The Surprising Way To Apply Concealer On Under-Eye Bags, From A Makeup Artist 

Prepare to be stunned: There are legitimately dozens of ways to apply concealer under your eyes. Depending on what, exactly, you're trying to conceal (discoloration, sallowness, eye bags, and so on), different techniques lend a slightly skewed payoff.

There's the popular "triangle trick," where you'd draw on an inverted triangle to brighten up the face; the classic dotting technique, where you'd pepper a string of spots from the inner corners outward. Or you might just sweep the doe-foot directly on those dark circles and call it a day. Simple, low-maintenance, and foolproof—right? 

Not exactly. While the latter does turn out fine for some (if it works for you, it works!), those with puffiness may find applying the product directly on the swollen, puffy skin only accentuates the eye bags, especially if your concealer of choice settles into your folds midday. To help navigate this woe, we probed celebrity makeup artist Mary Irwin: "There's [a] much more effective way to conceal under the eye," she says. Prepare to be floored yet again. 

"Think about how you contour your face—you emphasize light and dark and create a shadow and a highlight. You can do the same thing under your eyes!" Irwin notes. Simply grab your concealer of choice (our picks, here!) and follow along:

Essentially, you're using two shades to create definition and the illusion of lift, just like you would with a pearly highlight on your cheekbones. See, using a light, bouncy concealer underneath a puffy area can lift the surrounding skin, while a richer hue on top of the bag can help recede any ballooned creases.

Even if eye bags aren't your main offense (say, discoloration is more your gripe), using two tubes of concealer can also help you brighten up the area without looking flat. Considering you have a variety of undertones across your face (yes, even within the confines of your delicate under-eye), layering two shades can help you achieve a more natural-looking finish.

As makeup artist Fatimot Isadare once told us about skin undertones, "Naturally, we have more than one color on our face. So when you're going in with your complexion products, you also want to use more than one color. That's what helps you bring back depth and definition."

A caveat: Eye bags are different from puffiness. Sure, you can use them interchangeably in everyday conversation, but they are actually very distinct issues. Bags are a genetic structural issue caused by fat pads under your eyes (and thus harder to treat), while puffiness happens due to lifestyle factors, such as lack of sleep, salt intake, and stress). We’ll spare you the lesson—read up here if you’re still curious. 

That being said, it’s easier to minimize puffiness than actual bags caused by fat. And you can do so in a few ways:

To help deflate swollen skin, many reach for eye masks or patches: These comma-shaped swishes are soaked in cooling serums to deliver much-needed hydration to the delicate eye area—use them like you would a sheet mask for extra nourishment, and find our favorite picks here. 

"If you have only five minutes and can place a couple of ice cubes or frozen bags of veggies or the back of spoons on your eyes—this instantly decreases inflammation," writes integrative medicine physician Bindiya Gandhi M.D. A cool temperature constricts your blood vessels and brings down swelling—and it works pretty quickly. You could also pop your facial tool into the fridge for a few minutes for a nice sensation or create a DIY ice roller from common kitchen ingredients. 

When it comes to eye cream, you need to be smart about your ingredients. (Read: Someone with puffiness will want to look for a different product than someone with fine lines or dark circles.) For swollen under-eyes, look for a cream with caffeine—it’s a vasoconstrictor (meaning it compresses blood vessels in the skin), which can help reduce flushing and inflammation. 

Banana extract is also a star ingredient for puffiness: "The high level of potassium in bananas helps counteract the salt that leads to fluid retention," Gandhi adds about puffy eyes.  

Granted, you can’t remedy genetic eye bags with creams or topicals, but you can take proactive measures to make sure they don’t become worse with age. Bags appear more pronounced when the skin loses collagen and elastin and begins to sag—to help delay this process, you can help your skin maintain its natural collagen levels. 

While you're here, you may also be wondering how to make your eyes look bigger and wide-awake (since, you know, puffiness is exacerbated by lack of sleep). Find our full list of tips here, but check out these highlights below:

"A little liner under the eyes can instantly make them appear bigger," makeup artist Jenny Patinkin once told us. Take your liner of choice (our favorites, here) and smudge just below the lash line. "By creating a subtle, horizontal shadow under the eyes, it creates the illusion that the bottom lash line is lower, which in turn makes the eyes look bigger and taller," she says. 

"This trick requires a steady hand, but it's my favorite retro hack for creating the look of wide eyes and Bambi-like lashes," notes makeup artist Alexandra Compton, product development manager Credo. She uses liquid liner to create faux "lashes" along the bottom lash line: "I like to press the tip of the liquid liner into the base of the lash root and use a light flicking motion to create a 'lash,' she explains. Focus on the outer lash line, and stick to four to five flicks. 

"Use a highlighter on the center of the lid for a spotlight effect," says celebrity makeup artist AJ Crimson, as it helps accentuate the eye and helps it catch the light—plus, it helps bring the attention away from the swollen skin under the eyes. You can also apply some shimmer in your inner corners, which can always help illuminate the eye area.

There are myriad ways to apply concealer under your eyes, and what works for someone trying to mask discoloration won't always hold for those with puffiness. For the latter, though, treating your concealer like contour is your best bet: According to Irwin, this balancing technique lifts the surrounding area while minimizing swollen bags. Lean on these other tips to deflate puffiness, and you should be all set.