Eye creams: 10 of the best

Of all the skincare rituals beauty lovers are currently obsessed with – microneedling, slugging, Gua Sha-ing their faces into submission – few inspire such fervent loyalty as the humble eye cream. This tiny tube/pot of hope perched on your bathroom shelf promises to de-puff, de-wrinkle and de-dark-circle your under-eyes. And yes, there are a lot of great products out there. But let’s be real: no cream, however advanced, can replace decent sleep, a stress-free existence and the flaw-free eye area you had as a toddler. Nevertheless, we persist. Why? Because the eyes are where it all shows. Hangovers and heartbreak don’t hit your cheekbones, they hit your eyelids. And eye creams with their potent potions of peptides, retinol and caffeine, and now, even cryo-applicators and AI-personalised formulas, offer an irresistible cure-all. Many are going one step further and having eyelid surgery, aka blepharoplasty. To my mind it sounds drastic and terrifying, but evidently, for others, it’s not terrifying enough – blepharoplasty is not only booming, it is, apparently, the fastest growing cosmetic procedure in the world. So what does this obsession say about us? That as a society we are vain? And insecure? Possibly. But I get it. In a society that prizes youth and the semblance of looking “on it” at all times, the pressure is real. Still, a decent eye cream is worth a try. It won’t cure your exhaustion, but you will, at the very least, look a bit more rested.

1. Medik8 Crystal Retinal Ceramide Eye 3 £55, Medik82. MZ SKIN Intensive Bio-Placenta Eye Cream £180, MZ Skin3. R-31 Eye Contour Brightening Gel £75, Tursian4. Augustinus Bader The Eye Cream £160, Augustinus Bader5. Beauty of Joseon Revive Eye Serum Ginseng + Retinal £15, Cult Beauty6. Skinceuticals AGE Advanced Eye For Dark Circles £105, SkinCeuticals7. Allies of Skin Peptides & Omegas Firming Eye Cream £82, SpaceNK8. Iraye Eye Revive Cream With Lymphactive £99, Iraye Skin Care9. CeraVe Eye Repair Cream £13, CeraVe10. Jones Road Rich Eye Cream £49, Jones Road Beauty

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