A very promising skincare product landed on my desk about a few months ago. One that claims to kiss your panda under eye goodbye and of course, as your relentless beauty junkie, I had to see what the fuss was all about. I have been quietly testing it for a few months now and in today's review I am finally spilling the beans.
Foreword
Chances are you've been to this blog before (welcome back!), so you may or may not know that your girl right here is half human, half panda. I was lucky enough to inherit dark circles and the only thing that can camouflage them is - you got it right - makeup. Sleeping well, eating lots of greens and drinking plenty of water does help tremendously, but at the end of the day they are not going anywhere.
That being said, I always squint when brands introduce me to miraculous eye care products that will "100% erase the look of a dark under eye". And yet the altruist in me still wants to give them a chance (because, what if?). Although most anti-fatigue eye creams won't remove hereditary dark circles, they might still help those of you, who have a temporary dark under eye situation going on (due to stress, lack of sleep etc).
Brightening Youth Eye Care
Institut Esthederm is one of my favourite French skincare brands and so far, I have only had amazing things to say about their products. In case you are new to the brand, you might want to pause for a second and go to my original review here to find out more about why their products are so special to me. So, when the brand reached out and asked me whether I wanted to try their White System Brightening Youth Eye Care, I didn't even sleep on it.
Claims: instant wrinkle filling/ treats dark circles and under eye bags in just one step/ brightens/ diminishes hyperpigmentation.
Key Ingredients: from what I can see, this is a Cellular Water and Glycerin based formula, which explains this product's rather liquidy consistency. Licorice, Apple and Algae Extracts are also part of the mix, as well as various humectants and emollients. You can find complete list here.
Texture: as I have briefly mentioned above, this eye cream has a very lightweight and somewhat watery texture. It gets absorbed almost immediately, leaving a natural finish on the skin. Now, this is a tinted product; it does have quite a yellow undertone, which I guess is a smart colour-correcting move on the brand's behalf. Upon closer examination, I did notice a few microscopic particles of shimmer sparsely running through the cream (think Hourglass Ambient Powders), which are hardly detectable to the naked eye but will help reflect the light.
Application & Wear: as you can see from the photos, this eye cream does come with a metallic applicator, which feels a bit cold to the touch and should act as a cooling/de-puffing tool to decongest and bring a possible swelling down. Personally, I quite like it and wish it was a bit more rounded to allow even a better glide. Ideally, you should be wearing this eye cream both day and night for ultimate results.
First Impression: Brightening Youth Eye Care does feel lovely on the skin. My under eye happens to be quite dry too, so my number one priority is hydration and I happily admit that this formula did not leave my skin feeling dry, but it was not nourishing enough at the same time. I did notice a difference after I stopped using my usual eye cream: after a week or two skin texture started showing and concealer would not look as smooth. On the bright side, my skin became a bit brighter and did not appear as dull/lacklustre as before using this cream.
Long Run: let's start by addressing an elephant in the room - did it erase my dark circles? No. Did it help depuff my under eye on days when I felt that extra bit bloated? Yes. Did it get rid of hyperpigmentation that I had right on top of my cheekbones? Partially, but they are still visible. Is this product moisturizing enough for people with dry skin? Yes and No. I personally had to balance out my hydration levels by using Eye Contour Lift Patches, which are amazing by the way. They are great at deeply nourishing a delicate skin underneath your eyes and showed noticeable, instant (yet temporary) results, that I was still pretty chuffed with.
Verdict
I have bittersweet feelings about Brightening Youth Eye Care. I think if you don't have a terrible discolouration under your eyes, say something more like an occasional puffy panda day here and there, then you might really enjoy an eye cream like this. It will certainly decrease swelling and make sure that fluids run well around the orbital area. It will add that nice touch of brightness and further protect your skin from environmental stressors. Also a good option for those of you with a normal, combination or oily skin. This cream won't feel or look overwhelmingly dewy, hence will act as a nice base under your makeup. However, if you won a panda lottery and your circles are hereditary, don't hold your breath. Your circles won't magically disappear (alas!), but an overall condition of your skin will certainly get better. I can't vouch for wrinkles, but tone/texture will certainly improve. If you have dry skin, I would still try to incorporate hydrating eye patches in order to make sure that your skin is properly nourished 24/7. Something like Eye Contour Lift Patches get A+ from me.
PR Samples; review is not sponsored - full disclaimer here
