How to Give Tired Eyes a Wake-Up Call

You won’t see this topic on TikTok, but women 50-plus know it well. Friends, neighbors and colleagues say, “You look tired” way too often. Your aging eyes — puffy, saggy, hooded and irritated — are telling all. Like in-house gossips, they tattle about stress, fatigue, lack of sleep and even your snack habits. They reveal last night’s cocktails, late-night Netflix binges and a fondness for chips. Want some solutions? Here are six ways to fake and make brighter peepers:

Clockwise from top left: DRMTLGY Brightening Caffeine Eye Masks with Hyaluronic Acid ($44 for 60, amazon.com); Peace Out Puffy Eyes Biocellulose Under-Eye Patches ($25 for six pairs, ulta.com); Soap & Glory Puffy Eye Attack Under Eye Brightening Hydrogel Patches ($5 for 1 pair, walgreens.com)

Amazon; Ulta Beauty; Walgreens

1. Work an a.m. eye-opener routine.

Your eyes look their worst in the morning after a night of horizontal snoozing when fluids tend to accumulate and emerge as puffy swollen lids or bags. Skimpy shut-eye makes things worse, and so does lack of exercise like a sedentary weekend on the couch, lying prone with face smushed into your pillow and of course a weepy movie. One of the biggest causes of morning puffies at 50 and beyond, though, is simply a night before indulgence of salty snacks, a high sodium meal or alcohol … or oddly enough, dehydration. Whatever the cause, swollen eyes are temporary but annoying since they can take hours to dissipate. For a quick deflating, try ready-made under-eye masks (a worthy update to tea bags and cold teaspoons). They are infused with ingredients like caffeine to tighten, hyaluronic acid to hydrate and soothing botanicals like cucumber and licorice extract that brighten. You can apply these crescent-shaped stick-ons ASAP upon awakening. In fact, keep them on standby chilling in the fridge, since cold helps the process. Let them work while you sip a latte or enjoy a meditation app. And do your eyes another favor: Sleep on two pillows from now on. The elevation helps drainage to eliminate the excess baggage.

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Left to right: Maybelline TattooStudio Waterproof Longwearing Eyeliner Pencil in Striking Navy ($9, cvs.com); Bausch & Lomb Lumify Red Reliever Eye Drops ($17, cvs.com); Rimmel Scandal Eyes Waterproof Eyeliner in Nude ($5, walgreens.com)

CVS (2); Walgreens

2. Solve redness with a three-step plan.

Our nonstop cellphone and computer lifestyles are not easy on the eyes. Neither are seasonal allergies or insomnia. Red eyes — caused by all of the above — make everyone look fatigued, but three fast fixes can restore a fresher look. First apply cold compresses to the eyes to reduce the itch urge (and we all rub our red eyes, don’t we?), then clarify the whites with fast-acting lubricant eye drops. If you’re certain the redness is due to the above and want to wear eye makeup, try lining the lower rims with a beige eye pencil to counteract the inflamed look and swap your usual black liner for a softer brown or navy. Add a waterproof mascara midshaft to tips, avoiding getting too close to the roots of your lashes. Take note: There’s a difference between irritation caused by the above everyday issues and medical problems like styes, conjunctivitis (pink eye) or blepharitis. See your doctor if the red condition continues or becomes worse.