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Makeup gurus - under-eye circles?

MonkeyPie

Ideal_Rock
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Apr 23, 2008
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I have a question for you makeup knowledegable people.

I have under-eye circles. Sometimes they are bluish like your typical tired circles, but usually it's a couple shades of brown darker than the rest of my skin. It's actually what color my skin is around my eyes - no level of rest will rid me of this because that isn't what causes it. I've had them since I was probably about 12.

What can I do to either lighten them, or make them match the rest of my skin? Makeup, in my experience, has just sort of "masked" them and it's noticeable. I admit to not being terribly talented with the makeup brush, though.

I have a picture but only if you feel you absolutely must see it because I hate self portraits, lol.
 

maplefemme

Brilliant_Rock
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May 12, 2011
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The blue you sometimes see is because the skin in your eye area is thinner and what you are seeing are blood vessels through the transparency, it's genetic. My best advice would be to consult a reputable cosmetic surgeon and find out the most suitable options for something more permanent, Restylane is often injected in the area with good results, but they'll be able to best advise you.
If you want the best concealer I'd recommend Estee Lauder Double Wear concealer if you have wrinkles as it won't crease, or Cle de Peau if your eye area is smooth and creasing isn't an issue.
 

violet3

Ideal_Rock
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i have them too. I hate it! i think it's genetic and the overwhelming feedback i've received is that you can't lighten them up. I think concealing them is the only option sadly.

I use the yellow concealer designed specifically for dark circles (maybelline) and it works pretty well.
 

maplefemme

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Also, I prefer to apply it with a finger as opposed to a brush as the warmth of your finger helps blend seamlessly, but if you prefer a brush use one with synthetic bristles, they release/deposit pigment quickly, natural bristles are designed for slowly releasing pigment which is why they are best for powders ;))
 

centralsquare

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There's nothing -- in my experience -- that will get rid of them. For me, they seem to increase with age, so it's all down hill from here. I've been told to get eye creams with caffeine and vitamin c (to fight free radicals).
 

yssie

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I have this problem too. Mine aren't tired eyes bags either, just these strangely clearly demarcated lines, almost, of slightly darker skin in the hollow between my eyes and my cheeks. No makeup has ever worked for me.

So I go the other way, I swipe spf50 on that area before I go out and the rest of my moisturizer is something like spf15. The rest of my face still tans enough to "conceal" surprisingly well, even in winter - the lines are still visible, but very much less so. Over the years I've got really good at painting on the higher spf stuff so I don't wind up looking like a raccoon, it takes literally thirty seconds 8)

Hokey, but it gets the job done.
 

marcy

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I have had luck with the repairwear intensive eye cream from Clinique. It's pricey but got rid of my dark circles that were allergy / sinus related.
 

MonkeyPie

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Bummer :(sad I was hoping for some magic trick. Thanks, ladies. I guess I will embrace them!
 

tyty333

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I've got them too...I was reading about Naturalfil where they take your body fat and inject it where you need it like
into wrinkles and it mentioned undereye area. We have a guy local that does it. Maybe I'll give him a visit!
 

mary poppins

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The dark circles under my eyes used to be pretty bad and I never found a great product to conceal them. After I drastically cut sugar out of my diet, a nice, unexpected side effect I noticed was that the circles diminished significantly (almost entirely!). The circles return in varying degrees depending on the amount of sugar I consume. Other than that, I cover the circles with glasses.
 

centralsquare

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mary poppins|1312585112|2985079 said:
The dark circles under my eyes used to be pretty bad and I never found a great product to conceal them. After I drastically cut sugar out of my diet, a nice, unexpected side effect I noticed was that the circles diminished significantly (almost entirely!). The circles return in varying degrees depending on the amount of sugar I consume. Other than that, I cover the circles with glasses.

Interesting...I wonder why eliminating sugar would do that? I'm definitely not an expert! I wonder...did you eat more fruits and vegetables and perhaps the nutrition value of those helped? I'm not sure I can give up sugar, so I guess I'm looking for a shortcut!
 

pregcurious

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Touche Eclat from Yves Saint Laurent.
 

arjunajane

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pregcurious|1312593428|2985173 said:
Touche Eclat from Yves Saint Laurent.

this was going to be my suggestion, makeup wise. That and anything that has light-reflecting pigments, like a mineral makeup concealer.

Like others in this thread, mine are genetic, and pretty noticeable. It is probably the least liked thing about my face,
so I feel your pain MP :(sad
Water intake, healthy sleep, no alcohol and healthy diet & skin (take supplements if need be) do help to minimize the look of them but as far as I know there is no 'magic cure'. Both my folks have them, so if mine worsen in my 30's/40's, I wouldn't personally rule out something cosmetic.



