It feels like it happened overnight: one day I was bright-eyed and bushy-tailed and then the next day I had dreaded dark circles under my eyes. My dark circles love me so much that they are often kind enough to occasionally bring a friend along with them: bags.
Dark circles can be contributed to many things such as age, fatigue, dehydration, allergies, or overexposure to the sun. Unfortunately, some of us have a genetic predisposition to dark circles no matter our age or how much rest we get. The good news is, you can call in reinforcement to assist with those pesky dark circles. Below are 10 eye creams/serums that will keep you looking fresh-faced.
10 Best Eye Creams For Dark Circles
The Body Shop Drops Of Youth Eye Concentrate
The Body Shop
This eye cream from The Body Shop comes enriched with edelweiss plant stem cells. Edelweiss has powerful anti-aging qualities thanks to its high antioxidant properties. This eye cream comes in a roller ball pump applicator that can be placed in the fridge before use to help wake you up and leaves you feeling refreshed.
bareMinerals Skin Longevity Life Herb Eye Treatment
bareMinerals
The secret (not so secret) ingredient in this eye gel-cream by bareMinerals is Long Life Herb. Long Life Herb, also known as Chomeiso can be found in Okinawa, Japan, and has been a part of the natives' diet for centuries. Residents on the Island of Long Life are best known for their long life expectancy. PS, it's vegan too.
Elizabeth Arden Advanced Ceramide Capsules Daily Youth Restoring Eye Serum
Elizabeth Arden
This eye serum is unique because it comes in capsules that are packed with ceramides. Ceramides are fat molecules that assist skin with retaining moisture. This makes them effective in preventing dehydration which can be a cause of dark under-eye circles.
L’Occitane en Provence Immortelle Overnight Reset Eye Serum
Amazon
This eye serum claims to reduce puffiness and dark circles after just one use, and those that swear by this product do not disagree. Featured ingredients include organic immortelle essential oil, acmella oleracea extract, and marjoram extract that work together to smooth, reawaken, and firm.
Peter Thomas Roth Water Drench Hyaluronic Cloud Cream
Peter Thomas Roth
Hyaluronic acid is another ingredient that is known for its skin benefits. It should be seeing as though it is naturally produced by your body and can be found in your skin. Hyaluronic acid draws water in so it keeps the delicate skin under your eyes hydrated and moisturized. This gel also includes caffeine which helps decrease puffiness and Haloxyl which helps combat dark circles.
SkinCeuticals A.G.E Eye Complex For Dark Circles
SkinCeuticals
SkinCeuticals is a company that was created by a physician so it should be no shock that they rely heavily on science when creating their products. This cream contains blueberry extract which contains resveratrol, known to fight against aging and dullness.
Kiehl’s Super Multi-Corrective Eye Opening Serum
Kiehl's
Kiehl's, a trusted brand for skin, hair, and body products has literally been around since 1851. Their multi-corrective eye serum contains illuminating minerals that reflect light which helps brighten dark eye circles.
True Botanicals Deep Repair Eye Serum
True Botanicals
True Botanicals says, "It's like getting 8 hours of sleep in a bottle." Sign me up. The serum's key ingredients: carrot seed oil, blackberry seed oil, and tuberose stem cells work together to combat dark circles, fine lines, and puffiness.
First Aid Beauty Eye Duty Triple Remedy A.M Gel
First Aid Beauty
This gel-cream packed with peptides, red algae, and plant extracts help eyes look brighter and more youthful.
Origins GinZing Refreshing Eye Cream
Origins
This eye cream from Origins features ginseng and coffee beans, which brightens tired eyes making you look instantly awake and vibrant.
Join our xoTribe, an exclusive community dedicated to YOU and your stories and all things xoNecole. Be a part of a growing community of women from all over the world who come together to uplift, inspire, and inform each other on all things related to the glow up.
Featured image by Shutterstock.
