• eye creams

    Eye Creams | My Hits & Misses

    July 19, 2022

    Hi Everyone!

    This is basically a repost of the blog post I wrote in May 2019, but I’ve added added new eye creams I’ve tried since then and also organized them into Hits, Likes and Misses. I’ve written a mini review of each eye cream I’ve tried and also said if I had a reaction to it or not.

    Check out my other Hits & Misses posts!

    MAKEUP || Primers | Foundations | Powders | Concealers | Brows | Mascara

    BRANDS || Bobbi Brown | Burt’s Bees | L’Oréal | Maybelline | Nude by Nature | NYX | TULA | Volition Beauty

    Before you read this post, please remember that we all have difference preferences and skin types. These are MY hits, misses and likes. You might love something I don’t like or dislike something I love.

    HITS

    DearKlairs Fundamental Nourishing Eye Butter – I like this eye cream. Based on the name, I thought it would be a bit creamier/heavier, but it’s a bit like a gel cream. At first, I was on the fence about repurchasing it since the Cerave Eye Repair Cream is a bit similar (and Cerave is a bit easier for me to purchase). After checking the cost per mL though, this one is actually cheaper because there’s more in the tube. So I think I would get this one instead. I’ve already been using it for about 8 months (once daily) and there’s still quite a bit left in the tube. I was using this one as my PM eye cream, but I think I would prefer using it as an AM and using one of the thicker ones at night. At the time, I was using the Pixi Botanical Collagen Eye Serum which is a bit tacky, so I preferred using that one during the day, so naturally, this one became a part of my night routine.

    Reaction? No reaction.

    Cerave Eye Repair Cream with Hyaluronic Acid & 3 Ceramides – When I first started using this, I was a bit underwhelmed. I thought it would moisturize my under eyes more. I’ve finished the tube now and I changed my opinion about it. I liked this eye cream.

    Reaction? No reaction.

    Youth to the People Dream Eye Cream with Vitamin C and Ceramides – I’ve been enjoying using this eye cream. I have been using it at night, while I used the Cerave Eye Repair Cream during my morning routine.

    Reaction? No reaction.

    Pixi Retinol Eye Cream* – I enjoyed this one and my under eyes didn’t feel dry after using it. The tube also lasted a long time (8 months of using it twice daily).

    Reaction? No reaction.

    Pixi Botanical Collagen Eye Serum* – If you like a more gel-like eye cream, this one is quite nice. If you prefer a cream, the retinol one is good. It is a little bit tacky, so I liked to use this one for AM.

    Reaction? No reaction.

    LIKES

    Tarte Maracuja C-Brighter Eye Treatment – If I remember correctly, this one was similar to the Youth to the People one in terms of how thickness. It was a good one for my night routine.

    Reaction? No reaction.

    Clinique Even Better Eyes Dark Circle Corrector – In my 2019 blog post, I said this was my favourite eye cream I’ve tried so far. I’ve tried several sine then and this one has been bumped from its top spot. Although it made my under eyes feel smooth, it didn’t really hydrate as well as other eye creams. When I initially purchased this, I had bought it from a warehouse sale for about $20-25 (15mL tube). I purchased it during the Sephora sale more recently and not only have they raised the price, they’ve also made the tube smaller (8.5mL). While I used the new tube, I found that I didn’t have the same love for it as I did four years ago. Also, I can no longer justify the price, especially when I don’t love it as much as I once did. 

    Reaction? No reaction.

    Volition Beauty Helix AM/PM Eye Gel (read my review) – I think I would’ve liked this more if I had tried it in the summer time. It’s more of a smoothing eye gel than a hydrating or moisturizing one. They’ve also changed the packaging. I tried it in a pot, but now they have it in a bottle with a pump.

    Reaction? No reaction.

    belif Moisturizing Eye Bomb – I had a sample of this one and I enjoyed it. Although I’m not crazy about the slight scent to it (natural fragrance, it’s not scented).

    Reaction? No reaction.

    Good Molecules Yerba Mate Wake Up Eye Gel* (read my review) – Even though I gave this a pretty high rating in my review, I found that my eye would twitch occasionally when I would use this so I had to stop using it. I also didn’t love the tackiness of it.

    Reaction? Occasional eye twitching from caffeine.

    Goldfaden MD Bright Eyes Dark Circle Radiance Concentrate* – I received this from Calissa.com when I was receiving boxes from them. While I did like this eye cream, it’s not really as accessible to me as the other eye creams I’ve tried. I don’t know if it would cost an arm and a leg to pay for shipping or duties. It was a nice eye cream, but it wouldn’t be worth it for me.

    Reaction? No reaction.

    Neutrogena Hydro Boost Gel Cream for Eyes (read my review) – Unlike the Hydro Boost Cream for the face, this didn’t have a smell and it wasn’t tacky at all, but it just didn’t ‘wow’ me.

