How can I make my eyes brighter and less tired-looking?

http://www.drugstore.com/products/prod.asp?pid=139555&catid=182915&aid=338666&aparam=goobase_filler really works for me if I apply it morning and night. It's not makeup. The retinol increases cell turnover - newer skin under the eyes is a huge improvement for me. Dark circles are often a result of thin skin - you're basically seeing blood through thin, pale skin - that's why the dark circles are similar to the color of a bruise. It takes a couple weeks to work.

First, I'd go talk to your ophthalmologist about the dry-eyes and get a recommendation on some eye drops. Second, allergies are a big contributor to dark circles, so do what you can to feel better sinus-wise. Thirdly and cosmetically, I think http://www.sephora.com/instant-smooth-perfecting-touch-P130909?om_mmc=Googlepla&_requestid=42976&cm_mmc=us_search-_-GG-_-pla-_-%7Bkeyword%7D&ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=1029859 is awesome. It's marketed as a makeup primer but it can also be used alone to smooth out skin. That's how I use it. Fourthly, elizardbits is right.

I understand that you're concerned, and I'm glad you've got some good advice here. I just wanted to throw this in: I'm a woman, around your age, also new to dating, and I'm here to tell you that your problem is probably way, way, WAY less noticeable than you think. I understand that I don't speak for everyone, but I'm happy to generalize here: women our age are A LOT less critical of your physical appearance than you think. 'Crows feet/dark circles' level of detail? Do not care. Seriously. Could not care less. Too busy looking for major personality flaws. Good luck!

For puffiness/redness - cucumber slices are the traditional method but amusingly, hemorrhoid cream (do not get IN your eyes) can also be used. Also warm chamomile tea bags, squeezed to dampness. For dark circles - this can be genetic, unfortunately. I have shadowy bits even after 12 hours of flopsy toddler unconsciousness. You could use a few dots of well-blended concealer if you feel comfortable with that; many men do not. There are some super expensive products that actually bleach the area beneath your eyes, they are weird and don't do much aside from ruining your towels. For crow's feet caused by squinting - botox is basically your only solution, there are no magical creams or lotions that will make them go away. Done correctly and sparingly, you will not have the frozen starey botox face that everyone assumes is the norm.

You sure the eye stuff isn't allergy-related? I get some of that post-lasik but it went away quickly for the most part Try taking an allergy eye drop before bed

Loreal men's expert circle eraser: anti-dark circle eye moisturizer...it actually works. I got it at rite-aid or walgreen's...check your local drugstore...it might be by the shaving stuff, trying to act 'manlier' :P for concealer you could try a theatrical grease paint, joe blasco or mehron. a TINY bit goes a long way (the goal is to 'minimize' not 'erase'), it blends easily, and being for theater the colors (i.e. YOUR skin color) isn't as likely to go out of 'fashion' as a commercial make-up

Seconding consulting your ophthalmologist. Both my father and I developed http://www.allaboutvision.com/conditions/blepharitis.htm after eye surgery, and we have each been treated successfully after finding the lid hygeine regimen that worked best with the least amount of irritation. http://www.ocusoftlidscrub.com/eyelid.html works best for my dad, and what works best for me is http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000W68NDI/metafilter-20/ref=nosim/. Our doctor said that many people do fine with a soft washcloth and a tiny amount of baby shampoo, but that didn't work as well for either of us. In my case, once the eyelid inflammation was under control, I had much less under-eye puffiness, and I also found that I needed to use eye drops far less frequently.

Enter the brave new world of male skin care (notwithstanding the idea to make sure there is no underlying medical problem to resolve as others have suggested). It may be time to just embrace a few additional steps in your regime. And as a 35 yr old female I would not consider you to be any less manly if you did what I am about to suggest :) Puffiness - make strong green tea and freeze this as ice cubes. Using a bit of gauze like thin fabric to wrap one of the ice cubes first, apply this around your eyes for a few minutes. Works a treat. Indeed, at a push, I have placed a couple of metal soup spoons in the freezer for a few minutes and applied these to my eyes. Both work, but it's more pleasant to use a gauze wrapped ice cube than really cold spoons because spoons are not soft and do heat up really quickly. Dark circles - embrace concealer. The aim is to basically use colour and light reflection to minimise the darkness thus making it stand out less and present a more even skin tone all over your face. There are a lot of products out there. Some aimed at men, some not. If you are daunted by this is there a sympathetic knowledgeable female relative or friend could help you navigate this?

This is my big looking older issue too. I didn't use to have puffy eyes! Here are the things that help me. 1.) take care of the sinus issues. 2.) buy lubricant eye drops and use them, especially before bed. 3.) drink water regularly and avoid salty foods- for me, this means eating less restaurant food. 4.) use a humidifier to help both your sinuses and dry eyes. 5.) some people are allergic to http://www.skinactives.com/Phytonadione-Vitamin-K1.html, but it can help with undereye circles and spider veins. (note that you must add this particular product to another cream or serum.) 6.) concealers are hard to use properly- I can often spot them on people who regularly wear a full face of makeup, and if you aren't a master they are hard to match to your skin tone and can make puffy eyes look puffier. Take care of your eating, drinking, and possible allergies first. 7.) the tea bag or cucumber trick can work. If you don't mind visiting a super foofy and headache inducing store, http://www.lushusa.com/Ayesha/06090,en_US,pd.html?start=8&cgid=fresh-face-masks is a great pick-me up before a night out. You could also try plain old witch hazel as an astringent refresher.