If only the bags under my eyes were Prada

Our eye contours are extremely fragile and delicate. We all prefer to start our day looking fresh-faced, rather than if we'd spent a night on the tiles. Apart from natural, age-related changes to our skin, we also need to throw in environmental factors, lifestyle and even genetics. Fatigue, smoking, booze, exposure to the sun, an unhealthy diet, hormonal changes, stress, dehydration, over-heated bedrooms, crying... The eye contour zone shows no mercy! Tiredness, stress, our age and our moods are all there for the world to see. Which is why we want to show them the door!

What causes puffy eyes? Woken up with bleary eyes and puffy eyelids?

By lying down to sleep, our eyes tend to swell due to reduced circulation around their contours. Most of the time, any bags under the eyes disappear as soon as we leap out of bed. However, if you tend to suffer from water retention, your eyelids may not be so quick off the mark.  As a preventative measure, try to avoid salty food, booze (especially white wine) and smoking.

Before going to bed, gently cleanse your face and lightly dab on an eye contour cream that contains decongesting active ingredients. Make sure your bedroom is well-aired and sleep with your head slightly raised.Massage away your puffy eyes.

Start with the inner corner of your eyes and work outwards, finishing off with your brow bones. Use a gentle tapping movement to stimulate your circulation. You can also try a bit of spoon therapy: cool two teaspoons in the fridge for ten mintues and then place them over your eyes. The cold will immediately cause your skin to contract, reducing any puffiness around your eyelids and eye contour.

Why do we get bags under our eyes? Bags under the eyes are usually caused by a build up of fluids such water or grease. With age, our skin and its fibres tend to sag. The blood and lymphatic vessels that circulate around our eye contour become less efficient, making the system go haywire. And the result is water retention. Add to that lack of sleep, fatigue or stress and your eye contour will find itself in a right royal mess!

To avoid this, make sure you hydrate this particularly sensitive part of the face, as it tends to quickly dry out. Opt for a refreshing, gel-based formula that's not too oily, otherwise it will seep into the inner corner of your eye. An appropriate treatment will fill out any dehydration lines around the eye contour, improve your skin's elasticity and keep the bags at bay. Apply your treatment daily and lightly tap it in.

Flush your bags down the drain! Apply your eye contour treatment with a metal applicator - its refreshing, decongesting effect will do your eye contour the world of good. You can also use an anti-wrinkle cream. It won't deal with the swelling, but it'll plump up any wrinkles for a fresher look.

Why do we get bloodshot eyes?
Bloodshot eyes are often caused by a mild irritation, dryness or fatigue. They usually sort themselves out during the course of the day. Sometimes they may be caused by an allergy or medical condition such as ophthalmitis, conjunctivitis or glaucoma, in which case you should pop in to see your GP.  If that's not the case, you can help eyes that are sore from the sun, fatigue or a mild irritation by giving them a good rest. Dig out your sunglasses and don't stare at your PC/tablet/mobile for too long. You could also invest in blue light-blocking glasses, which are designed to reduce visual fatigue caused by LED screens.

If your eyes have become irritated by soap or pollen, give them a good rinse or apply eye drops, which will remove any grime and soothe irritation.  To disguise bloodshot eyes, use drops designed for irritated, tired eyes, as they will also get rid of any itchiness. They often contain cornflower, elderberry or chamomile - all of which soothe puffy, bloodshot eyes.

Last, but not least?
Sunglasses! A sure-fire way to hide tired and bloodshot eyes.