Walking into the bathroom last week I washed my face and when I came up from rinsing, I realized my eyes were dark, dull and tired looking. Now a little history, I have struggled with dark circles and bags under my eyes since I can remember. Unfortunately due to the genetics in my family, we all suffer from it. I think we all can agree that we have suffered from this, and to be honest when our eyes aren't looking so great it can really take away from our appearance. But fear not, I have found some amazing tricks to get them from looking tired and dull to refreshed and awake.
Now to start off, take some time to think about what could be the cause of your eyes unfortunate state. Many factors can play into this. Sleep is a big factor, we all know that keeping a steady schedule of at least 8 hours of sleep is a healthy habit. When you say you need to get your "beauty rest" it sounds funny, but its absolutely true. It has been studied that between the hours of 11 p.m and 4 a.m. your skin cell renewal is at its highest regeneration.
Another factor can be caused from your sinuses. Congestion can be awful for the appearance of your eyes. Nasal inflammation and sinus congestion can interfere with the return path of blood that has been pumped out by the heart. Congestion slows down and impairs the blood flow to our bodies which can cause the vessels around our eye area to trap and pool blood there, and Voila! you have dark circles . So not only is your nose running and turning bright red, but now your eyes look like you have two black eyes. Wonderful :]
And last but not least, water intake! Water is a fantastic way to make your skin look hydrated and fresh. During the day you should consume at least 8-10 glasses of water. As the day turns to night and its getting closer to your bedtime make sure you either stop the water intake, or slow it down quite a bit. Drinking to much water before bed can cause bloating, which can cause puffiness in the eyes because your body is not elevated or working that water off as much as you would be when your awake. *Trick: use two pillows if you can to keep your head elevated; it will help the blood flow in your facial area.
So now that you have figured out what has caused your dark circles we can now get to the treatments!
Here are your tips and tricks:
Makeup Remover: Finding a good makeup remover is tricky. The search for something that removes your eye makeup without blurring, or irritating your eyes has been a long journey for me. This is Sonia Kashuk's eye makeup remover that is found @Target for $9.99. Now that might be a bit pricey for some people, but ladies let me tell you. For someone who loves their eye makeup, this amazing liquid removes it in one or two good swipes. And you only need a pea-size amount. NO JOKE! I will never go back to another makeup remover.
Cotton Rounds: These little babies are a woman's best friend. They can be used for an insane amount of beauty things. Not only are these great to remove your eye makeup with but you can use these for an awakening treatment for your eyes.
Awaken Your Eyes Recipe:
What you'll need:
-2 cotton rounds
-water
-Freezer
Take the two cotton rounds and wet them a decent amount. Fold them in half, and stick them in a zip-lock bag overnight (you can also make pairs for the rest of the week, that way they're ready). When you awake in the morning, after you wash your face grab the two cotton rounds and place them underneath your eyes where your dark circles are. After they have warmed up a bit, begin light compression's with the rounds back and forth under the eye. This will encourage blood flow under your eyes, reduce the puffiness, and actually wake your eyes right up! Doing this every morning, or a couple times a week will really help your eyes fight the darkness!
Tea Bags: Not only is tea a delicious and relaxing thing to drink, but the tea bags are also a great treatment for your eyes. Now this treatment only works with caffeinated teas, because the caffeine encourages blood flow around the eyes. The caffeinated teas also contain a plant called tannin which draws out water, which is helpful for puffiness in eyes.
Tea for Two Eyes Recipe:
-2 Tea bags (Use a black or a green tea for the Caffeine)
- Your favorite mug
- Hot water
When you wind down for the night, bring your water to a boil, steep your tea bags in your mug for 5 minutes. After steeping, take both tea bags out of the water and ring out the liquid. You can do this treatment warm or cool, either way will still be good for your eyes. If you choose to do it warm which is more preferable at night, wait for your tea bags to cool down to a reasonable temperature before laying them gently on your eyes. If you chose to do it cool, after draining the bags of the liquid stick the bags in the freezer for 10-15 minutes, you don't want them to be frozen just cold. Once you have your tea bags at the perfect temperature, put some relaxing music on lay back, relax and enjoy!
Now understand these treatments won't eliminate your dark circles, but help reduce it. Another trick is a girls go to weapon, makeup! Tricks to get those puppies looking bright eyed!
