Ole Henriksen Banana Bright + Eye Crème (New Formula)

Already being a fan of the Ole Henriksen Banana Bright Collection, I was delighted to be able to get my hands on the newly reformulated Ole Henriksen Banana Bright + Eye Crème.

The Ole Henriksen Banana Bright + Eye Crème, is a product I have seen so many rave reviews about and with a new and upgraded fragrance-free formula, it features real gold, that is said to brighten, visibly diminish dark circles and crow’s feet and it also improves concealer application and wear.  So it is a product which pretty much does it all.

What I do love is that with its peach tint, this eye cream has a non-greasy butter like texture which melts onto the skin as soon as it comes into contact without leaving any trace.  As someone with an awful sleeping pattern, dark circles under my eyes are a fact of life with concealer being one of my greatest friends.  From this Eye Crème, what I love is that it does have that brightening effect that I noticed on application and my concealer definitely does sit much better, again as promised, but what really does stand out is its ability to reduce, not erase altogether, those dark circles. But how?

If you are familiar with products from Ole Henriksen, you will know that they always have an impressive list of ingredients and this one is no different.  Starting with the Triple Vitamin C Complex With Gold Delivery System which is described as being a powerhouse Vitamin C trio for enhanced brightening and elasticity alongside:

• Gold Complexed Vitamin C: Ascorbic acid (pure vitamin C) + super-antioxidant glutathione combine with real gold and this works to create a highly stable, water-soluble complex that improves delivery of vitamin C to surface layer of your skin
• 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid: This is a potent, water-soluble vitamin c derivative with superior stability and antioxidant capacity
• Tetrahexyldecyl (THD) Ascorbate: An extremely stable, oil-soluble form of vitamin C that pairs well with other types of vitamin C

As you can see it is an impressive list of ingredients and what they do and why they have been chosen. I have only been using this Banana Bright + Eye Crème and I am really impressed by what I have noticed so far and will update this post again in a few months time as I come to the end of the pot.

You can find the Ole Henriksen Banana Bright + Eye Crème at Boots 

here for around £35.

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.

Gatineau Perfection Ultime Radiance Energizing Eye Concentrate

Gatineau is a brand I have really enjoyed discovering and the product I have been using of late is the Perfection Ultime Radiance Energizing Eye Concentrate. For as long as I can remember, I have always been told that it is important to have a good eye cream/serum within your skincare routine. However, I am quite picky when it comes to eye creams because I cannot stand anything that is too thick, too sticky or anything that is overloaded with chemicals and ingredients that make my eyes sting and water.

This revitalizing eye serum reduces the appearance of puffiness and dark circles. Instantly absorbed and silky-smooth, it provides long-lasting hydration whilst refreshing and soothing tired eyes.

For me, one of the biggest concerns with my skin is that I am always dehydrated under the eyes, whenever I have my skin looked at through a scanner at beauty stands, it is always the issue that is flagged up.  So I do as much as I can to ensure I use eye creams which are hydrating and I use under eye masks every single week.  

The Gatineau Perfection Ultime Radiance Energizing Eye Concentrate (£55 here) uses some incredible ingredients which include:

• Horse Chestnut Extract - boosts circulation, smooths lines
• Yeast Extract - fights puffiness around the eyes
• Sweet Almond Oil - softens and leaves skin smooth, plump and youthful.

Coming together, these ingredients work to ensure the serum provides long-lasting hydration as well as helping to refresh and soothe tired eyes. Spending a lot of time in front of a laptop, computer, iPhone and even Kindle screen all contribute to leaving me with tired and dry eyes and I am loving the formula of this cream.

For me, Gatineau is a luxe brand, the packaging of this eye concentrate is beautiful with the white glass bottle.  I love that it comes with a pump and one pump is more than enough for both eyes and it is perfect for using both morning and evening.  I always use my ring finger to apply any eye cream or serum and I gently pat it until it has absorbed.  I love that it feels smooth to the touch.

Priced at £55 this Eye Concentrate from Gatineau is currently on offer at allbeauty for just £24.95 here.

Do you have a favourite eye cream?

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page here

It's all about the Eyes!

One area on my face that I am always watching for when it comes to lines and wrinkles is my eyes. I have used a fair number of eye creams in recent years, but one thing I like are eye creams that have an applicator on the end, be it a roller ball or an applicator that is soothing.

In recent months I have been on a bit of a mission to find some of my favourite eye creams and I have managed to find four that I really like and have used the most.

