How to Get Rid of Puffy Eyes in the Morning

Perhaps you were out a little too late the night before or you maybe had a little too much to drink. You wake up and are confronted with puffy and inflamed eyes that are not only a dead giveaway to what you were up to only hours ago, but are unflattering to boot. With a couple of quick tricks added to your morning routine, you can get rid of those telltale bags and get on with your day.

Things You'll Need

• Ice
• Cucumber (or eye cream)
• Eye primer
• Eye shadow
• Eyeliner
• Lash curler

Instructions

1. Use an ice pack. If you have an eye mask that can be cooled, this is preferable, but even a simple ice pack will suffice. You don't need to apply it for very long, but direct exposure of your puffy under eyes and lids to the ice for 3 or 4 continuous minutes will yield dramatic and immediate results.

2. Hydrate your under eyes. Many cosmetic companies make creams and lotions specifically for the eyes. If you have these creams, now is the time to use them. Many cosmetics companies also make hydrating pads to apply to the under-eye area. These are stuck directly to the inflamed area and left on for 5 or 6 minutes at a time, and they also work very well. If you don't have any of these, you can always go old school and use the old cucumber trick. Thin slices of cucumber applied to the eyes (closed, of course), and left there for 5 to 10 minutes will refresh and rehydrate your eyes.

3. Use makeup to de-accentuate the puffiness. Start with a primer on your under eye and lid to create a flesh-color base, if your eyes have dark circles. Use the eye shadow to create a shadowing effect on the eyelid where the puffiness is occurring. This will create the illusion of a well-rested eye that is not inflamed or puffy.

4. Use eyeliner very sparingly. If you usually use eyeliner above and under your eye, do not do this today. It will only accentuate the puffiness of the lid and under eye. Instead, put just a small amount of eyeliner in the outer corner of the eye. This will draw the eye out, making it wide, and will take attention away from the parts of the eye that may still be puffy.

5. Curl your lashes. Curling your lashes will act as a final camouflage against the puffiness of the upper lid. It's also a glamorous look, all on its own.