The Best Under Eye Makeup Products for Looking Younger and Awake

Product Sent for Review I Bought It Affiliate Links



I'm one of those girls that fights their under eye area. I have a little discoloration there, and depending upon how much sleep I get, I can have bags. Note, this picture is unaltered, pretty close up, and was taken after I was up every 2 hours all night, after about 9 months of never sleeping more than 2-3 hours, and I'm 38 now. So, I'm pretty happy with how my eye area looks! (Though that little bit of redness in the circle wasn't visible in person. Thanks camera!) Trust me, before the steps below, things looked much worse that morning. And they could look much better if I photoshopped it, but that's not really the point, is it?

In the past, I have published posts on Dealing With Under Eye Puffiness, The Best Eye Creams According to Dermatologists, Concealer Tricks No One Tells You, All About Under Eye Primers, and How to Use Concealer and Corrector. And that doesn't even take into account the huge numbers of concealer reviews on 15 Minute Beauty!

Yes, there's a lot of obsessing over the under eye area. But, given my "real" job (the one that makes me money!) and my 2 little girls, I don't get much sleep. And I really hate having people ask if I feel ok or if I'm tired.

Here's a peek at my favorite products for the under eye area and a few tips for how I use them. I've tried to include all price points, let me know if you have any questions! Don't forget to check out my fellow Makeup Wars bloggers, they're sharing their favorite under eye problem solvers today also!

Eye Creams

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Skipping eye cream is not an option for me now that I'm in my late 30's. I apply it first thing after washing my face, and then usually my BB Cream goes over it. While I usually use the same eye cream in the am that I use in the pm, that isn't always true (I only use the YSL in the am). My criteria are a few anti-aging ingredients such as peptides and anti-oxidants, and caffeine to help shrink things and tighten, even if only temporarily. The main thing I look for is good hydration, and I want it to sink in right away. The hydration will help plump up my under eye area, helping it to look much better than it should otherwise!

iS Clinical Youth Eye Complex (buy it at DermStore or SkinStore): This eye cream was mentioned in my Best Eye Creams from Dermatologists post, and somehow has not had it's own post though I've mentioned it a few times! It has vitamins C, E, Retinol, tons of hydration, peptides to increase collagen and it also fights dark circles. I definitely think it makes me look more awake because my concealer looks so much better over it. It is pricey, but the bottle lasted me 6 months!

Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado (at Kiehl's or Nordstrom): I reach for this one mostly in the winter because it is heavier duty than the others in terms of hydration. A little dab goes a long way!

Rodan and Fields Redefine Multifunction Eye Cream (you can buy from Rodan and Fields, my consultant is in Michigan, let me know if you want her name): I'm using this currently after buying it from a high school friend, and so far I do really like it! It has peptides and anti-oxidants, not to mention some optical diffusers to make things look a little better.

Yves Saint Laurent Top Secrets Eye Roll-On Pen (get it at Nordstrom, Saks or Bloomingdale's): This one also has optical diffusers and it absorbs very fast. I only use it in the am because it doesn't offer as much in the anti-aging department, but it

Color Correctors

When there's a lot of discoloration, it can seem that many layers of concealer still won't hide everything. A little color corrector under concealer can work a lot of miracles. You can read more about it in my post on How to Use Concealer and Corrector, but the general idea is that an orange or peach tone will help hide blue-brown discolorations under the eye. For more discoloration, you'll need a more vivid tone. Pat it directly on the discoloration, then cover with concealer.

Note that most women need correction for brown-blue tones, personally I have mostly red tones under my eyes, so I use green corrector.

Bobbi Brown Corrector (at Bobbi Brown, Sephora or Nordstrom): This is the "classic" under eye corrector. There are a lot of different shades available, but they vary in how vivid the peach is and the tone of the underlying "flesh" is. Which means, there should be one for pretty much everyone!

FACE Stockholm Corrective Concealer (at FACE Stockholm or DermStore): This is the corrector that I reach for most days. It has a very faint tint, and a little goes a long, looooong way! I have had the same little pots of the redness and blue correctors for about 3 years and with daily use they aren't even halfway used up.

NYX Concealer Jar (from NYX or Drugstore.com): The consistency of the NYX correctors is pretty similar to the FACE Stockholm products, but the colors are much more vivid, so great for those with darker complexions or more intense color to correct.

Concealers

When it comes to under eye concealers, I look for very, very pigmented formulas that blend easily and don't crease throughout the day. In large part this is because I have a visible capillary under my skin on one side (it's been there since I was a kid), and if it's visible about every 30 minutes someone tells me that I have an eyelash there. It's annoying. So, I use more pigmented concealer.

As I've gotten older, I've definitely found that this can cause issues. I have to use very light layers of the concealer, blend it well, and I don't put much under the outer corner, where I don't really even have crow's feet, but a lot of concealer there definitely doesn't look so hot. So, use these concealers at your own risk, if you have more under eye issues, skip ahead to the next section!

