Under-eye circles

Dark bags and circles under your eyes make you look shattered even when you're not. Here's how to combat these dark shadows that make your pretty eyes look sad and depress you every morning...

 

What causes under-eye circles? 
An under-eye circle is a hollow, bluish or grey coloured marking caused by poor blood and lymphatic circulation around the eyes. The epidermis around the eye is effectively 4 times thinner than the skin on the rest of the face, which means the bluish colours of the blood vessels appear more noticeable. In addition to these circles, bags can appear, which are stored-up water and fat.
Being a particularly sensitive area, the skin around the eyes is easily affected by pollution, tobacco, alcohol and lack of sleep.

 

If you don't normally get them but they appear after a late night or too much alcohol the night before, a good night’s sleep will make them disappear.

 

You can decongest the area under your eyes by making camomile or cornflower herbal infusions to calm and soothe the area, and applying them as compresses. You can also drain them and strengthen the area with Vitamins A and C, which reduce water retention, refresh the eyes and tone the epidermis.

 

Under-eye circle cover is an essential beauty buy. The newest ones on the market both camouflage and moisturise skin, improving the microcirculation. Choose a shade that’s lighter than your natural skin tone.

Tip: if the product is too dark, you could end up emphasising circles and making them stand out even more. Likewise, if the product is too light, it won’t camouflage your circles.

It should be applied very lightly, dabbed on gently using your fingertip, going from the inner corner of your eye towards the outer corner until absorbed.
Tip: apply a little loose powder over the top to make it last longer!

 

These reduce tiredness and leave you feeling relaxed. Chill your mask then place it over closed eyes. When you take it off, the under-eye area will feel smoother and refreshed.

 

There are many surgery techniques that treat the delicate under-eye area. Collagen injections treat wrinkles; incision and reduction of the skin reduces the size of bags; and chemical peels can rejuvenate your eyes. However, none of these methods specifically treat under-eye circles.