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Love it or Leave it: The Best Eye
Creams and the Worst Eye Creams
Updated: 10.26.12
 Hope
in a jar doesn’t come cheaply for those looking to repair
and protect the delicate skin around their eyes. From
dark circles to fine lines to under eye puffiness, there are
a bevy of products that promise to turn back the clock, or
stop it all together. But, only a handful of products deliver
on their promises to rejuvenate under eye skin. (And we should
know, we tested 124 eye products in all.) Here's what you'll
want, and what you'll want to walk away from.
NEW
ADDITION
Love it! Osmotics' Blue Copper 5
Firming Eye Repair
($75)
An extension of the cut favorite Blue Copper 5 line from Osmotics Cosmeceuticals, this 3-in-1 anti-aging eye treatment is expensive and worth.every.penny. Promising to "firm, tone and tighten" the eye area while minimizing fine lines and wrinkles, Blue Copper 5
Firming Eye Repair earns a top spot on our "love it" list for really delivering. Like the entire Blue Copper collection, Firming Eye Repair calls upon copper which is effective at increasing skin's firmness, elasticity and radiance. There are also peptides, proteins and antioxidants galore. Get it for $75 at osmotics.com.
Leave it: Anti-Oxidant Age Reverse
eye cream from Neutrogena ($16.99)
Priced right at $16.99, this product boasts a fresh scent
and a lightweight formula that we loved. However, perhaps
because of the fragrance in the product, the eye cream made
our eyes water and left us crying for something less irritating.
 NEW
ADDITION
**Gluten-Free & Cruelty-Free**
Love it! Holly Beth Natural’s
Eye Cream ($30)
After a few days of using Holly Beth’s Eye Cream,
we saw a marked improvement in the appearance of dark
circles and puffiness that plagues us. Packed with organic
Vitamin E, the cream also moisturized the delicate under the
eye skin without leaving it feeling greasy; $35 at hollybeth.net. **Gluten-Free & Cruelty-Free**
Leave it: Sue Devitt's
Microquatic Prime Target Intensive Eye Treatment
($28)
Touted on one highly regarded site as a gel that "targets
areas that require intensive nutrition and hydration, similar
in nature to the GPS tracking system, " the appeal of
this product was lost on us. Retailing for $28, there's
nothing particularly offensive about Microquatic Prime
Target Intensive Eye Treatment, except that it did not
appear to deliver on its promise to firm the under eye skin
or banish dark circles.
Leave it: Active Botanical Eye Creme and
Firming Eye Revitalizer from Seven Skincare ($32
each)
Active Botanical Eye Creme and Firming Eye Revitalizer
from Seven Skincare promise to work in tandem to combat key
concerns including fine lines, dark circles, and puffiness.
Unfortunately, the Revitalizer and Creme
irritated the skin under our eyes, so we had to discontinue
use immediately.
 Love it! Eyebright Soothing
Eye Lotion from Liz Earle Naturally Active Skincare
($18.50)
Remember the last time you were at a spa enjoying a luscious
facial and the esthetician placed cool cotton compresses that
smelled like heaven and made you look like you'd slept for
days over your eyes? Get that feeling-- and the results--
in between spa visits thanks to Eyebright Soothing Eye
Lotion from Liz Earle Naturally Active Skincare. This
mild herbal liquid is kept at an ideal
temperature when stored in the fridge. Apply the product to
cotton compresses first thing in the morning, then
apply the compresses and relax for 5 to 10 minutes as they
work their magic; $18.50 for 5oz. at lizearle.com.
Leave it: Age Reversal Pomegranate
Eye Serum from Organics Desert Essence ($14.99)
We wanted to love Age Reversal Pomegranate Eye Serum
from Organics Desert Essence because of its
biodegradable packaging and its promise to improve skin tone
and firmness. Unfortunately, the “warming effect”
this product delivers felt, to us, like the sting of a summer
sunburn rather than the comfort of a warm eye pillow. Plus,
it leaves behind an unwelcome oily residue.
Love
it! r3p eye from Dr. Brandt Skincare ($80)
Rich in peptides and Vitamins A, C & E, this
product has a clean, freshscent and is absorbed immediately
into the delicate skin around eyes. Fine lines are softened and after a few da ys of use, under eye circles are greatly
diminished. Plus, we loved the rich, yet surprisingly non-greasy,
texture; $80 at drbrandtskincare.com.
Leave it: Protect
& Perfect from Boots No. 7 ($19.99)
We've been fans of the Boots line since we happened upon a Boots
store during a trip to Europe years ago, so we wanted to love
the priced-right Protect & Perfect. Unfortunately,
this serum felt oily upon application and did not absorb well,
making us feel as if our under ye skin was actually sweating.
Yup, it felt as weird as it sounds.
Love
it! Somme Eye Contour from Somme Institute
($72)
Somme Eye Contour from Somme Institute is
a lightweight, moisturizing cream with a gentle scent. The
non-comedogenic formula is ideal for oily/problem skin. Best
of all, the product delivered on its promise to hydrate and
contour while reducing the appearance of fine lines, puffiness
and dark circles; $72 at upscale spas or online at
sommeinstitute.com.
Leave it: Exuviance Hydrating Eye Complex
by NeoStrata ($33)
while we loved the idea of "visibly reduce fine lines
with potent anti-aging Polyhydroxy Acids," we didn't
see any improvement when using this product. We also liked
that the Hydrating Eye Complex is fragrance-free
but the product, which promised to be perfect under makeup,
went on thick, left a greasy residue, and had our eye makeup
running for the hills. You should, too.
Want to weigh in on the Best and Worst Eye Creams? Read and write product reviews on PrettyCity.com's Product Review page here.
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