It must be the Photoshop Gods!  You try to erase the dark circles, the under-eye bags and you are convinced that the only reason women subjects in the beauty books look bag-free is because the production manager manipulated the photo.

Well, there may be some truth to that.   But, your eyes can look relatively open and bright if you follow some simple steps.

First, know that the skin right under your eye is very delicate and thin.  Any formula too dry can draw attention to this area.  Any formula too moist can slip into creases and draw attention as well. So, the most important thing is to pick the right concealer.  I like the ones in the little pots (3CC Concealer Creme) — the consistencies are typically what you need but experiment to find the best one for your skin.  For dark circles, you want to get a concealer that is 1-2 shades lighter than your foundation.

Second, moisturize your eye area.  Your under-eye area has less oil glands so be generous with your eye moisturizer and let it set for a few minutes before blotting the excess off.

Third, understand the art of application.  For dark circles (aka blood vessels reflecting light), you want to use your concealer brush and follow along the bottom of the circle and extend it up and over the discoloration.  Then stipple or finger dab to blend it in.  You want to be careful not to wipe the concealer away or apply it below the dark circle line.  (Pretend you are erasing the dark circles — any other skin you touch with the concealer will ruin the effect you want.)  Apply your foundation.

If you have under-eye bags, you can disguise the puffiness by highlighting the shaded area.  It’s a trick that makeup artists use by counteracting the shadow created by overhead lighting.  When you lighten only the shaded area with your brush, everything looks flawless. Again, pat or stipple the concealer.  Then apply your foundation.  If you also have dark circles you can do this step after you apply your foundation.