For those days when you look like an extra on "The Walking Dead"
Sometimes when you're sleep deprived, you get puffy eyes. Other times, your eyes seem to recede back into your skull, leaving you looking gaunt and, frankly, a little zombie-esque. Ole Henriksen Perfect Truth CC Eye Crème SPF 15, $26, is a sheer concealer that will help you blend in with the living with moisturizing and plumping ingredients like ceramides and sodium hyaluronate, so eyes look more youthful (i.e. not undead). This sheer concealer also absorbs quickly into skin, leaving it brightened (thanks to vitamin C) and cake-free. Ferulic acid is an effective anti-ager that helps protect skin from free radicals.
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Your tropical, poolside destination concealer
Tarte's Maracuja Creaseless Concealer, $24, is a super-full-coverage concealer that is slightly tacky when applied, making it easy to blend, and then dries smooth and doesn't settle into lines. The waterproof formula means it can take you from the pool to dinner without anyone being the wiser to the lack of sleep you got. Vitamins A and E are anti-inflammatory and fight off free radicals, while the namesake oil is full of essential fatty acids that help repair skin and Vitamin C, which makes skin look brighter and more awake.
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For when you need to deflate the balloons around your eyes
It's the trifecta of sleep-deprived eyes: dark circles, fine lines and skin that has blown up like a puffer-fish. What do you do on mornings like these? Reach for Yves Saint Laurent Anti-Cernes Multi Action Concealer, $37. This handy concealer stick is super-pigmented to cover up any imperfections, and infused with ginkgo biloba extract and chamomile extract, which soothe puffy eyes and help deflate them, leaving no signs of tiredness behind.
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Give your eyes what they want -- caffeine!
If you can't function before your morning cup(s) of coffee, complement your caffeine addiction with It Cosmetics' Bye Bye Undereye Corrector Concentrate, $29. This heavy-duty, highly pigmented concealer contains green coffee extract and other anti-aging skin conditioners like hyaluronic acid and collagen. The peach-based, creamy concealer color corrects dark circles, but be sure to set it with a little bit of powder to help it stay crease-free and flawless all day.
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For eyes that are going through a rough patch
First it was BB Cream, then CC cream and now ... CC cream for your eyes. Olay Total Effects Dark Circle Minimizing CC Cream, $21.99, has a soft brush applicator that minimizes tugging on the delicate under-eye area, which helps prevent future wrinkles. The moisturizing formula is great for people with dry skin, and the peachy shade makes dark circles look less noticeable.
Let's face it: Despite our best intentions, getting a solid night's sleep just doesn't happen all the time. Whether it's a work deadline or a "House of Cards" binge-watching spree that's robbing you of Zzz's, the result is still the same: puffy, tired-looking eyes. When you're already sleepwalking through your morning routine, the last thing you want to deal with is a complicated camouflaging strategy. Slathering on eye cream and a concealer? That's just way too much work. Which is why we're obsessed with the latest crop of concealers. Instead of merely hiding the problem, they contain skin care ingredients that help reduce dark circles, fine lines and wrinkles in the long run, while instantly brightening, de-puffing and covering dark circles (so you don't have to wait for the long-term results to kick in). So leave the raccoon eyes to, well, the raccoons and start fighting dark circles and fine lines as you cover them up.
