I’m 53 and I’ve just had an eye lift. Here are the 3 things that kept my eyes looking young before I went under the knife

Your eyes are the most revealing feature when it comes to aging. Expressing every emotion, yet cursed with the thinnest skin anywhere on the body (with little collagen and elastin and few oil glands to boot), it’s no wonder that crow’s feet and tired-looking eyes are many of us’ first reminder that we’re I’m not 23 anymore.

I can’t stand looking exhausted, so much so that I just went under the knife after years of working up the courage to do so. But I also know a lot of clever tricks, many of which I use religiously.

So what works? I tested more options than most. Bottom line: Makeup can work wonders, eye creams do very little, and non-surgical “touch-ups” can be a worthwhile investment for your under eyes — but not so much for your upper lids.

Here’s my pick of the best beauty eye-openers.

Eye-brightening purchases

Makeup legend Bobbi Brown rightly advises ‘applying under-eye concealer before applying foundation – you may not need the latter.’ You’ll need a deeply moisturizing and pigmented cream that’s just one shade lighter than your foundation, and apply it gently – never rub or drag, it will aggravate bags and shadows.

Your eyes will light up and your entire complexion will appear more even. Gatineau Miracle Eye Contour Cream, £36, a nourishing eye cream and concealer, is a firm favourite.

Curling your lashes before applying mascara is another game-changer for wider-looking eyes.

And in terms of eyeshadow, you want a pale nude shade on your lids (sparkle will add sparkle to dull eyes), while a darker matte taupe or brown in the creases will make shrinking eyes pop.

I’m obsessed with Clinique High Impact Shadow Play Shadow + Definers, £28 – double-sided eyeshadow sticks that perform this trick in a few simple strokes.

Last but not least: Well-shaped and tinted eyebrows visually support drooping, tired eyes.

Have them professionally threaded (you can then pull out new growth yourself).

The only eye creams you’ll ever need

Eye creams are good for maintenance, but very few actually make a difference to bags, circles, lines and especially the dreaded sagging.

Your best bet for beating back the years is daily SPF from a young age: Ultrasun SPF30 eye protection, £20, is a good one. If you don’t have a time machine and need to address existing signs of aging, a retinoid offers your best hope, but you really don’t want inflammation around your eyes.

Murad Retinal Resculpt Eye Treatment, £94, is both powerful and gentle.

The best product I’ve tried to lift droopy lids and smooth puffs under the eyes is Peter Thomas Roth Instant FirmX Eye, £22: it forms an invisible, primer-like film that smooths your eye contour. But there’s a catch: it only lasts a few hours and you can’t apply makeup over it.

Adjustments versus surgery

Toxin injections work against crow’s feet, but not against wrinkles under the eyes.

Botox can also slightly lift the eyebrows in some people. In expert hands, sensible under-eye fillers help minimize dark circles and hollows.

Injectable skin boosters like Sunekos and biostimulators like polynucleotides can improve crepiness and increase luminosity, but the results are very subtle and maintaining them requires expensive injections every few months.

As for sagging lids? Tweak results are often disappointing and I truly believe that many heat-based eye procedures, such as plasma, cause more trauma than improvement in the long term.

So why did I choose an upper eyelid correction costing more than €6,000?

Because it was counterintuitive, my surgeons, Dr. Rose and Dr. Murthy (facerestoration.com), me that it would have less downtime than many non-surgical options, with permanent and dramatic results. Two weeks after my operation, with a sporty recovery and ten years younger eyes, I know I made the right choice.

My cosmetic desire

Just as skinny jeans have seemingly been the only denim option for the past decade, matte lipsticks have pushed other options off the shelves for too long.

This is despite the fact that anyone over 40 knows that cream or satin textures are significantly flattering (they plump instead of shrivel) and more comfortable (we need moisture).

Revlon’s Super Lustrous Crème Lipstick, £8.99 (boots.com) provides lasting impact and the 12 spicy shades are packed with pigment.

And no, despite the creaminess, you won’t run into fine lines.

Icon of the week

Kylie Minogue Kylie Minogue, wearing a jewel-encrusted Diesel dress, made sure her hair and makeup at the Met Gala were designed to have the same wet look effect.

All from MAC (boots.com), she wore Studio Radiance Serum-Powered Foundation in NC20, £39, Color Excess Gel Pencil in Sick Tat Bro, £22, and Red Rock MACximal Lipstick, £25, topped with gloss.