The Eye Care Edit

Eye products are a funny old thing. With other types of skincare products you can normally tell within a few weeks if something is making your skin better or worse. Eye creams are more of a guessing game. How do you know whether something will stop you from getting wrinkles in the future when time travel isn't an option? I think that's why so many people don't actually bother with them. It's an easy step to miss out when doing your skincare routine but it only takes two seconds & can make all the difference when you do get older. Genetics & your overall health will dictate the natural appearance of your eye area but using a separate eye product can help to reduce puffiness, dryness, irritation, dark circles & fine lines. This product roundup is aimed towards us young'uns. We might not have huge puffy bags & crows feet just yet but it's so important to start looking after your eyes in your twenties. The eyes are one of the first places to show signs of ageing & prevention is always better than cure.



THE GELS: Personally I greatly prefer eye gels over eye creams. If dark circles & puffiness concern you then I would recommend using a gel. My eyes get easily irritated especially during the Summer so a calming eye gel is exactly what I need. Organic Surge Eye Gel* is the one I always reach for when my eyes feel really sore. It contains aloe vera, green tea, witch hazel & menthol which can help to naturally reduce inflammation, puffiness, sagging & dehydration. I think gels work best with a pump otherwise you can end up with far too much product on your finger. If the Arran Aromatics Feel Good Formulas Green Tea Eye Gel* came with a pump it would be much better. This gel has a really thick texture so you only need a tiny bit. It has an amazing scent & feels so cooling, especially if you pop it in the fridge first. As it's so thick I like to layer it on as a refreshing eye mask, leave it for five minutes & then blot off the excess product with a tissue. It's a great pick me up after a day of hayfever hell. I also like the REN Active 7 Eye Gel. The texture is very lightweight, almost watery but I find it takes a while to absorb properly. When it does absorb it effectively smooths away any fine lines & really tightens the skin. It's not so great at hydrating the area though which is why gels containing hyaluronic acid, like the next two, are more worthy of an investment.

HealGel Eye* is my current product of choice. If you can afford it then you should definitely buy this one. It sinks in immediately & firms up the skin. The problem with most other eye products is that you can't tell if it's making a difference or not. HealGel Eye has had a visible impact upon my under eye area and has actually reduced the discolouration of my dark circles. The effects are cumulative rather than just being a temporary fix. Arnica is a wonderful thing. Like I mentioned previously, it also contains hyaluronic acid to lock in moisture to the area & plump up any fine lines. Alpha-H Absolute Eye Complex is very similar to HealGel Eye but it's dark shadow correcting properties don't quite match up. Otherwise, it's pretty damn good.



THE CREAMS: Creams are the better choice if you need something really hydrating. I don't find them as effective for dark circles unless you want something that works as a temporary solution. Origins GinZing Eye Cream is brilliant at perking up tired eyes. It contains caffeine to tighten & depuff the area. I love the shimmery light reflecting particles. They help to brighten up dark circles meaning that you don't need to use as much concealer. Some of the best eye creams I've come across are from Lierac. They're a French pharmacy brand so their products are tricky to get hold of but I found mine in TK Maxx. Lierac Diopticalm is an instantly refreshing eye balm. It is incredibly soothing & gets rid of any dryness. You can use this as an eye mask too. Lierac Diopticerne is one of the few creams that works well on dark circles whilst also adding plenty of moisture. The only good thing about Clinique All About Eyes is it's moisturising properties. It does nothing for fine lines, wrinkles, puffiness or dark circles. However it does keep the eye contours well hydrated & gives the area a smooth base for makeup.



THE TREATMENTS: There's loads of home remedies out there for eye problems such as teabags, cucumbers & backs of spoons so you don't have to spend a lot for an effective treatment. One of the cheapest but most helpful things to carry around with you is a bottle of eye drops. I'm using Optrex Refreshing Eyes Drops to wash out any dirt & calm irritation. I get really bad hayfever so eye drops & baths are a must have for me come Summertime. I want to give one of their eye sprays a go as they claim to not smudge your makeup but they are a lot pricier. Something I cannot live without is Liz Earle Eyebright. It is my favourite ever Liz Earle product & it is a miracle worker on tired eyes. If I'm struggling to get out of bed in the morning I pop some on a couple of cotton pads and leave them on my eyes for a few minutes. I instantly feel more awake & ready to face the day. I've also used this to clear a mild eye infection when I couldn't get to a pharmacy. It's so cooling & refreshing - perfect for hayfever season too.

I first discovered Talika when I tried their amazing Lipocils which is brilliant at growing back eyelashes & eyebrows. They have loads of amazing eye products including these unique Eye Decompress masks. You simply pop the white tablet into the blue fluid. The tablet absorbs the liquid so that you can then unfold it into a soothing eye mask. It really helps to reduce swelling & detox the eye area. It'd be great to take on a plane for some inflight pampering. I also like the Jamela 24k Gold Under Eye Masks*. They use pure gold leaf, hyaluronic acid and plant collagen to brighten & tighten the skin. They feel a bit weird & make you look a bit crazy. You have to leave them on for half an hour so I would suggest lying down in bed with them on so they don't slip off. Despite the weirdness, they do actually work quite well. Save these for a special occasion when you need to look your best.

