Clinique All About Eyes Serum De-Puffing Eye Massage

With the advent of my favorite season comes one big downfall...seasonal allergies!  Within the past month, my allergies have kicked in and my eyes have completely puffed up.  This time fo the year, normal eye cream isn't always enough and the Fresh Lotus Eye Gel was helping to reduce the appearance of the bags but just wasn't fully cutting it in this area.  I recalled a product that I had years agom from Juvena that excelled in the area of allergy eyes because the product was dispensed in a cool metal rollerball, therefore applying the product in a very targeted fashion and the coldness helped to reduce the bags under my eyes even further.  I remembered reading in a magazine that Clinique had made a similar product so I decided to put my Sephora VIB 15% coupon to good use and actually purchase something that I needed!

"A rollerball that massages away bags as it brightens and refreshes the eye area.  The rollerball goes on under the eyes to cool and refresh as it gently rolls away puffy bags and the appearance of fatique.  Its ingredients, including invigorating caffine, potent anti-oxidants, and soothing botanicals, work immediately and over time to brighten the eye area.  Easy to take anywhere, it provides a refreshing on-the-spot treatment or can be layered over or under other makeup.  This product is oil-free, non-irritating, ophthamologist tested and suitable for all skin types.  Clinique All About Eyes Serum De-Puffing Massage is an Allure Best of Beauty Award Winner."

The Sephora website states that this product should be used morning and night and then again throughout the day as needed.  I have found this product is used best in the morning only, it isn't hydrating enough for me to use it as my only eye product.  I still use the Fresh Lotus Eye Gel at night to hydrate my eye area and prevent the dry scales that can appear at the corner of my eyes (another downfall of the allergy season).  This product has been working wonders on my undereye puffiness, making the area look much better overall and helping my makeup to apply better.  Within a week of use of this product, my bags were much reduced and I can get away with using much less foundation and concealer that I normally have to use in allergy season. 

The product applies very easily and feels cold to the touch upon application.  The metal roller ball makes application foolproof and allows the product to be placed only where needed so nothing is wasted.  The serum itself has a watery texture and dries almost instantly after application, it absorbs very quickly and is light enough that any skin type should be able to use this product.  Someone with dry skin around their eyes cannot use this as their only eye product, they will need to use a separate product to hydrate and soothe.  On the flip side, someone with oily skin will be able to use this as their primary product as they do not need the same level of hydration that those with dry skin do.

This product is a great choice if you are suffering from the allery eyes that come around this time of the year, it works very well to depuff the undereye area and help create a smooth canvas for makeup.  It doesn't hydrate that much so in many cases this is best as a day product and a separate one will be needed for the night.  I tried once to use it over makeup (as the company states that I can) and I found that it smeared my concealer a bit and wasn't that great in this regard, this could be used a touch-up product during the day only if you aren't wearing undereye makeup.  I found that I didn't really need it more than once during the day so I think that using thir product multiple times during the day would be a waste of the product.

photo courtesy of Sephora

Fresh Lotus Eye Gel

Fresh Lotus Eye Gel is the last piece of my Sephora skincare shopping spree at the end of last year, I now finally have a full grouping of face care in my bathroom and have tested everything out.  The Lotus Eye Gel is the first skincare product that I have ever used from Fresh and while I have heard lots of great things about their fragrance and body product lines, I don't always hear many people talk about their targeted skincare products.  I decided to try this one out, in hopes that these formulas would be close to the ones that I already love from Caudalie.  Fresh is another skincare company that believes in using more natural ingredients and keeping excess chemicals and preservatives out of their products.  I can get around this type of thinking, however I have gotten the best results for me typically come from eye creams that contain some types of chemical de-pigmenting complex. 

Fresh Lotus Eye Gel is "a hydrating and revitalizing treatment gel that alleviates puffiness, dark circles, and signs of fatigue".  The texture of the this eye product is more a gel than I am used to, I normally use eye creams or a cream-gel mixture.  Gel formula eye products are more used to treat puffiness than dark circles, so I knew almost instantly what type of results that I would be getting from this product.  I was told in the Sephora store this this product both reduced puffiness and reduced dark circles but the description that I am seeing on the website talks much more about puffiness and hydration than dark circles.  Now I have issues with both hydration and puffiness so I will see results from this formula but under-eyes are my main complaint so I knew that I would not see the optimal results that I would want from this product.