Clarins Instant Concealer (fron Nordstrom, Clarins or Bloomingdale's: This is a new favorite, it was sent to me by Clarins for a post over the summer on 5, 10 and 15 Minute looks, and it hasn't left my vanity counter top since! I really neeeed to stock up. It is well pigmented, blends easily, and lasts all day. I can add a little to a BB Cream to increase the pigmentation, and it looks perfect (I've mostly been using the Bobbi Brown CC Cream in Blushed Nude). I have 2 sitting in my Nordie's cart now, waiting for me to spend my birthday gift cards!

It Cosmetics Bye Bye Undereye (at It Cosmetics or ULTA): This is the most pigmented of the bunch, it really does. not. budge. in water! Yes, it's great if you have any issues with disappearing makeup. It's similar to the Clarins, but slightly more pigmented, and heavier duty.

Amazing Cosmetics Amazing Concealer (at Sephora, ULTA or DermStore): This one comes in a ton of shades, and is similar to the Clarins but with a little less pigmentation. I love that it also comes in a slightly smaller travel size!

LA Girl Pro Concealer (at Walgreen's or Drugstore.com): This is the only "budget" concealer that I use now, though I admit that I use the others much more often. It is well pigmented (though less than the others) and it blends easily. It doesn't stick around as well as the others when I'm outside and sweaty, but it outperforms anything else I've ever found at a drugstore.

Highlighters

As noted above, lots of concealer isn't so great when you're getting older (like me!). It can really emphasize every little wrinkle that might not be a wrinkle yet even. And if your under eye area is dry at all (this is why I insist on eye cream now)... forget it! Heavy concealer will fill in any slightly dry area and make you look much older.

So, that's when it is time to look for something with less pigmentation and a bit of light deflection. There really are only 2 options to use "alone" in the under eye area I think (the YSL and Maybelline Dupe). Or, you can custom blend your own slightly more pigmented version, I will use the Smashbox with one of the above concealers, and add in a little eye cream. Then I mix it all up on the back of my hand and apply.

Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat (from Nordstrom, YSL or Sephora): This is an expensive classic, it offers just a little bit of coverage and the perfect light diffusion. I do think you need to be "of a certain age" to appreciate this product. I reviewed it about 4 years ago and kind of panned it, I just didn't get it. Now on particularly rough under eye days (and the picture above wasn't one of those days), I'll grab this instead of concealer and it really does make me look more awake.

Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealer (at ULTA, Amazon or Target): A decent replacement for the YSL, this one does have a little less light diffusion and a tad more coverage.

Smashbox Photo Op Under-Eye Brightener (get it from Nordstrom, Sephora, or Smashbox): This is a light rosy-champagne shimmer that would work anywhere you want to highlight, but is especially great to mix with a concealer! It diffuses the light and makes your eye area look better.




Want some more under eye products? Don't forget to check out what my friends in Makeup Wars are using to look younger and more awake!

An InLinkz Link-up

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7

Beauty Blogger Empties: Loving These Things and Repurchasing Them

Product Sent for Review I Bought It Myself Affiliate Links



I've been talking lately about a lot of my beauty blogger friends, and we all agreed that over the past few years, we've been cutting down on the continual product testing. Don't get me wrong, I still use a lot of new products, but I'm allowing myself longer to test them. I'm spending a lot more time with my favorite "in between" products. And while those favorites do evolve a bit over time, I'm doing a lot more repurchasing of products, and I actually have empties! I'm using products up! This was unheard of a few years ago.

So, in honor of all those discussions lately, here's a look at all of the products I've finished and am repurchasing. I'm spending my own money on all of these, despite the offers for similar (free) products. I'd rather use this salt spray than any other. I want my own eye cream, thanks!

1. iS Clinical Youth Eye Complex (at DermStore or SkinStore): This eye cream was mentioned in my Best Eye Creams from Dermatologists post, and somehow has not had it's own post though I've mentioned it a few times! It has vitamins C, E, Retinol, tons of hydration, peptides to increase collagen and it also fights dark circles. I definitely think it makes me look more awake because my concealer looks so much better over it. It is pricey, but the bottle lasted me 6 months! In my shopping cart now. (Not pregnancy safe)

2. It Cosmetics CC+ Illumination Cream (at It Cosmetics or ULTA): This is the newest CC Cream from It, they also have a more traditional (not illuminating) version. They've sent me both kinds, in various shades. Because it is a pretty full coverage product, you do need a pretty good color match. Unfortunately for me, I'm darker than the Fair shade, but much lighter than Light. So, I've bought tubes of both (depending upon what was sent to me) and I've been mixing my own. For my perfect match I need about 75% fair, 25% light. It is hydrating but not overly so for my combination skin, and I love that it is medium to full coverage with almost no blending. I'm going to continue buying 2 tubes all summer long so I can have the perfect match! (Not pregnancy safe)

3. Living Proof Perfect Hair Day 5-in-1 Styling Treatment (at Sephora or Nordstrom, my Living Proof PhD review): This styling cream is in my hair pretty much every day now. I've already gone through 2 bottles! It is the only Living Proof product that combines their anti-frizz ingredient with the volumizing product, and it does a great job of protecting my hair from heat damage as well.

