Hollywood is the home of many glamorous movie stars whom we often remember for their good looks and unique features. But as far as I know, none has been immortalized for eye bags except Peter Lorre.

Today's generation of moviegoers may no longer remember Lorre but the Hungarian actor and director portrayed many memorable characters at the height of his career. Aside from being cast as a sinister and wicked person in Hollywood crime films and mysteries, the late great actor is also fondly remembered as the Japanese detective Mr. Moto and the first James Bond villain in the first Bond movie Casino Royale.

What set Lorre apart from other actors were his unforgettable voice, look, and mannerisms. One of his striking features were his eye bags that became his "signature" mark when animators later emulated and did impressions of Lorre in various cartoons like Ren and Stimpy, Secret Squirrel, Stingray, and Digimon. It was a classic case of art imitating life as the characters in those short films had big eyes and equally big eye bags - much like Lorre's!

Unfortunately, not everyone with eye bags ends up as a famous or celebrated actor like Lorre. For most people, eye bags, puffy eyes, and dark circles under the eyes are bothersome cosmetic problems that look terrible and make you look older than you really are. These problems are often associated with allergies, aging, fluid retention, too much salt or alcohol, excessive crying, smoking, pregnancy, menstruation, and lack of sleep.

"There isn't room for fatty layers around the eye sockets because this would get in the way of our ability to move our eyes and see. So skin around the eyes is thin and gets thinner with age - allowing the blood vessels and darker shadows of bone to show through," according to Dr. Trisha Macnair of BBC Health.

"The most common cause of those dark bluish circles under the eyes is congestion around the nose. You see the veins around the underside of the eyes drain into the veins of the nose. When your nose becomes congested or is blocked up, those veins become restricted and the flow of blood is reduced. This causes the flow of blood under the eyes to slow. The veins under the eyes become engorged causing them to swell larger and appear darker," added the AskDocWeb.com.

While they aren't serious medical problems and often clear up on their own even without any treatment, eye bags, puffy eyes, and dark circles can be embarrassing and annoying. Besides, who wants to wait until forever for them to disappear completely when you're attending that big party with all your friends tomorrow?

To look good, get enough rest, drink enough water, stop smoking, and avoid allergens that trigger nasal congestion like pet dander, pollen, house dust, and certain foods like milk and chocolate. Use an extra pillow or two to elevate your head while sleeping to prevent fluid build up. Reduce your salt intake and be wary of food and drinks that contain too much salt.

Cool cucumber or potato slices placed over closed eyes for a few minutes can also help. If you'd rather eat the cucumber or potato, another alternative is cotton balls dunked in cold milk. After squeezing the milk from the balls, let them rest on your closed swollen eyes for a few minutes. A cold compress will also do the same.

One popular product that can revitalize your eyes is Eyevive. When used as directed, Eyevive moisturizes, strengthens, and thickens the skin around the eyes to help reverse the signs of aging that can lead to eye bags, dark circles, swollen eyes, fines lines and wrinkles. Put back the sparkle in your eyes with Eyevive. For more information, visit http://www.eyevive.com.