Concealer: Maybelline Mineral Power Concealer is my go to concealer I use under my eyes to camouflage the dark circles, and on my eye lids to hide the redness I sometimes get. Dab a few dots on under your eye, and using your ring finger (clean hands please) tap, no rubbing, until product is on evenly. This will not only put the product on flawlessly, but the tapping helps the circulation under your eyes.
White Shimmery Eye Shadow: Using a highlighter, or shimmery white eye shadow dab this on the inner corner of your eye on your tear duct. This will make your eyes sparkle, and make them look more awake.
White Matte Eyeliner: For those of you who want to be bold and daring, pick up a matte white eye liner from your drug store. Put this on the inner corner of eye near tear duct, below your brow, and on the middle part of your eyelid and blend with your ring finger. The white will compliment the whites of your eyes and give you a bright awakened eye. If your really feeling crazy, put this on your water line instead of your black liner that day. It will really make your eyes look bigger and refreshed! :]
I hope all of these tricks really opened your eyes! Now I know these blogs are ridiculously long, I'm really hoping I can start filming for these blogs more so you don't have to strain your eyes reading this much. But until then, have an amazing week! And keep your eyes peeled for my next blog ;]
And last but not least, water intake! Water is a fantastic way to make your skin look hydrated and fresh. During the day you should consume at least 8-10 glasses of water. As the day turns to night and its getting closer to your bedtime make sure you either stop the water intake, or slow it down quite a bit. Drinking to much water before bed can cause bloating, which can cause puffiness in the eyes because your body is not elevated or working that water off as much as you would be when your awake. *Trick: use two pillows if you can to keep your head elevated; it will help the blood flow in your facial area.
So now that you have figured out what has caused your dark circles we can now get to the treatments!
Here are your tips and tricks:
Awaken Your Eyes Recipe:
What you'll need:
-2 cotton rounds
-water
-Freezer
Take the two cotton rounds and wet them a decent amount. Fold them in half, and stick them in a zip-lock bag overnight (you can also make pairs for the rest of the week, that way they're ready). When you awake in the morning, after you wash your face grab the two cotton rounds and place them underneath your eyes where your dark circles are. After they have warmed up a bit, begin light compression's with the rounds back and forth under the eye. This will encourage blood flow under your eyes, reduce the puffiness, and actually wake your eyes right up! Doing this every morning, or a couple times a week will really help your eyes fight the darkness!
Tea for Two Eyes Recipe:
-2 Tea bags (Use a black or a green tea for the Caffeine)
- Your favorite mug
- Hot water
When you wind down for the night, bring your water to a boil, steep your tea bags in your mug for 5 minutes. After steeping, take both tea bags out of the water and ring out the liquid. You can do this treatment warm or cool, either way will still be good for your eyes. If you choose to do it warm which is more preferable at night, wait for your tea bags to cool down to a reasonable temperature before laying them gently on your eyes. If you chose to do it cool, after draining the bags of the liquid stick the bags in the freezer for 10-15 minutes, you don't want them to be frozen just cold. Once you have your tea bags at the perfect temperature, put some relaxing music on lay back, relax and enjoy!
Now understand these treatments won't eliminate your dark circles, but help reduce it. Another trick is a girls go to weapon, makeup! Tricks to get those puppies looking bright eyed!
Concealer: Maybelline Mineral Power Concealer is my go to concealer I use under my eyes to camouflage the dark circles, and on my eye lids to hide the redness I sometimes get. Dab a few dots on under your eye, and using your ring finger (clean hands please) tap, no rubbing, until product is on evenly. This will not only put the product on flawlessly, but the tapping helps the circulation under your eyes.
White Shimmery Eye Shadow: Using a highlighter, or shimmery white eye shadow dab this on the inner corner of your eye on your tear duct. This will make your eyes sparkle, and make them look more awake.
White Matte Eyeliner: For those of you who want to be bold and daring, pick up a matte white eye liner from your drug store. Put this on the inner corner of eye near tear duct, below your brow, and on the middle part of your eyelid and blend with your ring finger. The white will compliment the whites of your eyes and give you a bright awakened eye. If your really feeling crazy, put this on your water line instead of your black liner that day. It will really make your eyes look bigger and refreshed! :]
I hope all of these tricks really opened your eyes! Now I know these blogs are ridiculously long, I'm really hoping I can start filming for these blogs more so you don't have to strain your eyes reading this much. But until then, have an amazing week! And keep your eyes peeled for my next blog ;]
Wow, great tips that I've never heard of ~ thanks for the fun info! Also, I love the format and the way you write :)
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