- Meagan Good Just Dropped Her Skincare Routine & You Need The ... ›
- 8 Best Products For Hyperpigmentation - Dark Skin - xoNecole ... ›
- 21 Ulta Beauty Products To Try This Fall - xoNecole: Women's ... ›
- 13 Best Skincare Products For 2020 - xoNecole: Women's Interest, Love, Wellness, Beauty ›
- 8 Best Products For Hyperpigmentation - Dark Skin - xoNecole: Women's Interest, Love, Wellness, Beauty ›
- Best eye creams for dark circles | CNN Underscored ›
- The 9 Best Eye Creams for Dark Circles: IPSY Staff Picks, Tips ... ›
- The Best Eye Creams of 2020 — Editor Reviews | Allure ›
- 20 Best Eye Creams for Dark Circles 2020 | Beauty Editor Reviews ›
- 16 Best Eye Creams 2020 - Eye Creams for Wrinkles, Dark Circles ... ›
- 11 Best Eye Creams 2020 | For Dark Circles, Wrinkles & Dryness ›
- Eye Cream & Under Eye Cream for Dark Circles | Sephora ›
- The 11 Best Eye Creams for Dark Circles in 2020 | InStyle ›
- 17 Best Eye Creams for Dark Circles 2020 ›
RELATED
Anyway, I personally think that the less shallow folks out here may contemplate calling things “quits” or they at least distance themselves a bit from their partner (and what I’m referring to is serious relationships) due to all of the stress and strain that oftentimes comes with the holidays whether it be financial, familial, due to their tight schedules or something else.
Listen, I would hate for you and your man to miss the fun and happiness of experiencing this time of year, all because you are so overwhelmed or irritated that you can’t really enjoy it. That’s why I have a few practical tips for how to avoid allowing the typical holiday season stress from INFECTING your relationship.
Manage Your Expectations
GiphyUnmanaged expectations. If there is a main reason why the holiday season tends to be so stress-filled for so many people, I’d bet good money that this is the cause. And when you’re in a long-term relationship, expectations can manifest themselves in all sorts of cryptic and/or unexpected ways. You might have relatives who assume that you are going to be with them for Thanksgiving or Christmas when you have other plans in mind. You might be thinking that you are going to spend one amount for presents while your man is thinking something totally different. When it comes to scheduling, your signals may be crossed.
And you know what? To all of these scenarios, this is where clear and consistent communication come in. Don’t assume anything. Don’t dictate anything either. From now until New Year’s, mutually decide to check in once a week, just to make sure that you are both on the same page as it relates to the holidays and what you both are thinking will come along with it. The less blindsided you both feel, the less stressed out you will be. Trust me on this.
Set (and Keep) a Budget
GiphyOkay, so I read that last year, 36 percent of Americans incurred some type of holiday-related debt. Hmph. Last year, there was still some sense of normalcy in this country, chile, so I can only imagine what finances are gonna look like over the next several weeks. That said, since I don’t know a lot of people who don’t find being broke stressful, make sure that you and your bae set a budget and then stick to it this year — no ifs, ands or buts.
Because really, y’all — it doesn’t make sense to deplete savings and/or max out credit cards for a few days of giggles only to be damn near losing your mind because you don’t know how to make ends meet come Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
And by the way, this tip doesn’t just speak to things like food and gifts; I also mean travel. If it doesn’t make a ton of sense (or cents) to be all over the place this year — DON’T BE.
Keep Matthew 5:37 at the Forefront
GiphyIf off the top of your head, you don’t know what Matthew 5:37 says, no worries, here ya go: “But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.” That verse right there? Oh, it’s a boundaries lifesaver! I say that because do you see “maybe” or “I’ll think about it” in there? Nope. LOL. It says that you should tell people “yes” or “no” and leave it at that — and that complements Anne Lamott’s quote, “’No’ is a complete sentence” impeccably well. Yeah, you’ve got to remember that anything beyond a yes or no to a request is privileged information; you don’t owe anyone details or an explanation.
