Terrible dark circles under eyes - drastic action needed!

[CoffeeMum]

Okay, no concealer can even come close to helping me, and I have tried them all.

I really want to sort out the dark circles around my eyes, they make me look exhausted. I am starting to think about theatrical makeup, in desperation, or some of that special makeup that covers birthmarks etc. Are there even any surgery options? I would be willing to at least think about paying a decent sum of money towards sorting them out.

In the meantime, I barely touch alcohol and caffeine, but am considering cutting both out altogether. I am also considering a multivitamin, and trying to drink more water.

Any thoughts or ideas? Thanks

[Rannaldini]

ok proper make up will help
peachy toned concealer applied with a brush to whole are then a yellow based one over the top
maybe an illuminator over all that if you are young enough not to worry about settle

or restyalene in the tear channels can have good results with the right practioner

[CoffeeMum]

Thanks Rannaldini - I am definitely open to buying concealers, but I'd worry about using two because it starts looking cakey. Would you recommend any particular product? The trouble is - no concealer actually comes close to giving me coverage, so I just get dark circles PLUS cakey-ness. Not a good look. I bought the L'oreal caffeine + concealer roll on which gives NO coverage, but does illuminate a TINY bit, but really, barely enough to bother with.



But this restyalene sounds both promising and scary

Thanks for your reply

[Esmee]

CoffeeMum, try Bobbi Brown's Creamy Concealer. Like you, I have terribly dark circles under my eyes, mine are really purple. I tried the likes of Touche Eclat, which did nothing for me except highlight the area!! Couldn't go without BB's now! At first I tried the combined kit with powder, but it went a bit cakey on me so now I just use the concealer and a tiny bit of my usual loose powder swept across the eye area on a large brush.

[Rannaldini]

haste thee to mac or space nk
ask them to get rid of the undereye shadows

i've used mac concealers in the past
laura mercier is also good

i've heard good things about byterry concealer on here and they'll have it and the laura mercier in space nk

[wildscaryface]

I used the caffeine roll on without the concealer, the one in the green roll on? I hadn't heard especially good things about it BUT it really worked on the the purple, for me.

After a few days using it several times a day and before bed it was like a healing bruise or black eye, they started lightening up and going red rather than purple, then looked as if they might fade altogether. They did not fade totally of course, but they do look much much better and are easier to cover up with concealer without looking unnatural.

I used to use Estee Lauder Uncircle (don't think they make it any more) it was £25 back in the day and it didn't really work - the green roll on works much better at less than half the price.

I don't know if it is just the massaging action that drains the blood or whatever it is though - I had heard that regular circular massage of the eye area helps drain them too and improves dark circles.

[Deux]

Another one here. I went to the Bobbi Brown counter and the lady there worked wonders. I have 2. One is a correcter which goes on first (it's quite a dark peach colour) and then the creamy concealer on top.

Mine are particularly bad on that boney bit at the bridge of my nose.

Something else, the only time I have not had this purple around my eyes was after I had to have an emergency blood transfusion - darkness gone! A bit drastic on a day to day basis .

I do find that I tend toward lowish iron and if I take Spatone daily then the darkness is really reduced.

I have no idea if the latter is based on any scientific fact but I'm sure I'm not going mad.

[CoffeeMum]

Thanks everyone, lots of wisdom here!

Wildscaryface - that roll on one doesn't even touch my dark circles, but the thing about the massaging effect is interesting - maybe i can work on that.

Haven't actually tried Bobbi Brown, thanks to all who suggested this - will look into it. Esmee, do you apply the creamy concealer with a brush?

Deux - very interesting about the blood transfusion [poor you - hope you are okay now?], as I have been reading dark circles can be down to iron deficiency, and I have considered eating more red meat or taking an iron supplement so will look for this Spatone.

Rannaldini - neither Mac or Laura Mercier concealers even touched them . The woman at the Laura Mercier counter actually conceded defeat!

Obviously, having two tiny DC doesn't help my situation as I consistently don't get enough sleep AND i wonder if it's hereditary as I see it in members of my family. Great, thanks for those genes everyone!

Okay: Bobbi Brown, massage of eye area, red meat/Spatone.

Thanks again for the suggestions!

[Rannaldini]

spoke to my fwiend who knows and she says eve pearl concealer is the answer
good youtube of her too apparently for advice

[Esmee]

CoffeeMum, I just use my ring finger to 'tap' it in gently. I find that you can layer it up quite well without it looking too thick as well.

Having read this thread I'm now wondering whether my dark circles could be down to iron deficiency so have ordered myself some Spatone sachets!!

[otchayaniye]

I am like you. I look good for my age (39) and have really no lines, but my dark circles and just the start of eye bags (so you can notice the tear) -- well, they really bother me. Really bother me. I zero in on them every time I see myself.

Anyway. Most high-end beauty lines won't touch them.

I asked the makeup woman at work (TV news) and my neighbour (who founded Illamasqua line) and the gave me advice and got me started on:

A hydrating eye cream (I got some cheapo Avon one or just Embryolisse boggo cream, Natura Bisse v good) Leave to sink in.

A corrector. I'm using up my Bobbi Brown but there are others. Eve Salmon I recall? Apply with concealer brush.

A concealor. You could go theatrical (say Kryolan, or Ben Nye- they sell on eBay) or use Amazing Cosmetics (very high density of pigment - you can buy it on QVC) Again, apply with a brush. You can trail this to a v-shape to the side of your nose and don't forget the inner bluish corner.

Set with powder. I am using up my Laura Mercier secret brightener.

