Try using one of the following natural recipes. It only takes a minute, but the effect on your appearance will be worth a hundred years' living.

Occasional bags
Before using concealing products you can try applying a decongesting product, which will help skin “settle down”. No time? A cube of ice can sometimes help tighten up the area just before an outing. If you are prone to puffiness in the mornings wash your face with cold water, which will cause the blood vessels around your eyes to constrict and reduce swelling .

Lasting circles
You must administer a hydrating treatment through daily care

For a gentle treatment, regardless of the type of circle, here are my personal recipes:

Cucumber

1. Finely chop a cucumber that’s been peeled and seeded
2. Spread on a piece of gauze and place in the refrigerator for 5 to 10 minutes, long enough to cool
3. Apply to eyes for about 10 minutes.

In a rush? Just put a cold cucumber slice and lay down for few minutes to sooth and cool the eyes. It is a very efficient method that gets you rid of the redness of tired eyes after a night of hard work on the computer, for example.

Ice
For a dose of youth before going out, wrap two ice cubes in a clean cloth and place on eyes for a few minutes. Be careful not to place ice directly on skin – it will burn!

Cold teaspoons applied on the skin under the eyes also do wonders. Put two clean teaspoons in the fridge and when they are cold, lay on your back and put the spoons on the dark circles. They will refresh both the area and the eyes.

Cooling your eyes will help take down the puffiness and stimulating the skin will bring blood flow back to the area, which will make you look more alive.

Sleep
Lack of sleep is another culprit, so try to get at least 8 hours of sleep a night. By going to sleep early five days out of seven, you will increase your odds of having youthful, rested-looking eyes.

Plants
Witch hazel, red vine, Indian chestnuts and arnica extracts possess great decongesting and toning properties; as such, they help increase microcirculation, including in the eye area. You can find them as herbal infusions at an herbalist, or in capsule form in drugstores.

Another great home remedy is to cool tea bags - preferably chamomile which is a natural skin remedy

1. Place 2 teabags in boiling water
2. Let cool
3. Take bags and rest them on your eyes for 10 minutes.

There are a variety of creams on the market; they are often expensive and, no offense to their makers, they aren’t always as miraculous as the packaging would have you believe.

Clarins
Eye Revive Beauty Flash. Clarins’ quick ‘lift” for tired eyes—with refreshing Rose Petals, Lily and White Tea extracts—releases toxins to minimize dark circles, tighten eye contours, decongest and de-puff. Hydrates and protects the delicate skin around eyes, while chasing-away fine lines. Keep it in your emergency kit.

Biotherm
In order to better the terrain, we suggest you massage the contour of the eye every morning with a product that activates microcirculation to limit dark circles and puffiness. The right move: a pea-sized amount of product, applied through gentle dabbing rather than harsh rubbing of any kind. Dab cream starting from the inner corner of the eye, heading towards the outer corner, followed by the temples.

Yves Rocher
Fresh Gel Undereye Bags. This Fresh Gel Undereye Bags lightens the eyes with his cool texture. It refreshes the eye contour and skin is moisturized. Result: the skin is protected and illuminated.

What are your eating habits? One of the main causes of circles is dehydration. Do be sure to stay hydrated - stay away from salty foods, alcohol, caffeine, and sugar. A diet rich in fats and alcohol consumption favour also the retention of water in the tissues. The fluids then accumulate in the eye area.

Bags or dark circles are often a visible indicator that your system is in need of a “tune-up”! I wouldn’t dare pretend to replace a doctor but we often look for the cause of certain problems without realising that our body, our face in particular, is the mirror of our inner health.

• Bluish circles – sluggish blood circulation
• Red circles – fiery temper
• Purple circles – beware of cardiac health
• Grey circles – gynaecological issues
• Blackish circles – poor intestinal function. Try a mild laxative for a few days and look for any improvement
• Dark circles – they can unfortunately be hereditary