4. Bliss Fabulous Foaming Face Wash (at Sephora and Macy's): I have a big bottle of this in my shower and another next to my sink. I used to reserve this amazing face wash for when I travel (I would hoard bottles of it from hotels), but now I just use it pretty much every day. I do rotate in other products on occasion (like the Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cleanser), but this one is my current favorite.

5. Revitalash Advanced Lash Conditioner (from Revitalash, Nordstrom or Drugstore.com): I pre-purchased 4 of these during the summer Nordie's Anniversary Sale, so they were quite the deal! It makes my lashes so long that I have to be careful with my glasses. Yes. I will not test other lash conditioners. (Not pregnancy safe)

6. Garnier Clean + Nourishing Cleansing Oil (at Drugstore.com or ULTA): I mentioned this on Monday in my Favorite Eye Makeup Removers post, I think I'm on my 4th or 5th bottle of this cleanser already. It's meant to be used just as a facial cleanser, but I use it with a cotton round to easily remove all of my eye makeup. It does leave an oily mess behind, I clean that up with the Bliss Face Wash.

7. Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara (at Too Faced or Sephora): I've lost track of how many tubes of this stuff I've gone through!

8. Elizabeth Arden Beautiful Color Precision Glide Eyeliner (at Elizabeth Arden) and the Beautiful Color Smoky Eyes Pencil (at Elizabeth Arden): These are currently my 2 go-to eye liner pencils. They're well pigmented, smudge just right into my lash line and won't budge all day.

9. Kerastase Spray à Porter (at Kerastase or Birchbox): This is my go-to salt spray. Others are ok, but this one just really works for me. It adds just enough texture that my hair holds styles and it doesn't feel sticky! How did I live without this??

10. Kerastase Bain Chroma Riche Shampoo & Masque Chroma Riche (at Kerastase): Their shampoo and conditioner for color treated, dry or damaged hair. I've discovered that it really is worth it, and if you watch carefully these products come up on Rue La La about every 6-8 weeks, so you should never have to pay full price! I've found that for some reason the shampoo is really the key to a great hair day for me, I use it every other shampoo (I still get those good hair days!). I buy the big, salon size, and I use the super intense hair mask (the regular conditioner is now not so helpful... I go with the masque!)


What have you used up recently? I had a lot of empties this month. So, I'm currently filling shopping carts all over the web!


Product Sent for Review I Bought It Myself Affiliate Links
I feel the need to explain this disclosure a bit more. A few of these items were originally sent by PR, like the Revitalash (which was sent years ago, but I've repurchased so many times that I've lost count), the Kerastase spray was sent, the Living Proof and It Cosmetics sent me the CC+ Cream but I don't actually match any of it so I mix 2 together (and I like it so much that I've repurchased 2 colors a few times). So yes, stuff was sent, but I've been spending my own money!

3

Getting Rid of Crow's Feet: What Actually Works?

Nothing to Disclose



I'm pretty lucky. Thanks to good genes, daily sunscreen since my teens and lots of big sunglasses (I hate squinting, I will wear sunglasses outside at any possible moment), my eyes are relatively wrinkle free for my age. But that doesn't mean I ignore that area! I'm all about eye creams (check out dermatologists' favorite eye creams if you need a good one) and I loved my Tria Age Defying Laser (an at home non-ablative laser, similar to what is mentioned below), I'll start using it again once I have baby #2!

But if you really want to see results when treating your crow's feet, rather than just preventing them from appearing (like me), what should you do? I asked a few dermatologists for their favorites to actually treat crow's feet.


At Home

Eric Schweiger, MD is a Dermatologist at Clear Clinic Acne Treatment Center in New York City
Daily use of an eye cream to plump up the skin around the eyes will also help. Wearing sunglasses will also help prevent more crow’s feet from forming.

Karen Stolman, MD is a Dermatologist in Salt Lake City and she writes Skinality
For at home, I recommend topicals containing retinoids and growth factors.

Debra Jaliman, MD is a Dermatologist in New York City
For crows feet it's good to use retinol at night but be sure to uses a sunscreen in the morning. You can also use peptides which stimulates collagen production.

