by Colette Bouchez -
For CountryDutchess.com
Among the most common beauty problems is under eye puffiness - you know that area just beneath the lower lid that seems to puff up like an annoying little pillow, just when you want to look your best.
The worst part: The puffier the area gets, the more it looks like you have dark circles under your eyes -even when you don't.
"The muscles and ligaments close to the eye on either side of the bridge of the nose (the area known as the “tear trough”) can, over time begin to weaken. With its support structure gone, the skin itself begins to collapse causing a kind of indentation or “gutter” effect. When the adjacent area becomes puffy, that “gutter” casts a shadow on skin making it appear as if there is a dark circle," says Dr. Ellen Marmur, chief of dermatologic and cosmetic surgery at the Mt. Sinai Medical Center in New York City.
If you pull the lower eyelid skin taunt and the darkness goes away, then you know it's purely an illusion - and not a true dark circle says Marmur, just a case of eye puffiness.
The way around it? Well first, here's what you don't want to do: Do NOT try to conceal what you think are dark circles by covering the under eye area with a light reflecting pigment in a light shade. This will make the puffs look bigger, the trough look deeper , and the shadows look darker.
Instead try these 4 QWIKSTYLE tips and say " Puffiness - BE GONE!" 1. Apply an gel specifically for de-flating puffs. Almost any product containing witch hazel is likely to do the trick, but if you don't already have a favorite, try
Advanced Eye Perfector
. It's under $10 and it's the single best product we've ever found for instantly deflating under eye puffiness.
2. After the deflating gel sinks use a foundation brush to apply a thin layer of liquid, cream or cream-to-powder foundation under the eye area,
in a color at least two shades darker than your foundation. Yes, you read right - go darker, not lighter. Remember, light brings things out, darkness causes it to recede. You want your puffs to recede. Once the foundation dries
( under 20 seconds) , then apply a second thin coat. Hint: Do not use a darker shade of concealer - it's too heavy for this purpose.
Hint: If can't afford to buy two shades of foundation, then you use your brush to scoop some product out from the cap of your regular color. The consistency will be a bit dryer and thicker, so the color will be naturally a bit darker. You can also add a teeny tiny bit of brown eyeshadow to your natural color foundation to make it darker - but remember,
teeny tiny is the key. And mix it on the back of your hand, not in the bottle!
3. Once your foundation dries ( and it will take a little longer if you use a brush), apply a very light layer of translucent power . The goal here is take the shine down. Remember, the shinier the area underneath your eye, the more puffy it's going to look.
4. Apply your regular foundation to the rest of your face ( if you need it), and use the top of your cheekbone as the blending point between the two shades. Remember, you are only going one or two shades darker under the eyes, so the difference should be minimal. That said, be sure to blend the two colors
downward, so that the darker shade under your eyes blends into the lighter shade on the rest of your face.
Extra Tip: If the area inside the "tear trough" still looks deep, try this: Use your brush to pick up a tiny bit of concealer in a color one to two shades lighter than your foundation. Using your index finger to "open" the tear trough by gently pulling under eye skin closer to your nose, use the tip of the brush to layer the lighter concealer into that "indented"area. Continue to hold the skin away until the product is almost dry - about 20 seconds. Then blend it around the edges and let the skin "snap"back into place.
The lighter color inside the crease will reflect light outwards, raising this area, while the darker color foundation under your eyes will deflate the puffs, lowering that area. Together you will have achieved a much smoother tighter under eye look which in turn will make eyes look wider and brighter.
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Copyright by Colette Bouchez 2009 - All Rights Reserved.
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or a combination tightening/priming gel such as 
These products will help keep your newly plumped skin looking firm and younger looking longer.
, 
or 
) then top with a sheer lip gloss in shades of rose or pink, or a natural brown tone, but only if the color is very sheer.
( under $5.00!) .
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