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

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:

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."

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. 

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. 

Collagen supplements can support your skin cells' fibroblasts, or the parts of the skin cells that produce collagen and elastin, which helps your body enhance its internal collagen production. (Here are the best collagen supplements to try, if you're in the market.) Or you could also focus on collagen-enhancing ingredients like, vitamin C and retinols, in your eye creams—but again, topicals can only get you so far. 

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.