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I confess, I’m late to the eye cream game. As a mere 25-year-old, my attitude towards eye care thus far has been pretty lax. At a recent facial appointment though, my facialist pointed out the first faint whispers of wrinkles around my eyes and all but yelled at me to start stepping up my game. Here began my quest to find the very best eye formulas on the market. I’ve since tried oils, balms, creams and serums, each promising to banish dark circles (impossible, btw, but more on this later), depuff, soothe, etc., etc. – you know the drill. After putting them all to the test, I’ve rounded up the best eye creams below.
First, though, we need to clear some things up: how should you apply your eye cream? One would think it an easy task – simply dab onto under-eyes and go, right? Wrong. According to Tata Harper – founder of Tata Harper Skincare – you should be slathering eye cream onto your under-eyes, eyelids, lips and between your brows. There are a few reasons for this: eye creams are often formulated to plump and smooth fine lines by stimulating collagen and elastin production. This plumping effect can be beneficial across other areas of your face, especially on delicate areas like your lips, because eye creams are formulated for such similarly fragile skin. In fact, wrinkles first tend to form on your eyes and lips due to a breakdown in collagen from constant movement, and they both lack oil glands, which is why the one formula works so well across both areas.
Applying eye cream to lips is nothing new for those in the know, with makeup artists swearing by this neat little trick for years, as it can give a smooth, hydrated base for later lip makeup. Influencer Rachel Finley is known to love multitasking her eye cream, and Hilary Duff says eye cream has been game-changing for her smile lines.
Shop the edit
Now you’re armed with the pro tips on how to use your peeper-perfecting products, shop GRAZIA’s edit of the best eye creams below.
Glow Hub
While you can’t completely get rid of dark circles if you’re genetically blessed with them, you can certainly reduce their appearance, especially if they’re showing due to lack of sleep, allergies or ageing. In these cases, you can soothe, hydrate, strengthen and brighten, and TikTok-viral brand Glow Hub has just the elixir: The Circle Slayer Jelly Eye Serum, which Glow Hub has coined “a cooling jelly-like serum to slay dark circles, puffiness and dryness”.
Jones Road
I’m a big fan of Bobbi Brown’s sleek and efficacious brand, Jones Road. Everything the brand creates is an instant hit in my eyes, and this “Undereye Armor” is no different. The pillowy, oil-infused formula is incredible under makeup, encouraging smooth and long-lasting application.
Ipsum Skin
For those who favour oils over creams, this oil-balm hybrid is going to blow your mind. Organic and packed with strengthening peptides and vitamins to nourish, de-puff and brighten, this antioxidant-rich formula features bakuchiol to gently resurface the skin, all while delivering a healthy dose of hydration. For me, the real pièce de résistance is that you can wear it without worrying about it slipping or travelling into your eyes, which I found happened with every other oil-based product I tried.
QMS Medicosmetics
In case you haven’t heard of QMS Medicosmetics before, you should know that their hard-working formulas are made by physicians, and feature the likes of skin-identical hyaluronic acid and collagen to activate your skin’s own metabolism. Their Intensive Eye Care Day & Night Eye Cream rejuvenates, hydrates, firms and nurtures the sensitive skin around your eyes with a deliciously rich texture that absorbs effortlessly.
Byroe
Byroe promises to deliver “vegan, nutritious, superfood skincare” via real, natural ingredients. Housed in decadent packaging inspired by the formula itself, their luxurious Rose Eye Cream calls on the detoxifying powers of various types of rose, instantly locking in hydration – even on sensitive skin. While I fittingly sipped on a rose tea, Byroe’s founder, Amy Roe, told me she was no stranger to the idea of superfood-rich skincare even before it was trendy. “My mum used to use leftover food like carrots or even egg whites and make them into masks and things, so I’ve always done that too, and that’s what Byroe is.”
