Age-Defying Eye Tricks

By Genevieve Monsma

We sail through our teens with bright, lineless eyes. Then somewhere in our 20s and 30s, our eye shadow begins creasing midday, the dark circles stick around even after a good night’s sleep, and the lines that form when we smile turn into permanent fixtures. But that doesn’t mean it’s time to make an appointment with a plastic surgeon; these normal signs of aging can be addressed with a few simple skin and makeup tricks.

1 You have Dark Circles

Shadows typically appear when blood vessels show through ultrathin undereye skin, says Amy Derick, M.D., a dermatologist in Barrington, Illinois.

Quick fix Use eye creams with one or more of the following: caffeine, to constrict blood vessels; peptides or vitamin C, to build collagen and thicken undereye skin; and illuminating particles, to brighten the area. Try Decléor Hydra Floral Eye Contour ($38; sephora.com) with caffeine; M.D. Skincare Lift & Lighten Eye Cream ($58; sephora.com) with peptides and vitamin C; or Neutrogena Illuminating Eye Reviver ($13; at drugstores) with lightening pigments. Makeup can also help—when applied correctly. One trick Darac, a New York City makeup artist, swears by: Tap a very sheer layer of red lipstick (yes, red lipstick) such as L’Oréal Colour Riche Lipcolour in Penelope’s Red ($9; at drugstores) under your eyes. “This neutralizes blue tones better than concealer alone,” says Darac. Top with a yellow-based concealer like the Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer Kit ($32; bobbibrown .com), which is available in 12 shades and comes with setting powder.

2 You Have Sparse Lashes

The biggest reason lashes look skimpy is repeated trauma, caused either by tugging on them to remove mascara or by repeatedly using false lashes or extensions. Couple this wear and tear with the fact that all hair grows thinner with age, and most women will find their lashes looking less lush over time.

Quick fix Plenty of products, such as Peter Thomas Roth Lashes to Die For ($125; peterthomasroth.com), help make lashes longer and thicker by nourishing the roots with conditioning ingredients like panthenol. But you can get similar results with makeup. Before applying mascara, define the inner rims above and below your eyes with a pencil that has a soft, easy-to-smudge tip in a dark shade like black, brown, or deep green to make the lash line appear thicker, says Darac, who loves Prescriptives Softlining Pencil in Void ($18; prescriptives.com), a forest green color. Then sweep on two coats of a volumizing mascara such as Too Faced Lash Injection mascara in Pitch Black ($20; sephora .com), which plumps with elastic polymers and contains vitamin E to keep lashes from drying out. Finish by dabbing a bit of clear lip gloss like

MAC Lipglass in Clear ($14; maccosmetics.com) on the tip of your finger and lightly brushing it over your lashes. “This will make them appear longer and glossier,” says Darac.