7 Ways to Give Your Eyes a Radiant and Well-Rested Appearance

(Even When You Haven’t Had a Good Night’s Sleep) Fresh, flawless skin? Yes please. Here’s how at every age with the right skincare.

Raise your hand if you want to wake up in the morning looking like you got eight full hours of sleep when you really only got two, three or maybe it was four hours…you’re so tired you can’t remember. We hear you. Admittedly, it’s frustrating when the dark circles, puffy eyelids or even bloodshot eyes silently (yet oh so clearly) tell the world your sleepless secrets. After all, no one needs to know that you’ve been working overtime at the office, studying until the wee hours for finals or just flew back home from a bachelorette weekend in Vegas. We’ve got you, and, no matter what age you are, we’ve got the right eye cream, concealer and beauty hacks to turn your tired eyes into refreshed-looking ones in mere minutes.

Your 20s

Late nights are an expected and accepted part of your lifestyle. You’ve got school papers to write, exams to study for, part-time jobs to go to so that you can pay the bills and let’s not forget Thursday nights at the pub. After graduation, your long days and nights are spent balancing your new career with your social life. No judgement. This is unapologetically your time. Except that no one wants the eye redness that comes with it.

  1. Your first steps toward banishing red eyes, puffy eyes and puffy eyelids in the morning: Drink three glasses of water; soak a washcloth and then wring it out and put it in the freezer; hop in the shower. The steam from the shower’s hot water will get your circulation going and give you a healthy-looking flush, while the much-needed H2O will help to hydrate your skin.
  2. Once you’ve finished showering, take the frozen washcloth out of the freezer and place it on your eyes for five to 10 minutes, massaging lightly around the inner and outer eye areas. The cold will tighten and soothe your skin and get rid of tired eyes, while the massaging can help drain the buildup of fluid that’s creating your puffy look.
  3. Last but not least, swipe on your brightest lipstick, like L’Oréal Paris’s Infallible 2-Step Lip Colour in Infallible Red. The dramatic pop of colour will draw attention to your lips, not your eyes. 

Your 30s and 40s

These are typically the family and career years; not getting enough sleep is par for the course—and it shows. The under-eye bags and dark circles under your eyes may seem permanent courtesy of the kids, cat, dog and/or partner taking up real estate in your bed night after night—not to mention the under-eye wrinkles that seem to sprout with each new in-office responsibility you take on.

  1. Beyond checking into a spa for a month (oh, the things dreams are made of!), there are a few DIY tricks you can do at home. Decrease your salt intake to help diminish puffy eyes and puffy eyelids, and reduce the amount of sugar you eat to stave off crow’s feet and under-eye wrinkles.
  2. To minimize the appearance of dark circles under your eyes, dab on a concealer with yellow- or peach-based undertones, like L’Oréal Paris True Match Multi-Use Concealer in Fair C1-2, Medium N5-6 or Dark W7-8. It will neutralize the bluish-purple hue of your under-eye bags. Formulated with glycerine and Haloxyl and available in more than a dozen shades, this concealer not only offers a colour for every complexion but will also blur away your under-eye wrinkles. Word to the wise: Opt for a hue one shade lighter than your foundation for best results.

Your 50s+

While you’re definitely more confident and comfortable in your own skin, it doesn’t mean you have to agree with, or even like, the way it’s aging. Especially during the menopause phase, which can zap away face-plumping collagen and moisture, leaving you feeling and looking dehydrated. So knowing how to eliminate eye wrinkles naturally—and use a little beauty 911—is definitely worth it.

  1. Start with the right under-eye cream. Anti-aging eye creams for mature skin, like L’Oréal Paris Age Perfect Rosy Tone Eye Cream, eradicates fine lines, under-eye wrinkles, under-eye bags and more. With imperial peony extract, skin is revitalized, sagging skin is tightened, wrinkles are smoothed and dark circles are replaced with a pretty, healthy-looking glow. All you have to do is dab a pea-size amount of the cream under your eyes and massage it in.
  2. Adding a touch of L’Oréal Paris True Match Multi-Use Concealer in your preferred hue is the finishing touch, leaving you looking and feeling more rested than you really are. But we’ll keep your secret.