Ever feel like you're turning into your mother? Mine has always had trouble sleeping. And, I'm getting more and more like her every day. I wake up around 2 a.m. most nights and my brain starts racing. I spend hours obsessing over everything from picking the perfect paint color (Alabaster, Cotton Balls, White Dove, how many whites can there be?) to planning my next landscape project.
I'd like to think I'm no worse for the wear. But the dark circles under my eyes beg to differ. Combine lack of rest with my 50ish complexion (I'm actually 60 as of April 12 - yikes!) and Houston, we have a real problem.
That's why I'm thrilled to have found these seven, eye-opening creams. They're great for anyone (girls and guys) concerned about dark circles, puffiness, wrinkles and other frustrating signs of aging. And with prices starting at $38, there's a bright eye-dea for every budget.
What it is: A new, anti-aging eye treatment clinically shown to improve hydration that's made with ceramides, peptides, collagen and other skin-loving ingredients.
What I like: Acting like a wake-up call for tired eyes, this rich, caffeine-infused cream refreshes your entire eye area. It's super moisturizing without feeling greasy and soaks in quickly. I love using it morning and night to help reduce inflammation and puffiness while brightening my skin.
The innovative formula plumps and fills lines and wrinkles, nourishing skin with avocado, hyaluronic acid, licorice and more. Put it on before applying under-eye concealer to help keep your makeup from sinking into and emphasizing trouble zones. You'll begin seeing the benefits immediately with more powerful results promised over time. Plus, this winner is from the beauty experts who brought us the best-selling Confidence in a Cream moisturizer and the smart, Confidence in a Compact foundation.
On the shelf: $38 at itcosmetics.com, Ulta Beauty and Ulta.com.
What it is: A high-performance, antioxidant eye cream featuring potent botanicals and plant oils that fight early signs of aging. It helps improve skin firmness, moisture, lines and radiance.
What I like: I worry about using anything too harsh on my skin, especially around my eyes. So it's comforting to know this clever eye cream gets much of its power from plants. The soothing antioxidant and botanical blend gives dry skin a long-lasting moisture boost while fighting puffiness. Standouts in the mixture include cucumber extract and safflower oleosomes, which smooth fine lines and help to prevent sagging. Meanwhile, good-for-you minerals like silica and mica work on fading dark circles.
I enjoy patting this lightweight lotion around my eyes morning and night because it leaves skin feeling soft and fresh. You just need a dab so a little tube goes a long way.
On the shelf: $42 at Jurlique.com
What it is: A powerful, anti-aging eye cream designed to tackle fine lines, wrinkles, loss of firmness and uneven skin tone.
What I like: The big sister to Jurlique's Herbal Recovery Cream offers many of the same payoffs but puts the focus on firming. This silky cream contains baobab and green tea extracts to help your skin resist wrinkles and to reduce ugly, under-eye bags. Light-diffusing silica aids in diminishing dark shadows so you look more rested.
This ultra-hydrating, anti-aging hero is designed with economy in mind because the helpful, pump-style bottle ensures you don't overdo it when measuring out product. Pressing it once per eye morning and night does the trick.
On the shelf: $58 at Jurlique.com
What it is: A multi-tasking treatment and masque that reduces the appearance of puffiness and dark circles, while brightening and lifting the eye area.
What I like: You get two products in one that start work immediately, energizing the delicate area around your eyes and lessening signs of stress on your skin. Perfect for reviving tired peepers, this targeted eye therapy includes wild indigo seed to brighten and diminish under-eye circles plus sea water extract and arctic algae to offset puffiness. It also combines fermented yeast and a moisturizing hyaluronic acid blend to firm and lift skin.
This gem is easy to use as a masque. You just cleanse your face and place generous dots of the cream in a circle around your eyes. Let them sit 3-5 minutes then pat the excess into your skin to extend the benefits or tissue it off. The box includes a handy booklet with step-by-step instructions to guide you in applying the product as well as pressing and massaging your skin with the smooth, flat applicator for a DIY eye lift. There's even a handy clip you can slide on the end of the tube to help squeeze out every last drop of this fast-acting gel. How thoughtful!
On the shelf: $65 at Dermalogica Spas and Salons, ULTA Beauty, Bluemercury and Dermalogica.com.
What it is: An advanced, age-fighting therapy that addresses all signs of aging around your peepers to help you look fresh and bright eyed.
What I like: You get mega benefits in one tube with this moisture-packed champ. Used daily, it tackles, deep shadows, bags and wrinkles, so your eye area appears lighter and smoother.
I adore tapping it around my baby blues because this dermatologist-tested find starts filling in lines instantly. For maximum results, you're supposed to cue Lady Gaga, put on a poker face and forget about smiling for 30-40 seconds. That calls for staying away from Bob because he makes everyone laugh and lets the serum dry to a soft, matte finish that creates a nice base for concealer. It also helps seal in this antioxidant-rich cream's healthy ingredients so they can do the most good.
The hardworking formula includes super skin hydrators like patented SIG-1191 and jojoba esters along with:
This youth-enhancing cocktail goes beyond handling the signs of aging you see today, targeting the underlying causes so you get lasting improvements. Plus, you only need one, small pump of product per eye in the morning and before bed.
On the shelf: $80 at Nerium.com
What it is: A concentrated, natural skincare treatment that targets deep lines and wrinkles, crow's feet, sagging skin, uneven skin tone and other advanced signs of aging.
What I like: Like my other favs from Jurlique, this luxurious, blush-colored cream is packed with potent botanicals grown in Australia. Alfalfa seed extract helps make serious lines and wrinkles less annoying and works on firming the skin around your eyes. Patent-pending Biosome5 technology helps revitalize the entire eye contour area so skin appears more youthful.
This anti-aging gem leaves my skin feeling super hydrated without looking oily. I'm pleased after only a few days but this beauty-building balm has been shown to visibly smooth skin in as little as four weeks. The cost might seem expensive but remember it's concentrated so you just need a smidgeon around each eye.
On the shelf: $90 at Jurlique.com
d
What it is: A multi-tasking formula including a youth-boosting blend called Hydroptix-171 to brighten skin and improve the appearance of lines, wrinkles and under-eye bags.
What I like: Loaded with anti-aging benefits, this lush lotion aims to get rid of pesky lines and puffiness around your peepers long-term while lightening dark circles. I've enjoyed using it morning and night because it goes on cool and creamy. It moisturizes without feeling oily and absorbs quickly so it's easy to wear under makeup. Plus, you can use this best seller to treat both the skin around your eyes and above your lips. I've been patting it under my baby blues, on my brow bone and on my upper lip line to soften irritating wrinkles in all those areas. Bonus!
This prize nourishes skin with healthy ingredients like Shea Butter, black tea ferment and rye seed extract that plump cells and encourage natural collagen production. Although it's one of my pricier picks, you just need a dab of this fatigue fighter to refresh your look.
On the shelf: $115 at Freeze247.com
We want to shout out a big "Thank you" to all the brands in this post for providing a free sample for review and testing.