The Lines Around Your Eyes

in the world of beauty situations named after creatures, crow's feet are so much nicer than spider veins

I woke up this morning thinking about you, about what you might want to read, about what might be the most fun and informative way to give you a little gift of something in your inbox. And for some reason, crow’s feet came to mind.

I have strong feelings about crow’s feet: I like them. Personally, I think crow’s feet are the least unbeautiful of wrinkles; you get them from squinting, sure, but also from a fully engaged smile—called the Duchenne—in which the corners of your eyes get crinkly. It lets people know you are genuinely happy. That’s nice, right? Better: When people respond to your happiness, it precipitates a neural loop that can make you feel even happier. Am I saying crow’s feet are good for you? Kind of. Am I going too far suggesting the next time you notice them, you might take a moment to admire them? Not sure. Try it and let me know what you think.

Of course, if you disagree with me—I mean if there’s really a murder of crow’s feet on your face—you can diminish them at the doctor’s office with a couple shots of neurotoxin like Botox or Dysport. This works because the drug freezes the muscles that, with repetitive movement, cause the wrinkles. Overdo it, and you lose the ability to make the Duchenne, so don’t. Certain laser treatments can also diminish crow’s feet (more on that in another post). By the way, even the heaviest eye cream isn’t going to get rid of them, though it might plump the skin enough to make them just a little less noticeable. (But: I avoid heavy eye creams now because I started getting styes—which, if you’ve ever had one, you don’t want to have again. Now I sometimes scrub my lids with Johnson’s Baby Shampoo in the morning, especially if my eyes have been very dry at night. Another post on that, too, if you’re interested.)

Okay, back to what made me think of crow’s feet. Squinting. I thought of squinting because on my night table is this elegant little book light I bought recently (in white). I don’t wear glasses but need bright light to read (as many of us mature people do) and when this little thing came in the mail I was happily surprised to see how pretty it is.  It also works great, with three settings and a charger you can hook up to your computer. I thought of getting a book light because I could see, late at night, my across-the-street-neighbor reading in bed. Thanks, Syd.

One other thing that helps avoid squinting: sunglasses. I bet you knew that. As a beauty editor, I used to get gifts of fabulous sunglasses all the time. (If you call them “sunnies,” I’m going to gag.) Anyway, I got stuck on a trip a couple of summers ago with a pair of sunglasses that weren’t working for me—too reflective—and I found these in a small boutique I’d wandered into. They seem to be indestructible unlike many fancy kinds, they block glare (though I don’t know if they’re ophthalmologist approved), and they’re inexpensive.

This post was supposed to be short. I’m thinking a shortish post on Thursdays and a longer one on Tuesdays. Or would you rather have just one post per week? I’m listening!