How to Brighten Up Your Eyes

I'll admit it. There was a time in my life when I didn't worry about dark circles, eye puffiness and tiny, crinkly lines. But I look at myself in the mirror most mornings now, and cringe. Unfortunately for me, eye cream just isn't enough to keep lines, dark circles and bags at bay. So, here are some tricks that I've discovered for a quick eye "pick me up."

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Eye cream with retinol
• Chilled washcloth
• Cream concealer
• Oil-based or creamy eye makeup remover

1. First, let's tackle crow's feet. These are caused by repetitive movements of muscles from smiling and squinting cause the outer corners of our eyes to crease. Also, the sun's UV rays break down skin-plumping collagen.
   
   What to do? Try an eye cream with retinol (such as Roc Retinol Correxion Eye Cream) which helps smooth skin while you sleep. Apply a thin layer to bare skin, then gently roll your finger from side to side (don't rub or pull) to help cream soak in.
   
   For a "big gun" solution, go with Botox injections for relaxing the muscles that lead to the lines.
2. Next, bags and dark circles. Many face lotions may contain a high percentage of water, and because under eye skin has few oil glands, it sucks up the water and swells. Additionally, over time skin gets thinner so blood vessels (and shadows) are more visible.
   
   What to do? Choose an eye cream that doesn't list water as the first ingrediant. If necessary, rest a chilled washcloth over the area for 5 minutes to reduce swelling and contract blood vessels. To camouflage circles, dab on cream concealer with a brush.
3. How about dry flaky lids? Eyelids have practically no oil glands, plus removing makeup with face wash can strip lids of the little moisture they have.
   
   What to do? Use an oil-based or creamy eye makeup remover. At night, before applying eye cream around eyes, gently rub a damp washcloth over dry skin to slough the area first, this will help with cream penetration.
4. And finally, the discoloration of the inner corners. The large veins that run parallel to the upper nose cause fair skin to look bluish and dark skin to look grayish.
   
   What to do? Extend concealer to the inner corner of each eye. A yellow-based version counteracts blue tones and an orange-based one neutralizes gray. Tap a highlighter or a flesh-toned, shimmery cream shadow on top to brighten.