You may not ever (unless you use Christy Cosmetics Keromask, or Dermablend) cover them completely, but that would look weird in daylight.

But this should make a difference.

Oh, always apply blusher to apples to detract from them, and use soft powder as an eyeliner (kind of like a very faint smokey eye effect, using a taupe or something like MAC's Shale) will also detract

[otchayaniye]

I should say I look OK for my age (wasn't being boastful, just I am happy with how I've aged so far except worsening black circles)

[whatkatydidathome]

I find that Touche Eclat YSL works on mine - certainly worth trying a tester sometime.

[Suzy1975]

I suffer from dark circles, hollow tear troughs and bags, and like you, CoffeeMum, they make me look exhausted. They are also hereditary but look really bad if I haven't had enough sleep. I've had them since I was about 17.

I've tried By Terry's touche veloute. It's not too bad at covering the darkness but does nothing for the bags. Touche eclat does not work at all on dark bags, it just highlights them. Those L'Oreal roll ons don't work for me either.

The 60s model Jean Shrimpton used to have noticable eye bags in her modelling hey day. She talks about them in her biography and says the only thing that got rid of them temporarily was iron shots. Iron may be worth a try!

[wildscaryface]

Oh, just remembered a good one - Sisley do a good concealer that does work to reduce the bags as well as give decent coverage...

Phytocernes + Anti-cernes Antipoches (which means anti wrinkle, anti bags I think).

It does seem to shrink baggage, comes in four shades.

Trying to remember why I didn't repurchase. I think I found it a bit drying, but I do have dry skin so could be worth getting a sample from the Sisley counter if you don't have dry undereyes.

Oh and it was £45 or something.

[CoffeeMum]

Thanks everyone. Okay, I went to the Bobbi Brown counter and a lovely woman applied the eye cream, correcter and concealer. They did seem like really good products, and they worked as well as anything i've used, but they didn't seem to work any better - so I was reluctant to spend around £100 on these products [though i would splash the cash if I EVER found something that worked!]

wildscaryface - thanks for the last post, but i'm not actually troubled by bags as such, it's just these terrible dark circles.

whatkatydidathome - thank you, but touche eclat doesn't even touch them - makes them worse in fact as it highlights them. Infuriating, as it's always raved about as a wonderproduct!

Suzy1975 - very interesting about the iron shots. I think this is worth looking into - and i bought a multivitamin with iron, so hopefully this will make a difference. I looked at Spatone in Boots but was shocked at how pricey it is! £6 for 28 days - but again, if the multivitamin doesn't make a difference, i'll probably end up trying it. Can you sense the desperation?!

Thanks Otchayanaye - firstly, you don't sound boastful at all! But you do sound like the voice of experience and I am furiously jotting down a note of all the products you suggest. You are right, i will probably never completely cover them, but they are bad enough that i feel i must try something!

So, in the meantime, i'm drinking water, taking iron, and using an eye cream religiously, rather than lazily, as i used to

Thanks again everyone. It is comforting to know that at least there are other dark circle sufferers out there! At the end of the day, i blame the DC

[purplepeony]

Dark circles are often genetic- my mum has them, I have purple ones ad so does my DD. She saw her dermatologist about something else and was told that there was no cure- it's to do with having fine, transparent skin.

best concealer I have found is Bobbi Brown creamy which comes in about 12 shades- you need one slightly lighter than your foundation.

[CoffeeMum]

Thanks purplepeony - yes, i think there's an element of genetics with me - my dad has them, and I see them starting on my DS too.

Unfortunately, the Bobbi Brown didn't have a dramatic effect on my circles, but i reckon it would do a good job if your circles weren't too bad

[NannyPatsSausagePlait]

I ahve terrible eye shadows too, and sunken sockets

But do you know what? I've given up worrying about it

No one is perfect. Do the best you can to hide them but dont waste time worrying-you are a normal person not a model on a magazine cover.

FWIW I blend 2 boing concealers, shade 1 and 2 and apply about half of what I used to

Lots of blusher and a big smile detracts attention

[CoffeeMum]

Ah thanks, what a good post! Yes, you are right, there are far more important things to worry about in life. I suppose I just like to think i'm doing all I can to minimise this problem. But yes, i suppose i hone in on this problem area because i'm conscious of it - but other people probably don't notice it half as much.

It's just a bit grim both feeling AND looking tired!

But yes, in the meantime, i use lashings of blusher

[GoreRenewed]

Me too! They just get worse and worse. ATM my eyes are puffy too after a gruelling session trying to extract 2 contact lens that got lost! Left one in overnight in the end. Am wearing my glasses all the time atm to hide the evidence. I hate them! They are the first thing I see whenever I see myself in the mirror - it's as if my face is eye-bags with other features attached.

DD is 11 and is already conscious of hers She's so pretty but they are already there.

Spatone - hmm... may just try that.

[CoffeeMum]

GoreRenewed - it's a bit grim isn't it?

Yes, can't quite work out if this Spatone is worth the £6/28 day dose price tag. Pharmacist says it actually contains less iron than multivitamin, but is more easily absorbed as it's a sachet that you put in water [i think]

[Rannaldini]

ok get the eve pearl salmon concealer
like wot i told you
apparently the bizniz

[GoreRenewed]

But I have no salmon to conceal!

Just eyes bags...

[CoffeeMum]

Gore Renewed

Thanks Rannaldini, the eve pearl salmon concealer is on the list!

[ScroobiousPip]

Isn't hemorrhoid cream supposed to work wonders for bags under your eyes?