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