Sleep
OK, yeah, duh. Sorry. We know some of you are reading this article in a pinch. You’ve already had the rough night and want to get rid of your current dark circles. It’s OK, stay with us. Consider this a love letter to your future self—dark circles will appear darker with lack of sleep, so rest up. But the main reason they appear this way is because lack of sleep exacerbates dryness, making the skin under your eyes appear thinner. Thinner skin shows blood vessels more clearly, which is the cause of discoloration.If you know you’re going to get less beauty sleep than you’d prefer, make sure to slather on a generous layer of eye cream or oil before you finally do lay down your pretty little head. Skip the heavy face balm or cream, and just use eye products, though. Anything too heavy or greasy could have the opposite effect and make you wake up with puffy eyes due to retention.
Cold Compress
Speaking of puffy eyes, we usually think of a cold compress for puffy swelling, which of course works fantastic. However, a cold compress like an ice pack, jade roller, tea bags, or even some ice cubes wrapped in a washcloth can also help with the color from dark circles because it helps to shrink dilated blood vessels. Inflammation of the blood vessels is not always the number one cause for dark circles, but it can be, especially if poor sleep, too many happy hour drinks, or both are part of the cause.
Color Correction
Makeup, obviously! But not just your go-to favorite concealer stick, oh no. Color correction is a science. It depends on your skin tone, so for darker skin tones, think of a deep peach color or an almost rusty shade. A softer peach is great for darker tones as well, and those who suffer from more blue-hued dark circles. Go for a yellow or even soft green color corrector if you have a medium or olive skin tone, and pink if you’re fairer. Layer these on first, then a skin-matching concealer or foundation, and set with a powder.You don’t want to counteract dark circles by going super light, which is why these untraditional colors are imperative for color correction. It’s about correcting, not blending. Going for a light concealer right on top of your dark circles will give you a reverse-raccoon look, especially in photos with flash. Yikes!
From Poosh
