Posts with tag eye care

Ugh, waking up in the morning is a drag. Puffy under eyes and sometimes dark circles – ew! And the most common culprits probably aren't the ones you think they are. Let's take a look.

As women, we want our mascara to be a macho man -- thick, long, long-lasting, conditioning and waterproof. Okay, maybe that was the wrong metaphor but regardless, we expect a lot out of our mascara but we might not be doing our part in meeting our partner half way.

Here are a few helpful hints to get the best show out of your favorite mascara.

There are two sides to having puffy, black rings under your eyes. The obvious is that they make you look tired and unhealthy and are generally not something you enjoy on your face.

The second and less popular option is that of acceptance. This is where I have been living. I can't go to a store without someone commenting on how tired I look. Generally speaking, I am tired, so I try not to take offense. The thing is that some of the time I'm not, and hearing the unavoidable comment just deflates the balloon out of my day. It's like asking a heavy woman when she's due. That never goes over well.

That's not to say that fun can't be had. I'm not above making up excuses for my eyesore(s). The cute server at Chili's? As far she knows I have two black eyes from that scuffle in which I saved the honor/lives of many maidens/orphans/puppies. The lovely librarian thinks that I'm up drinking heavily and living the life of Hemingway. Well, hell, they're both right.

Except that I haven't been in a scuffle since college and I if I stay up drinking heavily I'm more likely to be in bed for 3 days rather than making chit-chat in my local public library.

I decided to go with the former (remember the former, like two chapters ago?). I've tried various eye treatments to reduce the puffy swelling and dark rings that have been camping under my eyes since the Bush years (it's all very recent). None of them have worked.

Currently I'm trying Revitalizing Eye Creme Q10 from NIVEA for Men ($11.95). I haven't noticed a change.

I'm a fan of NIVEA products and I really want this one to work, albeit to rid myself of my problem and not as some skin care fanboy.

That said, I'll use the bottle and hope that it takes more than a few weeks to see results. Most likely I'll be looking for something new. Maybe I'll meet it in a drugstore, maybe I'll find it online, or maybe I'll find myself passing make-up counters that aren't even on my way home.

In the meantime I'll be up drinking heavily and saving puppies.

My eyes suffer through self-inflicted abuse daily: staring into the computer screen, late nights out, sleeping in my contacts, not getting enough sleep, and day-to-day stress. So when I get a chance to pamper my peepers I go for it.

Skyn Iceland "Solutions for Stressed Skin" sent me some eye care goodies to take for a test drive. They sent over their Eye Clinic kit, which included a pair of Hydro Cool Firming Eye Gels and a container of Relief Cream; these two little products were supposed to take me to under eye bliss. I have to say, Skyn delivered. I couldn't have been happier with the results.

The first step to under eye bliss was the Hydro Cooling Firming Eye Gels. This intensive treatment helps firm, de-puff, reduce fine lines and wrinkles, and most importantly it distresses (at least it did for me). The product was simple to use, just peel off the backing and apply to the under eye area for 10 minutes.

Step two is the Relief Cream. I love products where you can feel them working, the cream tingled moments after application which felt amazing. The cream de-puffs, diminishes lines and dark circles by simply patting a small amount under the eye twice a day. There is no funky residue and it doesn't mess with your makeup either.

For information on where to buy Skyn products check out their website skynICELAND.com