As we age the skin around the eyes loses moisture, elastin and collagen, leaving the area looking baggy, puffy, lined, or bruised, and the face, as a result, looking older. All of which is not a little depressing! But worry not; there are no big miracle cures – even surgery can only go so far, unless you fancy the forever-startled look – but with a little bit of TLC and a few active ingredients – Retinols, Vitamin K, Hyaluronic acids, Anti-oxidants and Peptides – you can keep your peepers looking smoother, brighter and younger for longer. So, forget any thoughts about your facial moisturiser covering all bases; it’s time to reach for the big guns and breakout the eye care cream.
Ever helpful, we at The Detour have been having a play and have put together a list of some of our favourite products.
 Clarins Skin-Smoothing Eye Mask 30ml RRP £29.00
Described by Clarins as a “‘morning after the night before’ treatment for eyes” this is something of an as-and-when product. Designed to tone, decongest and hydrate the eye area, reducing the puffiness and shadows of a misspent evening – it’s the perfect Monday morning rescue!
So how does it work? A combination of Wild Rose and Saw Palmetto extract intensively de-puff and decongest the eye while a super-concentrated version of Rose Water and Apricot extract hydrate and soften the skin and Rice Starch and Chicory extract smooth, firm and tighten the epidermis.
And to use? Just apply a small amount to your eye lids and under-eye area, sit back and enjoy the instant cooling sensation for 5-10 minutes before gently removing with a damp cotton pad. Your eyes will feel revived and the surrounding skin smooth and silky soft.
As close to fragrance-free as these things ever can be, this product is great for all skin-types, even the most sensitive. Wonderfully cooling and invigorating, I’ve found the Clarins Skin-Smoothing Eye Mask to be a fabulous pick-me-up after a long day staring at a computer screen, as well as a late night/early morning salvation. It’s not a long-term eye care solution, but it does offer an occasional little miracle to help you through the day, and I think that that can sometimes be the best kind of miracle.
 Clarins Eye Contour Gel 20ml RRP £26.50
The raison d’être of the Clarins Eye Contour Gel is the reduction of puffiness and dark circles and as it was first launched in 1966 and is still going strong, one suspects that it might just be doing something right! Although it can be used on an occasional basis, for best results one should apply a little gel daily.
The major active ingredients in this product are Caffeine and Organic Ginkgo Biloba extract to encourage circulation, Organic Cornflower and Camomile extracts to soothe and protect the fragile skin of the eye contour and Aloe extract, which leaves the skin smooth and supple.
Application is quick and easy, with just a small dab around the eyes being absorbed into the skin quickly enough to be used before your usual make-up routine. It can also be used on top of make-up to refresh the eyes throughout the day, without the usual worry of cakiness.
After a week’s use I found that while the shadows under my eyes were still visible – I use a computer a lot and rarely get the amount of sleep I should – they had reduced considerably and my eyes felt less tight and tired than I’ve become accustomed to. It‘s probably psychological, but it also made me feel somehow healthier – the sickly bruised look doesn’t do much for one’s self-esteem! The gel is light, non-greasy, surprisingly non-sticky and unperfumed, and as such is apparently even suitable for contact lens wearers.
 Elemis Absolute Eye Serum 15ml RRP £26.60
The Elemis Absolute Eye Serum is marketed as one of those ever-hope-inspiring anti-ageing products, and seeing those two words together make me ever-sceptical, but I do like a bit of Elemis and who knows, maybe one day my scepticism will be proven wrong! The serum is designed to diminish dark circles, lift and refine the skin and “minimise the ravages of time”, presumably by smoothing out the fine lines and wrinkles most prevalent in the eye area, although this isn’t precisely specified.
Absolute of Rosewood, and Osmanthus essential oils rehydrate the skin and reduce dark circles, while soothing Comfrey, Lavender and Chamomile gently preserve and refine eye contours. The gentle natural ingredients of all Elemis products are great for all skin types and despite the fairly potent scent of certain of the ingredients, the Eye Serum is very delicately perfumed so as not to offend even the most sensitive of noses.
Despite the small size of the bottle, the Absolute Eye Serum lasts for a surprisingly long time, with only two daily drops applied to the skin around each eye being enough to cool and refresh tired peepers.
Apart from the initial revival following the application, there are no instant fixes with this product, but give it a few days and you’ll notice that the skin around your eyes feels – and looks – a lot smoother and softer, and a few days after that you’ll notice that your shadows need less concealer and your bags will begin to look less like a pair of suitcases and more like little rucksacks! I’ve yet to see the long term effects of using this product, but from the little I have seen I believe it would be safe to assume that continued use would produce continued results. It is perhaps not that ever-elusive anti-ageing elixir, but it certainly brings a light, refreshed look to the eyes and happy eyes can go a long way towards reducing appearance of ageing.
 Lush Enchanted Eye Cream 45g RRP £10.95
Lush have a reputation for producing slightly whimsical, fresh, handmade cosmetics that have not been tested on animals and are as environmentally friendly as they possibly can be. They also have a reputation for being something of teenage retailer, rather than a destination for adult women looking to buy serious cosmetics... A view that I shared until quite recently, but I’m really not sure why. The Enchanted Eye Cream is just one of the many Lush products that have led to my newly changed opinion, a very light, delicate cream designed to sooth and “minimise fine lines around the eyes”.
Lavender Honey Water, cold pressed Almond Oil and cold pressed Jojoba Oil provide the main base of this gentle “low-fat moisturiser”, all of which contain soothing and/or hydrating properties, with the other six minor ingredients acting as light preservatives. The only criticism I would make is that it does contain parabens, something I find quite surprising given the Lush ethos, but that is probably by the by.
