From The Straits Times    |
66580513_l_t

Images: 123rf.com

Daunted by dark eye circles? Lighten up by trying any one of the following expert-level tips I’ve picked up from clinking champagne and making small talk with a bevy of beauty editors through the years.

“Bake” off your black eye. “Baking” is one of those Buzzfeed-ey beauty hacks that seem to be For Experts Only – except that it’s actually extremely easy to execute.

Here’s how. Start off by slapping on a really rich re-hydrating eye cream. This essential pre-makeup prep will soften those spidery hairline cracks that are the ominous beginnings of deeper-set crow’s feet, plus the extra emollients also cut out chances of any unsightly caking or creasing after concealer application.

ALSO READ: This is not a drill: You must break these bad habits that are making you look old and haggard

Peepers perfectly plump and hydrated? Good. Proceed to pile on a really thick layer of creamy concealer under your eyes and extending out into the wings of your cheekbones and temples. Don’t bother blending at this stage; simply set the gooey mess with a generous dusting of loose powder.

Allow this crazy-looking concoction a good 10 minutes to melt and meld into your skin (or to “bake”, as per the peculiar parlance of the makeup community), then take off the excess with a damp egg-shaped sponge. Finish by tapping on a tiny bit of translucent powder to “freeze” the pigments so that the concealer doesn’t slip and slide down your nose. ‘Grats, you’ve just baked yourself a new pair of baby blues.

You’re such a peach! Here’s a neat little self-evaluation exercise you can carry out right now. Look down into a mirror placed flat on a table and locate the crescent-shaped wedge beneath your eyes – the specific shade of your undereye shadows can be a clue to the cause of your circles.

Different colours, different causes. Bluish lower lids may point to the pooling of blood from broken capillaries; pronounced purplish pigmentation, on the other hand, tends to be pollution- and allergy-related. Brown blotches, meanwhile, are more likely to develop in darker-skinned individuals.

ALSO READ: The prettiest pastel highlighters (and how to rock them for that ethereal slept-12-hours glow)

All of these unwanted hues also mean that you can consider using different colour-correcting shades to address your eyes’ exquisitely unique demands: Green concealers reduce redness, for instance, while lilacs are brilliant brighteners for sallow skin … Can’t be arsed to memorise an entire colour chart? Your best bet, my friend, is to pick a peachy highlighting pen. Liquid formulas in this universally flattering tint cancel out most causes of dark circles, while letting just enough light to filter in to give the illusion of beguilingly bare skin.

Create your own CC cream for your eyes. Mix one part eye cream to two parts of your go-to concealer onto the back of your hand to create a sheer-coverage “CC cream” that’s perfect for pampering your peepers – sort of like brushing on a tinted treatment that comforts and conceals at the same time.

ALSO READ: Derma do-over: What every smart woman must know to kickstart a good skincare routine in her 30s

Oh, and while we’re at it, here’s the ultimate “secret” to concealing circles the right way: Always apply judiciously, and only on the shadowy inner area where you need it the most. That means stippling on your concealer in tiny dots that decrease in size as you move out from the inner eye corner; blend well with a damp sponge so that the product disappears into your skin at the outer edge of your eye.

Right, then. Try these expert tips to look like you’ve just had the nap of a lifetime. Your eyes can thank me (and my esteemed colleagues) later.

Coach ID Lanyard
Now $75
Original price: $168
Shop Now
Jabra Elite 4 Wireless Earbuds
Now $88
Original price: $162
Shop Now
BaByliss Air Pro 2300
Now $63
Original price: $144
Shop Now
Abib Collagen Eye Patch
Now $19
Original price: $35
Shop Now