HOW TO MAKE YOUR EYE BAGS DISAPPEAR IN MINUTES
Beware, under eye baggage, we’re coming for you…
Puffiness, dark circles and bags the size of Texas are common concerns when it comes to the skin around your eyes – especially when you’re on the ‘other’ side of 30. Whether yours are down to pesky genes, allergies, aging, insomnia or a less-than-ideal diet, the struggle is real. And while permanent solutions aren’t always easy without a trip to the doctor’s office (hello microneedling, fillers and laser therapy), there are some awesome and very effective at-home tricks to help you minimize and conceal your under eye bags, fast.
Read on for 10 of the best.
1. Remember, You Are What You Eat (& Drink!)
First, take a look at your diet, because this is often a major factor in the size of your under eye bags – and it’s an easy one to tweak. Salt, in particular, is super dehydrating, causing your body to retain water and making you appear puffy and swollen in all the wrong places. Ditto alcohol.
Try to cut down on these (while drinking plenty of water, of course!) and see if it makes a difference in your level of eye puffiness. Ten bucks says it will. Granted, not in minutes, but in the long-term? For sure.
2. Be Smart With Your Skincare
Little known fact: the skin under your eyes is way thinner than the rest of your face. This means that if you apply your regular face cream to this area it can totally overload the skin, contributing to unwanted puffiness without you even thinking about it.
Face creams are formulated specifically for the skin on your face and they often contain ingredients that are way too heavy for the skin around your eyes. So, if you think you’re doing your skin good by applying moisturizer under your eyes, think again. More likely? You’re doing all kinds of bad.
3. Keep Your Eye Cream In The Fridge
On the subject of skincare, don’t shy away from eye cream. A good eye cream can be an incredible way to help deal with puffiness and dark circles around your eyes – often instantly. Take Peter Thomas Roth Instant FIRMx Eye Temporary Eye Tightener, for example, which took TikTok by storm a few years ago and has remained a fan favorite ever since. This instantly depuffing gel harnesses the power of inorganic salt to create a film on the skin which, when it dries, instantly tightens the skin around your eyes to magically make your bags disappear in seconds.
For longer-term results, we love Murad Targeted Eye Depuffer which has a cooling metal applicator to work on puffiness. Cool temperatures constrict the blood vessels just under the surface of your skin, restricting blood flow, lessening inflammation and reducing swelling. Keep it in the refrigerator for an even more chilling, depuffing effect.
4. Try A Gua Sha Massage
Any kind of gentle, under eye massage is fabulous for improving circulation, helping lymphatic drainage and visibly reduce swelling around your eyes.
To nail a quick under eye massage, cleanse your skin first then apply serum or a light oil to reduce dragging on the skin. Grab your gua sha (or a jade roller) and gently – like, REALLY gently – work it from the outer corner of your under eye inwards along the orbital bone, then back towards your temple and down the neck. Repeat five times then do the same on your other eye. This is a great trick for those morning-after-the-night-before occasions. You know the ones...
5. Don’t Dismiss This Classic, Mama-Knows-Best Trick
Slices of cucumbers, cold used teabags, teaspoons; these were all classic beauty must-dos for those much-loved teenage sleepovers.
Sounds familiar? Then you might want to revisit those glory days because any kind of cold compress helps to calm the area under your eyes, reducing puffiness in just minutes. Cucumbers, in particular, have anti-inflammatory properties and are incredible for hydrating and soothing the skin around your eyes. Meanwhile, the caffeine in tea bags helps to constrict blood vessels, reducing swelling and inflammation. Cleanse your skin first, choose your weapon then lie back and relax for five to 10 minutes.
6. Prime Time
Now for our favorite part: the makeup! While it’s tempting to go straight in with super heavy concealer, this can actually draw attention to the area under your eyes. Less is always more.
Instead of piling on layer after layer of concealer, your better bet is to first apply a thin coating of Pre.Face Primer all over your skin, eye area included. This smoothing, velvety cream not only helps to hydrate your skin – because makeup and dehydration are a terrible combo – but it also fills in cracks and gives your makeup the ideal base to grip on to. Use your ring finger to gently press and tap it under and above your eyes and give it a few seconds to fully absorb before moving on to concealer.
7. Conceal Your Goods
Our creamy Concealers are great for neutralizing darkness and hiding eye bags because they offer opaque, buildable coverage that doesn’t go cakey or crease up after a few hours of wear. Due to their deliciously creamy texture they’re also more flexible than drier formulations which allows them to cling to and move with your skin. Smart, right? Just remember, it's always best to conceal under the eyes before applying foundation to get the perfect, invisible finish.
Some people use their pinkie or ring finger to apply concealer, which is fine… but a brush will give you much more even, long-lasting results. Especially if you have oily skin. Grab the smaller end of your double-ended Essential Concealer Brush – it’s so perfect for your under eye baggage it’s like we planned it (actually, we did!) – then dot concealer under your eyes. Blend carefully with light, gentle brush strokes and avoid the lashline as this area is notorious for creasing and caking. Apply more if you need to, working in thin layers to create perfect not-too-little, not-too-much coverage.
To finish, smooth your brush over your eyelids taking any excess concealer with you. You probably won’t need to add more product for your eyelids, but if they need a little extra help, knock yourself out.
TOP TIP: Most darkness occurs in the inner corners of your eyes, so blend concealer here first. Then check your work in the mirror. Chances are, this could be all you need!
8. Never Use Highlighter On Puffy Eyes
If your bags are super puffy, avoid illuminating concealers as these will highlight extra swelling by reflecting light off those higher areas. Instead, stick with matte formulations and choose warm, peachy or orange-based tones. These will help conceal darkness, without drawing attention to the bags themselves.
9. Ready? Now Set
To minimize creasing and further help your concealer behave all day long, a light dusting of powder is a very wise choice. Setting powders can be a little drying, however, so we prefer to use our Foundation Powder which, good news, comes in your Fold Out Complexion Kit, anyway!
These beautifying Foundation Powders are formulated with vitamin E and stearic acid to help moisturize and strengthen the skin, making them oh-so-good for your complexion as well as freakin’ gorgeous to apply! Simply close your eyes and work a light dusting over them while you’re doing the rest of your face and you’ll be good to go.
Oh and btw, we like to call this concealing sorcery Combination Coverage™ because it blends the perfect harmony of a cream as well as a powder formulation to create natural, buildable and long-lasting coverage. See what we did there?
10. Get In The Shade
Skincare sorted. Makeup mastered. Now before you leave the house, don't forget to pop on a pair of sunglasses. What the… what? Honestly, protecting your peepers from damaging UV radiation is one of the easiest and most effective ways to reduce sagging around the eyes and thus help your skin maintain strength, support and elasticity, (AKA less eye baggage!). So go on, treat yourself to a new pair this spring and don’t be afraid to wear them to death!
This season is all about oversized, Jackie-O style shades which are perfect for protecting as much skin as possible. Chloé always nails this look or check out Free People for more affordable options.