    Reaction? No reaction.

    Lkins Skincare Vitamin C Eye Gel* (read my review) – This was a nice gel texture, but it just wasn’t hydrating enough. I have really dry under eyes.

    Reaction? No reaction.

    Saturday Skin Wide Awake Brightening Eye Cream (read my review) – This one didn’t do much for me. It didn’t hydrate my under eyes as much as I needed it to and I didn’t get any reaction from it.

    Reaction? No reaction.

    OLE HENRIKSEN Banana Bright Eye Crème – I liked this eye cream, but after hearing about the lawsuit for allergic reactions for this eye cream, I decided not to risk re-purchasing it.

    Reaction? No reaction after using the travel-sized pot.

    MISSES

    Tula Multi-Spectrum Eye Renewal Serum (read my review) – It seems like they’ve renamed a lot of their products. I believe this was renamed: Instant De-Puff Eye Renewal Serum. Both my mom and I tried this eye renewal serum. We both felt itchy using it and it wasn’t allergies or anything because we were using this in the winter time.

    Reaction? No physical reaction (appearance-wise), but eyes felt itchy.

    Origins Ginzing Refreshing Eye Cream to Depuff and Brighten (read my review)

    I’m not a huge fan of the smell of this. I accidentally bought this instead of another product – I meant to get the Ginzing moisturizer. A little goes a long way and while this does brighten the under eyes, you have to be careful not to use too much or it looks too white. I was using this off and on because I got one spot and I wasn’t sure if it was the eye cream or something else. I stopped using it until it got better and then I used it again and I’ve had a bit of texture under the eyes since. So, I won’t be using this anymore. 

    Reaction? Got a milium (singular of milia) and also got red bumpy spots

    Kiehl’s Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado (read my review) – I’ve been using this for about a while now and I’ve been using it on and off because whenever I use it, I get 1-2 red spots under both eyes. Also, it has a weird texture that’s almost glue-y. If you use too much, it doesn’t blend in very well, but if you use a very small amount, it absorbs into the skin and almost feels like water.

    Reaction? Red spots under eyes whenever I used it.

    Kiehl’s Eye Fuel* – After my reaction to the Creamy Eye Treatment, Kiehl’s messaged me asking if I would like to try a different product and I chose the Eye Fuel. THIS MADE ONE OF MY EYES TWITCH SO MUCH.

    Reaction? Eye was twitching like crazy.

    Price (CAD)Size (mL)Cost per mL
    Neutrogena Hydro Boost Gel Cream for Eyes 26.9914mL1.93
    Lkins Skincare Vitamin C Eye Gel 22.99 USD ~ 30 CAD15mL2
    Saturday Skin Wide Awake Brightening Eye Cream 25 USD ~ 32 CAD15mL2.13
    Saturday Skin Wide Awake Brightening Eye Cream 46 USD ~ 60 CAD30mL2
    Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado 7028g ~ 28mL2.5
    mini Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado 4414g ~ 14mL3.14
    Origins Ginzing Refreshing Eye Cream to Depuff and Brighten 4415mL2.93
    mini Origins Ginzing Refreshing Eye Cream to Depuff and Brighten 3610mL3.6
    belif Moisturizing Eye Bomb6025mL2.4
    Cerave Eye Repair Cream27.9914.2 g ~ 14.2mL1.97
    Clinique Even Better Eyes Dark Circle Corrector598.5mL6.94
    Goldfaden MD Bright Eyes Dark Circle Radiance Concentrate55 USD ~ 71 CAD15mL4.73
    Good Molecules Yerba Mate Wakeup Eye Gel815mL 0.53
    Volition Helix AM/PM Eye Gel70 15mL4.67
    Tarte Maracuja C-Brighter Eye treatment5110mL5.1
    Youth to the People Dream Eye Cream6215mL4.13
    Tula Instant De-Puff Eye Renewal Serum 7615mL5.07
    Pixi Botanical Collagen Eye Serum3425mL1.36
    Dear, Klairs Fundamental Nourishing Eye Butter3120g ~ 20mL1.55

    Here are some eye creams that I want to try:

    • Cetaphil Optimal Hydration Eye Serum
    • COSRX Advanced Snail Peptide Eye Cream
    • I’m From Ginseng Eye Cream
    • PURITO Centella Green Level Eye Cream

    I’ve been looking for eye creams that don’t have caffeine because my right eye keeps twitching whenever I use eye creams with caffeine.

    What’s your fave eye cream?

    Love,

    Last updated Aug 2023

    Products marked with * were sent to me for review.

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  • Nov-Dec 2021-Jan 2022 Product Empties

    January 31, 2022

    Hi Everyone!

    I mostly finished skincare products in the past few months and I also decluttered a few things.

