Tired-Looking Eyes: 13 Fixes You’re Sure To Love!

Tired-Looking Eyes: 13 Most Effective Solutions & Remedies!

As a makeup artist and skincare specialist, one thing I often hear from clients is, “What can I do about my tired-looking eyes? Help!!” 

I get it completely; I do.  Those eyes looking back at you from the mirror some mornings…well, it just doesn’t seem fair!  What happened to that fresh-faced look you used to have?! 

And don’t get me started on pictures!  Have you resorted to using filters for your selfies simply to hide the undesirable appearance of eye bags, puffiness, circles, or crow’s feet? 

Trust me; I’ve heard it all from friends, family, and clients, which is precisely the reason I decided to touch on this subject, offering some real tangible solutions for all the ladies out there!

But First, What Causes Tired-Looking Eyes?

Has stress taken a toll?  One too many sleepless nights?  Have you been burning the midnight oil?  The eyes are the very first place to show signs of aging, stress, lack of sleep, and poor lifestyle habits.  So, it’s highly likely one of these factors could be the root of your problem. 

Whether it’s puffiness, dark circles, or fine lines creeping in, worry not, ladies, you have come to the right place for help!  

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase using one of these links. For more info, see Disclosure Policy. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Officially Say Goodbye To Those Tired-Looking Eyes

First off, if you need help with dark undereye circles, start here…Simple Ways To Hide Dark Circles.  Then you can come back to this post for the remainder of our tips and fixes to help those eyes look more well-rested. 

Now let’s proceed, shall we!?  Today, I want to share with you lovely ladies my absolute top tips and tricks for getting rid of tired-looking eyes! 

It’s time to say farewell to puffiness, undereye bags, and fine lines for good!!!  Who’s with me!!??!

Tip 1: Use An Eye Cream (Both AM & PM)… Consistency Is Key!

If you haven’t started using an eye cream, it’s time to get to it!  And if you have one but you haven’t been consistent with it, this may be the source of your problem.

When it comes to skincare products, you must use them consistently over an extended period of time to see real, concrete results.  It’s just like going to the gym and working out; you can’t expect to see a six-pack if you go to the gym every now and then, right?? 

Make a habit of using your eye cream every morning.  And don’t skip nights!  Nighttime, in particular, is very important because it’s the most restorative, extended period of time when our skin cells repair and regenerate.  Your skin is also most receptive to skincare ingredients during this time.

Pro Tip: If you have had a long day and just want to crash into bed, don’t let that be your excuse!  Keep some makeup wipes and your eye cream next to your bed on the nightstand.  There can be no excuse when it’s literally right there, right?!!?

Related: The Biggest Skin & Beauty Mistake You May Be Making With Your Face

Tip 2: Use Products With The Right Ingredients

First things first, we know your eyes look tired for one (possibly more than one) of the following reasons: puffiness, heavy eye bags, fine lines, wrinkles, and/or dark circles.

But do you know with certainty which skincare ingredients you need to help with those issues??  Go here for more info on the best skincare ingredients for dark circles…

As we age, we start to lose elasticity in our skin and begin producing less collagen.  Additionally, collagen begins to break down at a faster rate, resulting in a lack of firmness, fine lines, and wrinkles in the eye area.  Lack of firmness then leads to more permanent and prominent puffiness, aka MEGA eye bags. 

Let me also say if you are in your mid 20’s, you are still not immune to the effects of aging skin with regards to your eye area.  My best advice is to be proactive and continue to read this post for the best options to look into. 

And if you are older, in your late 20’s, 30’s, 40’s, 50’s, 60’s, and up, definitely take note of the specific ingredients (listed next) you should be looking for in an eye cream…

Caffeine (Puffiness & Eye Bags)

• When applied topically, caffeine reduces puffiness by constricting the blood vessels in the eye area. This prevents fluid from flowing into the surrounding tissues, ultimately decreasing swelling and inflammation.  It also helps firm things up a bit by tightening the skin.

Peptides (Puffiness & Eye Bags/ Fine Lines/ Wrinkles)

• These babies are incredibly powerful for anti-aging!  Peptides help your skin restore and rebuild by stimulating collagen production.  As a result, you’re looking at a reduction in fine lines & wrinkles plus some firming up of the skin. Improving firmness helps with those puffy eye bags.

