The sad and harsh truth is that once you have let severe bags form under your eyes, you will have them to some degree for the rest of your life. There is no substitute for maintaining a good skincare routine each and every day.
I know that this is the last thing that you want to hear as you stare into the mirror on the morning after a particularly late night.
Now, remember ladies, maintaining a good skincare routine can help prevent and even reduce unwanted bags over time, there will always be some under-eye puffiness that even the most flawless skincare routine can’t ward off.
However, you can always rely on makeup to help cover under-eye bags, and it’s actually pretty easy to do.
By now I am sure you are wondering about the best concealer for under-eye bags.
Follow these five steps below to learn how to conceal under-eye bags with your makeup. Plus, be sure to read all the way to the bottom for a few science-backed ways to help reduce the appearance of under-eye bags.
Use An Eye Cream Twice A Day
I know that eye cream typically can’t provide an instant fix for minimizing the look of under-eye bags that you want. The truth is that over time using one can help reduce the appearance of puffiness. That is why you should never skip this skincare step.
It can be hard to remember to keep using your eye cream when it doesn’t give you the instant gratification that you’re after.
In the same way that you moisturize your whole face before applying makeup, the skin under your eyes needs hydration just as much, if not more.
Using an eye cream before applying your makeup will help ensure a smooth application and finish.
Apply Color Corrector
Remember back at your elementary school? We were taught that ever-useful lesson on the color wheel. Colors that are opposite one another on the wheel are capable of neutralizing the appearance of each other. That is the idea behind color-correcting makeup.
If you have both puffiness and dark circles, reach for a peach color corrector, which can help counteract the appearance of the circles.
Draw upside-down triangle shapes under each of your eyes using the peach concealer shade, then blend it out with a makeup blender.
You can also use the green shade in the kit to camouflage redness, the purple shade to hide dullness, and the yellow shade to mask discolorations.
Use Concealer
Once you’re finished color correcting, it’s time to move on to concealer.
Choose a creamy concealer with great coverage and place the product in the same upside-down triangle shapes to brighten the entire area under and around your eyes.
After you’ve created your triangles, pick up your makeup blender and use it to bounce and buff the concealer out for a seamless finish.
Bronze It Up
Use a bronzer to warm up your face.
By applying a bronzer to the hollows of your cheeks, you will draw attention to your amazing cheekbones instead of your excess baggage.
Use A Highlighter
A highlighter is a great way to brighten your face and give the illusion of awake, under-eye bag-free eyes.
Just like with your bronzer, the idea with highlighter is to attract attention away from your under-eye area.
Apply a highlighter below and above the arch of your eyebrows to give your eyes an instantly more lifted look.
Brighten Your Eyes
Once your face makeup is complete, you’ll want to brighten your eyes to leave them appearing awake and refreshed.
This will perfectly complement your newly camouflaged under-eye bags. Use a white or nude eyeliner on your waterline to open up your eyes and make them appear bigger.
Once your eyeliner is complete, you’ll want to use eye shadow to brighten your eyes as well.
Take a white or ivory eye shadow, and apply it to the inner corner of your eyes as well as below the arch of your eyebrow. This will help open up your eyes, making them brighter.
Apply Mascara
Use mascara to finish creating the eye makeup portion of this look. Long lashes will leave your eyes looking more awake by giving the illusion of a lifted eye.
Use black to create voluptuous volume and intense length in just one coat.
This will leave you with the sort of lashes that are needed to fake fully rested eyes. The black of your mascara will contrast the white tight-lining that you did earlier.
Skip lower lash mascara to completely avoid any product smudging underneath your eyes.
Spray To Set
Now that you’ve perfectly concealed your under-eye bags with makeup, the last thing you need is for any of your carefully applied makeup to shift or stray throughout the day.
Before you move on, get out your setting spray, lock your look in place and keep those under-eye bags under wraps. Spritz a few times and you will be good to go.
4 Tips To Reduce The Appearance Of Under-Eye Bags
In addition to covering up your under-eye bags with makeup, there are a few other tips you can try to help reduce their appearance in the first place.
Get More Sleep
I know that is easier said than done. This is one of my personal challenges that I face every day.
If under-eye bags are a consistent issue for you, you might need to get a bit more sleep. According to the Mayo Clinic, this can help reduce or eliminate bags under the eyes.
We should all aim for somewhere around eight hours every night.
Sleep With Your Head Slightly Raised
According to the Mayo Clinic, one factor that can contribute to under-eye bags is built-up fluid near the eye area.
To remedy this, they suggest sleeping with your head slightly raised to help prevent fluids from building up around the area while you catch your beauty sleep. Simply use a second pillow to prop yourself up a few inches.
Use A Cold Compress
Applying a cold, damp washcloth to the area underneath your eyes can help to reduce bags, per the Mayo Clinic.
What I do instead is collect a couple of those cheap sleep masks. I make them a bit damp before popping them in the deep freeze.
The dark of the sleep mask helps me sleep better and I get a cold compress at the same time. They work an absolute treat during the hot summer nights.
Limit Salt In Your Diet
This last tip may seem very surprising. However, it makes total sense. Consuming too much salt increases your body’s fluid retention, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology.
A single gram of salt will hold onto ten grams of water. So when you eat more sodium it stays in your body and traps extra fluid in your body with it. All of that extra fluid needs to be held somewhere.
As we mentioned earlier, under-eye puffiness is often caused by too much fluid building up underneath the eyes. Therefore, eating less salt will likely be beneficial when it comes to reducing the appearance of under-eye bags.
Eat more fresh fruit and vegetables and lay off the salt shaker. Not only will this help your under-eyes but it will clear your skin and it is just healthier for you.