Fayne L. Frey, MD is a Dermatologist in West Nyack, NY and the founder of Fry Face, a product selection tool
As moisturizers, anti-wrinkle creams increase hydration of the skin temporarily reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles! The most effective way to decrease the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, including crows feet around the eyes, is to moisturize the skin in the morning and evening. Apply sunscreen daily, scientifically proven to be the most effective over the counter anti-aging preventative on the market today.

Dr. Goldfaden
At home you can use any types of eye creams. Look for ingredients such as Arnica, hyaluronic acid, rice bran extract and soy peptides. These help to remove darkness, puffiness and wrinkles. Our Bright Eyes targets darkness, puffiness and fine lines and wrinkles.



In The Doctor's Office

Eric Schweiger, MD is a Dermatologist at Clear Clinic Acne Treatment Center in New York City
For in-office, Botox is hands down the best option for crow’s feet. It has the ability to erase them in a single treatment. It just received FDA-approval for crow’s feet last year.

Karen Stolman, MD is a Dermatologist in Salt Lake City and she writes Skinality
My favorite in-office crow's feet and periorbital wrinkle treatment are in order from short-term to longer term are: Botox, fillers, radio-frequency tightening, laser resurfacing.

Debra Jaliman, MD is a Dermatologist in New York City
As a dermatologist I offer Botox injections for the crows feet. I also perform non-ablative laser procedures. The genesis laser is very effective for crows feet as is the Medlite laser. It take a series of 4-6 lasers performed 2 weeks apart.

Fayne L. Frey, MD is a Dermatologist in West Nyack, NY and the founder of Fry Face, a product selection tool
Dermatologists can offer an array of treatments that can improve the appearance of aging. Prescription strength retinoids, vitamin A derivatives, can have a beneficial effect. Chemical peels, laser treatments, injectables like BOTOX and fillers can all be utilized to minimize the appearance of the aging face.

2

The Best Eye Creams: Dermatologists and their Favorite Products!

Since my post on Dealing With Undereye Puffiness: Preventing It, Treating It and Camouflaging It, I have gotten a lot of emails asking for eye cream recs! I mentioned a few products in that post, and there are some in my Hiding the Bags collection. But, I thought it was time to share some what dermatologists look for in eye creams and a few of their favorites!

Note that quite a few of these products can be hard to find in stores, but they're all over in my Hiding the Bags collection. Don't forget to Follow Me while you're checking out the products!


Debra Jaliman, MD is a dermatologist with a private practice in New York City.
Her favorite eye cream: Neocutis Lumiere Bio-Restorative Eye Cream (1)

What's so magical about it?
• Caffeine to shrink vessels and decrease darkness.
• Hyaluronic acid and glycerin for moisture.
• Human growth factor to decrease wrinkles.


Rahat Azfar, MD is a dermatologist in New York City.
Dr. Azfar looks for creams with Vitamin C, E, retinol, and hyaluronic acid. She likes iS Clinical Youth Eye Complex (2) because it contains all of those ingredients.


Avery Kuflik, MD is a dermatologist with a private practice in New Jersey.
His favorite creams:
We have several staff favorites at Kuflik Dermatology. One is Revision's Teamine (7) which helps to reduce the appearance of fine lines, dark circles and puffiness. Another is Obagi's Elastiderm (8) which is a treatment that helps to reduce fine lines and wrinkles while bringing back the resiliency of the delicate skin around the eyes. Some really like using all natural products, so for those we like Dr. Hauschka's Daily Revitalizing eye cream (4).

What to look for:
I look for eye creams with antioxidants and peptides. I also look for creams that contain "non-clogging" oils like avocado oil which not only adds moisture to the skin without clogging the pores but has the benefit of stimulating collagen production. Humectants like glycerine and dimethicone add moisture and give the skin that smooth, silky feel.


Rebecca Tung, MD is the Director of the Division of Dermatology at Loyola University Medical Center in Chicago.
Dr. Tung recommends caffeine to reduce puffiness and ingredients that promote growth and turnover of dead skin cells such as hydroxy acids, Vitamin C, and growth factors. Dr. Tung says, "Neocutis Lumiere Bio-Restorative Eye Cream (1) is one product that helps improve the undereye area, it is usually okay in sensitive skin people too."


James C. Marotta, MD is a Facial Plastic Surgeon who practices in Long Island.
Dr. Marotta doesn't have a favorite eye cream, but there are quite a few ingredients he watches for!
• Hyaluronic Acid and Ceramides: For plump skin cells nothing beats hyaluronic acid, which draws moisture from the air and holds up to 1,000 times its weight in water. Additionally, ceramides also help maintain hydration.
• Retinol: A vitamin A derivative, retinol stimulates cell turnover and collagen production, helping to strengthen skin and reduce complexion imperfections like sun spots and fine lines.
• Neuropeptides: Supersensitive skin types might opt for a peptide-packed eye cream instead of a retinoic acid one. Like retinol, neuropeptides also stimulate collagen and elastin production, but are gentler on the dermis
• Vitamins C and E: Besides vitamin A (in the form of topical retinol), vitamins C and E are also potent anti-aging ingredients. While vitamin C aids in collagen production and skin elasticity, vitamin E soothes and protects


Vish Banthia, MD is a Facial Plastic Surgeon in Beverly Hills, and is Chief Medical Officer of Zendy Beauty.
Dr. Banthia likes Obagi Elastiderm (8), which has moisturizing and anti-inflammatory properties.