What's your favourite eye product?

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French Pharmacy Picks

There's no denying the outstanding quality of French skincare products. I've been to Paris twice but that was in my days as a young'un when I only cared about going to Disneyland so I never visited any of the amazing French pharmacies. Luckily the Internet solves all problems & nowadays you can very easily order French pharmacy products online. For some items I stick to eBay because you can find things pretty cheap on there. Plus you can get your hands on products that aren't available in the UK yet. Otherwise Escentual is always a good place to pick up things. Throughout March you can get up to 1/3rd off selected French pharmacy brands on their website. Boots & Space.NK carry a lot of these brands too. I've put together a list of some of my favourite pharmacy products. Vive la pharmacie Française!

CAUDALIE: Everyone should try their Beauty Elixir. It's a cult toner/refresher for a reason. It helps to calm & hydrate my skin after cleansing. I adore the smell of this stuff & it always perks me up when I'm feeling a bit tired. I also love Divine Oil. I do appreciate an oil that comes with a spray pump. It makes it so easy to get the right amount of product. I like to spray this all over my body after showering for some lazy girl moisturisation. It's great at sorting out any dry patches. I also use it on the ends of my hair to add some healthy shine. A lot of oils can be too heavy for my hair but this is just right. It works on dry hands & cuticles too. Although you can use this on your face, I prefer to stick to just using it on my hair & body. The best part is it smells absolutely incredible!

I originally tried the Vinosource S.O.S Thirst Quenching Serum in an old Glossybox and it was the only product I received that I went on to buy a full size version of. This serum features organic grape water & hyaluronic acid to deeply rehydrate your face. The texture is quite creamy & it really helps to soften your skin. If you're not a fan of Hydraluron you might like this instead. It works brilliantly with the Vinosource Moisturising Sorbet. This is such a lovely moisturiser for sensitive skin. It immediately calms & soothes my skin leaving it feeling perfectly hydrated.

LA ROCHE-POSAY: By now you should all know how much I adore Redermic R. This is a retinol product so we're getting into hardcore skincare territory here but it treats my blemishes better than anything. Not only does it help to either brings spots to the surface or dissipate them, it heals any scarring too. It puts paid to any congestion or bumps under my skin and makes everything feel super smooth. If you don't suffer from spots then you can use this as it was intended - as an anti-wrinkle treatment. This is one of the best retinol products you can get without a prescription & it is contained within a moisturising base so it won't dry out your skin. So many of my friends have bought this & all of them love it!

If you want more of a regular spot treatment then I would recommend Effaclar Duo. It's one of those 'you either love it or you hate it' products because it will either sort out all of your skin problems, do nothing or make things worse. I've only tried the old version but they've recently brought out a new & improved version which now helps to prevent scarring as well as treating spots. Oh Serozinc, how I love you. This product is a little awkward to get hold of as you'll have to order it off eBay but it's well worth it. This is a hydrating spray toner that contains a zinc sulphate solution. It helps to calm down any redness, irritation & blemishes. You can even use it to treat razor burn & nappy rash. Brilliant stuff! Cicaplast Baume B5 is a multi-purpose soothing & repairing balm. It features a winning combo of copper, zinc & manganese to aid skin recovery. It is suitable for even the most sensitive skin & can help treat a number of different ailments. I mainly use it on my eczema as it offers instant relief to any itch & adds some much needed moisture to those areas.

NUXE: The Reve de Miel lip balm is one of the best I've ever come across. It makes your lips feel amazingly soft & hydrated. It's one of the few things I can rely on whenever I get dry & cracked lips. I love the matte finish & it has good staying power for a balm. It comes in both stick & pot form. I would recommend picking up both - one to keep in your handbag & one to keep with the rest of your skincare. I get a lot of use out of both of them. Another star NUXE product is their Huile Prodigieuse. This is a lightweight dry oil that you can use on your face, body & hair. It is incredibly moisturising without ever looking greasy. I like to mix this in with thick foundations like the Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer to give my face a natural dewy glow.

LIERAC: I always spot Lierac products in TK Maxx and that's where I picked up two of their eye creams - Diopticerne & Diopticalm. I'm more into eye gels these days but if you prefer a cream formula then Lierac's offerings are some of the best. Diopticerne is a hydrating eye cream that intensively treats dark circles. Diopticalm is a soothing eye balm that will calm & de-puff your eyes. You can also apply a thick layer of it as an eye mask.

BIODERMA: No French pharmacy list would be complete without the inclusion of Bioderma Crealine H20. If you need a good makeup remover then this is the one to get. Micellar waters are far more effective than regular makeup removers as they use tiny oil molecules suspended in water. These molecules grab onto makeup & dissolve them without leaving any residue. It removes even the most stubborn waterproof eye makeup & is very gentle on the skin. Nothing compares to you Bioderma.

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September Favourites

Lierac Diopti Calm Eye Contour Balm & Mask
I only just reviewed this eye cream last week but it really is a good'un. Never have I found an eye cream thats more cooling and refreshing than this one. I thought that Origins GinZing eye cream was good but this one is even better. Its even cheaper too if you can find it in TK Maxx like I did.