"Then Lotus Eye Gel features a unique combination of preventative botanicals.  Lotus flower extract, a powerful anti-oxidant packed with polyphenols, defends against wrinkle-causing free radicals.  Stimulating soft orange extract and ginko biloba reduce puffiness.  Antioxidant-rich grapeseed polyphenols and jojoba help to protect the skin.  Soothing cucumber fruit extract helps to revive tired eyes."  One of the co-founders of Fresh, Lez Glazman offered some additional information about the lotus plant, "The lotus plant has been cultivated in eastern Asia for over 3000 years.  Thought be to sacred by many cultures, it is also highly revered for its anti-inflammatory properties."

In addition to all the information that was provided on this product, the Sephora website also published some of the results of the research done in the testing stages of this product.  "The Lotus Eye Gel is proven to: Significantly moisturize the eye area for up to 2 hours after application (in-vivio test); Preserve the initial hydration of the eye area for up to 6 hours after application (in-vivio); Immediately brighten the eye area and improve the appearance of under-eye bags after just 4 weeks (in-vivio test, 31 subjects, 4 weeks of twice daily application)."

Other results and findings from the lab testing of this product...

- 100% reported softer, more supple skin
- 97% felt it hydrated and soothed the eye area
- 94% said it relaxed crow's feet while protecting the eye area
- 90% noticed the eye area was revitalized and silky soft
- 87% felt it firmed and toned the skin and reported a more radiant, healthier-looking eye area

I have been using this product for about three weeks now, I use it once in the morning and then again in the evening.  The texture is great, I love the light gel since it sinks in quickly and isn't greasy in any way.  It has helped and been effective in two areas, hydration and the reduction of undereye puffiness.  My eye area can get dry in the winter however I haven't had an issue with that since beginning use with this product, my eye area feels smoother and my concealer goes on my easier.  After only three weeks, I am already beginning to see results in the reduction of puffiness.  I am seeing nothing in the way of reducing the appearance of undereye circles, I know that this gel is not made to reduce their appearance but I was just hoping that it would help a bit in this area.  I noted above that this product helps my concealer go on better so it easier for me to conceal the circles but that is it the only result that I see from it in this area.

I'm not unhappy with this product, my undereye area is improved and looks better than it did before I started the product.  I recommend it to people who are looking to reduce puffiness and not circles.  On a final note, this product smells very strongly of cucumber, if this bothers you than this product isn't for you.

photo courtesy of Sephora

Awake Hydro-Force Eye Treatment

I have been an eye cream junkie lately, I feel like my bags and dark circles are getting worse by the day. Next to nothing has been making me happy lately and I feel that I am relying much to heavily on the concealer to get out of the house in the morning. I don't know if it's because my skin is so pale with the winter season upon us or that my eyes are getting worse than they were before. Right now, I have been using Awake Hydro-Force Eye Treatment for the past two weeks and am just beginning to see some results in this area. I have had great results from other Awake skincare items that I have used so I am very hopeful that this one lives up to the my expectations.

The Beauty.com website describes the product as follows, "Keep your under eye area hydrated and plump with this refreshing gel formula. Just dab on a little to reduce the appearance of fine lines, dullness, and dark circles - your makeup will glide on effortlessly from now on". This product is said to "instantly hydrate the eye area with a refreshing serum-gel formula" and "plump the skin and reduce the appearane of fine lines, dullness, and dark circles". This formula contains Ceramide and Almond extract to provide radiance to the eye area and reduce dark circles.

I use this product in the morning and evening after cleansing my face. I need only one pump of the product to do liberally cover both under eye areas. I love the feel of the formula, it glides on easily and smoothly and absorbs quickly. Over the past two weeks, I have seen a reduction mostly in the puffiness under my eyes. I am also happy to report that my under eye area isn't getting as dry as it usually does this time of the year. My dark circles are somewhat reduced with use of the poruct but I mostly find that it helps to make my concealer go on smoother and I have to use less makeup than before.