Hyaluronic Acid & Glycerin (Puffiness & Eye Bags/ Fine Lines/ Wrinkles)

Together, they are the perfect duo, aka power couple!  These lovelies help with dehydrated skin in the eye area. 

Did you know that dehydrated skin can magnify those annoying fine lines and wrinkles?  Yep, sure does! 

But these two ingredients provide a solution by pulling moisture from the environment into your skin and plumping up those lines. 

I started using my first eye cream with hyaluronic acid in my mid 20’s.  It is definitely one of my favs as far as ingredients go!  Hyaluronic acid makes everything smoother, and it will help diminish that puffy “didn’t get much sleep last night” look too!

Antioxidants (Puffiness & Eye Bags/ Fine Lines/ Wrinkles)

Antioxidants like Vitamins C and E protect your skin from the damaging effects of free radicals.  Free radicals are those “bad boys” responsible for the breakdown of your skin’s collagen and elastin (reducing firmness and leading to lines & wrinkles).  Think about the environment, pollution, UV rays, etc. 

The good news is antioxidants used in your skincare products can help keep you looking younger for longer by minimizing that damage.  Thus, they can slow down the formation of lines, wrinkles, and saggy skin. 

Pro Tip: Another antioxidant ingredient to look for…green tea!

Retinol (Puffiness & Eye Bags/ Fine Lines/ Wrinkles)

• Retinol diminishes fine lines & wrinkles by speeding up your skin cell turnover and slowing down the breakdown of collagen.  Additionally, it improves elasticity and stimulates collagen, which helps with firmness.

Tip 3: Adjust How You Sleep

If you wake up with puffy eyes, this is generally due to swelling of the tissue around the eyes from fluid buildup. 

Start sleeping on your back with your head more elevated.  Just double up on your pillows or try an elevated sleep pillow like this one.  While another option for elevated support that’s a bit firmer could be this one here.  

The extra elevation will help de-puff your eyes.  Plus, sleeping on your back will help your skin with lines and wrinkles…here’s why…

Tip 4: Give Preparation H A Try!

I know it sounds yucky, but this remedy really works for the undereye puff!  I learned this one while in makeup school.  And yes, you will find this in many makeup artists’ kits on set for their actors. 

Preparation H contains ingredients that reduce swelling and shrink the tissue.  It makes blood vessels constrict, which helps in reducing fluid retention in the tissue. 

However, a word of warning, this should not be a quick fix you resort to daily.  It should be saved for rare occasions, special events, or circumstances.  Also, the application needs to be done very carefully.  DO NOT get any of the product in the eye.  Only apply a very teeny tiny amount and blot off any excess.

Tip 5: Be Cool As A Cucumber!

Apply cool cucumber slices to swollen, puffy eyes to soothe them.  Cucumbers contain caffeic acid, known for its ability to reduce water retention in swollen tissues.  They also contain vitamin C, which helps with inflammation.  Lastly, they contain Vitamin E and antioxidants that help with fine lines and signs of aging. 

Place the cucumber slices on your lids after they have been refrigerated.  Allow them to stay on the lids for 15-20 minutes.

Tip 6: Up Your Water Intake & Try A Diet Switch Up

• Focus on drinking more water.  If a person becomes severely dehydrated, it can manifest as incredibly dry skin, and dry skin tends to make fine lines and wrinkles more apparent.  Also, water flushes salt and toxins out of the body that may be contributing to your undereye puffiness.

• To help reduce eye puffiness, you should also switch up your diet a bit!  Try reducing salt intake and cutting back on caffeine, as both can lead to water retention.

Tip 7: Let’s All Give A Little Tap For Fine Lines

Sometimes when you wear makeup, it can rather, unfortunately, settle into the lines under your eyes, making them more noticeable. 

A quick tip to help: Try tapping the area with your finger.  The warmth from your finger (body heat) can help blend the makeup a bit into your skin more, reducing the look of those bothersome fine lines. 