Percy & Reed Finishing Polish
I got this free with an old issue of Glamour magazine and its been shoved in the back of my hair product drawer for months. Last month I went searching through my drawers for something that would tame my frizzy locks after getting caught in some light rain and came across this again. I just ran a tiny pea sized amount through my hair and it immediately looked tame & like I'd just stepped out of the salon. Its amazing because it doesn't make your hair greasy or weigh it down whatsoever, it just gives it perfect hold. Can't believe I ignored this fab product for so many months!

Beauté Weightless Lip Creme in Girlina
I think these Weightless Lip Cremes must be my favourite formula of any lip product ever. They're almost a cross between a lipstick and a lip gloss. I love these because they're highly pigmented, long lasting, comfortable to wear and aren't sticky at all. Girlina is a bubblegum pink shade and I've been wearing this all the time recently. I think it looks gorgeous combined with NARS Deep Throat blush on the cheeks. If you're wanting to splash out on a lip product I would always recommend these over anything else. At £19 each they're not cheap but they sure are worth it!

MAC In The Gallery Eye Shadow Quad
Purple is always a great eye shadow colour to go for because it compliments any eye colour & skin tone. It looks especially nice on people with green or hazel eyes. This is one of my favourite eye shadow palettes because the colours & shadow finishes are spot on. It contains a satin, a frost and two mattes. The shadows aren't very pigmented in comparison to many MAC eye shadows but they do build very nicely which makes them perfect for day or night makeup looks. This was a limited edition palette that came out in 2009 but I've been using it constantly throughout September. These lovely purple shades really do bring out the green in my eyes too.

Sure Women Maximum Protection Deodorant
I read about this deodorant on quite a few blogs and decided to try it out for myself. I used to use a Nivea Pearl aerosol deodorant but my mum was forever telling me it'd give me breast cancer so I'd been on the lookout for a different formula for while. I never liked creams or liquids because they always made my underarms feel sticky. Then I tried this one and it feels like my underarms are dry right after application. Its quite moisturising and I feel like it does actually keep my arms dry for a good 48 hours. Excessive sweating has never been a problem for me but I still really like this deodorant. I might try one of the Dove Maximum Protection ones next though because the only thing I don't really like about this one is the scent. It just gets up my nose a bit even though it is really fresh & clean smelling.

Bolo Ties
Now I don't know about you but Colonel Sanders is deffo one of my style icons. The Olsen Twins & Alexa Chung have got nothing on him! I already have his white blonde hair, next on the list was a bolo tie or two. I think they're the perfect addition to any collared shirt and are a damn sight easier to put on than collar tips. You might have already seen me wearing this buffalo skull one from Galibardy but I spotted this pretty gold one in Topshop the other day & knew it had to be mine. It was only £8.50 and looks so nice on. Is it just me that has to have a gold & a silver version of everything? It makes my jewellery collection a bit samey but I need that colour option haha!

Craisins
I'm always trying out new healthy snacks, anything to stop me from gorging on chocolate all day long. I really enjoyed watching Onna's video about some of the healthy food she eats and she mentioned these Craisins. I bought some soon after that and I've been hooked ever since. I normally just grab a handful as a snack or sprinkle them on top of salads/quinoa. They taste really nice and don't have that sharpness that you get from fresh cranberries. I definitely prefer these to normal raisins. Plus they're full of fibre & antioxidants.

Lierac Eye Creams

My local TK Maxx was recently done up so I decided to have a mooch around for some bargains. I've always found some good beauty bits in there, from Ardell lashes to Stila Convertible Colours. The new skin & hair care sections were filled to brim with goodies from high-end brands. The first things that caught my eye were these Lierac eye creams. I'd never tried these before but having heard about Lierac from Caroline Hirons & Lisa Eldridge, I knew I should give these a go.

Diopticerne is a 2 in 1 product because it works as a regular hydrating eye cream as well as an intensive eye treatment for dark circles. I've been using this at night for the past two weeks and its already begun to reduce the severity of my dark circles. I don't know if it'll do much more than that but its worth a go. I have the un-tinted version but there is also a tinted version that has high coverage so it can be used as an under-eye concealer! Hopefully I'll be able to get my hands on that version soon.

Diopticalm is a soothing eye balm. This product can be used in two different ways: as a traditional eye care product or as an eye mask. You can use it as a part of your everyday skincare routine by gently massaging it into your eye area or if you want to use it as a mask you can apply a thick layer of the balm & leave it on for 5 minutes before wiping off the excess product. I really like this eye cream. Its incredibly refreshing and instantly makes my eyes feel a lot calmer & de-puffed. I use this one in the morning to help wake me up for the day. It definitely makes my under-eye area look better & like I've had my beauty sleep. I think this product is my favorite of the two. If you were to pay full price for these products, this one is more worth it as you get double the amount of product in the Diopticerne one.

The best thing about these purchases? They cost me just £5 each! Both of these have a RRP of £17.50 so they were a real bargain, especially since they are such great eye creams. Have you found any good deals in TK Maxx recently?