Oh My Eyes!

[TheSunTheMoonTheTruth]

I have heavy, tired, sore eyes. They look bruised, are puffy and there are slight lines forming underneath, where they are slightly swollen. The lids are even red these days. I have an almost permanent eye headache.

I would like some tips on getting rid. And also, some tips on make-up/concealers/coversticks/whatever to use.

I am attempting to increase my water intake. I am horrendously shite at this, but I know it needs doing so I am trying. Funnily, immediately after some surgery recently, I was on a drip for a couple of days, followed by an increased thirst so I drank tons and tons and tons of water for a week. My skin was marvelous for a few days and I actually looked really well despite having a traumatic procedure (ok, it wasn't so traumatic, I was asleep!). I am nowhere near the recommended 8 glasses a day. If I drink that much I will be in the loo all day.

Sleep. Yeah right! I have broken shitty sleep most of the time. Partly child related, partly pain related, partly habit/longevity of shit sleep pattern. Again straight after surgery I slept lots, for several days and I guess I caught up a bit, along with water intake, that helped my skin tone etc.

I eat pretty healthily. Although no longer a vegetarian, I don't eat red meat, and eat chicken occasionally, fish occasionally. Eat plenty of vegetables and a reasonable amount of fruit. I probably eat too much bread and pasta and wondered if this made it all worse.

I have tried eye illuminating pen by no.7 but it's too pale/yellow and gives me a reverse panda look. I use the II colour, but the lighter/redder one looks like someone has assaulted me. I have tried clinique, didn't really do much and didn't last very long. I have tried some putty from Benefit (can't remember the name) which was nice, but a bit too dark/heavy, although probably the best one I have used. I have tried some others, garnier etc, just all a bit rubbish. I haven't been brave enough to try more expensive ones as I am too nervous to spend the money and it not work.

I would like to not feel so old, haggard and puffed up.

Help! Give me some miracle advice that I am missing, please!

Are you currently using any products that could be irritating your eyes? If the redness is new, maybe you've started using a new product that's causing it? It could be anything from skincare to makeup to nail polish...

Other than sleep, diet and water intake, I'd recommend a good concealer, for instance the Secret Camouflage one from Laura Mercier.
An illuminating pen (like YSL Touche Eclat) tends to just enhance the problems you're trying to conceal - it's more a highlighter than a concealer.

There are videos online about how to do under eye concealing - Kandee Johnson has done this one:
Wayne Goss:

Not really makeup, but causes and treatments - some products are mentioned: www.lisaeldridge.com/video/21005/puffiness-bags-under-the-eyes-causes-and-treatments/
www.lisaeldridge.com/video/21004/dark-circles-under-the-eyes-causes-and-treatments/
A guide on how to use concealer: www.lisaeldridge.com/video/1669/concealer/

You can probably find other guides online.

Before buying any products, ask for either samples or to have them applied to see if they work for you/do enough/are the right colours. Also make sure that you look at the colours (of concealer/foundation) in daylight before you buy, as the lights in the shops can distort them a bit.

Also, I recommend that you check reviews of the products online before buying - there are so many beauty blogs now, and they do very good reviews. But remember that what works for me might not work for you - so samples and testing is the way to go.

vibbe I have heard that before actually about the illuminator highlighting the problem. I think that's the problem I have had so far, it sort of makes the skin around my eyes brighter, but not less bruised, and so it sort of looks pale and stands out.

So, perhaps I need a concealer rather than a luminator. The benefit one I used was reasonable, but the tone/texture was wrong. But it was a concealer, not a highlighter.

I shall go take a look at those links, thank you.

I have emailed SpaceNK and explained to them I have been recommended some products, some description of my skin tone etc, eye problems and what I want from the make-up, asked them to let me have some samples of some things they think might be good for me. If I am going to spend that kind of money, I need to know it works.

At the moment I am washing my face with No.7 face wash, and moisturising with Avene Hydrating moisturiser with sun protection. I don't moisturise every day, and to be honest, I don't wash my face every day at the moment either. I don't go out too often, or have product to wash off, and washing it every day causes it to feel sore. I go swimming once or twice a week. I don't really even wear make-up any more as it just makes me look worse. I do exfoliate once a week/every 10 days.

The thing is, this problem has been around for a while, it's just getting worse and getting me down. It's not new as such, just worse than before, it has been this bad for probably about 6 months or so, but I have been unwell and put it down to that. But, the eye pain, the sore tired eyes is quite new.

My skin will look awful if I don't cleanse properly every day - and that goes for my eye area too. It's annoying, but it really makes a massive difference to cleanse properly every single day.

If your face gets sore from cleansing, I suspect you're using something that's too harsh for your skin.

You should cleanse every day as it's not just makeup that needs to be removed but the daily dirt, pollution and other goodies that land on the face during the day.

