHES

Unless you want to draw attention to fine lines and dark circles, stick to the upper lids instead. Draw a thicker line as you move toward the outer corners of the eye, to draw attention away from a droopy look. (Try Joy Lorraine Powder Liner Pencil)

10. SPARKLY SHADOW ON THE OUTER CORNERS

A little shimmer and shine can make your eyes look younger. However, refrain from applying to the outer corners because it magnifies the fine line around the eye area. Restrict wearing shimmer shadows to the inner corners, the centers of the lids, and just on the brow bone area.

Here are some tips:

Before getting on the makeup side of things, it’s important to begin with a clean canvas.  Remove any dirt, old makeup, or other types of “residue” that will clog pores under a new layer of foundation. Once it is clean and moisturized, you can use concealer and foundation to cover blemishes and even out your skin tone.

There are several types of concealer- liquid, stick, and powders. Regardless of its physical form, it will prevent you from having to go heavy on foundation. Still, it is best to use the lightest in weight that will work for you. It should then only be applied where needed, such as under the eyes and on red spots, and then blended in so that it’s even with the skin- not too intensely, though, or you’ll just need more and end up with tidemarks.

Foundation is then used to create an even backdrop to the face. It’s important that you find a foundation that is as close as possible to your skin tone- while it may be tempting to go a shade darker for bronzing purposes, leave that for later via a bronzing powder and go with a shade of foundation that matches your face and, in turn, your neck, chest, and the rest of your body. Foundation comes in several forms including liquid, a stick, cream, and powder. Although a solid base tends to be better for coverage, liquids are lighter (less caked) and appear more natural.   If your skin is oily, dry compact powder and oil-free liquids are both good options. For dry skin, you may be better off with a cream base that will moisturize your skin. Be sure to even it out throughout your face, around your hairline, nose, jaw line, and into your neck to achieve a balanced tone that harmonizes with the skin below. You can then follow that off with a loose powder to keep foundation in place and absorb oil.

Beyond foundation and concealer, the degree in which you want to pursue makeup for your eyes, lips, and cheeks can depend on the occasion and your attire. Generally, if you’re looking to go on the natural side, less is more.

To enhance your glow, you can use a bronzer or blush, chosen according to which best complements your natural skin tone. Women with lighter/pale tones tend to appear more natural in blush. If your skin is tanned or an olive, however, you may find that you’re most compatible with a bronzer, although you could also mix the two in some variation that most naturally flushes your cheekbones. Be sure to apply it in light strokes to avoid going overboard.

As far as eye makeup, make mascara a priority. You may decide to go no further than it during the daytime, but it should be the one item you don’t leave off your face when trying to scale down your look to appear less made-up. However, if the occasion calls for you to take it up a notch, you may find that using a muted eye shadow will suit the occasion and bring out your eyes more subtly than loud or glitzy shades. Keep in mind that light colors emphasize your eyes whereas dark colors make them appear smaller. Also, if you use more than one color, be sure to blend in between the lines.

For natural lips, your goal is to add further definition without looking clownish. You’re best off using a lip color with low pigmentation, varying in a soft form from brown to pink according to the tone of your skin. If lips are dry, apply moisturizer or balm before adding any color.

Hopefully these tips will help you to use cosmetic products while continuing to appear as yourself, albeit a more vibrant version. Remember at the end of each day to use a makeup remover and exfoliating wash so that your face stays clean through the night and eases the makeup application process for the next morning.