It’s been a weird week for patterns. The universe is colliding all around me and I have to say it’s been pretty cool.
I’ve gotten several emails from friends and readers this week asking about my favorite eye products. Specifically, any products that conceal, deflate, yell at, or otherwise eliminate dark circles.
Here’s a quick roundup of my favorites, but I have to say, no matter what you decide to try, you have to use it at least 1-2 times daily for a couple of weeks before you’ll notice any difference. If you use it once and nothing happens… it’s because you’ve only used it once. Good skin is like exercise- it requires consistency.
Okay enough nagging– here are my recommendations!
Etude House Collagen Eye Patches
I know topical collagen doesn’t do much for anti-aging, but these patches definitely help me with any puffiness due to weird sleep, lack of sleep, or too much shoyu. I use a daily serum, then use these them before shoots as back up. They’re really inexpensive and available all over Tokyo at Etude House (there’s one in Ginza Station) or online here.
Boots Time Delay De-Puffing Roller
This is the daily serum. It’s a title cheat but it’s too good not to put down. I bought this in Bangkok and use it every single day and it has made a huge difference. The first few days, honestly, I didn’t really notice, but after about a week I just plain looked better. We can’t buy it in Japan so I’m hoping to do a beauty swap with someone who can ship me a supply. Addicted.
HANSKIN Premium Magic BB Cream
I got a luxe sample of this in a Glossybox. Most BB creams are WAY too light for my complexion but wow it makes a great concealer prep! I take my flat concealer brush and verrrry lightly pat a triangle under each eye. I layer a bit of Missha Style Perfect concealer on top and blend it with feather-light strokes. I don’t like powder under my eyes so I usually just use a blotting paper to tap in it. I think the key to concealer is very light building. If you smear it on and blend it with a sponge like you do with your foundation it’s going to basically just get wiped off. Don’t use a lot of product and blend it super lightly… it works for me anyway.
Other wellness tips to reduce puffiness and darkness:
- Stay hydrated. (It’s a duh, but it makes a huge difference).
- Acupressure massage. A lot of Asian beauty routines focus on facial massage. It feels great and really does make a difference in how your skin looks and feels. There are loads of gadgets and compression masks you can buy in Tokyo for this purpose too, but I think just making a little extra time to work out any stress in your facial muscles is a good call. I use NuFace almost every night and my face loves it.
- Sleep right. Elevate your head a bit so you’re not super flat when you sleep. This definitely helps with puffiness, especially if you like soy sauce or salty stuff like I do.
Hope this helps you guys. Thanks for the notes and let me know if you find any other cool stuff to try!