A small application (a half pump rather than a full) of Enchanted at either end of the day is enough to hydrate and tone the area around the eyes, and leave the skin looking brighter and feeling firmer and well nourished. I didn’t notice any change to the colour of my bruised-looking sleep-deprived under-eyes on the days that I needed it, but Enchanted does not make that promise, so there’s nothing to complain about. The scent is stronger than on any of the other products mentioned in this piece – as you’d expect with Lush – and being somewhat scent-sitive I prepared myself for a perfume headache, but found that I really didn’t mind the smell and in fact found it rather relaxing.
As with many products in this line, I would suggest that Enchanted is more of a preventative than a cure – it won’t do anything for those deep-set wrinkles, but it will leave your skin silky soft and ready to face the day.
 Clinique Repairwear Intensive Eye Cream 15ml RRP £25.00
Clinique’s Repairwear range is designed to replenish antioxidants in order to strengthen the skin and reduce the impact of environmental damage, whether from the sun, pollution, or any number of other factors. To state the obvious, the Intensive Eye Cream in particular was created specifically for care of the delicate, vulnerable skin below the eye, with the aim of attaining a “brighter, vibrant, refreshed look”. It’s another alleged “anti-aging” product, but again, I’m partial to a bit of Clinique, so I thought it worth a try.
Listed among the active ingredients of the Intensive Eye Cream are the ever-popular Vitamin E, Red, White and Yellow Tea Leaf extracts, Rosemary
and Jojoba. Rosemary is widely known for its soothing quality and Jojoba for producing wonderfully nourishing oil, but I’m not quite sure where the tea comes into it – I can only guess that the trio are included for their antioxidant characteristic (antioxidants inhibit free-radical damage) as the most I’ve heard of White Tea is that it is considered to be beneficial in weight loss!
Application is a simple affair of smoothing a small amount around the eye area with a fingertip, then getting on with the rest of your day while the ingredients get to work.
This is another long-term product, with no instant results, but after a few days shadow are perceptibly lighter and I’m told by my sister – a long-term Clinique fan – that in a few weeks baggy under-eye pockets feel and look distinctly firmer. Having only trialled it for a week, my main observation is the feeling of hydration this cream gives. Light weight, grease-free and totally thirst-quenching for the skin. For me, it felt more like a night product, but it’s definitely worth further investigation.
 Clinique All About Eyes Serum De-Puffing Eye Massage Roll-on 15ml RRP £20
Well, everything you need to know is in the name with this one – no explanation required! Whatever the cause, we’ve all suffered from the sleep-deprivation-induced puffy-eyed look and we all know how hard it is to get rid of it, so roll-on Clinique’s All About Eyes Serum De-Puffing Eye Massage!
A rollerball – designed to increase micro-circulation and help reduce fluid - deposits a deliciously cool, fragrance-free liquid gel around the relevant area, hydrating and soothing the skin in one fell swoop, apparently helping to “keep skin around the eyes smoother and less translucent”.Amentoflavone and Humulus Lupulus extract, sooth the area, while Caffeine reduces the appearance of irritation and puffiness.
I have to say, setting aside the tech-speak and jargon, that I would buy this product purely for the refreshing feeling it offers – when something feels that good, I don’t much care what it’s doing to me! I’ve used it when I’ve been up too late, or too early, when I’ve used the computer for too long and I’ve a feeling that it will be invaluable the next time I become upset and want to avoid facing the world with swollen teary eyes, it will also definitely be in my suitcase the next time I have a long-haul flight ahead. It can be used straight on the skin, or over make-up without creating blotchiness and it always feels simply wonderful. I must admit that I’ve not noticed it having any great effect on shadow reduction, but it does help deflate the puffs and when used in combination with the Repairwear product we could be on to a winner.
It’s also worth knowing that Clinique have launched a similar product in their men’s range - Clinique Anti-Fatigue Cooling Eye Gel 15ml RRP £20.00 – perfectly for any butch and manly type you may have lurking around your abode who’s just too macho to admit that he’s been stealing your cosmetics! Get more info at www.cliniqueformen.co.uk .
 Beyond Organic Skincare Firming Eye Cream 7ml £8.33
By far the most affordable of the products I’ve looked at, and by far the most virtuous. Beyond Organic Skincare’s Firming Eye Cream is, as the name would imply, created using entirely natural and organic ingredients, free from parabens, petrochemicals, GM materials, all artificial colours and fragrances and certified fully organic by the Biodynamic Agricultural Association (BDAA). I find that really impressive, particularly as it really does do what it says on the pot.
Cornflower and Rosehip are the main active ingredients, both known to contain soothing and toning properties, with Eyebright added to reduce puffiness and Macadamia Nut Oil, Shea Butter, Rosehip Oil, Wheatgerm Oil, Olive Emulsifier and Beeswax to gently moisturise. Only a small dab of the product is required daily, so despite the diminutive size, the pot should last a good few months.
The results of the Firming Eye Cream were not immediately noticeable, but towards the end of testing my eyes were beginning to look a little happier; the skin seemed brighter and less tired and felt beautifully moisturised.
I like this product because it makes no grand claims – it doesn’t pretend to halt the ageing process, to take away deep wrinkles, or remove deep shadows. What it does profess to achieve – and manages – is to hydrate and therefore firm up the skin around the eyes without resorting to the use of any nasty chemicals. And for that, I rather like it. |
