Coping with dark circles

When I was a teen, I would sometimes help my yiayia with her makeup. She was a proud woman, who always wore red lipstick, drew in her eyebrows, and had a Marilyn Monroe beauty mark on her right cheek. But as many women of Mediterranean descent, she had extremely dark circles and bags under her eyes. I introduced her to a Covergirl concealer stick, which we blended with our pinkies. It was an improvement for sure, but nothing like the products I now have access to.

As a half-Greek aging woman myself who inherited this trait, I am always on the look out for products and tricks for improving the appearance of my own dark circles and morning puffiness. While I cannot conceal them entirely without looking like a clown. I have found a makeup routine that works for me, and I’d like to share it with the world of women who are cursed with this same iconic feature.

Please enjoy this video of my au naturel look. Be nice, it’s my first go around with filming and so this was done low budge and with no special camera or lighting – just my iPhone and natural light. However, I did manage to speed it up a bit so it is a mere three and half minutes instead of nine.

See below for tips and featured products.

Key tips:

• Blend, blend, blend!
• Less is more
• Face your a window for natural lighting
• Get good brushes
• Get 7-8 hours sleep
• Limit sugars

Featured Products:

Name, Brand
What I like about it

1. Stay Don’t Stray 360 Degree Stay Put Eyeshadow Primer by Benefits Cosmetics
   Not only primes my lids, but also brightens them.
2. Bright Future Color Corrector in melon, Sephora
   Reduces undereye discoloration.
3. Bareskin complete coverage serum concealer, bareMinerals
   Blends well with skin, silky smooth and light while still providing complete coverage.
4. Photo Finish Color Correcting Foundation Primer, Smashbox
   (other option The POREfessional, Benefit Cosmetics)
   Helps make up blend smoothly while reducing redness due to rosacea.
   (Reduces appearance of wrinkles and can be worn under or instead of foundation.) 
5. Superbalanced Silk Makeup by Clinique
   Flawless, lightweight, good medium coverage that blends easily. Many shades to choose from so you can get a perfect match.
6. Pink Leopard Blushing Bronzer Illuminator, Too Faced
   Gives me a rosy glow with some highlighting without making me look old as some highlighters will do.
7. Tinted brow gel by Anastasia Beverly Hills
   (Anastasia also happened to be my yiayia’s name)
   Gives me natural looking brows.
8. Mascara amplified by Blinc
   The only mascara that I can wear with my contacts that doesn’t run – it’s truly waterproof and smudge free!
9. Matte Crème Lip Crayon in Glacé by Bite
   Easy to apply with a lip pencil and stays put.