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.
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When you need a quick pick-me-up
For those days when you don't need a lot of coverage (or if you have fine lines and hate thick concealers), L'Oréal Visible Lift CC Eye Concealer, $9.99, is the answer. The formula is very sheer, so it isn't ideal if you have Birkin-sized bags. Still, it works well on days where you need a quick and light pick-me-up. The rollerball is pleasantly cooling and applies the caffeine-infused formula without tugging and causing more wrinkles, and since it absorbs quickly it doesn't sink into fine lines or exaggerate crepiness.
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For bright eyes and a bushy tail
Worried about concealer settling into the lines and wrinkles around your eyes? StriVectin's Clinical Corrector Anti-Aging Eye Illuminator, $29, has a sheer wash of color that brightens without looking cakey. And, like the rest of these wonder concealers, the more you use it the more benefits you'll see. The brand's patented NIA-114 molecule helps rebuild the skin's barrier and help reduce the look of fine lines and wrinkles -- plus, the applicator pen makes it a breeze to apply, which is crucial for those can't-wake-up mornings.
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.
