Dark Circles vs. Bags vs. Puffiness. Learn how to target them all

Both can be signs of fatigue or caused by smoking, pollution, alcohol and lack of sleep. They may also be inherited or age-related. However, dark circles and bags are two completely separate issues. Dark circles result from poor circulation that causes blood to accumulate under the eyes and gives the skin a bluey-violet tinge. Bags, however, are due to fat deposits gathering under the eyelids.

How to manage dark circles and eye bags

Different problems = different solutions. 

As dark circles are a circulation problem, the solution is to give your circulation a good boost. It’s important to fully moisturise this zone, as the skin is extremely thin. So, apply an eye contour cream daily, and look for one with active ingredients including caffeine, aloe vera, yeast extract and holly root. Make sure to keep it in the fridge to keep it chilled – the cold will help boost circulation and reduce any swelling, too. The trick is to massage in the under-eye bags cream to stimulate the skin. Or if your dark circles aren’t too pronounced, use a roll-on applicator, which will help to relieve any congestion.

Under-eye bags need a whole other treatment. Your new best weapon? An eye contour mask that helps reduce puffiness. Failing that, the age-old trick of placing slices of cucumber or an ice cube on puffy areas will help, too. When it comes to make-up, don’t apply thick foundations to dark circles or bags, as they will stifle the skin. Opt instead for a BB or tinted cream. If your circles are very dark, apply a concealer that’s one shade lighter than your skin. This will brighten the skin rather than exaggerate the dark hue. 

You could also try our new Revitalift Filler 2.5% [Pure Hyaluronic Acid + Caffeine] Eye Serum too – it’s specially designed to target the look of dark circles, and its triple roller-ball applicator gives a stimulating massage effect that helps to target puffiness and re-plump eye skin too. 

You’ve woken up to unsightly dark circles under your eyes... not the best start to the day. But don’t panic, you can get rid of them for good and wake up looking bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. Here’s the truth about dark circles, and a few myths busted.

Dark circles are always caused by lack of sleep

False. Insomnia, short nights, bad sleep... fatigue is one of the root causes of dark circles, but it’s not the only one. Respiratory problems, poor circulation, high caffeine consumption and stress can also be to blame.

Dark circles and puffiness are the same thing

False. Dark circles and bags have different causes. The former are caused by poor circulation leading to an accumulation of blood under the eyes and the distinct bluey/purple hue of the blood vessels affected. Bags, however, are due to fat deposits gathering under the eyelids.

Careful cleansing helps get rid of dark circles

True. Cleansing is paramount if you want to preserve a fresh-faced look. The idea is to remove any make-up remnants that dull the eye contour. If you don’t remove your make-up or cleanse, then even the best of eye contour treatments won’t provide the desired effect.

Concealer is the best way to camouflage dark circles

True. Providing it’s the right colour, a concealer can work wonders: go for a tone that’s half a shade lighter than your foundation. Apply it with your finger, smoothing it along your lash line, working from the inside to the outside of your eyes. Then gently tap the areas treated to further blend in the colour.

Our tips to get rid of eye bags

Goodbye puffy eyes and hello new you!

Between 10,000 and 20,000 blinks per day: that's a lot of work for your eye contour, where the skin is particularly fine and sensitive. The result: signs of fatigue quickly set in. Stress, screens and no sleep only make things worse.

So some mornings, the eye contour really needs some help to get rid of eye bags that weigh down and age your skin. The eye area is a key beauty area that attracts 40% of attention. Unfortunately, under-eye bags get worse with age, generally after 40. Some causes include: water retention, muscle sagging and movement of fats under the eyelids.

1. This hyper-sensitive area of the face can easily get dehydrated: choose a cooling gel formula that is not too greasy so that it doesn't get in your eyes. It should plump up wrinkles caused by dehydration under the eyes and helps get rid of eye bags. Apply every morning with tapping motions and potentially in the evening too with a light draining massage action. You may want to try our new Hyaluronic Acid Cooling Eye Serum Mask once a week for a real hydration boost – each mask contains half a bottle of serum to smooth the eye area and cool the area to help reduce the look of eye bags.

2. Opt for an eye contour product with a metal applicator as its cool surface will help reduce puffiness and its shape will perfectly mould to the eye contour. Ideal for busy mornings.

