How to brighten dark circles and under-eye puffiness

The advisor compares the tone directly under the eye with the cheek beside it. A cool, blue-grey cast usually means the skin is thin enough for the vessels beneath to show through. A brown or tan cast is more often pigment. A soft bulge that catches light from above is puffiness, which is fluid rather than colour.

We also look at texture. Fine crêpey lines under the eye tend to look darker than they are because each small fold casts its own shadow. Hydrating that area smooths the surface and lifts the whole zone by a shade.

For blue-grey shadows, a concealer with a peach or salmon undertone cancels the cool cast rather than sitting on top of it. Choose one shade lighter than your foundation and apply a small amount only where the shadow is darkest, usually the inner corner, then blend outward with a fingertip so the edge disappears.

For puffiness, a cool compress or a caffeine serum in the morning tightens the surface for a few hours. Keep the serum in the fridge and press, never rub, from the inner corner toward the temple.

Skip heavy powder under the eye. It settles into lines and makes the area look drier and darker by lunchtime. If you need to set concealer, use the smallest amount of a finely milled loose powder and only on the outer half.

An eye cream with niacinamide or ceramides, used morning and night for six to eight weeks, thickens the skin's barrier slightly and improves how it holds water. Thicker, better-hydrated skin hides the vessels beneath it more effectively, so shadows soften.

Sleep position matters more than most people expect. Sleeping on your back with the head slightly raised lets fluid drain overnight instead of pooling under the eyes. Cutting salt in the evening helps for the same reason.

Daily sunscreen, including right up to the lash line, stops the pigment kind of dark circle from getting deeper. Mineral formulas with zinc are usually the least irritating that close to the eye.