Here are some of Dr. Banthia's favorite ingredients to look for in an eye cream:
• Hyaluronic acid: Hyaluronic acid is present in our skin. It provides lubrication and is good for keeping the skin moist / hydrated.
• Acetyl hexapeptide or Argireline: This is a peptide which is used to help prevent wrinkles.
• Vitamin K: Thought to improve puffy skin around the eyes and potentially improve dark circles.
• Caffeine: vasoconstrictor effects help minimize puffiness and a create a bit of skin tightening effect.
• Vitamin C/berry extracts: these have anti-oxidant potential; vitamin C is involved in collagen synthesis.
• Arnica: Has an anti-inflammatory effect; may help puffiness


Debbie Palmer, DO is a dermatologist in Harrison, New York. She also created Replere Skin Care.
Dr. Palmer likes potent antioxidants, hyaluronic acid and vitamin A in eye creams. Her favorite eye cream is Replere Renew and Firm Eye Serum (5) because it is all natural, great for all skin types, fragrance free, paraben and dye free, and never tested on animals. It contains potent antioxidants that rejuvenate naturally.


Purvisha Patel, MD is a dermatologist in Memphis.
Dr. Patel looks for caffeine and a good hydrator in eye creams, her favorite is Neocutis Lumiere Bio-Restorative Eye Cream (1).


David E. Bank, MD is a dermatologist in Mt Kisco, New York.
Dr. Bank likes both Doll Face Soothe Triple-Action Under Eye Serum (3) and RoC Retinol Correxion Sensitive Eye Cream (6).

What he looks for in eye creams:
• Hyaluronic Acid and Ceramides keep your sensitive skin hydrated.
• Retinol boosts cell turnover to give you stronger skin and also helps diminish fine lines and discoloration.
• Neuropeptides can give similar benefits to retinols without the harsh side effects that some may people may experience from retinoic acid.
• Vitamins A, C and E will all help skin stay healthy. Vitamin A can be found in your retinoid, Vitamin C will improve collagen production and elastic and Vitamin E will protect your skin from outside factors.
• Caffeine helps to constrict superficial blood vessels to decrease darkness


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There are a lot of great eye creams out there! I'll be adding more to my Hiding the Bags Collection. Be sure to check out my collections on eBay and follow me!

My eBay Collections were curated as part of my collaboration with eBay #followitfindit and Style Coalition.

8

Dealing With Undereye Puffiness: Preventing It, Treating It and Camouflaging It

I thought it would be fun to address a reader question today! In this post I'll be talking about strategies and application, and you'll find my product recommendations over in my Hiding the Bags Collection on eBay! Be sure to follow me, I'll be adding great eye creams, concealers and correctors as I find them!

I am really struggling with under eye puffiness and how to disguise it (inexpensively). Do you have any suggestions?
Thank you!
-Lisa

What Causes It and How Can I Prevent Undereye Bags?
There are quite a few reasons to have puffiness under your eyes, and I love Dr. Bailey's post on what causes undereye circles, bags and puffiness for more details. The undereye area has very thin skin. This means that the fat pad under the skin can more easily affect the outward appearance, when it accumulates extra fluid this will create that bag we all hate.

There are a few big culprits behind the undereye bags and puffiness. The swelling can be associated with allergies, too much salt intake, or just have some circulatory issues in the area.

For allergies, try talking to your doctor about an anti-histamine. Track your food intake with a food dairy, watching for patterns with salty foods. I have undereye swelling the next day if I eat a lot of french fries or potato chips, so I've cut back and eat the "lightly salted" chips in my home. If neither of these seem to help, you can try sleeping slightly elevated to discourage the swelling from forming.


How Can I Treat Undereye Bags?
When your undereye area is swollen you'll want to target treatments that mobilize the fluid and get it out of the region while promoting circulation (again, to help move that extra fluid out of there).

There are a lot of good old fashioned treatments that will help with this. Tea bags on your eyes will introduce caffeine, which is an anti-inflammatory, constricts blood vessels to shrink the area and is dehydrating to help get rid of excess fluid. Caffeine can also be found in most eye creams. Cold items like spoons or a cold eye mask will also help to constrict the blood vessels. Massaging the undereye area will help to mobilize the excess fluid from the fat pad as well.