The Awake line is getting harder and harder to find but I do recommend searching for it. I bought this from the Beauty.com website but if you are close to Bergdorf Goodman or a Neiman Marcus, you will be able to get this product easily. I really like this product itself but I must say that I love the packaging even more. The pump bottle is very easy to use and one pump gives you the perfect amount of product for both eyes so I'm not wasting any product.

This product is best recommened for those who have dryness under their eyes and puffiness is more a concern than dark circles. I also believe that this product is best used by those who don't need extensive anti-aging products in the under eye area. This is another product that I really like from Awake skincare and I really wish the line wasn't getting harder and harder to find by the day...

photo courtesy of Beauty.com

Clinique All About Eyes Eye Cream

The last Clinique gift with purchase that I got was jammed packed with fantastic products. Normally, I am happy enough if half of the product in the gift work for me and if I only have to throw one or two items away. But this gift? I loved every single product in it and am getting tons of use from all the items. If they hadn't gone so fast I would have found more products to buy so that I could receive more of these gifts. One of the products that was inside the bag was the All About Eyes Eye Cream, a product that I have been interested in trying for a few months now.

The Clinique website gives the following product details. "Lightweight eye cream diminishes the appearance of eye puffs, darkness, and fine lines. Non-creep, cream/gel formula actually helps hold eye makeup in place. For use morning and night, both under eyes and on lids. Ophthalomologist tested". I use this product only under my eyes, I never tried using a cream on the top of my eyelids. I use this product both morning and night, after cleansing and before topping it off with serum and cream.

I am a really big fan of the texture of this eye cream, gel/cream formulas tend to do very well with my skin. The cream part is thick enough to be hydrating and the gel part is easy to blend and light enough that eye makeup is easy to apply over it. The product is most successful at reducing the appearance of puffiness under the eyes. I don't have under eye lines so I can't comment on how it reduces their appearance. It helps to hydrate my skin and sinc ethe beginning of using it, I have had no problems with dry patches around my eye area. It performs decently at dark circle reduction, it is not near as effective as the B. Kamins Therapeutic Eye Cream or Origins GinZing. The texture of this product does make it easier to cover dark circles with a good concealer.

This is solid eye cream for someone who doesn't have any major eye area issues. For someone with intense dryness or dark circles, this product is not strong enough to help in these cases. This cream helps to prevent and treat most major issues that occur to the skin in the eye area. I recommend it most for those who need hydration and eye puffiness reduction. I also feel that this product is going to be better product to help prevent the signs of aging instead of really treating them (but I could be wrong and if I am, leave a comment and let me know).

photo courtesy of Clinique

Origins GinZing Eye Cream

You might remember my raving about getting good samples when I talked about the Nude Facial Cleansing Oil and how much I loved to get samples of products that I already really wanted to try. That theme occurs again in this entry. I read about this product last fall and it went right onto a Most Wanted list. However, I was buying some Prescriptives early last November and it was right when Macy*s was having a beauty event and I was lucky enough to receive a generius sample of this packed up in a box with many others.

Here are the product details from the Origins website, "GinZing Refreshing eye cream to brighten and depuff. 86% brighter appearance. 80% reduction in puffiness. Late night? Long flight? Look tired all the time? Prepare to become one of the perky people! Nature's clinically-proven morning-after cream instantly reduces dark circles. Unsightly bags and puffiness virtually disappear. And Origins proprietary complex of Caffeine from the Coffee bean, Panax Ginseng, Magnolia Extract and natural optical brightners rapidly wakes up , refreshes, and restores radiance to tired eyes."

This is a first for me, trying out a skincare product from Origins. I don't have much from there and what I do have is mostly body products and makeup brushes. I wasn't quite sure what to expect but I honestly was expecting a fair product that helped with depuffing and somewhat with dark circle reduction and undereye brightening. The texture of the product was the first aspect that really pleased me. It has the gel-cream texture that I liked so much in Caudalie's eye cream expect that this one is bit easier to spread than the other.

