Reduce Puffy Eyes And Under Eye Puffiness

How to reduce puffy eyes and be ready to greet the world, what woman has not woken up on occasion to discover puffy eyes and just wish she could hide under the covers.

How To Get Rid Of Puffy Eyes

Whether a late night or a weepy breakup has left you swollen and bloated, there are a number of tricks that can get you looking fresh and lovely before you know it! If it’s been a long night and your face is telling the tale – don’t despair!

Start off with a cold compress, like one of those nifty little eye masks that you know you’ve got stashed in the freezer. You’ll be amazed at the difference just five minutes will do!

Don't be afraid to gently massage the mask as it sits on your eyes, either, as this will encourage circulation and break up the swelling a bit. Follow up with a specially designed eye mask, or de-puffing eye cream and let it sit and soak in for up to ten minutes – or go old school with a home remedy your mom likely used for puffiness under eyes and to reduce puffy eyes – either damp tea bags or cool, sliced cucumbers.

Remember, different faces react to different products and routines, so try out each one or combination to see what yields your best result!

As with every eye makeup application, starting off with a primer is an important step. It's a quick little technique that will extend the life of your shadow by hours! And priming is definitely useful with eyes that are a bit swollen and lashes that are likely to brush against the eyelids.

Once your lid is prepped, begin contouring the eye with a darker shadow just under the brow bone or in the crease, to recede the eye a bit and lend it depth. Using a matte, medium toned shadow will give the most even result, as a shimmery shadow may emphasize the puffiness even more! Shimmer is welcome on the lid part of the eye, but not necessary. Use a lighter creamy toned shadow to make those eyes pop.

Although our featured video suggests that eyeliner should be passed on by puffy-lidded gals, that's not always the case. It should be applied sparingly however, and as close the lash line as humanly possible.

Try softer shades rather than black to define without too much drama. A soft sweep of powder liner on the top or bottom, with emphasis on the outer corner will also elongate the eye, detracting from the rounded appearance.

Once eye makeup is finished, curl lashes and carefully apply mascara. A favorite finishing touch of mine (and an old Hollywood beauty secret) is to dab a little bit of a white or off-white shimmer powder into the inside corner of eyes. This helps bring eyes forward and adds a splash of glamour, too!

Preventing Eye Puffiness

As they say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, so don't forget these tips to keep those eyes from swelling up again! Puffy eyes can result from allergies and toxin build-up, so avoiding stress, salt, sobbing and lack of sleep will be your best bet.

If you have got a big date or event planned, try to take it easy the night before – relax, drink tons of water, and watch that sodium and alcohol intake and you can reduce puffy eyes.

Reduce Puffy Eyes
Updated December 15, 2011

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