Also, if you use a concealer near your eye area, go for the lightest formulas if fine lines and wrinkles are a concern of yours.  This means sticking to pens or creams, with pens being the lightest of all.  Thicker formulas will magnify those fine lines.

Tip 8: Address Puffy Eyes Differently With Concealer & Makeup Products Than Dark Undereye Circles

I learned this phenomenal trick many years ago.  Instead of using an undereye concealer and attacking your issue head-on, as one does for dark circles, you want to try a slightly different method.  Check out the steps to this process below!

1. Take a darker shade of base (aka foundation), just about one shade darker than your full-face foundation color.  Apply it only to the puffy part of the skin. 
2. Then use a concealer (a shade lighter than your full-face foundation color) and apply it in the depression (shadowy crease that falls right under the puff of the bag).  Use the diagram below to identify the depression area.  Gently tap this on with a small brush or your finger. 
3. Lastly, to blend it all out a bit, go back over the whole area with your main foundation to cover the area where you used the darker shade and where you use the concealer in the depression.  Be sure to use a stippling technique.  This trick takes time and practice, but it really works for tired-looking puffy eyes! 

Not sure what a stippling technique is?  More on that below in faqs…

Why this makeup trick works?

Anytime you use light colors and shades in makeup; you draw attention to whatever feature or area where it was applied.  This also works vice versa.  Darker colors detract. 

So, to make puffy eyes less visible, you most certainly do not want to apply concealer (a lighter shade than your foundation) directly to the puffy part of the skin.  That is unless you are trying to make it even more obvious.  Which we are certainly not attempting to do.

You do, however, want to apply it to the shadow that the puffy bag creates (aka the depression).  This will create an illusion that makes the shadow much less apparent. 

And a darker shade applied to the puffy part will make that seem to recede or disappear.  It’s all about the manipulation of light and dark colors.

Undereye Concealers To Help With Tired-Looking Eyes:

• PÜR Disappearing Ink (4-in-1 Concealer Pen) – This concealer is ideal for brightening up the area! It contains microspheres that help to blur any undereye imperfections from darkness to fine lines.  Additionally, it provides buildable coverage without looking cakey.  It comes available in a variety of shades here!

• Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Lift and Firm Concealer – This one has a creamy formula that can reduce the appearance of undereye flaws while hiding pesky fine lines.  If you are worried about fine lines, eye bags, puffiness, lack of firmness, or dark circles under your eyes, this concealer is a great option to tackle it all!  It comes in 3 shades.

• Tarte Shape Tape Concealer – It comes in a variety of shades with a creamy formula that should make creasing less of a problem.  And it contains licorice extract, a natural brightening ingredient that will help with any darkness under the eyes.  For puffy eyes, you could try a darker shade for the puff and a lighter shade for the depression with this.

• Maybelline Age Rewind Eraser Treatment Concealer – This is a great concealer to try if fine lines and dark circles are your primary concerns.  It’s also the perfect option if you want to avoid creasing and caking.  It comes in a large selection of shades to play with.

Tip 9: Try An Icy Cool Option

Much like the cool cucumbers can help, another and more simple option is to use a cool compress on your lids.  Try ice in a zip-lock bag wrapped in a soft cloth.  Make sure that the temperature is cool, NOT cold.  The coolness will force constriction of the blood vessels, which will help stop the flow of excess fluid to the area.

Tip 10: Use Makeup To Distract & Emphasize Something Else

The best way to distract people from your tired-looking eyes (puffy eyes, bags, fine lines, and wrinkles) is to bring attention to other parts of your face or emphasize different areas of the eye instead!

• Draw attention to your lips instead…with a bold & dramatic lipstick color.  Try a robust, sexy red like this one! Guaranteed, absolutely no one will be looking at your tired eyes with this smokin’ hot lipstick!

• Emphasize your lashes and eyebrows!  This will draw attention upward and away from any problem areas that fall under the eye, like puffy bags and lines.  Try some false lashes or amp up your own with a volumizing mascara like this one. Or perhaps try this lengthening mascara (it’s my current favorite).

Related: Learn everything every gal needs to know about mascara if she wants to improve her lash game…here!!

