I think we’d all agree that the one constant with our skin is that it keeps changing. We all have varying degrees – and different types – of under eye issues.

Some of us have dark circles, others deal with under eye puffiness, texture, fine lines, or wrinkles, and many live with more than just one of these issues. Our genes, lack of sleep, sun damage, and aging all contribute to these issues.

We certainly can’t use the same techniques that worked in our 20s and 30s, but there are other things we can do to achieve a very positive difference in our appearance. Today we’ll talk about skincare options, makeup products, and makeup techniques.

The Five Steps to Improve Our Under Eye Area

The skin under the eyes is cushioned by a very thin fat layer which shrinks as we age and causes wrinkles to appear. Normally, collagen keeps the skin and muscles taut and springy, but it too runs low in our later years, and the skin doesn’t spring back as easily as it once did. Top this up with the fewer oil glands in this area, and we have dry skin to think about as well.

Overnight Hydration

So, if your under eye skin is dry, the first step to consider is extra hydration with overnight eye patches. During the day, it’s important to use a moisturizing eye cream.

If you have oily skin, consider using a lighter hydrating cream during the day than you do at night. You may find it helpful to check out Rank & Style since they have top 10 lists for various products, including eye creams and moisturizers.

Sunscreen Protection

Regular use of sunscreen underthe eyes and above and below the eyebrows is imperative. My dermatologist once told me that one of the places we usually forget to put on sunscreen – that is nonetheless very important – is right above our eyebrows.

Since chemical sunscreens can sometimes be irritating, a mineral sunscreen may work best. And don’t forget to wear a hat and sunglasses!

Even Out the Skin Tone

Color correcting the under eye area before applying concealer is key here. This step may be new to many of you, but it’s extremely important.

What is color correcting? This is a method of using complementary colors – the colors that are directly opposite each other on the color wheel – to cancel out the look of any type of skin discoloration.

Most of the time, the darkness under your eyes has tones of blues and purples, and it’s best to deal with it using a peach or salmon-toned color corrector. How deep a tone you use depends on how deep your skin color is.

Be sure to check out Elise’s YouTube channel which specifically focuses on makeup tips, techniques, and product reviews for those of us 50+. Don’t forget to subscribe!

Here I must mention a really excellent color correcting product. It’s called Colorescience Total Eye 3-in-1 Renewal Therapy. It has two different shades of peach – Light and Original – plus a tan and dark shade. It also helps de-puff the under eye area and adds a 35 mineral SPF.

But there are certainly many other color correcting products on the market. Most makeup lines have concealers in various shades of peach and apricot.

Use Concealer Next

Next, pat a concealer, half-to-one shade lighter than your foundation, over the color corrector. When you apply the concealer under your eyes, it’s important to pat rather than rub since you don’t want to disturb the color corrector you’ve just applied.

Tap on a very sheer layer with your ring finger so the concealer melts into the skin without creasing. If you’re using concealer on other parts of your face to cover age spots or discoloration, do pick a concealer that exactly matches your skin in these areas.

Preventing Creasing

Since the skin in the under eye area stretches a lot, you have to experiment until you find a concealer that won’t crease. A concealer which is too thin, too drying, or too moisturizing will not be a good choice.

Unfortunately, there’s no one thing that works universally since we each have different levels of moisture in our skin and different under eye issues. But I want to give you a variety of suggestions that can help prevent your concealer from creasing.

• Look slightly upward when applying concealer to stretch the skin a bit.  
• To lock in the concealer, apply a tiny bit of hydrating primer such as Laura Mercier’s Hydrating Primer or NYX’s Hydra Touch Primer before applying concealer.
• Apply a tiny bit of face oil to the skin to moisturize the area before color correcting and again after applying concealer.
• Gently press in a very small amount of powder over the concealer using your finger or a brush.
• Spritz setting spray onto a concealer brush, dip it into the concealer, dot the concealer onto strategic areas and press it in with your fingers.

Great Concealers That Work Well for Women Over 50

There are several high end concealers that work well for many of us who are over 50. These include:

• Too Faced’s Born This Way Concealer,
• Tarte’s Aquacealer Concealer “Rainforest of the Sea,”
• Pat McGrath’s Skin Fetish Concealer,
• Dior’s Forever Skin Correct,
• Charlotte Tilbury’s Magic Away Concealer, and many others.

Some good drugstore brands include Milani’s Conceal and Perfect which is a bargain at $9.00, Maybelline’s Instant Age Rewind Eraser which retails for $9.99, and Revlon’s Photo Ready Candid Antioxidant Concealer which costs $10.00.

What issues do you notice in your under eye area? What products have you found that you’d recommend? Do you have a favorite concealer or under eye cream? If so, please share them with us.