Dark circles under your eyes may be caused by allergies, genetics or age, but when you wake up with them, you’re probably more concerned about how to make them go away than how they got there. If you get dark circles frequently, try sleeping on two pillows with your head propped up, which helps to prevent fluid from collecting under your eyes and causing shadows.

Prevention/Solution

You’ll need to stock your makeup bag with three basic ingredients to combat under-eye circles: eye cream to smooth and hydrate the area under your eyes; concealer to mask the dark circles; and translucent powder to give your cover-up staying power.

Selection

For best results, choose an eye cream that contains collagen-stimulating ingredients like retinol or peptides to plump up the skin under your eyes and make dark circles less noticeable. Choose an eye cream that describes itself as “light-reflecting,” or one that contains light-reflecting particles to help brighten your eyes and make circles less noticeable as recommended by dermatologist Fredric Brandt in “Teen Vogue” magazine’s Beauty Blog.

Recommendations

You’ll need a creamy concealer that’s a shade lighter than your skin tone for best results. If you don’t already have a favorite concealer, test a few to find one that gives you smooth, even coverage with color that blends into your skin and won’t easily smudge or rub off. Consider mixing two slightly different shades of concealer to customize the best color for your skin tone.

Applications

To cover dark circles, use your ring finger to lightly pat eye cream under your eye, moving from the inner part of your eye to the outer part. Then, use the same finger to gently pat creamy concealer under your eye, and follow the same path you used to apply the eye cream. Blend the concealer with a makeup brush, then brush on a small amount of translucent powder to set the concealer after it has completely dried.

Warning

Avoid concealer overload that can actually draw attention to dark circles and make them more noticeable.