Maybe it was a late night out with friends or the accumulation of all those late nights spent side hustling into the wee hours of the morning, but for whatever reason, not only are you lacking sleep, but you’ve got the dark under eye circles to prove it! Ugh.
Or, maybe you’re like me, and even when you drink plenty of water and get a good night’s sleep, those pesky bags and wrinkles still exist. I even opted out of wearing concealer under that area for years because every single thing I used just sunk into the creases and made the wrinkles look even worse!
It turned out there wasn’t any one product that would solve the dark under eye circles issue. What I really needed was a system with a few simple steps, which I’m sharing with you in the form of a tutorial in this week’s video and also via the steps blow:
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**This post may contain affiliate (which means I make a small commission when you shop from them) and sponsored products (gifted items are indicated with a [c/o] and sponsored items with a [sp]) because we all have to pay our bills, and I’d rather keep creating awesome content for you than get a real job. All opinions are our own.**
1.) Drink up – No matter what product you buy or who you follow suggestions from, NONE of them will work if you’re not staying hydrated. Your skin needs water to stay plump, radiant, and healthy!
2.) Caffeinate – Your eyes, not your mouth! I left this out of the video because I just finished my tube of 100% Pure Organic Coffee Bean Eye Cream and didn’t have one to show, but it’s a hero product. Just like the coffee you drink helps you wake up, this increases circulation to your under eye skin for a brighter, less puffy surface.
3.) Prime – When I put primer on my whole face, I make sure I also get some on the outer edges of my under eye circles so that the products in the next stays stay in place. Primer also helps makeup go on more smoothly over wrinkles. Because my skin tends to get oily throughout the day, especially in the summer, I’m head over heels for Rimmel London’s Stay Matte Primer.
4.) Color Correct – This Touche Éclat Neutralizer Colour Corrector from YSL is pricy and they are out of stock almost everywhere, but it is an investment worth making if you’re over stressing about dark circles. Wear the Abricot Bisque shade under or over foundation to instantly cancel out dark spots. This is the cheapest place I could find it in stock, and it’s also on Amazon.
5.) Conceal – Listen up, because how you do this is SO important! Buy a lightweight concealer that has a wand applicator (I recommend this one from NYX Professional Makeup and it’s only $5!). Dab concealer along *only* the outer edge of the dark circles under eyes. Use a concealer brush (I recommend this one) to gently blend into skin. Once you take care of the outline, the rest of the circle will look far less apparent and you’ll avoid all of that creasing!
6.) Set – Once you’ve done the rest of your foundation, sweep a translucent powder over your face (and don’t forget to brush over your under eye skin) to set your look and keep makeup in place. I love both the Kat Von D Lock-It Setting Powder and the NYX Professional Makeup HD Finishing Powder, and I always use my Kat Von D – Lock-It Setting Powder Brush for applying powder.
7.) Sleep – Whether or not you’re clocking in a lot of hours snoozing, putting on an effective eye cream prior to bedtime will help ensure you’re fighting off those dark under eye circles each night. The REDEFINE Multi-Function Eye Cream from Rodan and Fields is the most effective I’ve ever used. You can catch before and after photos of the results in this post!
Most importantly, they’re just under eye circles. They don’t make or break who you are! They’re probably there as proof of the effort and hours you’re putting in to life, which is nothing to be ashamed of. I sometimes look at photos of my face and catch myself feeling embarrassed because I look quite tried and exhausted for only being 27, and I feel like I have a few more wrinkles than I should. But, I also know that this is a result of the long hours and countless stressful days that I’ve put into my business. I’m not recommending a stressful, sleepy lifestyle, but there’s nothing I can do about the damage I’ve done, and the only thing I can do from here is do a better job of stressing less and taking better care of my skin!