I agree with luna, start with one thing at a time. Boy was I ever miffed back in October when a stranger made some off handed comment *about me looking stressed. I, too, grew up being told that natural looking women who didn't have a full face on were more attractive. That beauty comes from within and on and on and on.
So, I very much appreciate and relate to your frustration. I'm still fuming because now a little mascara and either a swipe of lipstick or gloss is not enough. Now I must find ways to hide my 'tired'.
I've notived too that since I've embarked on this quest to hide not just tired but something that is completely genetic-i give you my three sons as examples 1, 2 and 3--they have it too the darkness/shadows under their eyes but they get to be so fortunate in certain ways because women are judged harder*-that I've gotten comments by those who otherwise never had nor would comment about looking more relaxed and less stressed. I don't have puffy *so I don't need that type of eye cream
Sooo....a caffenaited eye cream for me it is with a nice japanese makeup primer for under those eyes with 2 different tones of concealer..a concealer brush, then a brushing on of a translucent setting powder and voila. I have been wearing eyeshadow using some online tips from various youtubers. I'm not going smokey for work just a light shadow on my lid to make my eyes look more alert.
I used to read all these beauty tips etc as a teen and would spend hours back then. Then I grew out of feeling like it was important enough just some mascara and lipstick and even then I was concealing my undereyes.
Skin care though.....it starts with skincare.