Tip 11: Strategically Brighten & Freshen Up With Eye Makeup

If you want to look less tired after a night of no sleep, these 3 quick fixes just might do the trick! The goal is to brighten up certain parts of the eye area strategically.  Doing so will create a more alert look that is sure to freshen those beautiful eyes up!

1. Apply a highlighter (or a light eye shadow) to the inner corner of the eyes. 
2. Use a nude like this or white eyeliner like this one on your lower waterline area.  Pro Tip: If you have undereye bags and puffiness, it is best to stay away from dark liners in your lower lash line. 
3. Bring out the whites of your eyes by using dark navy blue mascara on your lashes.

Tip 12: Try A Caffeinated Approach (Not How You Think)

And I don’t mean a double shot of espresso! 😉 For puffy eyes, applying cool tea bags to your lids for about 10-15 minutes can help! 

Take two chamomile tea bags (chamomile has anti-inflammatories) and put them in the fridge.  Allow them enough time to cool.  Then remove them and place them on your closed eyelids. Another great type of tea to try is green tea.

Tip 13: A Preventative Method Is Always An Option

A last and most obvious solution…we should all try to get more sleep.  For overall health, you should be getting 7+ hours of sleep a night.  Sleep allows hormones to be released for more skin elasticity…thereby aiding in preventing visible signs of aging like fine lines, wrinkles, and lack of firmness.

• Check out this post for more info on how lack of sleep impacts your skin…
• If you struggle with falling asleep and staying asleep, here are some solutions to help!

Quick FAQs For Tired-Looking Eyes

What in the world is a stippling technique?  Stippling is simply a way to apply your foundation for a flawless, almost airbrushed look.  Don’t worry; it’s easier than it sounds…just takes a little practice.  Follow these steps, Beauties!

1) Apply a little bit of your foundation to the back of your hand.

2) Using a stippling brush like this one, you want to then very gently tap the tips of this brush into the foundation.  Tap the product onto the brush a few times very lightly to ensure you get enough product.  You don’t need much, though.

3) Take the brush and softly tap or dot the product onto your face or the specific area you are trying to cover.  Keep in mind this is a gentle tapping motion.  Do not swipe with the brush; just dot on very lightly.  Depending on how much coverage you need, you may need to go over the area a few times. 

For tired-looking eyes, when you use this technique, as outlined earlier in this article, try not to disturb the darker base and concealer you previously applied by sweeping the brush around.  Think little dots very close together gently tapped in.  If you have questions about this technique, feel free to email me.

Do You Want To Learn How To Look 10 Years Younger & Brighten Up Those Eyes For Good? Check Out The “How To Look Younger Makeup Secrets” Guide!!

• 120+ Paged makeup guide full of quick fixes!
• Learn with more detail and images how to regain brighter eyes, disguise puffy eye bags, hide dark undereye circles, & enhance your eyes with makeup without bringing more attention to fine lines and wrinkles around them!
• Find out how to make your eyes look larger, wider, & more youthful!
• Get a step-by-step tutorial with techniques to instantly lift your eyes and tips for applying makeup to mature, hooded eyes & droopy eyes.
• Find out how to prevent your makeup from creasing under your eyes & so much more!
• Disclosure: Please Note- Chapter 4 cover page of this makeup guide contains images that were AI-generated.

Final Thoughts…

If you’re ready to look more rested and perk up those peepers, as you can see, there are quite a few things you can try, from skincare solutions to lifestyle changes and makeup tricks! 

The key is to identify whether it is puffiness, lines & wrinkles, or dark circles under the eyes contributing to your rather tired-looking appearance.  And you should also consider the possibility that it might be a combination of these issues. 

But once you pinpoint which one or ones are the root, you can then better decide which of these tips to try for help.  Feel free to reach out if you need some additional help or have questions, ladies!

Have you tried any of these remedies for tired-looking eyes before?  Leave a comment to share your thoughts! 

Related Makeup & Skincare Articles:

• Beginner Makeup for the Everyday Woman
• The Best Guide to Women’s Essential Skincare Tips
• Incredibly Simple Ways To Hide Dark Circles
• The 17 Best Tips And Products For Better Sleep

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