AGELESS EYES

Beauty Tips

Your eyes are surrounded by the most delicate skin on your body and only by giving this skin special care can you have eyes that lie about your age.




Here's how:




Cleansing on the gentle cycle





Learning the right way to take off your eye make up is especially important because this area is where your wear the make up that's toughest to remove.  Even mascara that isn't waterproof can be difficult to remove.  But if you go to bed with eye make up on, you run the risk of irritated and possibly puffy eyes in the morning - to say nothing of dry, broken eyelashes.




Mascara, concealer and eye liner are best removed with a commercial product.  The ideal eye make up, yet gentle and easy to use and non-drying.  Kathleen Walas, beauty and fashion director for Avon and author of Real Beauty....Real Women (Master Media Limited, 1992) said:




"It's most important to recognise that the eye area is separate from the rest of the face area because of the thinness of the skin and its closeness to the eye itself".



"A remover that is a thin lotion or gel is preferable to an oil because the oil can get into the eyes and be uncomfortable.  It's also harder to remove oil without leaving residue".



To apply remover, put just a tiny bit on your fingertips, close your eyes and work the remover across your lashes in a downward and outward motion.  Next, across the eyelid and then across the eyelashes.




"You don't need to put remover under the eyes," said Walas



"If you do, it can seep in and irritate them.  When you are done, follow up with a damp (lukewarm water) washcloth  (infant washcloths are best) that you just pat lightly over the eyes area to remove any left-over make up.




It will ruin the washcloth, so designate one just for that purpose.  When you open your eyes, take the washcloth and run it underneath your lower lashes rather than applying more remover.



"Next, simply cleanse your face (if you use a toner, don't use it on the eye area) and apply an overall face moisturiser containing suncreen.  Begin applying it at the neck and massage with an upward and outward circular motion, being careful not to get any in your eyes.




Minimum moisture for maximum effect



"Use separate eye moisturisers designed specifically for that area - the product should be light in consistency so that it is more easily absorbed" said Trish McEvoy, skin care specialist in New York City.




The new trend in eye-care products stresses lighweight formulas like gels or sheer lotions.  The gels, if refrigerated, can offer soothing hot-weather benefits for puffy eyes.




"You may also want to look for a day time eye cream that has PABA-free SPF sun protection or a foundation with SPF, " said Walas.




When you apply treatment products on the eyelids, don't use much in fact, you may not want to use any unless your lids are very dry.  Just use a little moisturiser underneath and at the outer corners of the eye.  Use the ring finger for applying anything around your eyes because it delivers the least amount of pressure.



Concealing secrets



Concealers can work wonders to lighten dark circles around the eyes.  A concealers should be one shade lighter than your skin tone.




Consistency is largely a matter of preference, but dense cream gives the most coverage.   Using the ring finger, start at the inner corner of the eye, pat the dark circular area, then stop about two-thirds of the way underneath the eye.



"One of the biggest mistakes women make with concealers is to carry it out too far toward the out corners of the eye.  Then the product cakes in the little laugh lines," said Walas





"The other mistake is to put concealer on puffy bags under the eyes.  If ypu put a light conealer thee, you'll be making them more obvious by highlighting them".




Apply concealer first, then your foundation.   On a really bad day, you may want to put a little bit more on top of the foundation - UPS.