    Cetaphil Gentle Cleanser – I’ve used a few bottles of this already. I use it as a cleanser in the morning since it’s very gentle.

    Repurchase? Purchased bottles in bulk from Costco.

    Cerave Moisturizing Cream – Love this body lotion during the colder months. It keeps my skin feeling moisturized.

    Repurchase? Yes.

    How long does it last? 3 months – used once a day on full body.

    Boscia Plant Stem Cell and Ceramide Barrier-Defense Moisturizer* – This was an okay moisturizer. I probably should’ve tried it in the spring/summer because it definitely isn’t enough on its own for my dry skin.

    Repurchase? Maybe in the summer time.

    How long does it last? About 100 uses (took 1.5 months) two times a day. I used a generous amount to moisturize my face and neck.

    Clinique Even Better Eyes Dark Circle Corrector – I had this as my fave eye cream in the past, but the size of it is getting smaller and the price is going up. I feel like there are eye creams that are more hydrating than this one. I know that hydration isn’t the target for this, but it does keep my under eyes pretty smooth.

    Repurchase? Undecided.

    How long does it last? 6 months, used two times a day.

    Volition Beauty Hibiscus Unspottable Correcting Oil* – I really enjoyed this oil. I also noticed that a dark-ish spot on my nose got lighter as I used it.

    Repurchase? Yes.

    How long does it last? Almost a year (about 11 months)! I used 2 drops per use, two times a day.

    Decluttered

    Oh K! Soothing Face Lotion* – I used this for a while, but didn’t notice any improvements in my skin.

    Repurchase? No.

    The Inkey List Hyaluronic Acid Serum* – I didn’t like this. I found this product too tacky for my liking. I think I don’t like Hyaluronic Acid when it’s on its own. I prefer it with other ingredients. I also didn’t like the bottle this came in. The serum would often get on the top and dry.

    Repurchase? No.

    L’Oreal Ever Pure Bond Strengthening Shampoo & Conditioner* – I had to give this to a friend. At first, I thought the scent of it was really nice and fresh when I smelled it from the tube. But once I actually used it, it was way too powerful for me.

    Repurchase? No.

    Burt’s Bees Goodness Glows Primer* – I did not like this primer. It just sat on my skin and when I tried rubbing it in, it would pill.

    Repurchase? No.

    What products did you finish lately?

    Love,

    Products marked with * were sent to me for review or gifted.

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  • skincare hair empties

    May-June-July 2021 Product Empties

    July 30, 2021

    Hi Everyone!

    I haven’t finished many products over the past few months, so I combined three months’ worth of empties. I haven’t really touched my makeup in a long time, so I only have body, skin and hair care empties.

    Rael Miracle Acne Patches (read my review) – I love these and I will continue to buy them. I like that there are only 2 sizes of patches and the plastic they’re attached to is perforated so it’s easy to peel them off nicely.

    Repurchase? Yes.

    Skinceuticals Phlorectin CF* – I didn’t like the smell of this one (it smells like brown sugar or coffee?). It made my face feel tacky the whole day and I didn’t notice a huge difference in my skin either. Even if this was a more reasonable price (it’s $190 CAD for 30 mL), I wouldn’t purchase because of the scent.

    Repurchase? No.

    Neogen Pore Tight Aqua Mask – I don’t really use sheet masks anymore. I’d prefer to just use moisturizers, serums or sleeping masks. This mask didn’t really align with my face well. The eye holes were really high up, so part of my forehead wasn’t covered and a lot of the sheet mask was under my chin. It doesn’t have a scent, but for some reason, it gave me a headache. It dries down tacky which I didn’t like.

    Repurchase? No.

    Cerave Moisturizing Cream – I like this cream. It keeps my skin moisturized throughout the day.

    Repurchase? Yes

    Dove Cool Moisture Shampoo – I like cucumber-scented shampoos. They’re refreshing.

    Repurchase? Yes

    Dove Nourishing Rituals Energize Shampoo – I like the refreshing scent of the grapefruit and lemongrass.

    Repurchase? Yes.

    Australian Bodycare Intim Shave Gel* – I didn’t really notice if this helped with ingrowns or any redness/razor bumps.

    Repurchase? No.

    Pixi Glycolic Body Wash* – I was using this on my legs mostly. I am prone to ingrown hairs, so I think the exfoliating qualities of the body wash were helping my legs.

    Repurchase? Maybe.

    What products have you finished lately?

    Love,

    Products marked with * were sent to me.

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  • April 2021 empties

    April 2021 Product Empties

    May 3, 2021

    Hi Everyone!

    Jouer Essential Lip Enhancer Balm – I’m not usually a fan of rose-scented products, but this one wasn’t too bad. It wasn’t overly sticky and it kept my lips moisturized for hours.

    Repurchase? Maybe.

