Most women have a drawer full of half-used beauty products to cover under-eye circles and reduce puffiness. in search of the perfect product, we like to slap things on our face to hide the fact that we didn’t get a good night’s sleep or that the years are piling on.

Makeup artists say that overuse of products only makes dark circles and bags worse by accentuating fine lines around the eyes. Dermatologists say cosmetic surgery can help the problem, along with the use of cosmeceuticals — nutrient-rich skin treatments that contain vitamin C and other antioxidants. Some experts say there is no real solution to the problem, only quick fixes. We say, “Help!”

“What you want to do is not cover up the whole under-eye area,” said Christina Marotta, a makeup artist to the Hollywood stars at the Amadeus Spa in Pasadena, Calif. “You want to see what’s really there. It gives you character.”

But just because some women have more character under their eyes than others, doesn’t mean there aren’t tricks to help camouflage the problem.

“It’s all about creating an illusion,” said Meg Flather, a New York makeup artist and consultant for Oil of Olay. “You really can’t reduce puffiness and bags, but you can create a manicured brow and beautiful shadow to draw the eye away from the troubled area.”

Divert the attention and trick the eye, according to Kathy Shingara, director of the Institute of Aesthetic Arts and Sciences (IAAS) in Southbury, Conn. Avoid dark eye pencils or blue/gray eye shadows that feed into the problem on days when bags are really dark, she says.

Dark circles and under-eye puffiness are two separate problems. Dark circles are a vascular problem caused by dilated blood vessels under the eyes, according to Dr. Seth Yellin, chief of plastic surgery and director of the Emory Facial Center at Emory University in Atlanta. Some women are more predisposed to bags, while others can look blue or black under the eyes from congestion and allergies. since the skin is so thin under the eyes, any darkness easily shows through.

“There’s really no effective way to prevent dark circles,” Yellin said. “Vascular issues are deeper than the skin.” use concealer to cover up the problem, he says.

Under-eye puffiness is a different problem, he adds. There are two causes of puffiness: fluid and fat. Puffiness results when a fat pad that cushions the eye begins to pull away from the bone of the lower eye and sags due to age. Heredity makes this more of a problem for some people. “just like everything in aging, gravity has it affects on the eye,” Yellin said.

Retaining water can also cause puffiness, especially in the morning. “Water redistributes to the head while you sleep,” he said. Excess salt intake, kidney or heart problems, steroid use and other conditions that cause water retention can create under-eye puffiness.

For puffiness caused by fat, Yellin recommends cosmetic surgery to remove the fat pad. Making a minimal incision inside the lower eyelid, surgeons are able to remove the sagging fat pad that causes puffiness. Laser treatment to vaporize extra skin around the eyelid can also make a difference.

For water retention, experts recommend doing things to help redistribute the fluid. Placing a cool cucumber slice on your eye and pressing helps, according to Yellin.

Flather suggests using an eye gel chilled in the refrigerator to reduce puffiness. “It’s not about a tube, it’s about getting a routine,” she said. “Keep some eye gel in the fridge and first thing in the morning — before you do anything — put some on. the cooling action will help reduce puffiness. Put it on and work inward, gently tapping, not rubbing.” From there, you can apply concealer and makeup. Marotta likes to mix eye gel with concealer because it applies easier.

Shingara believes that water retention due to improper urine elimination causes puffiness. she recommends drinking plenty of water and going to the bathroom often.

Dr. Nicholas Perricone, assistant clinical professor of dermatology at the Yale University School of Medicine and author of “the Wrinkle Cure” (Rodale Reach, 2000, $22.95), has a different take on the problem. “Puffiness and circles are more the result of inflammation,” he said. “in fact, all aging is caused by inflammation.”

Perricone believes that inflammation caused by free radicals in the body, especially attacking the skin, ages the face. his solution is to apply alpha lipoic acid and vitamin C ester as a powerful team of antioxidants to the skin, as well as taking supplements. these cosmeceuticals, he says, like alpha and beta hydroxy acids, are the latest breakthroughs in skin care. “They provide cellular repair and have long-term effects.”

Alpha lipoic acid is naturally made in our cells, but is also found in potatoes. Perricone adds a percentage of the acid into his products, which he says can lighten dark circles, improve puffiness and minimize wrinkles. “By using these products, you can delay the eye job,” Perricone said.

Vitamin C ester is a derivative of the vitamin found in citrus fruits. he also recommends the nutrient dimethylaminoethanol (DMAE) and tocotrienols, a high-potency form of the antioxidant vitamin E.

Along with topical products, he tells his patients to eat a diet high in protein and low in carbohydrates. “Women eat half the protein that they should,” he said. “Carbohydrates are taking the place of protein and elevating blood-sugar levels, which causes inflammation. Women are accelerating the aging process by eating carbohydrates.”

Sugar, he says, attaches itself to the skin’s collagen and stiffens it. “Aging comes from sugar,” Perricone said. “It’s not just sunlight — it’s sunlight and sugar.”

No matter what route women take to combat the problem, there’s always a remedy, experts say. when all else fails, try concealer.

How to Eliminate Under-Eye Circles and Puffiness