3. In the evening, take your makeup off with a foaming cleansing gel or the new generation of oils that emulsify with water. As well as eliminating makeup residues and pigments, its slippery texture is gentle on the skin. And there's a bonus: the application movements mean that you will massage and drain under-eye bags. For this, you can use our Revitalift Filler Replumping Makeup Remover, which rehydrates and smooths skin while removing traces of makeup too for brighter and younger looking eyes.

4. Avoid a salty dinner. Salt encourages water retention in the night and the appearance of eye bags in the morning.

5. Finally, there's no big secret: more sleep = less fatigue = reduced eye bags.

#1 Make-up removal and cleansing

Do not rub your eyes to remove waterproof mascara – this will just irritate this ultra-delicate area of the face. Instead, go gently, using light gestures without stretching the skin nor pressing too hard. For makeup removal, why not try our Revitalift Filler Replumping Makeup Remover?

#2 Spoons

Put two spoons in the freezer for 15 minutes and then place them on your eyes, with the bowl against the skin. Cold is well known for reducing swelling and toning up the skin.

#3 Massage

Gently massage the area around your eyes with the index finger, starting from the inner corner and patting the eye to stimulate the blood circulation. This relaxes tired eyes. Try our 2.5% [Pure Hyaluronic Acid Serum + Caffeine] Eye Serum, as it comes with a triple roller-ball applicator that stimulates and massages tired eyes.

#4 Eye cream

There’s nothing simpler! Use an eye contour cream to hydrate this area, smooth away fine lines and boost micro circulation. These products, enriched with repairing and draining active ingredients, will improve tone and elasticity in this delicate area.

#5 Cornflower water

A few drops of distilled cornflower water in the eye will brighten eye whites and give you a fresh look. It’s a natural remedy that soothes and revitalises.

#6 Tea

Infuse two tea bags – preferably black or green – and leave them to cool, before placing them over your closed eyes. Theine – the oxidised polyphenols within tea – is known for its stimulating properties, and the tannin reduces puffiness and soothes the eyes. After just a few minutes, you will look wide awake once again. Camomile tea also does the same thing.

#7 Cucumber

With its high water content, cucumber is known for its hydrating qualities. Before going to bed, put two slices on your eyelids for 10 minutes to rest your eyes. You will wake up fresh as a daisy!

#8 Concealer

Choose the colour of your concealer one tone lighter than your skin and put one dab in the corner of your eye and two dabs under the eye. Blend in gently with your fingertips, working from the inside corner to the outside. Do this and your dark under-eye circles have disappeared!

Lack of sleep, a heartfelt sob, soreness... We've all suffered from puffy, bloodshot eye syndrome. Thankfully there are several easy, natural ways to restore a bright-eyed look!

Our eye contours are extremely fragile and delicate. We all prefer to start our day looking fresh-faced, rather than if we'd spent a night on the tiles. Apart from natural, age-related changes to our skin, we also need to throw in environmental factors, lifestyle and even genetics. Fatigue, smoking, booze, exposure to the sun, an unhealthy diet, hormonal changes, stress, dehydration, over-heated bedrooms, crying... The eye contour zone shows no mercy! Tiredness, stress, our age and our moods are all there for the world to see. Which is why we want to show them the door!

What causes puffy eyes? Woken up with bleary eyes and puffy eyelids? By lying down to sleep, our eyes tend to swell due to reduced circulation around their contours. Most of the time, any bags under the eyes disappear as soon as we leap out of bed. However, if you tend to suffer from water retention, your eyelids may not be so quick off the mark.

As a preventative measure, try to avoid salty food, booze (especially white wine) and smoking. Before going to bed, gently cleanse your face and lightly dab on an eye contour cream that contains decongesting active ingredients. Make sure your bedroom is well-aired and sleep with your head slightly raised.

Massage away your puffy eyes. Start with the inner corner of your eyes and work outwards, finishing off with your brow bones. Use a gentle tapping movement to stimulate your circulation. Alternatively, use our 2.5% [Pure Hyaluronic Acid Serum + Caffeine] Eye Serum, designed with a triple roller-ball applicator that offers a stimulating massage effect while targeting puffiness too. 

 You can also try a bit of spoon therapy: cool two teaspoons in the fridge for ten minutes and then place them over your eyes. The cold will immediately cause your skin to contract, reducing any puffiness around your eyelids and eye contour.

