Testing Testing 123: Eye Creams (Part 1)

Overall, I'm very happy with my skincare routine right now. My skin is smooth, moisturized, clear, and I don't need to wear any foundation. The one area where I am not satisfied is with eye cream and so I've embarked on an experiment to find the best one for me. I demand a lot from an eye cream since I have a considerable amount of undereye darkness, puffiness in the morning, and dryness as well, but I've been around long enough not to expect miracles! I'm looking for a product that makes concealer application easy, keeps the area looking hydrated, and combats puffiness and the circles to some extent.

Over the last few months or so, I've been acquiring samples (by going into stores and requesting them), have been using each one for a few weeks at a time, and am ready to report!

The first eye cream I tried is from Skyn Iceland. I've always been intrigued by the line, but haven't tired the face care products because they contain fragrance. I can't say for sure whether my initial attraction tot he brand was because of the "pristine glacial waters" the products are based on, the catchy names like The Antidote and Stress Defense, or because of the adjectives such as "biospheric" and "microencapsulated"that they employ, but I was eager to try the (fragrance free) eye cream.

Icelandic Relief Eye Cream with Biosperic Complex ($20-$45) is "[f]ormulated to address all of your eye care concerns, including puffiness, dark circles, and fine lines and wrinkles caused by stress-related oxygen and nutrient depletion, Icelandic Relief Eye Cream delivers immediate relief to the delicate skin under the eye. Stress can wreak havoc on the eye area, accelerating the signs of aging and depriving skin of vital moisture and nutrients. Icelandic Relief Eye Cream helps minimize puffiness, wrinkles, and dark circles while reviving skin with a blend of soothing ingredients."

I used the item for just over a month and found it to be light yet moisturizing. Concealer glided over top without looking pasty or goopy, but the hydration did not last all day. By mid-day my concealer looked crepey. I also noticed no difference at all in terms of dark circles or puffiness, but like I said before, I'm a tough case. I really liked how well the product sank in. It caused no burned, irritation or milia and is free is parabens, fragrances, dyes, sulfates, pthalates and triclosan. Thanks to judicious use of sunscreen I don't have wrinkles around my eyes yet so I can't speak to the cream's efficacy in that regard. My overal impression of the Icelandic Relief Eye Cream is that it's a good, basic eye cream full of good ingredients and devoid of many harmful ones, but it's not a miracle worker.

Ingredients:
Water, Isocetyl Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate SE, Glycerin, Hydrolyzed Rice Bran Protein, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Stearic Acid, Angelica Archangelica Root Water, Decyl Oleate, Dimethicone, PEG-6 Isostearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Triethanolamine, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Gossypium Herbaceum (Cotton), Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Disodium EDTA, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Buddleja Davidii Extract, Thymus Vulgaris (Thyme) Extract, Menthyl Lactate, Hesperetin Laurate, Polygonum Fagopyrum Seed Extract, Propylene Glycol, Perfluorodecalin, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Linoleic Acid, Alpha-Linolenic Acid, Copper Sulfate, Oleic Acid, Calcium Carbonate, Magnesium Chloride, Potassium Chloride, Gold, Silver, Silica, PEG-75 Shea Butter Glycerides, Glycosphingolipids, Ascophyllum Nodosum Extract, Phytonadione, Vaccinium Macrocarpon (Cranberry) Seed Oil, Rubus Chamaemorus Seed Oil, Xanthan Gum, Tocopherol, Tocotrienols, Carotenoids

Look for more installments in this series coming soon!