Eye creams will test your patience. Unlike moisturizers, toners, and cleansers, you won't be able to tell right away if they're actually doing their job. And if you're a sucker for instant results, you might even give up and move on to the next way before you finish your tub of eye cream.
This anti-aging skincare staple requires weeks—if not, months—of regular use until you can notice a difference in your under-eye area (at most, your skin should feel smoother after a few days.) This is why we asked real girls to share the most effective eye creams they've tried—so you won't have to waste your time (and cash!) on another unsatisfying splurge.
From cult-favorites to under the radar finds, check out these tried-and-tested eye creams below:
Tara Cabullo, 33
The eye cream she swears by: Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Supercharged Complex Synchronized Recovery
How long she's been using it: 10 years
"I've been using [Estee Lauder's] ANR since my early 20s—I'm in my early 30s now—and I'm happy to say that I have no visible lines so far. I always think that anti-aging products including eye creams are kind of like [life] insurances; we can't see immediate results and sometimes it feels like they do nothing, especially if the areas aren't too problematic. However, the effects of the products will be realized after some time and for me, 10 years has been a good benchmark for it."
ESTEE LAUDER Advanced Night Repair Eye Supercharged Complex Synchronized Recovery, P4280, Rustan's Beauty Source
Nicole Limos-Morales, 34
The eye cream she swears by: Sisley L’Integral Anti-Age Eye and Lip Contour Cream
How long she's been using it: 4 months
"I have this usual 3-month product rotation, allowing me to test and use different skincare products. So far the most effective eye cream I’ve tried is Sisley’s L’Integral Anti-Age Eye and Lip Contour Cream, which I used for about 4 months. I rarely rely on double duty products, but this eye and lip cream just works wonders. When I got it last year, it came with a metal roller applicator which was an incredible bonus that instantly depuffed my under eyes, thanks to its cold rolling surface. As for the product itself, this is something I could count on for hydration, refreshing and brightening my eye area enough to fake eight hours of sleep, thanks to star ingredients like fermented pomegranate, passion fruit, and atlas cedar extracts. The hydrating and smoothening effects were instant, but what’s more remarkable is how the skin around my eyes became more toned over time."
SISLEY L’Integral Anti-Age Eye and Lip Contour Cream, Rustan's Beauty Source
April De Leon, 35
The eye cream she swears by: Ole Henriksen Banana Bright Eye Cream
How long she's been using it: 2 weeks
"Although my eye area isn’t problematic, I noticed the brightening effect that Ole Henriksen’s Banana Bright Eye Cream promises to deliver. It also serves as a good eye primer!"
OLE HENRIKSEN Banana Bright Eye Cream, P2800, The Makeup Store MNL
Ira Nopeuente, 34
The eye cream she swears by: Dermalogica Age Reversal Eye Complex (eye serum) and Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Supercharged Complex Synchronized Recovery (eye cream)
How long she's been using it: 1 year
"It's only been months since I've experimented with retinol, and I can say that I'm addicted to it. My serum, eye cream, and moisturizer all have vitamin A. I'm just so amazed by its anti-aging and skin-resurfacing abilities, [but] enough about my routine, let's focus on my eye cream!
"I get sunken eye bags when I'm sleep-deprived, and I have crow's feet on the corner of my eyes. I layer two products: An eye serum and an eye cream. The Dermalogica Age Reversal Eye Complex has—you guessed it—retinol as its active ingredient. I had my skin recently checked in a dermatological clinic, and the machine's reading showed that my crow's feet were reduced. I couldn't believe it. I would layer it with Estée Lauder's ANR Supercharged Eye Complex. I had dark circles (think: panda eyes), and this potent eye cream brightened the eye area. It protects the skin from pollution and blue light—the two major skin stressors we face every day. You can opt to choose just one; I use both of them because I'm just praning with fine lines and eye bags."
DERMALOGICA Age Reversal Eye Complex, Rustan's Beauty Source
*This story originally appeared on FemaleNetwork.com. Minor edits have been made by the Preview.ph editors.
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