**a rare photo of me without sunglasses on cause this was a particularly good day for my under-eyes… thx to all my little hacks!**

TRUE LIFE: I’ve had under-eye circles since I was an infant. I literally came out of the womb looking like I needed a nap. My parents took me to doctor after doctor, year after year, trying to figure out why it looked like I had two shiners all the time. The general consensus was allergies, the doctors suggested Benadryl, & I have now lived my entire existence trying to deal with these dark circles (the Benadryl didn’t work, obviously!).

If we’re being honest- I am SO insecure about my dark circles. Then & now. When I was 8 years old I asked my parents for surgery to have them removed (is that even a thing?) & now I much prefer keeping my sunglasses on as much as possible. It’s just my THING that bugs the sh*t outta me & unfortunately they aren’t due to allergies, or due to the fact I don’t sleep enough (trust me, I’m good there), or due to some sort of vitamin deficiency…. I wish it were that easy!!!

I’VE GOT MYSELF A NICE SET OF GENETIC UNDER-EYE CIRCLES, & those are a real bitch.

Genetic under-eye circles are the type of circles that can’t be resolved by getting more sleep, chugging water, or taking allergy meds… it’s just something your born with & not something any cream can fix. SORRY to break it to you, but there is no eye cream that will get rid of your circles. I would know, I have literally tried them ALL.

BUT FIRST, how to know if your under-eye bags are genetic or just situational?!

Go to the mirror, get up close, & pull the skin under-eyes taut (but gentle, this is the thinnest skin so always treat it nicely!!!) & see what happens to the color. If it gets lighter when your pull that skin tight, you’re a lucky duck- this is not genetic. If it stays dark, WELCOME TO THE CLUB!!! Over years of trial & error, here’s the V FEW things that have actually helped me (not a cure, but def an assist!).

**my under-eye circles through the ages**

WHAT ACTUALLY WORKS FOR MY GENETIC UNDER-EYE CIRCLES

1. Gua Sha Under-eye Masssage

I LIVE FOR GUA SHA- but here’s the thing with Gua Sha & under-eye circles, it helps- but it doesn’t solve. As mentioned, when it’s genetic, you’re not gonna find a CURE… but Gua Sha has helped me massively. On top of having that discoloration, I have extra thin skin under my eyes & the thinner the skin, the more you are going to see any blood pooling in that area (that sounds so gross, but that’s a big part of the darkness under your eyes). The idea with under-eye massage is to get that blood OUT of that area so it’s not just chilling there looking dark af. I typically do a Gua Sha massage before I do my makeup to get things flowing.

You can read all about how to give yourself GUA SHA facial at home here. 

2. Foreo Iris Illuminating Eye Massager

This is another eye massaging tool that I personally LOVE!! Gua Sha is more affordable to purcahse, but this one is easier to use & VERY effective. Also, I use this one differently. After I wash my face at night & apply all my oils/moisture, I give myself a good LONG under-eye massage with my Foreo Iris, not only does it kind of get the blood out from that area, but with all my moisturizers, it really PLUMPS up my under-eye area which also helps diminish the look of circles!

3. Becca Cosmetics Undereye Brightening Corrector (& then, bake it!)

This is, by far, the best under-eye makeup I have ever used & I have used a TON. It really does wonders correcting the color, which is the key when trying to cover your circles. A lot of people recommend using an orange concealer (or even an orange lipstick) before putting on your foundation & while that DOES help cancel out the dark color, the Becca Cosmetics under-eye concealer works WAY better & cuts out that extra step. HERE IS MY FULL COVERAGE ROUTINE: first I moisturize the area, then apply my Becca Cosmetics color corrector, then my foundation, then I BAKE my under-eye area.

Baking is basically apply a THICK LAYER of loose translucent powder to the area with a Beauty Blender, letting it sit, & then lightly dusting it off with a brush. WORKS LIKE A CHARM- you can find a full tutorial on how to bake here.

4. Under-Eye Fillers

I realize this one is not available to everyone because, let’s be real, FILLERS ARE SO EXPENSIVE!!! If you can do it though, it’s one of the more effective things I have ever done for my under-eye circles. It obviously didn’t fix the discoloration, but as you get older your eyes *sadly* get more sunken in & then there is a shadow that makes any dark circle look 10x worse.

You can read all about my Under-Eye filler journey here, but to sum it up: it works insanely well, your eye area looks SO plump & fabulous, it’s not too painful, it’s expensive, & for me- it didn’t last very long. THAT IS JUST ME THOUGH, people swear by it & most people say it lasts them a year or more. I metabolize filler quickly, so it’s really not something I can spend my money on if it’s only lasting for 6 months (this must be another fun genetic trait I got cause my sister also metabolizes things quickly as well- not fillers, but her epidural during birth didn’t last more than 2o minutes at a time!). That being said, google some before & afters for under eye fillers- it’s pretty amazing!!

5. Ice Ice Baby:

I recently learned the power of ice cubes for your FACE & it is my new favorite part of my skincare routine. If I pick my face a little too much (a habit I am trying v hard to break), an ice cube takes the redness away real quick. After I wash my face & do my skincare, I rub an ice cube on my face until it’s gone to close my pores up/lock in all my products, & LASTLY- I use ice cubes on my under eyes all the time!!!

The ice constricts the blood vessels which helps with the color and, bonus points, it takes down the puffiness. You could also use a mini ice roller if you’d prefer not to have water dripping down your face, but personally- I think the ice cube feels amazing!