I Only have Eyes for You: My Favorite Eye Creams

Ok, I have good news and bad news. First, the bad news. I’m 32 (stop screaming, it scares me enough already). Actually, that’s not bad at all. Thirty-two is young. Unless you’re a teenager. I’ve had students talk about someone being “old,” and when I’ve asked how old the person was they were referring to, I’ve heard (more than once, mind you), “In their thirties.” Ridiculous. But on to the good news! I have no wrinkles, a.k.a. crow’s feet, around my eyes. None. Nada. Good genes? It’s a possibility. But here’s something else I highly factor in: I’ve used eye cream since I was 14. Makeup and skincare intrigued me before then, but after reading (and I do mean reading…I scoured that book from cover to cover multiple times) Cindy Crawford’s Basic Face, I decided it was time to start really taking care of my skin. I’ll always remember the first eye product I ever bought—a de-puffing gel from Oil of Olay. These days, puffy eyes and dark circles are not really my concern. I’m quite certain for some of you they are, but I focus on preventative anti-aging. Here are some of my recommendations for that category:

Mary Kay Timewise Repair Volu-Firm Eye Renewal Cream $40 for 0.5 oz. I’m not a “Mary Products only…or death” kind of person. I’m not a brand snob of any sort. But this eye cream is incredible. I just finished a tube that lasted me 11 months. Yes, I kid you not. That equates to about $3.65 a month. Completely doable. A little goes a long way with this potent cream. It’s intensely moisturizing and has hardcore wrinkle-fighting power. You can wear it day or night, but if you have super oily skin, I recommend going with something a bit lighter in the daytime. This receives my vote for all-around best anti-aging eye cream.

Kiehl’s Powerful Wrinkle Reducing Eye Cream $42 for 0.5 oz. I used to use their Abyssine Eye Cream, but it was unfortunately discontinued. However, this is comparable! This is a good anti-aging cream that contains caffeine, which will help if you have any puffiness issues. As with all Kiehl’s products, it is highly concentrated and will last you a long time.  I recommend this over the Mary Kay for daytime usage, as it absorbs quickly and works well under makeup. I can even use this on my upper eyelid during the day without any irritation. The fabulous thing about Kiehl’s is that they will give you loads of samples. Beware though; you’ll want to buy most of them.

Shiseido Bio-Performance Super Corrective Eye Cream $60 for 0.52 oz. I had a positive experience working at Nordstrom as a Shiseido Counter Manager. I got to use their skincare, which I wish I could afford for my entire skincare routine. Never in my life has my skin been so calm, smooth, and glowing. I saw dramatic changes with the use of their products, which I’ll discuss in another post. For now, let me tell you about this eye cream. It’s marvelous. While a bit more expensive than the Mary Kay, it’s worth it. It is also highly concentrated and provides intense anti-aging benefits and results. This stuff truly packs a punch because it also really helps with dark circles and puffiness. Basically, regardless of your eye issue, you can turn to this cream. It’s worth the money.

Clinique All About Eyes/All About Eyes Rich $30 for 0.5 oz. If you need something a tad bit cheaper, go with this all-around cult favorite by Clinique. If your skin is on the drier side, get the “Rich” version. This is a great eye cream that provides moisturizing, age-fighting, dark circle combatting, and bag de-puffing benefits without draining your wallet. Also, they have a juicy bonus at Nordstrom right now with a $30 purchase. Buy this and you’ll automatically get oodles of goodies in a pretty bag.