    Jouer Essential Hydrating Lip Oil – I started out liking this lip oil because it kept my lips hydrated for a couple hours, but the outside started getting sticky because the oil is so runny.

    Repurchase? No.

    Hourglass Caution Extreme Lash Mascara – I bought one of those Sephora Favourites mascara kits with travel-sized mascaras and a coupon to redeem a full size. I redeemed this back in 2019 and never got a chance to use it. Unfortunately, it dried up a bit and I had to declutter it.

    Repurchase? Maybe. I enjoyed this mascara, but it is quite expensive.

    Anastasia Beverly Hills Clear Brow Gel – This brow gel was good. It kept the brows in place, but it did feel a little stiff/crunchy. I didn’t really like the size of the brush because it was huge. I would prefer a smaller brush (like the ones they have for their tinted brow gels).

    Repurchase? Maybe.

    eos Organic Lip Balm Sphere in Vanilla Bean* – This lip balm irritated my lips and it’s not the first time this has happened. In the past, I tried these lip balm spheres and the same thing happened. I decided to try it out again because that was a while back, but they irritated my lips again. My lips felt super dry. I’ve seen some people talk about having an allergic reaction to this where their lips got blistered and crusty from using this balm. I stopped using before it could get to that point, but it did take a while before my lips felt smooth again. I would rather just stick to vaseline.

    Repurchase? Absolutely not.

    L’Oréal Revitalift Fragrance-Free Moisturizer* – I enjoyed this cream. It wasn’t too thick, but it kept my dry skin moisturized throughout the day. I do prefer serums/creams that come with a pump instead of a pot so I don’t know if I would repurchase this one. Especially since it’s on the more expensive side for a drugstore product.

    Repurchase? Probably not.

    Cerave Moisturizing Cream – I started using this in mid-January and I’ve already finished two tubes (2x57g) and a tub (539g). I kept a tube beside my desk during the day and I use the tub after showering. I have found that when I moisturize my body with it and then put clothes on, it can transfer onto your clothes. A few times, I’ve worn a black shirt and it had white on it (similar to getting deodorant on your shirt). It has been great during the winter. My skin hasn’t felt dry at all.

    Repurchase? Absolutely.

    What did you finish in April?

    Love,

    Products marked with (*) were gifted.

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  • feb 2021 empties

    February 2021 Product Empties

    March 2, 2021

    Hi Everyone!

    I finished quite a few skincare products last month.

    Vichy Normaderm Anti-Acne Purifying Gel Cleanser* – When I first started using this, I enjoyed it. I think I was using it too often for my skin because it started making my face feel dry from the salicylic acid. I think if I used it weekly instead of every other day, it would’ve been okay. I think I prefer to use a moisturizer or spot treatment with salicylic acid instead of a cleanser.

    Repurchase? No.

    Cerave Moisturizing Cream for Normal to Dry Skin – I got a Costco pack that came with a large tub and the tube. So I use the tub for my body, and had the tube beside my desk to keep my hands moisturized throughout the day. They have been smooth and soft ever since I started using the cream daily.

    Repurchase? Yes.

    Tarte Cosmetics Drink of H₂0 Hydrating Boost Moisturizer – My friend had a code to try the FabFitFun starter box, so I jumped at the chance to try. This moisturizer was actually thicker than I thought it’d be. I thought it’d be more of a gel cream, but it’s thicker than others I’ve used. Gel creams that I’ve used would glide onto my skin easily, but this one was more like a cream moisturizer.

    Repurchase? I didn’t mind it, but I probably wouldn’t get it again.

    The Ordinary 100% Organic Virgin Chia Seed Oil – I started using this a few months ago, but it had a smell to it that I wasn’t 100% sure about. I didn’t know if it had gone bad or if that’s how it smells normally. Even if it hadn’t gone bad, I wasn’t crazy about the smell. So instead of using it on my face, I started using it on my feet at night. Unfortunately, I can’t say how it worked on my face, but I think I prefer other facial oils I’ve tried anyway.

    Repurchase? No.

    SkinCeuticals Blemish + Age Defense Potent Treatment for Aging Skin* – I can’t seem to find this on their website, I think they’ve renamed it to “Blemish + Age Defense Salicylic Acid ACne Treatment for Aging Skin Prone to Breakouts.” I did notice that my skin looked better while using this and it didn’t make my skin too dry or too oily. Since my skin is already dry, I made sure to use a hydrating serum with it and I only used it on my problem areas instead of using on my whole face (to save product). 

    Repurchase? While this did work for me, it’s quite expensive.

    Burt’s Bees Lip Gloss in 040 Tulip Spring* – This had a nice berry tint to it, but I’m not crazy about the passionfruit scent/taste. I mostly used this just to finish it.

    Repurchase? No.

    What products did you finish in February?

    Love,

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