Image via hkvam on Flickr

No one likes the look of reverse eye-shadow under their eyes, except for maybe my can't-get-past-the-old-goth-days friend who still thinks of undereye circles as "chic" somehow. And not only is there now an entire blog devoted to solving this age-old (ha) problem called um, My Dark Circles Blog, the New York Times just devoted an entire "Skin Deep" to the subject, in which they cited a recent Clinique study that claims, "Roughly 53 percent of the 13,000 Clinique users surveyed by the company in 2006 cited under-eye circles and puffiness as their No. 1 beauty concern." But can a product really fix the bane of any eye's existence?

Of course, with that kind of demand, it's no wonder beauty companies are scrambling to provide the supply. In fact, Sephora editorial director Stacy Baker acknowledges that the chain now sells more than 50 products designed to specifically treat under-eye circles. But then again, in the words of Yale professor and chief of plastic surgery Dr. John A. Persing: "If there are that many of them available, that usually means they're not terribly successful." Oooh burn.

Over the years I've personally fielded plenty of questions about how to cure undereye circles, which are less caused by hangovers and lack of sleep and more due to genetics, sun exposure, aging (wah), excess pigmentation and the use of birth control pills. It's true, there are plenty of products out on the market that claim to ameliorate the look--including ridiculously expensive Hylexin, which myself and some fellow testers saw zero results from--but I'll never forget the conversation I had about these products in an interview with lovely Upper East Side derm Doris Day, where she stated, "I have yet to see even one of these undereye circle products do what they claim to." So...

Of course, when topicals fail, the truly desperate turn to plastic surgery:

So in the last three years, plumping up the area under the eyes with injections of off-label fillers like Restylane and Juvéderm has become a popular alternative for people who want little downtime.

Plastic surgeons and dermatologists say the fillers help cover up melanin or the blood vessels that peek through thin skin. A round of injections, which lasts about six months, costs $500 to $800.

But just remember, any time you mess with your eyes like that, you're taking a risk. My advice to the shallow and hollow eyed? Don't OD on concealer (just like plopping a bunch of cover up on a big zit, this will only emphasize the problem and make you look worse). Instead, use an illuminating eye cream like the way more affordable Aveeno Active Naturals Positively Radiant Eye Brightening Cream, skip dark eye makeup in favor of a light, slightly shimmery cream shadow, and try a lightening pencil such as Philosophy Think Big to brighten up the overall eye area. Oh yeah, and stay tuned to this blog for advances in the arena, and for the love of beauty, try to get some rest this weekend!