Have you ever heard the one about using Preparation H for undereye bags? Dr. Benabio has a great post about why you shouldn't use Preparation H under your eyes, but this is one to avoid. The main ingredient in Preparation H is Phenylephrine, which is also the main ingredient in Afrin. Phenylephrine acts through the alpha-1 adrenergic receptor to constrict the blood vessels (this is the main reason I usually use phenylephrine in the ICU, it helps raise blood pressure as a 3rd or 4th line vasoconstricting agent). Long term this isn't a great idea, the body can actually ramp up the opposing beta receptors and make the swelling worse! I won't even mention the moisturizing agents in the Preparation H, which aren't formulated for use on the face.

Instead, you are better off checking out what to look for in an eye cream. When treating bags I absolutely must have caffeine in my eye cream! I also like nice hydration to help my concealer blend easily and if the cream fights aging as well, that's an added bonus! I've pulled together a lot of eye creams that meet my criteria over in my Hiding the Bags Collection.


How Can I Hide or Camouflage Undereye Puffiness?
Hiding your undereye bags, or at least camouflaging them, isn't hard once you know the tricks. Hiding a bag is the opposite of concealing an undereye circle. You want the bag to recede, so you'll use darker colors and avoid highlighters. There are a lot of product options for the makeup steps, you can see my picks (with information about each product) in my Hiding the Bags Collection.


I always start with my eye cream, giving it a few minutes to full sink into the undereye area. Once the cream has sunk into my skin, I color correct any issues (I have a more complete post on how to color correct). Just because you have bags, doesn't mean you don't also have circles! Take a look at the circles, and decide what color they really are. Most circles are blue or purple toned, though mine frequently have some red mixed in just for fun. You'll want to use a corrector that is directly opposite the main color on the color wheel. So, peach for a blue/purple circle, green will cancel out redness. Apply a very small amount of the color corrector only on the discoloration.


After you have color corrected it is time to conceal! For undereye bags you need a concealer that is the same shade as your skin tone, not lighter. Apply a small amount to the undereye area. I think of the application area as a triangle, I concentrate the concealer closer to my eye but do blend it outward. Depending on who you talk to you'll be told to only use a brush, your fingertip or a sponge like a BeautyBlender. Experiment to see what works best for you. I do best with my fingertip and then I pounce a dry BeautyBlender over the area to thin out my concealer a bit.


This next step will seem very strange, but it really does work! In makeup, dark colors make things recede, light and shimmer makes things come out. If your puffiness is directly under your eye you can extend a bit of a mid-tone matte eye shadow down onto the puffy area to make it less noticeable. If the puffiness is lower down, a little bit of matte bronzer on your face extended onto the puffy area will help. This needs to be pretty subtle, especially if you're pulling bronzer up for undereye bags. Go for a light application of a matte shade, you can always add more product. You should notice the bag recede a bit, you don't want to really notice that the area is darker.

Once you are happy with how everything looks, set the products with a fine translucent powder.



There are a lot of great products to help treat, color correct and conceal undereye bags and puffiness! I've collected products over in my Hiding the Bags Collection. Be sure to check out my collections on eBay and follow me! I'll be adding new things as I find them, expect many more eye creams!

My eBay Collections were curated as part of my collaboration with eBay #followitfindit and Style Coalition.

3

First Aid Beauty Detox Eye Roller Review: A Lot of Under Eye Goodness in a Little Bottle

When it comes to eye creams, I'm all about plumping everything up and making it look less wrinkly and swollen. Really, it is amazing what a little moisture will do to the under eye area! I hate looking tired, and it seems that I'm really prone to it. All the concealer in the world isn't enough to cover up my under eye issues, but a good eye primer can hide a lot of my faults and makes my concealer application better.

The Detox Eye Roller is a small glass bottle (it holds 10 mL, which is about 1/3 ounce) of a clear liquid. Really, it feels like slightly thick water. It comes out of a metal roller top, which you're meant to roll over the under eye area. I've been suspicious of the eye product roller application in the past (like here), though I do like this applicator. I'm still not sure that the ball really does much with redistributing lymph like FAB says, but it does help greatly with proper application (I'm sure without it I would be using about 3-4 weeks worth of product at a go), and with the roller I'm much more gentle on the area than I would be with a finger tip.

The liquid is light and it disappears really quickly into my skin. There's no residue and no greasy feeling left behind, and it doesn't interfere with makeup application. I do like to have a little bit more of a creamy/lotion typically in this area to smooth my concealer application, but it doesn't seem to really matter with this eye liquid (I don't know what to call it. It isn't a cream...)

