How To Prevent Looking Wrinkly Around the Eyes

Question: I am starting to get wrinkles and bags around my eye area and feel like they look even “crepe-y” when I put on makeup. What can I do to get it to look better, without having to turn to plastic surgery?

We turned to Philadelphia make-up artist and beauty expert Beke Beau to get some answers!

It turns out if you’re having this problem, you are not alone. According to Beke, this is the top make-up issue for women over 40! She also said, “As we get older, we lose that lovely elasticity we took for granted in our 20’s and 30’s, and smoothness gives way to, well, skin that is less than smooth. On the down side, we can no longer get away with vivid eye shadow colors and multi-dimensional textures. Anything frosted, overly shimmery or colorful will only accentuate the crepe-iness we’re trying to hide. On the upside, we can streamline our eye make-up routine and look refreshed and polished in no time!”

Here are some of her tips for a more youthful look:

• Use velvety matte shadows in medium-toned neutral shades.
• Use an eye shadow primer over an eye cream, and follow with a sheer powder before sweeping shadow across the lids, blending into and just above the eye socket.
• Lightly line the upper lid at the lash line, with a soft pencil or shadow in dark brown or a blackened jewel tone – this is the place where you can have some fun with a dash of color, like navy, purple or emerald green.
• A touch of light shimmer can be used just under the brow bone to dress up the look when appropriate
• Use mascara, on the top lashes only.
• Use a curler and a lash primer to coax fullness and length from your fringes.

While a good plastic surgeon is the only cure for under-eye bags, the latter can be camouflaged by:

• Start with a rich moisturizer under your eyes
• applying a thin layer of a creamy concealer, in a shade one step darker than your skin tone. (You’re trying to make the area recede, not stand out, and using a too-light product will just add to the baggage.)
• Dust very lightly with sheer powder to set—leftover shine will leave you looking tired. Avoid using mascara on the lower lashes and any liner should be soft – no black or dark shades that drag the eye downward.

Give these tips a shot before you visit the plastic surgeon, and you might just end up embracing your over-40 eyes (at least for a little while…).