I hate the dark circles under my eyes! Is there any way to make them disappear for good?

A:

Dark circles can be caused by a number of things: a late night, a few too many cocktails, allergies, heredity or simply aging.  Sometimes a good nap is all it takes to make those unsightly circles vanish; but if that doesn’t do the trick, give these pro makeup secrets and health boosting habits a try.

Diminish circles by working from the inside out.  Taking vitamin K supplements and eating more green leafy vegetables will help strengthen the capillary walls and reduce the visibility of the blood vessels that cause under eye darkness.

For a quick fix there are some makeup tricks you can use to cover up circles on the spot. Apply your eyeliner and mascara first to keep them from smudging over your other makeup. Then, apply your foundation, followed by a concealer in the same shade under your eyes and at the inner eye next to your nose. Blend with a small flat synthetic brush or the pad of your ring finger. If you like, put a single ply of tissue over the area and dust it with a little translucent powder to set. You can also layer a shimmer in a golden shade (yellow cancels purple) over the concealer to soften and distract from the problem area.

If you want a longer-term solution, ask your dermatologist about skin-lightening creams containing hydroquinone or kojic acid. Eye creams with caffeine also constrict the blood vessels under the skin, eliminating that dark purple hue. Another more permanent solution is a treatment called intense pulse light (IPL) therapy, which uses bursts of light to destroy the pigment under the eyes.