Ingredients:
Water (Aqua), Glycerin, Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Water, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Camellia Sinensis (White Tea) Leaf Extract, Chrysanthemum Parthenium (Feverfew) Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Palmitoyl Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Palmitoyl Oligopeptide, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Ethoxydiglycol, Polysorbate 20, Caffeine, Menthyl Lactate, PEG-12 Dimethicone, Aminomethyl Propanol, Carbomer, Benzoic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Mica (CI 77019), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891)

So, really here's where the best info is! In that ingredient list you'll find:
Moisture (temporarily plumps stuff up, making it look smoother and fine lines less obvious): Glycerin, Sodium Hyaluronate
Antioxidants: White Tea Extract
Peptides: Palmitoyl Oligopeptide, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Anti-Inflammatory: Feverfew (also decreases redness), Licorice Root
Brightening: Licorice Root (decreases melanin production)
Tightening: Caffeine




First Aid Beauty

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A Month of Meaningful Beauty: What Do I Think After Using It?

For the past month or so I've been participating in a Meaningful Beauty skincare review. This was a product line that I was interested in anyways (seriously, Cindy kind of sucks you in with the French Melon in the infomercials), and I get asked about it by readers a lot. Like, really, a lot.

So, for the past month I've been using the line and participating in Meaningful Activities. You can see some of the activities over on my Facebook Page. There are a few things not mentioned there, in truth because I forgot to take pics! Things like bringing donuts in to the ICU for my nursing staff on the week end, etc. It was really nice to have a little extra money each week to think about what was really important to me or would enhance my own life or those around me. I was able to go out to eat with friends and family, purchase a gift for our adopted family at work and I bought a few goodies to enhance the cooking marathon that was Thanksgiving. I have one more activity to post over there later today.

Overall, what are my thoughts on Meaningful Beauty?

Keep Reading...

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Somme Institute Eye Cream Review

Here it is, the eye cream that I've fallen in love with! This thing is amazing. Yes, it contains the same MDT5 as the other Somme products, with the blend of vitamins A, B3, B5, C and E that penetrate deeply and help to fight aging and improve your skin. But, this white cream just feels amazing going on. Somehow it feels like my eye area is immediately better. Very hydrated, but not too hydrated, it sinks in immediately and there's no residue left on the skin. It makes concealer go on more perfectly over it. It makes me look less tired. Love it.




Note that the presence of vitamin A in the MDT5 technology means that this entire line should be avoided in pregnancy.

Somme Institute

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Kiehl's Midnight Recovery: Is One Night Really All You Need For Younger Looking Skin?

Have you heard about the Midnight Recovery products from Kiehl's? They promise overnight improvement in your skin, to help regenerate, repair and replenish your skin. Their Concentrate has been so successful that they're releasing a companion eye cream.

So, obviously it must do something to be so popular, right? But, what could a product really do given about 8 hours on your skin?

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Concealer Series: Per-Fekt Beauty Eye Perfection Gel

I thought I'd take a break from concealers today to talk about Per-Fekt Beauty Eye Perfection Gel, which is a product I mentioned in my how and where to use concealers and correctors post, but I've been somehow slow to actually write a full post about.

As I mentioned in that post, I think the real tip to success with a concealer lasting all day without settling or caking is the area preparation. Having your eye area well moisturized helps the concealer to blend well and set up properly. Truly, this makes a big difference for me.

This eye gel from Per-Fekt is a quick and easy way to have the perfect canvas for your concealer. It comes in a few shades, including translucent. If you order a shade (I have "bright" which is the lightest color), don't expect a lot of coverage. This isn't concealer. The coverage is very light and while it is there, I'm not sure it helps me very much.

The gel does have a silicone base, so it feels very slick and smooth during application. Unlike other silicone based primers that I've used in the past, this one does not pill up if applied too soon after washing my face or applying regular moisturizer. Instead it spreads easily and absorbs into my skin.

The gel has quite a few moisturizing ingredients, including hyaluronic acid and ceramides. It also has a lot of ingredients found on my anti-aging check list such as the anti-oxidants Alpha Lipoic Acid, and Vitamins A and E as well as peptides. It is faintly light reflecting, but not so much that it looks like you've applied shimmer to your eye area.

This has become a staple product for me and will definitely be making an appearance in my next favorite products post!

Anti-Aging Checklist


Per-Fekt Beauty Eye Perfection Gel

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Your Best Face: A Great Scrub and Concentrates

Today is the last day of recapping Your Best Face's products, yes a company that I love. Again, they feature Spin Traps, super high powered anti-oxidants that will help you prevent aging. I haven't mentioned it in my previous posts, but this is a company that you really need to follow on Twitter and Fan on Facebook. They have a ton of specials and I swear that they run at least one amazing contest a day on Twitter. (I try to retweet them from my Twitter feed, but I'm sure I miss a lot. Just follow them directly so you can win some great skin care.)

Today we'll go over a few more products, so read on to find out about the last few items in the line.

