As you may be able to tell from my Instagram pics, I have some eye area issues, including dark circles, deep tear troughs and some undereye baggage. It’s not age, hydration, or how well-rested I am, as women with similar problems are so often told; rather, I’ve had these since I was a child. Really. They’re in photos of me when I was six years old. The truth is, dark eye areas and deep undereye circles are common in women with Eastern European heritage, so the Hungarian blood lurking not too far up the family tree from me may be responsible for the dull divots that have haunted my face for decades.
Still, accepting that the problem isn’t my fault doesn’t make it go away; I will probably always endeavor, hopelessly or not, to rid myself of these para-ocular pains. The latest step on my journey toward the mythical miracle cure: Murad Eye Treatment Complex SPF 8.
This product comes in a small pump bottle; it’s only 0.5oz and costs about $80. Yikes. The bottle lets you pump just a little bit of the cream, which is nice as you don’t need much to cover your eye area and you don’t want to waste any of this pricey product. The cream is white and the consistency is akin to a lotion; that is, it’s not very thick like a lot of the newer glue-like eye products. Don’t go overboard; I used only one pump for each eye. Even the teensy size should last you a long time.
The cream, though definitely on the expensive side, left my eye area feeling smooth, silky and cared for. It sunk into my skin without feeling greasy, and concealer applied well over it. I also noticed an instant brightening effect, and my skin tone appeared more even. I’ve experienced some irritation on my normally hard-as-nails skin with Murad products, but this one didn’t seem to bother me.
Murad’s copy claims that this product is supposed to “gently exfoliate”, but I didn’t feel that effect at all; it felt like a typical eye creme when I applied it with no hint of exfoliation either from an acidic ingredient or “beads” (which I typically despise anyway, so I wasn’t too crushed). As well, even though it seemed to brighten and even the tone of my undereye area, the wrinkle reduction was nil – alas, my stubborn Magyar-bred eyebags stuck around. I have, however, seen some improvement in the general tone and brightness of my undereye area since I started using it; it’s nothing major, but I consider any lasting results a plus.
The verdict: 6/10 – This is a great all-around eye cream, but the price is a little too hefty for it not to work miracles.
Murad Eye Treatment Complex SPF 8 sells at Amazon for $80.