Kiss goodbye to the bags under your eyes

Why do we get bags under our eyes? Bags under the eyes are usually caused by a build-up of fluids such water or grease. With age, our skin and its fibres tend to sag. The blood and lymphatic vessels that circulate around our eye contour become less efficient, making the system go haywire. And the result is water retention. Add to that lack of sleep, fatigue or stress and your eye contour will find itself in a right royal mess!

To avoid this, make sure you hydrate this particularly sensitive part of the face, as it tends to quickly dry out. Opt for a refreshing, gel-based formula that's not too oily, otherwise it will seep into the inner corner of your eye. An appropriate treatment will fill out any dehydration lines around the eye contour, improve your skin's elasticity and keep the bags at bay. Apply your treatment daily and lightly tap it in.

Our Revitalift Filler Hyaluronic Acid Cooling Eye Serum Mask works well to reduce those bags under your eyes when used weekly. Containing half a bottle of serum in each mask, all you need to do is simply apply it to your skin!

Flush your bags down the drain! Apply your eye contour treatment with a metal applicator - its refreshing, decongesting effect will do your eye contour the world of good. You can also use an anti-wrinkle cream. It won't deal with the swelling, but it'll plump up any wrinkles for a fresher look.

Why do we get bloodshot eyes? Bloodshot eyes are often caused by a mild irritation, dryness or fatigue. They usually sort themselves out during the course of the day. Sometimes they may be caused by an allergy or medical condition such as ophthalmitis, conjunctivitis or glaucoma, in which case you should pop in to see your GP.

If that's not the case, you can help eyes that are sore from the sun, fatigue or a mild irritation by giving them a good rest. Dig out your sunglasses and don't stare at your PC/tablet/mobile for too long. You could also invest in blue light-blocking glasses, which are designed to reduce visual fatigue caused by LED screens. If your eyes have become irritated by soap or pollen, give them a good rinse or apply eye drops, which will remove any grime and soothe irritation.

To disguise bloodshot eyes, use drops designed for irritated, tired eyes, as they will also get rid of any itchiness. They often contain cornflower, elderberry or chamomile - all of which soothe puffy, bloodshot eyes. Last, but not least? Sunglasses! A sure-fire way to hide tired and bloodshot eyes.

They're a one-way ticket to looking sick and tired. Brown, bluey, violety... Welcome to the world of panda eyes. But don't panic! Dark under-eye circles can be zapped - just follow our simple guide to choosing and using the right concealer.

Choosing the best texture

Texture-wise, we're best off choosing a concealer that's suited to our skin type. If your eye contour is dry or dehydrated, opt for a liquid texture that will be both easier to apply and moisturise this zone, without harming your already fragile epidermis. Those of you with mature skin should avoid drier concealers as they'll just sink into and exaggerate wrinkles and crow's feet. However, hydrating formulae should be avoided if you have oily or combination skin as well as eyelids that tend to become greasy during the day. If that's the case, go for a stick concealer that will stay put.

How to effectively camouflage your dark circles

If your dark circles aren't too pronounced - a bit blue or pink - a fine, fluid texture will disguise them. Concealing serums or light-reflecting concealers are great as they'll leave you looking fresh-faced. On the other hand, if your dark circles are pronounced or brown, apply an under-eye bags cream concealer or stick that will cover them better and not budge an inch. Whatever you choose, don't apply too much! It'll only make your dark circles worse and leave you looking even more exhausted.

Choosing the right colour

There are loads of tones to choose from and the trick is to not go by the colour of your skin. It's the colour of your under-eye circles that counts. Bluish dark circles can be zapped by a pink concealer (a red hue), whilst violety ones can be covered by beige concealers (a yellow hue). This is because complementary colours (those that face each other on the colour wheel) can effectively mask each other.

How to apply a concealer

Concealers can be applied before or after your foundation - it just depends on the result you want. For a more natural look, apply it before your foundation, particularly if it's a powder. If your under-eye circles need a thicker coat, apply it after your foundation. The best way to apply a concealer is to use your fingertip or a brush. Gently dab it on, working out from the inner corner of your eye. Smooth it across your dark circle and then up to your lower lashes.

When dealing with eye bags and dark circles under your eyes, don’t forget to check out our new Revitalift Filler range, designed to plump and hydrate the eye area, and reduce the appearance of dark circles.