Makeup Tips for Puffy Eyes

First of all, what is puffy eyes? Puffy eyes or swelling around the eyes, refers to the appearance of swelling in the tissues around the eyes, called the orbits. It is almost exclusively caused by fluid buildup around the eyes, or periorbital edema. Minor puffiness usually detectable below the eyes only is often called eye bags.

Eye puffiness may also be caused by oversleeping/sleep deprivation, fluid retention, diet, alcohol and tobacco use, allergies, skin disorders, normal aging, crying and etc. Puffy eyes are frustrating as they can detract from your overall appearance and cause a tired, worn-out look. While there are remedies that can be used to reduce puffy eyes, they can't always eliminate the swelling all the way.

But don't worry, certain makeup techniques can be employed to reduce the look of puffy eyes. Always remember this trick: to contour, use darker color (preferably brown) to push back areas that are naturally receeding and to bring forward areas that are naturally prominent, use lighter color to highlight. For those extra rushed morning when you wake up looking like you never slept, there is always the option of using makeup to hide the puffiness.

Here's the trick:

Before and After: Can you see the difference?

First picture: I have a little bit of swelling on my eye lids as you can see on the picture. I have it usually when I wake up in the morning. 

Second picture: The puffy eyes or swelling area has been push back because the highlighter has brought forward the areas that are naturally prominent. The swelling becomes not obvious anymore. The eyeliner is to draw attention away from the puffiness.

Puffy eyes can be lifted up by using neutral colors like beige and taupe. They are best to use on the top lid. Light brown tones work well as well. And a pale shade of shimmery white/ivory applied just below the brow line. For small eyes, use light base shadow like a pale pink, yellow, cream or taupe on your lids. This makes your eyes look bigger. For under eye puffiness, regular foundation can be used to try and hide puffiness. When the area has significant swelling, the foundation shade on those spots should be a little bit darker than what will be applied to the rest of the face. Apply dark eyeliner, such as dark brown or black to the upper lash line to enhance the eyes and draw attention away from the puffiness. Do not apply any makeup to the lower lash line as that actually draws attention to the puffy lower-eye area. Apply dark mascara on the top lashes to finish off the look. Last but not least, you might want to use a brighter lipstick to draw attention from the eye area.

No more puffy eyes