Trending 4th October 2019 by Vicki Notaro

Eye Creams – A Swizz Or A Must Have? We Trial The Best To Find Out

It's all about picking the right product for your peepers.

I’m Vicki, and I am a skincare junkie. I have about 50 (okay, 75) tubes and pots filled with different ingredients, lotions and potions for different times of the day, week, month, season and year, and they cover everything from my lips to my chin to my feckin’ cuticles. But I have never been one for eye creams because I always thought they were, well, an absolute swizz.

My thinking was that skin is skin, and surely the creams I lash on my face will do my undereyes as well, right? Wrong, as I have learned as I age, and spy fine lines, dehydration and dark circles all wrecking my buzz. The skin under your eyes is so thin that normal products are too harsh for its porous surface, and can often even cause discolouration and puffiness. Doh!

So, as any intrepid beauty journalist would, I decided to look into eye creams for you, our loyal readers. I took it upon myself to research, try and test the most popular on the market at different price points to find out what works for what concern. Some have dry eyes, where make-up sits in the cracks. Others are worried about fine lines and crow’s feet, while others again are tormented by dark circles. en there’s me, who’s pretty sensitive and puffy, especially after a weekend on the sauce.

I can concede that after all this trialling, I am definitely looking perkier and that perhaps there is something to this eye cream lark after all…

The Fancy Cooling One

Clarins Multi Activ Yeux, €42

This has a lovely stainless steel nib that massages the beautifully hydrating product gently into the undereye area. It’s really refreshing, especially if you keep it in the fridge. It’s pricey, but it’s lovely at night with your serum, or before make-up.

The Luxury One

Chanel Hydra Beauty Micro Gel Yeux, €59

The secret at the heart of this and all Chanel’s lovely Hydra Beauty products is camellia extract, which works on fine lines, dryness and signs of fatigue. It’s like a drink for your undereyes, and has a lovely watery texture.

The Budget Friendly All Rounder

CeraVe Eye Repair Cream, €11.99

A little goes a long way with this bad boy, and it’s nice and lightweight. It contains marine and botanical extracts, moisturises the delicate skin around the eye and reinforces the protective barrier. Nice for the price!

The All Rounder

Charlotte Tilbury Magic Eye Rescue, €55

I absolutely love this product, from the packaging to the formula. You only need the tiniest bit, and it feels really luxurious and thirst- quenching when you put it on. It promises to cure every undereye ailment, and it actually does. Of course it’s one of the dearest, but it was also my favourite.

The One You Can Share With Himself

Kennedy & Co Revitalising Eye Gel, €14.95

Another one with a lovely cooling nib, this is technically for fellas (from Darren Kennedy’s range), but it doesn’t discriminate! It has Pro-Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Sodium Hyaluronate and stimulating Caffeine, to help improve the appearance of fine lines, dark circle and puffiness.

The Sensitive One

Trilogy Very Gentle Eye Cream, €29.95

Especially for sensitive peepers, this is specially formulated with a blend of pure plant oils and soothing botanicals designed to be calming. Cooling Aloe Vera provides relief for tired, sensitive eyes, while Caffeine helps to ease puffiness and dark circles. It’s also synthetic fragrance and colour-free and like all things Trilogy, cruelty-free too.

The Mini Mask

Lancome Advanced Génifique Light-Pearl Eye Serum Mask, €62 for six packs

These are lovely to pop on for ten minutes before going out, while you dry your hair or pick an outfit. Also lovely straight out of the fridge, the mini cellulose masks deposit serum on to the skin without being sticky or greasy, and leave your eyes looking brighter. A lovely treat once a week.

Not sure how to apply eye cream? Here’s your guide:

  • Put it on before your serums, night cream or make-up, to allow it to penetrate deeply without competing with them
  • With your ring finger, VERY gently pat product under the eyes starting from the inner corner near the nose, working out up the cheekbone, and then loop back on to the brow bone
  • DO NOT TOUCH YOUR EYELIDS!
  • If your eye cream has an applicator, use that
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