Besides, if you are really honest with yourself, when someone asks you something and you give a “Umm, let me think about it” kind of reply, more times than not, you already know what your answer is going to be — so why not let you both off of the hook? Give your response. Commit to that. And let everyone (including yourself) get on with their lives and schedules.
I promise you that when it comes to those holiday parties, you are pissing more folks off by not RSVP’ing or doing so and not showing up than just saying, “Thank you but not this year” off the rip.
Remember That Your Personal Space Is Privilege Not a Right
GiphyA friend of mine recently bought a new house and invited me over to come see it. He’s a single man with no children, so as I was taking in all of the space that he had, especially as I walked through his finished basement, I joked about relatives coming to live with him. “Hell no” and “absolutely not” were pretty much his immediate responses as he went on to say that some folks even had the nerve to be offended when he told them that he had no intentions on taking DNA in.
Ain’t it wild how people think that your stuff is their right? And yes, that brings me to my next point. Your home is your sanctuary space. If you want to host folks this year — cool. If not, ALSO COOL. Please don’t let folks (family included) guilt you into how they want you to act or even into what they would do if the shoe was on the other foot. You are not them — and as one of my favorite quotes states, “If two people were exactly alike, one of them would be unnecessary.” (A man by the name Larry Dixon said that.)
Hell, my friends? They know that I am good for sending them random things that they need or even want all throughout the year. Coming over to hang out at my pace, though. Uh-uh. Chalk it up to being a card-carrying member of the ambivert club yet I like keeping my living space personal — and I sleep like a baby, each and every night, for feeling that way.
Always remember that your space, your time, your resources, your energy and shoot, yourself period (including your relationship), are all things that are your own. You get to choose how, when and why you want to share them. The holiday season is certainly no exception.
Cultivate Some “You Two Only” Traditions
GiphyIt’s not uncommon for some couples to hit me up after the holiday season to “detox.” Sometimes it’s due to the financial drama (and sometimes trauma) that they experienced. Sometimes it’s because they allowed their relatives (especially in-laws) to get more into their personal business than they should’ve. More than anything, though, it tends to be because they didn’t get enough quality time together and so ended up feeling “disconnected.”
Please don’t let that happen. Listen, I’m not even a holidays kind of woman and yet, I will absolutely sit myself down with some hot chocolate and chocolate chip cookies to enjoy a Hallmark holiday film or two. Aside from the fact that most of them are lighthearted and sweet, I also like that they usually focus on couples loving on each other amidst all of the holiday beauty and ambiance — which is something that all couples should set aside some time to do.
Maybe it’s a vacation. Maybe it’s a staycation. Or maybe it’s my personal favorite, A SEXCATION. Whether it’s for a few days, the weekend or even overnight — don’t you let the holidays go by without setting aside time for you and your man to celebrate one another. Don’t you dare (check out “Are You Ready To Have Some Very Merry 'Christmas Sex'?”).
GET. SOME. REST.
GiphyI once read that 8 out of 10 people get stressed out over the holidays and 3 out of 10 lose sleep during to it — and when you’re stress-filled and sleep-deprived, that can absolutely lead to hypersensitivity, making mountains out of molehills and even not being in the mood for sex.
Your relationship can’t afford to go through any of this, so definitely make sure to prioritize rest. I don’t care how unrealistic it might seem during this time, sleep should never be seen as a luxury; it will always and forever be a great necessity.
That said, try to get no less than six hours of shut-eye in (check out “6 Fascinating Ways Sex And Sleep Definitely Go Hand In Hand”) and even ask your bae to take a nap with you sometimes (check out “Wanna Have Some Next-Level Sex? Take A Nap, Sis.”). Not only will sleep help to restore your mind, body and spirit but, when it’s with your partner, it’s an act of intimacy that can make you both feel super connected, even in the midst of what might feel like chaos.
___
Holiday season stress is real. Still, never give it the permission or power to throw your relationship off. Put you and your man first and let the holidays be what they are gonna be, chile.
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
Featured image by Shutterstock
