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Your eyes are the most telling feature when it comes to aging. Expressing every emotion, but cursed with the thinnest skin anywhere on the body (with little collagen and elastin and few oil glands to boot), it’s no wonder crow’s feet and tired eyes are the first reminder. for many of us that “You’re not 23 anymore.
I can’t stand looking exhausted, to the point that I just went under the knife, having spent years working up the courage to do so. But I also know many tricks for brightening the eyes, many of which I use religiously.
So what works? I’ve tried more options than most. Bottom line: makeup can work wonders, eye creams do very little, and non-surgical ‘touch-ups’ can be a worthwhile investment for your lower eyes, but not so much for your upper eyelids.
Here’s my pick of the best beauty reveals.
Inge van Lotringen has tried more eye treatments and creams than most; So why has she spent more than £6,000 on surgery?
Shopping that lights up the eyes
Makeup legend Bobbi Brown rightly advises “putting concealer under your eyes before applying foundation – you may find you don’t need the latter.” You need a deeply hydrating and pigmented cream, just one shade lighter than your foundation, and smooth it out gently; Never rub or drag, it makes stains and shadows worse.
Your eyes will brighten and your entire complexion will appear more even. Gatineau Miracle Eye Contour Cream, £36, a pampering eye cream and concealer, is a favourite.
Curling your eyelashes before applying mascara is another turning point for achieving more open eyes.
And as for eyeshadow, you want a pale, nude tint on the lids (shimmer will brighten dull eyes), while a darker matte brown or taupe in the creases will also bring narrowed eyes back to life. highlight.
I’m obsessed with Clinique High Impact Shadow Play Shadow + Definers, £28 – double-sided eyeshadow sticks that do this trick in a few simple sweeps.
Last but not least: well-shaped and tinted eyebrows optically support drooping and tired eyes.
Have them professionally threaded (then you can pluck the new growth yourself).
Gatineau Miracle Eye Cream, £36 and Clinique High Impact Shadow Play Shadows + Definers, £28
The Only Eye Creams You’ll Ever Need
Eye creams are good for maintenance, but very few make a real difference to bags, circles, lines and, least of all, the dreaded drooping.
Your best bet for slowing down the years is daily SPF from a young age: Ultrasun SPF30 Eye Protection, £20, is a good option. If you don’t have a time machine and need to address existing signs of aging, a retinoid offers your best hope, but you really don’t want inflammation around your eyes.
Murad Retinal Resculpt Eye Treatment, £94, is powerful and gentle.
The best product I’ve tried to lift drooping eyelids and smooth under-eye puffiness is Peter Thomas Roth Instant FirmX Eye, £22 – it forms an invisible foundation-like film that irons the eye area. But there’s a problem, it only lasts a few hours and you can’t apply makeup on top.
Murad Retinal Resculpt Eye Treatment, £94, is powerful and gentle
Ultrasun SPF30 Eye Protection, £20 and Peter Thomas Roth Instant FirmX Eye, £22
Adjustments vs surgery
Toxin injections work for crow’s feet, but not under eye wrinkles.
Botox may also slightly lift some people’s eyebrows. In expert hands, under-eye fillers help minimize dark circles and hollows.
Injectable skin enhancers like Sunekos and biostimulators like polynucleotides can improve texture and shine, but the results are very subtle and require expensive injections every few months to maintain.
As for drooping eyelids? The results of adjustments are often disappointing and I truly believe that many heat-based eye procedures, such as plasma, cause more trauma than long-term improvement.
So why did I decide on an upper eyelid surgery worth over £6000?
Because counterintuitively, my surgeons, Dr. Roos and Dr. Murthy (facerestoration.com), told me I would have less downtime than many non-surgical options, with dramatic, permanent results. Two weeks after my operation, with eyes ten years younger and healed, I know I made the right decision.
Run towards it!
Today, try taking your teen to the pharmacy for this absolute rip-off. Soft, lightweight and with a flattering satin finish, elf Cosmetics Soft Glam Satin Foundation, £9 (superdrug.com) spreads over lines rather than settling into them.
Its medium coverage in 36 shades builds easily, feels hydrating, has protective plant extracts, and has no sickly synthetic smell.
My cosmetic craving
Just like skinny jeans have seemingly been the only denim option for the last decade, matte lipsticks have been pushing other options off the shelves for far too long.
This, while everyone over 40 knows that cream or satin textures are significantly more flattering (they plump instead of wrinkle) and more comfortable (we need moisture).
Revlon Super Lustrous Crème Lipstick, £8.99 (boots.com) delivers long-lasting impact and the 12 striking shades are packed with pigment.
And no, despite the creaminess, expression lines will not form.
Icon of the week
Kylie Minogue Wearing a jewel-encrusted Diesel dress, Kylie Minogue made sure her hair and makeup at the Met Gala were designed to have the same wet-look effect.
All from MAC (boots.com), used Studio Radiance Serum-Powered Foundation in NC20, £39, Color Excess Gel Pencil in Sick Tat Bro, £22 and Red Rock MACximal Lipstick, £25, topped with gloss.