The title of my review covers my main thoughts on this product. But I'm a firm believer that cosmetics and other skin products do not belong in the "one-size-fits-all" category. Everyone has different skin types, issues, and lifestyles. So the more info someone can get about how a product worked for a certain kind of person and how that person used it, the better they can decide if it's worth trying for themselves.
Read on if you want more info. I'll put headers so you can skip to what you think is important.
*If you don't feel like reading, just know: I'd mainly recommend this product as a subtle under eye brightener for someone with normal to dry or wrinkled/creased skin. It's not the best product out there, but it does a great for the current price. I think it's good value. It can work for someone who prefers a low maintenance skin routine or a person who really likes to experiment with cosmetics to achieve a specific look.)
WHICH COLOR I BOUGHT AND WHY: I purchased the pink-toned undereye brightener since I have really fair (mostly neutral toned) skin. The skin under my eyes can look very dull and dry sometimes, but it doesn't really turn a very noticeable dark tone. Occasionally, it may take on a very faint bluish-purple hue.
WHAT DROVE ME TO TRY THIS SPECIFIC PRODUCT? I actually bought this along with another product that promised to create a similar look, but which seemed like a formula that better fit my lifestyle. (It came in small tube with an applicator and was waterproof.
I tend to look for cosmetics that offer convenience, can fit safely in my pocket without breaking, have maximum staying power, and that are non-comedogenic.) However, I also decided to try this under eye brightener because I read that it was non-drying and kind of moisturizing. I recently dried the heck out of the skin under my eyes, and I figured I needed something that could help with damage control until I could handle the other product. (Waterproof and no-budge cosmetics tend to be drying.)
I also liked how reviewers were consistently saying this product was very sheer, subtle, and not glittery or too sparkly. I was on the hunt for something "brightening" as in illuminescent, glowing, or even slightly pearlescent. I definitely did not want anything glittery, sparkly, metallic, etc.
WHAT IS MY SKIN TYPE & ANY ISSUES I'M HAVING RIGHT NOW THAT MAKES THIS PRODUCT IDEAL FOR ME? I have combination type skin right now... oily in the T-zone, but more normal to dry around my cheeks and especially under my eyes. I have to use an oil-controlling, mattifying product daily. Otherwise, parts of my face will look outrageously shiny/greasy.
But I kind of got lazy with my skin care and makeup routine as the weather got colder and dryer. I started overusing the shine control products and applying it recklessly. I was applying a super drying mattifying serum/primer all over my face... even blending it under my eyes, knowing I absolutely did not need any oil-absorbing or otherwise drying products in that specific area.
Next thing I knew, my undereye skin was dull and somewhat patchy looking. My normal undereye concealer just wasn't cutting it anymore. In fact, since my skin became so dried out, the various concealers I would normally use all looked streaky, creased, and/or dry within minutes to hours. They made me look sloppy, tired, or older. I did try using a heavier moisturizer around my eyes, and it was helping to get my skin back to normal... just not as quickly as I wanted. And for some reason, it was causing some of my concealers to lose a lot of coverage power or to eventually settle on my face in a very streaky or creased way.
Then this little miracle finally arrived!
WHAT WAS MY FIRST IMPRESSION OF THIS PRODUCT? I was honestly skeptical when I first saw it and touched it. It has a very pink tone when it's just sitting in the container. There didn't appear to be anything "brightening" about it. It looked like a thick, strongly pigmented salmon pink paste. And then I touched it with my finger. I would say it has a texture that's in between a gel-like cream and a balm. Very slippery. I was worried I just wasted my money on a weird pink-colored balm that was going to melt down my face within an hour or so.
I was wrong. With this product, less is more. (That also means there is a lot of product in the tiny pot. So for the price, it's an excellent value.) The product applied smoothly under my eyes. I didn't like how it looked at first, but I realized I had just applied too much... and I applied it over other makeup that had already dried out on my skin. When I tried again with less product and a clean face, I was very happy with the results.
The product is VERY SHEER. Don't expect it to cover any blemishes or really dark spots. I wouldn't really call it shimmery either. It basically reflects light in a way that makes your dull or slightly darkened skin less noticeable. It has a subtle and natural looking effect. The first time I wore it without any other cosmetics on, my daughter commented that I looked like I finally caught up on some sleep. She actually asked to take a closer look at my face. She noticed I looked "better," but couldn't figure out why. It's the perfect product for anyone trying to achieve the deceiving "no makeup" look. (Not gonna lie... it feels good when people really believe you just naturally look youthful and vibrant.)
The makeup worked well with my moisturizer, and I feel like it helped restore my skin to it's normal state. I'd say it has some moisturizing properties to it. If anything, it's at least non-drying.
As far as longevity, this product doesn't have much staying power at all. As my skin returned to a more normal state, the undereye cream became easier to accidentally wipe off or to just naturally fade away after a few hours.
I didn't dock a star for that because I kind of liked reapplying it mid-day. It feels slightly cooling. I also found a work around for the longevity problem!
HOW I TYPICALLY USE IT: I mostly use this undereye brightener to enhance my other plain undereye concealers (which are mostly medium coverage). I'll mix the two products together on the back of my hand or directly on my face. I get most of the coverage and staying power of my normal concealer, and the light reflecting and overall brightening properties of this product. I sometimes apply it to my brow bone or the inner corners of my eye, too. The other similar product I mentioned at the start of this review turned out to be very waterproof and smudge-resistant. But it was also very drying, heavily pigmented, and difficult to blend despite being a liquid. I found that it actually blends very well with this product, though. And the two combined make for a brighter, less subtle look with enough staying power to last a good 14 hrs or so. The two combined are better for carefully applying around the eyes with a makeup sponge for a contouring effect.
Basically, I found this undereye brightener to be great when used alone or to enhance other cosmetics. I like it. It's very versatile.
If you decide to try it, just make sure you're not allergic to any ingredients and you pick the appropriate color to match your skin tone and needs. If it doesn't work well the first time you apply it, play around with it a bit. My daughter is a very young adult. She has borrowed this eye brightener to rub on parts of her face for a natural-looking dewy, glowing complexion. (I can't get away with that due to my combination type skin type.)
OTHER HELPFUL INFO: If you're like me and rely on waterproof liquid eyeliner, you should know that this will negatively affect your eyeliner's staying power. When the two cosmetics are overlapped at any point, the eyeliner seems to lose its water-resistance abilities. In fact, this undereye cream can actually remove/dissolve some really strong waterproof liquid liners. I think because it's kind of oily/greasy in a way. (Kind of like Pond's cold cream will remove super stubborn eyeliner.
Except this eye brightener is not THAT strong.)
I only line the top of my lids, but my eyes kind of slope downwards. So, I try to be careful not to blend this undereye cream too close to my lower lashline (in case it transfers to my upper eyelids) or too close to the outer sides of my eyes. So far, that tactic had worked for me.
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