So other than the wonderful texture, how did this product measure up? Actually quite a bit better than I expected. This make be a bit shocking but I prefer it to the Caudalie eye cream overall and may have found the best depuffing and overall brightening eye cream so far. The directions say to apply this eye cream in the morning or whenever needed. That for me is twice a day, in the morning and at night. After about a week or so, I noticed that the puffiness under my eyes was much reduced. After about two more weeks, I noticed a reduction in the dark circles and the overall lightness of the area. Another huge plus is that this eye cream didn't dry my skin out at all. I was a bit let doww when I went to look this product up on the Origins website though. My sample came in a squeeze tube but the product itself is housed in a tub. I really prefer the squeeze tube and the texture of this product is really suited to the squeeze tube so I wish they would have packaged the full size product just like they did the sample.

However, that isn't a serious enough flaw for me to not purchase the product because the other qualities of this product are superior to all that I have tried so far.

photo courtesy of Origins

Juvena Cool Eye

One of the highest quality, yet mst underrated skin care lines available on the market today is Juvena. Very few people outside of the beauty industry know anything about this line, even less know about how fantastic the products are in this line. This line is top quality skin care, some products of which are used in Emergency Rooms through the United States and Western Europe.

A little bit of background on the company and their products...Juvena has excelled in skin care innovation for about the last 50 years. This company's major innovation is called Skin Nova. This type of technology is used in the Juvedical line of skin care products. This is the line that is used on burn patients in the hospital. To put it in a nutshell, Skin Nova isolates the few healthy cells that are left after burns and places them into complete isolation. When they are isolated like this, they are in their purest state and are encouraged to further mitotic development. With this development, the healthly cells multiply and eventually skin regrows over damaged areas. This technology is found in many of their skin care products and is the major reason that they can be associated with the highest grade of medical skin care.

The latest product that I am using from this line is the Cool Eye roll on from the Q 10 Energy Plus Line of products. This complex helps to replenish the lost energy reserves in stressed out skin and promote a healthier appearence. This product helps to reduce the appearance of dark circles and undereye puffiness and is also helpful is helping to relieve the symptoms of allergies that tend to show in my face. It contains the Coenzyme Q 10 complex, Vitamin E, and Marittime Sugar Molecules to support and promote's the skin's energy functions. It helps to stimulate drainage of the eye area. It is packaged with a cool metal rollerball applicator which also helps to stimulate the drainage.

photo courtesy of get-price.com/au

100% Pure Coffee Bean Caffeine Eye Cream

Going off of the wonderful luck that I have had with the 100% Pure body products, I am deciding to expand my horizons into their skincare line. I looked on their website and I found some cleansers that look very enticing and a bunch of other products that I certainly mind having but I decided to zero in on one product, the Coffee Bean Caffeine Eye Cream. My B. Kamins Therapeutic Eye Cream is amazing for dark circles but doesn’t really wow me in the puffiness area. The other day, I looked in the mirror when I woke up and almost died when I saw my face. This was the morning after a stress related crying fit but that doesn’t change the fact that I looked terrible. Quite frankly, looking like I felt terrible made me feel 100% worse so I decided to start searching for a new anti puffiness eye product.

I have heard rave reviews for this product and just off of the top of my head, I can think of two people that I know that really love it. I already know that caffeine speeds up the cells of the body so whatever it can help to slim down and improve the appearance of cellulite. Based on this assumption, I would assume that it would work to reduce the appearance of the puffiness in the same manner. Here is the description of the product from 100% Pure, “Anti-inflammatory, caffeine rich green tea and coffee de-puffs and reduces swelling while increasing circulation to alleviate and brighten dark circles. Concentrated with potent anti-aging vitamins, antioxidants, and nourishing blackcurrant oil. Truly, 100% Pure.”

Reduces swelling, puffiness, and increase circulation all while being an organic product that is actually good for my skin?! This is coming home with me the next time that I am able to get to a mall that carries this line. And I think that I will be looking into more face care products from this line too.

photo courtesy of 100% Pure