Pixi by Petra 24K Eye Elixir (£22.00) which is an anti-fatigue peptide serum that massages away puffiness as it smoothes and refreshes the eye area. The formula contains actual gold, to stimulate circulation, peptides to plump fine lines, and raspberry to tone the skin. The metal rollerball gives a fantastic cooling feeling on application, which is instantly refreshing.

Vichy Idealia Eyes (£23) is enriched with ingredients that both immediately and sustainably rejuvenate the area. There is also the use of instant illuminators and a combination of DRM-Bright complex and Vitamin B3 to reduce dark circles, Vitamin CG to smooth fine lines, and Caffiene to energise. A rich infusion of Vichy’s signature Thermal Spa Water intensely soothes the area.  I love the applicator on this product, it is described as being a revolutionary applicator that replicates the soft touch of a finger, made from ultra flexible and ultra soft silicone. 

Garancia Phantom's Tears (£25) is possibly the best name for a product I have ever come across! It is a 4 in 1 Eyelid and Eye Contour Area Treatment with active ingredients to combat dark circles, bags, wrinkles and sagging and it also contains High-Tech light reflective powders and active patented ingredients to help combat the appearance of wrinkles, protect superficial periorbital blood vessel from the loss deposit of pigments responsible for colouring dark circles and pufiness, promote their natural elimination and redensify the supporting tissue by boosting collagen and hyaluronic acid.  The small rollerball on the end is exceptionally soothing and comforting around the eye area when used.

Eucerin AQUAporin Active (£15.50) is enriched with Ginseng and is an ophthalmologically tested, moisturising formula that works to provide deep and long-lasting hydration around the delicate eye area to de-puff and counteract the appearance dark circles. Hydration is a key factor for healthy skin as we all know and the Aquaporin Active range uses the skin’s own distribution channels (Aquaporins) to give it the hydration it needs. It uses a unique, patented formula which works by transporting moisture between the skin cells for optimal, maintained skin hydration. The applicator is a metal nib which glides under the eye with ease and gives an instant cooling effect.

Each one of these eye creams has been fantastic to use and each one has it's own specifically designed applicator which all work differently but are all cooling, refreshing and all help with puffiness and dark circles.

Do you have a favourite eye cream?

My Favourite Products of 2013 - Part 3

So far I have brought to you my favourite hair and body and lip products for 2013 and today you get to read about my favourite face products.

Face

I found this one of the easiest categories to put together from all of the ones that I am sharing with you in this little series of posts.

DermaCo Revitalising Toner - I was introduced to DermaCo back in August and reviewed the product I am featuring today which you can see HERE.  This is my second bottle of the Toner which shows how much I really like.  It looks really good alonside my other products which sit on my bedside table and when I use it, it leaves me skin feeling soft, smooth and incredibly clean and there is no horrible chemical scent which used to put me off wanting to use Toners.

HealGel Face and Eye - Two products that would always feature in my favourites because they are just that.  I reviewed the Eye product which you can find HERE and the Face version is coming up on my blog shortly. From the packaging which is superb to the effects this product claims and lives up to, it is brilliant.

Balance Me Radiance Face Oil - One of my favourite brands to date, Balance Me introduced me to the world that is facial oil, a product that I never thought I would be able to using having combination/oily skin.  This was the first facial oil I used and I reviewed it HERE and I still love how it makes my skin feel.

La-Roche Posay Thermal Spring Water - a product I bought on the recommendation of other bloggers and one that I have enjoyed using, particularly when we had that hot blast of weather in the summer. I reviewed it HERE and love how it refreshed my skin whilst cooling me down during those hot few weeks.

Simple Kind to Skin Illuminating Radiance Cream - I am a huge huge fan of Simple products because you get exactly what you pay for and they do what they claim to do.  I love this Skin Illuminating Radiance Cream which I reviewed HERE and I love how it made my skin feel once I had applied it and it certainly adds a little something.

Origins High Potency Night A Mins Mineral Enriched Renewal Cream - Which is a bit of a mouthful to say but worth saying.  I got this cream in my goody bag after attending my very first blogger event with Company magazine and I had been looking for a good night cream and having been given this decided to try it out.  A review of it is coming soon but what I can say about it is that the cream itself is a really lovely texture which sinks into your skin as soon as it is applied and in the morning when I wake up, my skin feels lovely and moisturised, so it is especially good when my skin is needing a little TLC.

There you have my favourite skin care products of 2013, seven of them in total and each one of them has been a product I have gone back to time and time again.  

Would or have any of these products feature in your favourite products list?