I haven't got a full night's sleep since December 13, aka the same day Beyoncé[1] surprised us all with her new self-titled album[2] . Of course, I had to download the Queen of Pop's visual masterpiece, listen to all 14 songs and watch the 17 videos. But I wasn't prepared to tackle my dark under-eye circles[3] that resulted from a lack of rest.


Concealer would be an obvious solution, but I've been taking the makeup-free route these days. So I reached into my medicine cabinet and pulled out the GlamGlow BrightMud Eye Treatment[4] instead.


Celebrities have praised GlamGlow's[5] face mask for making their skin look amazing. All I needed was a quick fix to brighten up my tired-looking eyes, and this product promised to do that in just three minutes.


The GlamGlow BrightMud Eye Treatment includes a 12-treatment box containing sealed pods that resemble contact lenses containers. Its gel-like formula contains de-puffing and smoothing ingredients including caffeine[6] , peppermint and bentonite.


glamglow brightmud eye treatment


GlamGlow BrightMud Eye Treatment, $69, Sephora.com[7]



I gently tapped it onto my under-eye area and felt a cool, tingling sensation as it quickly dried down. (It had to be working, right?) It went on pretty smoothly, but there were a few grainy bits from the peppermint leaf. I only used one-half of a pod for both of my eyes, so I stashed the other half to use for later.


Three minutes passed and I wiped away the product with a tissue, making sure not to get any into my eyes. What I saw in the mirror next was absolutely mind-blowing. My dark under-eye circles had vanished and my fine lines were barely unnoticeable. How could this be possible?


I continued to test out the GlamGlow BrightMud Eye Treatment over the weekend just to be sure my eyes weren't playing tricks on me. And I kept getting the same results. If I keep up this morning routine, I can foresee my under-eyes being virtually wrinkle-free.


Rating: 5 out of 5. With holiday parties in full swing, this eye treatment is a must-have for recovering the next day. No one will look at you and ask, "Is she hungover?"


What's really behind your aging skin:



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  • You're Becoming Near-Sighted


    As your vision worsens with age, other muscles around the eye pitch in to help you focus, says <a href="http://www.skincaredoctors.com/" target="_blank">Ranella Hirsch, MD</a>, past president of the American Society of Cosmetic Dermatology and Aesthetic Surgery. But as these tiny muscles are increasingly taxed, they can deepen lines around the eyes, and that can make you look world-weary (instead of wise). Your dermatologist can improve the appearance of these wrinkles with botulinum injections, but Hirsch says that it's also helpful to get your eyes checked. "A patient will come in for a consultation, and I'll send them to an optometrist," she says. "Sometimes what they really need is a pair of glasses."




  • You're Neglecting -- Or Abusing -- Your Teeth


    Teeth add structure and vertical height to the face. When they get worn down through grinding, nail biting or aggressive chewing, or worse, when a diseased tooth needs to be pulled, the facial skin can become looser, explains <a href="http://www.drphilhaeck.com/" target="_blank">Phil Haeck, MD</a>, a plastic surgeon based in Seattle and the past president of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Combined with the skin's natural loss of elasticity over time, this can lead to wrinkles and sagging around the mouth. Dentures help fill in the gaps left by missing teeth, but dental implants do a better job at restoring the height of the jaw, Haeck says. <a href="http://www.KnowYourTeeth.com/infobites/abc/article/?abc=H&iid=184&aid=8674" target="_blank">You know what to do</a>: Brush twice a day, have your teeth professionally cleaned at least once a year and remember to floss. If grinding is a problem, talk to your dentist about a bite guard.




  • You Bought Your Cheapie Sunglasses From A Sidewalk Vendor


    The delicate skin around your eyes is extremely thin and requires extra attention. Surprisingly, even people who are careful about sun protection often forget to put sunscreen in that area, says Hirsch, which can worsen wrinkles and discoloration. The right pair of sunglasses can serve as another line of defense, but only if they have UVA/UVB protection, as well as lenses opaque enough that you don't squint in bright light (which can exacerbate frown lines and eye wrinkles, adds Hirsch).




  • You're Taking Birth-Control Pills


    You've probably heard of the "mask of pregnancy," or facial hyperpigmentation caused by hormonal surges during pregnancy. Hormonal birth control (especially pills, shots, the ring) can have the same effect, causing brownish-gray patches to appear like shadows on the upper lip, cheeks, forehead and nose, says <a href="http://artofdermatology.com/" target="_blank">Jessica Krant, MD</a>, a board-certified dermatologist and assistant clinical professor at SUNY Downstate Medical Center. This type of discoloration can add years to your face: A Procter and Gamble study found that <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17719127" target="_blank">women were perceived as older simply because of patchy, uneven skin tone</a>. Fortunately, hormone-induced melasma usually fades within a year of giving birth or going off the pill, provided that you're religious about sun protection (see last slide). To treat stubborn spots, Krant suggests talking to your dermatologist about brighteners and antioxidants including tretinoin, niacin, vitamin C, kojic acid or azelaic acid.




  • You're Obsessed With Losing Those Last Five Pounds


    As we get older, hormonal changes can lead to decreases in collagen, Hirsch says. And weight loss can make this more noticeable. "Think of the face as a sofa," she says. "In the past, when the sofa started to age and sag, women had work done to pull the slipcover -- or the skin -- tighter. Now we know that one of the most convincing ways to make it look younger is to re-inflate the pillows." The latest technique dermatologists use to restore fullness involves injecting the face with various soft-tissue fillers, says Hirsch, but adds that you can "protect your facial pillows naturally" by maintaining a healthy, not-too-thin weight.




  • You're Letting The Sun Win


    So many of us are paying for early sun exposure -- skin damage like brownish-gray patches (melasma), brown spots that look like flat moles (lentigos), broken blood vessels and freckles. "Patients often say, 'The damage is done, and it's too late to fix it,'" says Krant. But that's not entirely true: You can prevent additional damage and reduce the severity of the problems you already have if you remain vigilant. "Additional sun exposure can make conditions like melasma even more noticeable. Existing spots can get darker and larger while new ones appear," explains Krant. Her advice is to embrace excellent sun hygiene (sunscreen, hats, sunglasses -- the whole nine yards) as a way of life.




  • Drinking Mirror App Shows Aging After Alcohol


    If you're the kind of gal whose "me time" includes a glass or two of wine after work, you might want to consider how those drinks could affect your looks. That's part of the message of the Scottish government's Drop a Glass Size Campaign, which specifically "encourages women to think about the health effects of regularly drinking above the recommended alcohol guidelines."





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