I've just started using the Clinique Cleansing Balm, which is lovely. Easy to use and not at all harsh on the skin - and washes off without any greasy/oily residue. It's reviewed by Caroline Hirons here: www.beautymouth.com/2013/07/clinique-take-day-off-cleansing-balm.html

I'm not sure I agree with her with everything she's writing on the blog (but I guess she's the expert), but the review above is good, and she does have a point to this too:
www.beautymouth.com/2011/07/cleansing-cheat-sheet.html
and
www.beautymouth.com/2011/11/eye-cream-cheat-sheet.html

Just revisiting to check youve had the usual fantastic advice from MN Sun and you have. To me it def looks like caffeine....as I said my DH suffers from this however coffee much better than too much alcohol! Peppermint tea peps u up without caffeine try fresh leaves its delicious. Counts towards ur 8 glasses. Have a growing pot in the office also to help with loo proximity maybe. Sounds like u have a lot on uf plate but am sure some of this advice will work. Best of luck :-) Sun...

Thank you everyone for the great tips. I have made a conscious effort to drink less coffee and nothing in the afternoon. I have been drinking orange juice with sparkling water, or just plain water, every time I fancy a coffee. This evening I have had two glasses of wine, and declined a third and have come to bed with a big glass of wine which I shall drink before I sleep/through the night (I get thirsty at night these days, too hot in our room!).

Last night/night before I went to bed with cold compresses on my eyes. I am yet to see any difference whatsoever yet, but my eyes are feeling slightly less painful and heavy.

re cleanser - I am using a gentle washing cleanser from No.7 but am prepared to try new things. I can't get on with the cleansing lotion as the pulling on my face annoys my skin. I prefer a washing cleanser. I use Avene moisturiser as it's very gentle on my face, maybe I should see if they do a face wash? I have tried Clinique before, but I used their 3 step treatment (is that what it's called?) I took it back and changed it for a different skin type as the one I had felt like I had cleansed my face with sandpaper, and the one I exchanged it for was the same. It made my face red raw.

I had bags under my eyes for years, accompanied by sore and tired feeling eyes. Tried more sleep, more water, less sleep, changed make-up etc etc. Nothing helped. I was becoming really self-conscious so had fillers under my eyes last year (google 'tear trough fillers') and as well as getting rid of the eye bags , which were really troughs but I hadn't realised, I found that the tiredness and soreness went too.

I also have allergic rhinitis, which causes redness, watering and itching, stuffy nose etc but that is ok as long as I take meds for it regularly.

It might be worth checking with your GP in case you have rhinitis. It might also be worth having a consultation with someone reputable to see if your puffiness is actually tear troughs and could be sorted with fillers. Not everyone's cup of tea, but I was so pleased with the results.

If you like Avene, then a cleanser from them is a good idea.

The Clinique Cleansing Balm is very different from the 3 step system. The 3 step system is quite harsh on the skin - I've used the anti-blemish 3 step system for a while as it's the only thing that's been able to deal with my hormonal acne - the cream is very good. The other versions are so harsh on my skin and make my eyes sting.

But the Cleansing Balm is from the Take the Day off range, which is just really good cleansers - there's the balm and an amazing eye and lip makeup remover, both very gentle. They are in no way like the 3 step systems.

The balm has the texture of a lip balm, and you just rub it on the dry skin - it almost melts on the skin, and there's no pulling or harsh rubbing needed. Then rinse it off with water (I also use a flannel). It leaves no residue and is perfume-free.

I find that it doesn't dry my skin out like some other cleansers that are foaming or used with water.

I don't know if you can get samples of the cleansing balm, but I'm sure there's no harm in asking at the Clinique counter.

I have had rhinitis in the past, due to broken nose and nasal passage trouble. My nose is pretty much constantly bunged up. Has been for years. So that could be causing it? I might have a chat with my gp then...

If your lids are red, eyes itchy, swollen underneath & you have a stuffy nose as well, which you mentioned, it could all be due to an allergy. I get this, dreadful sometimes, my eyes puff up like balloons & my lids go bright red. It can have any cause, just hay fever, or with me it can be medication. The only thing that controls it for me are antihistamines. I can slap on all the gels, creams you like to no avail, but Piriton coupled with Opticron eye drops ( you can get from Tesco or over the counter in the chemist) make all the symptoms disappear in a couple of days.

My lids aren't red, itchy etc, they are bruised type red. They look tired and hurt like the eyeballs have been pulled out of their sockets and pinged back! My eyes are a little sunken, not hugely so, but h sking below if puffed up and bruised.

But, as I have been thinking about it, the eye pain is acros my cheeks bones and behind my nose. I might try some antihistamine and see if that works. It won't hurt me if I doesn't work.

In the meantime, still drinking lots more fluid, cut down my coffee intake by half, sleep is still shocking!