Forget all that talk about gray hair and sagging arms—your eyes are commonly the first place to show signs of aging.
Eyes are a hugely expressive part of your face—they crinkle when you laugh and squint when you’re stressed—but all of those emotions take a toll on the delicate skin around your eyes. The wear and tear of constant movement leads to fine lines and wrinkles.
We’re not suggesting you stop smiling. Instead, focus on protecting your delicate eyes from environmental damage so the skin can better withstand movement.
Protect your peepers with large, 100 percent UV-protective sunglasses to keep them as bright and youthful-looking as possible. The shades do a double anti-aging whammy: They keep you from squinting in bright light and screen damaging UV rays.
A daily eye cream with SPF also helps. Try Clarins Sun Wrinkle Control Eye Contour Care SPF 30, $28.
And when those inevitable wrinkles and droopy lids do strike? Some clever makeup tricks can save the day. “The older we get, the better it looks to intensify the lash line,” MAC Senior Artist John Stapleton explains. When using liner or shadow on your lids, get the line as close up to your lashes as possible.
Another trick: “Line inside on the inner rims of the eyes and use lots of mascara. Matte or satin shadows are ideal on an eyelid with texture,” says Stapleton, because overly shimmery formulas accentuate crepe-y lids.
Avoid overdoing concealer and powder around the eyes, he says. Those types of products settle into lines and the effect can be instantly aging.
We recommend: MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack, $19 and Clinique Color Surge Eye Shadow Stay Matte in French Vanilla, $15.
