style
BEAUTY
E y e c u e s
The skin care tips and makeup tricks you’ve been looking for.
HOODED LIDS
As we age, weakening
CROW’S-FEET
“These lines that
muscles combined with rubbing and pulling
cause thin lid skin to sag. The sag can even be
so extreme that it obscures vision.
TRY
For m inor hooding, skin tighteners such
as
Garnier
Ultra Lift Pro Dual Eye, $17, offer
tem porary results. Invisible lid-shaped tape
strips like those from
Eye M agic
are a
nonsurgical option to open up the eyes, $30.
APPLY
M ake eyes appear larger w ith a w hite,
bone, or cham pagne shadow sw ept up to the
brow bone. Line both top and bottom o f the
eye w ith dark liquid liner, m aking sure the
upper line is slightly thicker.
occur around the outer corners of the eye
are dynamic wrinkles that are caused by
muscle movement,” explains New
York-based cosmetic surgeon Yan Trokel.
Causes: laughing, smiling, squinting.
TRY
A hydrating eye cream tem porarily
plum ps those lines. Ingredients like
retinoids, peptides, and antioxidants
found in
Vichy
Liftactiv Retinol H A Eyes,
$40, pack an anti-aging wallop.
APPLY
Use a m oisturizing foundation.
And skip the powder, w hich settles into
fine lines.
2
4
3
DARK CIRCLES
Although they can be a
natural result of aging, areas of heavy pigmenta-
tion underneath the eye are most commonly
caused by three things: thinning skin and
collagen loss, which accentuates the appearance
of the blood vessels underneath; melanin
irregularities that typically affect those with
dark skin; and nasal congestion.
TRY
Eye creams containing retinol or vitamins K,
C, E, and can help.
OLAY
Total Effects Eye Cream
and Concealer covers and corrects, $22.
APPLY
Use a pink- or peach-tone concealer.
O r get the same effect with a tiny speck of red
lipstick to neutralize blue tones. (Be sure to top
with a concealer!) Keep eye shadow light in a
white or bone shade. Leave lower lid unlined to
draw attention upward.
PUFFY EYES
Blame those bags on too
little sleep, heredity, and water retention. Or
try elevating your head with an extra pillow
so fluid doesn’t pool around your eyes at
night. During hayfever season try an
antihistamine. (Heard the one about
Preparation H? Avoid it, say doctors—it’s
too potentially irritating to eyes.)
TRY
Ingredients such as caffeine and
peptides stimulate circulation and reduce
inflammation.
Patricia W exler M.D.
Fastscription Instant De-Puff Eye Gel, $20,
deflates bags.
APPLY
Look for a brightening concealer.
These often com e in pen form. Light-
reflecting particles hide shadows and lend
some coverage.
p a c k y o u r
b a g s
Cosmetic procedures
offer the fastest and
m ost lasting results for
eye-area correction,
though you fe m ore likely
to need a needle than a
knife. “ Cutting isn’t
always the answ er" says
Trokel. “ Instead, w e add
volum e back into the
right places to add
fullness and definition.”
X Neurotoxins
like
Botox o r Dysport
block facial muscle
contractions to smooth
the appearance of
crow ’s-feet, forehead
creases, and “ the
elevens,” those vertical
lines betw een the
eyebrows. Injections can
also give 1-2 millimeters
of lift to hooded eyelids.
Cost:
$400-$600 per
treatm ent. Lasts 3 to 5
months.
X Injectable fillers
such as Restylane and
Juvederm plump up skin
with hyaluronic acid, a
safe substance that’s
naturally present in skin.
T hey can diminish dark
circles by adding a
cushion between the
blood vessels and skin.
“ Injections around the
eyes must be done by a
m aster w ho has had lots
of experience in that
area. Being board-
certified isn’t enough,”
Trokel says. Ask for
and check references.
Cost:
$500 per
treatment. In the eye
area it can last up to
one year.
158
MARCH
2010
BETTER HOMES AND
GARDENS
PHOTO: VEER