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Your Best Face: Eye and Lip Creams

Yesterday I covered 5 different products in the Your Best Face lineup, and today we'll go over four more. As a quick refresher, I'm going over the products at reader request, though this is one of my favorite anti-aging skin care companies.

In discussing starting an anti-aging skin care routine, I've mentioned that I do have an active ingredient check list (you'll see it after each product mentioned below), and I try to include each category in my routine. I think a sunscreen is a must for every day, and that sunscreen should be broad spectrum UVA/UVB with a SPF of 15 at a bare minimum, 30 is better. Once you have that down, you should start adding in other ingredients shown to help fight aging and increase cell turnover and collagen production. That means exfoliation (whether physical or chemical, I prefer chemical for more even and predictable results but that isn't possible during pregnancy), as well as adding in peptides and anti-oxidants (more preventative, they haven't been shown conclusively in clinical studies to reverse wrinkles). I like to add in a concentrated retinoid product after that, so you can add it in slowly as your skin tolerates (for me that means every other night usually).

So, that's my quick and dirty anti-aging routine philosophy. If you want more in depth than that or bigger guns to help fight the wrinkles, I strongly recommend going to a dermatologist. Chances are your insurance will cover it anyways (Hello??? Skin cancer check? I need to do this, probably in the next few months once I get this new mommy thing down), and you'll hopefully be surprised at what a derm tells you to do. I doubt they'll immediately try to sell you on crazy peels and lasers, they aren't a medi-spa. I'd expect a gentle cleanser, good moisturizer, the kind of sunscreen I mentioned above and help fighting aging after that (likely including the prescription strength retinoid).

After all of that rambling, I'll point out that I really like the Your Best Face products because they include Spin Traps (very powerful anti-oxidants), often include peptides and you can find cool perks like Nylon-12, which helps absorb oil for those of us with combination skin. So, they're a great option to include in that routine I mentioned above, where you can add in the retinoid every other night and such. My skin also seems to like them a lot, never a break out and my skin is nice and glowy.

Read out to find out more about today's products.

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Your Best Face: Spin Traps to the Rescue!

One of my favorite skin care brands is Your Best Face. They have a fairly wide range of products that are primarily focused around anti-oxidants, in particular Spin Traps. Spin Traps are among the most powerful anti-oxidants known, so if you are going to be including anti-oxidants as your primary anti-aging category, this is a good way to go. Note that very few companies use spin traps, but Your Best Face is one of them, hence my love.

Recently I had a Delurking Post in which I asked readers to comment about who they are (I'm curious! Who are these people that care what I think about lip gloss and eye cream??) and one of the commenters "The fake kind of doctor" said that she was interested in YBF's Prep scrub that I had brought up, but was waiting to order until I discussed some of their other products again.

Since I have pretty much their entire line sitting here, I thought a series of 3 posts in which I go over what is in each product and how I like it would be exactly what she needed. So, this is day #1. If products you're interested in aren't covered then just be patient, the next 2 days will have pretty much the exact same post as well.

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Do You Need An Eye Cream? Dr. Cynthia Bailey Weighs In

Recently I featured a link list, and in it I asked what everyone thought about eye creams. Phyrra wasn't sure if they were necessary for her. For me, they usually are, but on occasion they aren't (pretty much when I am using a thick night cream I might skip this step). I definitely prefer to use them during the day since the extra hydration helps to apply concealer and I like extra hydration and tightening in this area.

Lucky for me (and us!), one of my favorite readers commented on the post. Her answer was so great, I decided that I couldn't let it just be a comment, it needed to be highlighted for everyone to read!

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Kiehl's Cryste Marine Firming Eye Treatment

While I'm only 29, and I haven't yet begun to have problems with aging (thanks Mom!), I have started to look around lately for a great eye cream. The crazy hours I keep at work as well as my allergies, have ensured that my eye area is darker and perpetually with circles.

According to Kiehl's, this eye treatment contains something called "Criste Marine, an unusual botanical found aside the Mediterranean Sea, as well as Padina Pavonica, this cream improves firmness and elasticity in the eye area; visibly softens the look of lines and helps minimize under-eye dark circles while refreshing and hydrating skin." Now, this description makes me somewhat nervous, since I have no clue what either of these ingredients are. I start to flash back to medical school, when we learned about the layers of the dermis and epidermis, and I try to imagine what Criste Marine is, how exactly does it firm this area? Is it absorbed? Or is it just a moisturizer? Hmmmm. . . .

I received a sample of the Cryste Marine Firming Eye Treatment at my local Kiehl's store, and so far I think it is a decent eye cream. It has a very thick consistency, and hydrates the area nicely. I can use it under my makeup without any application problems, and the area does seem to feel a little firmer immediately after application. But, I'm not sure yet that this is my "holy grail" of eye creams, so I'm going to keep looking for now.

Kiehl's Cryste Marine Firming Eye Treatment

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