McLean makeup artists share their expert tips for brighter eyes.

What do Netflix, happy hour and spring allergies all have in common? They’re all interfering with your sleep, leaving you with unwanted puffiness and dark circles. When getting more sleep just isn’t an option, this morning regimen recommended by local makeup artists will keep you bold and bright-eyed.

Step One: Apply a Vitamin C Serum.

After you’ve removed your makeup and cleansed your face, apply a Vitamin C like Cellex-C High Potency Serum ($68.90) under your moisturizer. Vitamin C contains a clinically proven brightening agent to treat dark circles over time. Apply a few drops morning and night and massage gently into dark circles with your ring finger. (This is the weakest finger and is gentler on the eye’s fragile skin.)

Image Credit: Amazon

Step Two:  Use Under-Eye Patches to Treat Puffiness in the Mornings.

Gel patches for the under-eye area offer benefits that are two-fold: serum from the patches hydrates the under eyes to treat fine lines and wrinkles, while the patch’s gel material is cool-to-the-touch to help de-puff. Leave on FlashPatch Eye Gels from Patchology ($50)  for 10-15 minutes in the morning (while you have your coffee or make breakfast) for brighter eyes all day.

Image Credit: Patchology website photo

Step Three: Apply an Under-Eye Primer With a Metal Tip.

Since the skin surrounding the eye area is thinner and more fragile than the rest of the face, a different primer should be used. Under-eye primers help prep the area for concealer, and primers with metal-tip applicators can do wonders for ironing out puffy bags. Glide on Eye Duty Triple Remedy from First Aid Beauty ($36) to deflate bags and prevent concealer from creasing.

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Step Four: Layer on a Peach Color Corrector.

Makeup artists have been implementing color theory to combat dark circles for ages. Just as green-toned concealers can hide red blemishes, peach color correctors can cancel out the deep blue tones under your eyes. After you’ve primed your dark circles, apply a peach color corrector like this Correction Concentrate in “brightening peach” from Pixi Beauty ($12). Apply a generous amount to dark circles and blend upward and outward with a moist beauty sponge.

Image Credit: Pixi Beauty website photo

Step Five: Apply a liquid concealer that’s lighter than your skin tone.

While your foundation should be as true to tone as possible, your concealer should actually be a shade or two lighter to achieve a bright-eyed look. After you’ve blended your color corrector, paint an upside-down triangle over the peachy area using your favorite liquid concealer. (Painting concealer in this shape is like having a cone of light directing traffic to your eyes!)

Image Credit: Glossybox Website

Step Six: Set with Translucent Powder

After treating and concealing your dark circles it’s important to set your look with a translucent powder. To prevent the products you’ve applied from sliding around throughout the day, dust on a non-pigmented powder like Laura Mercier’s Invisible Loose Setting Powder ($38). This will lock in your look without making your undereyes cakey.

Image Credit: Laura Mercier website photo