Yssie, I may have to try your spf trick! Do you still wear concealer over the spf around your eyes?
 

iLander

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Dark circles are caused by the skin under your eyes being very thin, and the blue veins being close to the surface and showing through the skin. The reason that the fat injection works is because it puts a layer of fat between the skin and the veins. There really isn't much else that will "get rid of" them. It's my understanding that the fat injections only last a few years, because your body absorbs the fat.

I have them and I've had success with makeup, but it took forever to find the right colors and technique. I use a makeup PRIMER first (sephora brand), then a light concealer applied with a brush and then a powder applied with a sponge, that is the same color as the rest of my face. To neutralize the blue tint, you can try the Smashbox Photofinish primer that has the yellow tint, which will counteract the blue.

You can use makeup, it just takes a lot of time to find the colors. A trip to your nearest Sephora or Ulta is order. Try the various concealers on the inside of your wrist, and the color that you can't see once it's applied is the one to choose. I use Erase Paste because it stays on pretty well.

Whatever you use, primer is the key to make it all stay on.
 
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I also have the circles.. blah. I have started using Origins No Puffery under eye mask and it really works to reduce the puffiness which makes the eyes look even worse with the circles.

I recommend ordering from sephora. Free shipping over $50, free returns- even if it's open!
I also recommend primer- face AND eye primer.
 

Arkteia

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I think mine come with age but they appeared way earlier than any bags.

I like Chanel's line - they have different colors - and also Shiseido, my favorite makeup company.
 

yssie

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AJ :wavey:


Hmm. I don't usually wear concealer, so I've actually never tried - if I'm getting dressed up enough to need concealer then I just forgo the sunscreen. The stuff is pretty thick and gooey - I don't know that trying to gloop more stuff on top would end well!

Um... pics, I guess?

First one is from - a long time ago - Before Habit, Second from our honeymoon last year - I burnt to a crisp that day, but even that morning the circles were about this visible - so, much less than before!

I have a giant nose so I also put a dab on the bridge, I think it makes my beak slightly smaller anyway ::)

Kodi%20copy.jpg SAMARIA.jpg
 

cnspotts

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Dehydration. When you're dehydrated your skin sinks into those areas making the darker color more apparent. Drink more water. 1/2 your body weight in ounces daily, everyday, forever... More if you're working out, or living in a hot climate.
 

MonkeyPie

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cnspotts|1312774484|2986211 said:
Dehydration. When you're dehydrated your skin sinks into those areas making the darker color more apparent. Drink more water. 1/2 your body weight in ounces daily, everyday, forever... More if you're working out, or living in a hot climate.

I drink 8 glasses a day, sometimes more. I am a water freak.
 

iheartscience

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I have major dark circles, too, and I've found that the thinner, more liquid concealers work best. I apply it with my fingers. My favorites are the MAC concealer that comes in a tiny tube, and I've also had good luck with a Maybelline concealer from the drug store that comes in a clear plastic cylinder with a silver top. I went to Sephora once and I think the guy helping just didn't know what he was talking about because he tried to put super thick concealer on them, which I think just gets cakey and looks worse.

I've heard there's not much you can do with dark circles to actually make them go away...I've also heard that they may be caused by allergies.
 

VRBeauty

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Bbefit's "eyecon" cream does the trick for me.
 

MonkeyPie

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thing2of2|1312810386|2986380 said:
I've heard there's not much you can do with dark circles to actually make them go away...I've also heard that they may be caused by allergies.

That's interesting - I have pretty bad allergies a couple times a year. Arg!
 

centralsquare

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MonkeyPie|1312818541|2986476 said:
thing2of2|1312810386|2986380 said:
I've heard there's not much you can do with dark circles to actually make them go away...I've also heard that they may be caused by allergies.

That's interesting - I have pretty bad allergies a couple times a year. Arg!

Interesting...I don't have any other symptoms of allergies and they aren't seasonal....I'm wondering if I have allergies and this is the only symptom?
 

Lottie

Brilliant_Rock
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Jul 28, 2008
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701
Touche Eclat under the eyes, Lemon Aid by Benefit on the lids and a little bit up to the brows, follow it up with a little face powder to even things up and you should be good to go!
x
 

VRBeauty

Super_Ideal_Rock
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VRBeauty|1312817628|2986463 said:
Bbefit's "eyecon" cream does the trick for me.

Oops - I meant Benefit's eyecon cream... it does the job for me...

but there are probably a lot of different reasons for dark circles, each of which requires a different response.
 
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