12 tricks for radiant eyes: plagued by dark circles, puffiness or the wrong-color shadow? Top experts reveal their most eye-opening secrets

Shape, Feb, 2003 by Sally Wadyka

If the eyes are the windows to the soul, then you want yours to be wide open and sparkling. That's why we've assembled the best techniques to erase sleepy-looking circles and early morning puffiness, and collected pro tips to make your eyes pop with the right liner, shadows and mascara magic. "Making your eyes look their best takes two things: the right cream to keep the skin around the eyes smooth and the right makeup to enhance your eye color and shape," says international makeup artist Bobbi Brown, author of Bobbi Brown Beauty Evolution (HarperCollins, 2002). Here are the best eye-enhancing tricks of the trade.

1. Eat your way to healthier eyes. Just like the skin and other organs, your eyes need certain nutrients to function properly and stay healthy. And now, with the American Optometric Association's Web site, Eye on Nutrition (aoa.org/eyeon nutrition), it's easy to find out if you're getting enough of the six most important ones: the antioxidant vitamins C and E; the carotenoids lutein, zeaxanthin and beta carotene; and the mineral zinc. Log on and answer a few questions about your health history, lifestyle and diet, and you'll get a personal evaluation and tips on ways to better maintain your eyes.

2. Keep the eye area moisturized. "The best thing you can do to improve the way your eyes look is to moisturize the skin around them," Brown says. Look for creams containing powerful moisturizers such as glycerin, sodium hyaluronate and vitamin E. Four favorites: Aveda Tourmaline Charged Eye Cream ($30; aveda.com), Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Recovery Complex ($45; esteelauder.com), Clinique Moisture Surge Eye Gel ($26; clinique.com) and Neutrogena Visibly Firm Eye Cream with active copper ($20; at drugstores).

3. Prevent wrinkles. Studies show that Retin-A can increase collagen thickness, says Ronald Moy, M.D., a dermatological surgeon at the University of California, Los Angeles, Medical Center. Retinol--Retin-A's gentler, over-the-counter cousin--also may help. It's found in Therapy Systems Non Surgical Eye Lift ($65; 800-733-8606). For those with sensitive skin, try eye creams with the plant-based wrinkle-smoother kinetin, like Almay Kinetin Firming & Brightening Eye Cream ($16; at drugstores).

4. Help fade dark circles. Try to get enough sleep each night (between eight and nine hours), which can help minimize shadows and puffiness. Also, look for gentle eye creams that contain vitamin K and the natural skin-lighteners kojic acid and licorice extract. Some experts believe dark circles are caused by veins and capillaries showing through the thin undereye skin--why vitamin K, which seems to constrict capillaries, seems to help. Try M.D. Skincare Lift & Lighten Eye Cream ($28; mdskincare.com) or Chanel Precision Ultra Correction Eye Anti-Wrinkle Restructuring Eye Cream ($60; gloss.com), which also hydrates the skin with plant-derived fatty acids.

5. Get briqhter eyes instantly. A concealer or eye cream that has reflective pigments brightens the darkest areas under the eyes, says New York City-based makeup artist B.J. Gillian. Just apply an illuminating product like Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Defining Eye Brightener ($42.50; at department stores), then dab on a light-reflecting concealer where necessary. Clean & Clear Under Eye Brightening Stick ($6.50; at drugstores) and Cover Girl CG Smoothers Concealer ($4.75; at drugstores) both get the job done.

6. Make the skin look more radiant--and you more wide awake. Peels and eye creams with alpha- or polyhydroxy acids can aid in speeding the turnover of skin cells, helping to reveal smoother-looking skin underneath, Moy says. Try Lubriderm Skin Renewal Anti-Wrinkle Eye Cream with polyhydroxy acids ($11; at drugstores) or Prada Lightening Serum/Eye with lactic acid and vitamin C ($75; neimanmarcus.com).

7. Protect your eyes from the sun's rays. "The skin around the eye area is thinner and less capable of manufacturing the firming tissue collagen than skin in other places," explains Dennis Gross, M.D., a New York City dermatologist. The best solution: Use eye creams with SPF 15 or higher every day to protect from the sun's collagen-depleting rays. We like DDE Protective Eye Cream SPF 15 ($45; sephora.com) and Murad Environmental Shield Age Proof Eye Creme SPF 15 ($50; murad.com).

8. Cover up. "Concealer is the secret of the beauty universe," Brown says. The trick is finding the shade that blends effortlessly: It should be one shade lighter than your foundation. Try Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer Kit, which includes setting powder ($35; bobbibrown.com).

9. Make your eyes look biqqer. "Curling your eyelashes can instantly make eyes look larger by casting a shadow on the brow bone," Gillian says. For best results, curl lashes for 10 seconds before applying mascara. Editor's favorite: Revlon Beauty Shapers Extra Curl Eyelash Curler ($6; at drugstores).

10. Get sexy lashes in one step. Reach for mascara that's specifically designed to lengthen and curl lashes to get the fluttery look you're after. New York City-based makeup artist Ramy Gafni recommends applying mascara on the top lashes only, since adding anything dark under the eye can call attention to dark circles. For even more lift, add a second coat on the outer lashes. Try Lancome Flextencils Full Extension Curving Mascara ($20; lancome.com) or Rimmel Exaggerate Full Volume & Curl Mascara ($5; at Wal-Mart stores).