GOODBYE PANDA EYES!

I have hereditary under eye darkness and puffiness, so you can believe I have tried dozens of natural treatments, including correcting and concealing products for cover. 

Under eye circles and puffiness can be as a result of a number of different factors, here are few of the common reasons:

• consistent lack of sleep (so night after night, you think it's ok to stay up late?)
• water retention or high salt intake 
• anaemia 
• poor lymphatic system or blood circulation
• genetics or hereditary 
• low water intake
• also related to other health issues such as poor indigestion
• tired eyes or eye strain from use of screens in laptops, tv, computers, cellphones etc. 
• sinusitis or allergies
• humidity or climate conditions

What can you do about the under eye circles and puffiness? 

• you have heard this over again, go to bed early and be consistent with your sleep times, this has always helped me personally with both the puffiness and darkness
• I grew up in sunny and very humid Durban, so my eyes were puffy alot of the time, particularly in the morning, as the day would pass, it would lessen. Now living inland in Jhb with slightly drier climate, both my sniffles and puffiness have decreased substantially.
• stay hydrated and reduce your salt and caffeine intake to avoid water retention, use lemon juice, vinegars and spices instead of salt.
• workout consistently, make time for it...your health is everything. You really don't know the quality of life you are missing out on. For workouts and tips click here:workouts
• take your iron supplements, take them with or after your meal to avoid nausea
• use eye drops to combat dry and over strained eyes and step away from your screen or simply close your eyes for a few minutes throughout the day 
• cucumber slices straight out the fridge placed on the eye area for 5-10mins, cool and invigorate the eye area, it may only lighten the under eye area very slightly and remove a bit of the puffiness.
• I haven't seen much difference with Potato slices personally, but your could give that a go as well.
• honey and turmeric mixed to form a paste is another option. In my opinion the yellow or orange tinge that the turmeric has lightens the purple tone under eye or cancels it out temporarily.
• milk or water and rice flour mixed to make a paste also has a lightening effect, you can also add in honey for hydrating the eye area
• visit a skin specialist or dermatologist. Involves injecting hyaluronic acid (naturally produced in the body) to areas that are sunken in around the baggy area of the under eye to plump these recesses. This is costly but effective.
• place two teaspoons in the freezer for 5mins and then apply on puffiness holding it until the spoon has warmed up, I used to this in the mornings before campus when I was up studying the night before
• Use an eye cream that is specifically formulated to target your eye area concerns, caffeine eye rollons are great for depuffing, try Garnier and Clinique. (I will review eye creams from budget friendly to the more exclusive soon Insha'Allah)
• lymph drainage through massage has a number of benefits, with decreasing under eye puffiness being one of them...see below

All credit due to Distant Healer

The lymph drainage massage literally takes 2 mins, I use the massaging head on my shower by lifting my face up to the shower and having the pulsing pressure of the water, tap or massage those lymph drainage areas. It feels invigorating, please try it!

Corrector and concealer

What is the difference?

Concealers are available in liquid, stick and cream form. Often concealers don't do justice to covering up more noticeable under eye circles (I should know), if anything it makes them stand out more or look grey. The reason for this is that most concealers are meant to brighten the under eye area and are generally in skin colours, behaving more like highlighters. 

If the under eye area has purple or blue undertones, a corrector in the "appropriate colour" should be applied first to cancel out the purple and blue tones, creating a clean canvas. Applying the concealer will now work more effectively to blend the under eye area to your skin and brighten it up. Setting the concealer with either translucent or yellow toned powder will give the concealer staying power and avoid it melting and moving into eye creases and lines. Pat your eye with your baby or ring finger with a light touch to blend any lines or creases it has moved into.

Correctors come in a range of colours, and also in a variety of forms, from liquid to cream and powders. They are often worn under your makeup and are for correcting colour due to skin issues.

Green correctors cancel or camouflage redness due to skin irritation, acne, eczema, sun exposure etc

Yellow correctors cancel purple undertones such as purple under eye circles, bruises, pigmentation

Orange correctors cancel blueish undertones such as blueish under eye circles, acne scars, pigmentation, veins

Pink correctors cancel brown such as brown spots or pigmentation, freckles, scars and are particularly great for fairer skintones  

The above also works the other way around ie. purple can cancel out yellowness or skin dullness. Some foundation face primers come in purple undertones.

Correctors and concealers are therefore not reserved for the eye area only they can be used on areas or skin concerns that require a cover up. Correctors are used in darker areas of the face such as around the nostrils, upper lip and concealers for highlighting areas like just above and below the brow bone, the bridge of the nose (length) and above the cheekbones and centre of the forehead. See more on contouring later in this article.

courtesy of nyx cosmetics

Can you see the colour wheel in motion above....colours opposite each other on the colour wheel cancel each other out! 

To learn more about colour theory, click here: Colour theory

Which products would I recommend?

As a Makeup Artist, I have had to learn alot through trial and error. The products I recommend are as follows:

For light under eye circles:

Try a liquid concealer in a shade lighter than your skin tone such as Essence, YSL radiant touche eclat (this is more of a highlighter and great for brightening up dull under eyes). The YSL pen made the darkness under my eyes look grey and the puffiness more noticeable due to it's highlighting effect, so its great for someone who has dullness rather than darkness. 

Picture courtesy of Elle.com

For medium to dark under eye circles: 

Try a stick or pencil concealer such as Palladio herbal concealer in "yellow" (I am crazy about this inexpensive wonder!) which comes in a lipstick compact. See my review on the Palladio herbal concealer coming next. Clinique All about eyes concealer is also a great buy and stays put.

For more severe under eye circles:

Try a creamy concealer, my absolute favourite is Bobbi Brown corrector and concealer I use the corrector in dark peach and concealer in golden and honey for occasions. I apply it using my ring finger patting it on lightly in a triangular shape, from my inner eye to outer eye and down my nose to just above my nostrils and then back upto my outer eye. I will include a video tutorial soon.

Kryolan orange camouflage creme is also a great alternative corrector for dark marks around the face such as the upper lip area, the lips, around corners of the nose and dark spots. This must be topped with either a creamy concealer or foundation to blend correctly, all applied with a dabbing or patting motion. 

Tip: for beautiful pink lips apply a lip balm then Kryolan camouflage creme, top with pink or soft peach lipstick of your choice or a nude for gorgeous nude lips.

This product has some great reviews, and was actually used by the makeup artist who did my wedding makeup (I wasn't a makeup artist back then, else I would have done my own makeup:). Its very widely used by celebs on and off screen as it photographs and videos particularly well. I sometimes use it on my dark lips or marks and for special occasions, unless I prefer Bobbi Brown that day.

Bobbi Brown Creamy concealer and yellow powder compact and Bobbi Brown Corrector which is applied before the concealer and powder

Applying Corrector and concealer

Check out this Bobbi Brown Video on how to apply corrector and concealers 

click on this link for more concealer hacks from Harpers Bazaar

Concealer Hacks every woman should know

Ladies, please note that I have tried and tested all of the products mentioned above. Here are some of my concealer and corrector stash including powders:

Here I am using the Bobbi Brown corrector in dark peach and concealer kit in golden. The concealer in honey would be a better option to brighten up the under eye.

Here I have used the Palladio herbal concealer in yellow, my review on this product and its application will be up soon.


Hope this post was especially useful and informative, look out for my videos and don't forget to subscribe to my blog and You Tube channel and follow me on Instagram for more.