Beauty Review: It Cosmetics Confidence in an Eye Cream

Should I have started using an eye cream in my 20s?!

I don’t know the answer to that, but I do know that I have always kind of thought eye cream (that is, specific moisturizers designed for your eyes) was kind of a scam. The skin around our eyes is different from the rest of our faces, but how useful is it to apply a different cream to our eye areas? Should we be doing it? Does it matter? Does eye cream really make a difference?

One dermatologist says this: “The creams you use on your face are just as helpful as eye cream, regardless of name brand.” Basically, what I get from this is: just use moisturizer on your eyelids and eye area, gently, and it’s all good.

However, another dermatologist in the exact same article says this: “Many regular facial creams or moisturizers may irritate the thin skin.” And another says, “I can’t say [definitively that] eye creams really work — but I can say that certain ingredients work.”

TL;DR: there is conflicting information.

But the main takeaway here to me is that we should be moisturizing around our eyes, even if you aren’t using a specifically formulated eye cream. I realized as I was writing this that if I don’t use eye cream, I rarely apply moisturizer to my eye lids (or too close to my eyes). That was pretty jarring to realize; how much dehydration have my poor eyes experienced because I am not moisturizing them correctly?

We may never know.

The point of all of this is to review the It Cosmetics Confidence in an Eye Cream. Yay! I received it as a sample in my Ipsy bag; I paid $3 for a teeny tiny sample. (Ok, it’s actually fairly substantial for looking so small, as you don’t use very much).

Here’s what this eye cream promises:

“Confidence in an Eye Cream features the same hydrating, firming and wrinkle-smoothing benefits as your #1 anti-aging moisturizer*—plus it’s your best eye cream for dark circles!

While the exclusive apricot tint and Drops of Light Technology™ visibly color-correct and brighten, proprietary Anti-Aging Armour Rejuvenating Concentrate™ and other high-performance skin-loving ingredients—including a super ceramide complex, chrysin, licorice root, avocado and squalane—work to hydrate, smooth and refresh. You’ll see powerful results instantly and more dramatic results over time!”

My main takeaways here are that is acts as an anti-aging moisturizer and promises to reduce dark circles.

I’m genetically lucky in that I don’t have dark undereyes; some people naturally get darkness under their eyes, so I cannot necessarily speak to that. However, I do have a large melasma spot under my left eye that developed after I was pregnant. (Pregnancy often causes “pregnancy mask,” aka melasma spots that can worsen if you don’t use SPF. I have a line above my lip and a splotch underneath my eye. They’re fun! By which I mean, they’re not! They’re basically large, irregularly shaped freckles.)

My main concern for my under eye area is handling that melasma; there is not much I can do to make it better, but I don’t want to make it worse. My other concern is keeping the area moisturized and preventing wrinkles. I know that’s incredibly vain, but I really pride myself on my lack of crow’s feet. I’ve stopped squinting at things to prevent them!

(I haven’t really stopped squinting at things. I’m squinting at my computer screen in my non-prescription blue blocker glasses at this moment.)

I have previously really loved the It Cosmetics Confidence line; I love the Confidence in a Cleanser. I even glowingly reviewed it here. However, after doing a lot of work on repairing my pH barrier (learn more about the process I’ve been following for balancing & repairing my skin’s pH barrier here), I’ve come to the terrible conclusion that the thing that is wrecking my skin’s pH barrier is… the Confidence in a Cleanser. I realized this after dropping it from my routine for a month to exclusively use the FAB Daily Cleanser. I reused it a few days ago and my skin was immediately back to where it was before I did all that work!

So, the bad news is: I think the Confidence in a Cleanser is bad for my pH barrier (and potentially other people’s), so I highly recommend being careful if you use it or want to try it.

That has slightly colored my experience with the It Cosmetics Confidence in an Eye Cream because I was worried about the eye cream being responsible too. However, I used it throughout my month-long repair process and didn’t have any issues.

Here are a few things I noticed while using this eye cream for a month:

• My undereyes were able to hold concealer better without creasing or getting dry and flaky.

• I noticed my melasma faded slightly. (My husband even said it looked a little lighter, but this may have to do with sun exposure in the winter.)

• Plucking my eyebrows has become a lot easier. (Who knew moisturizing my eye area would make that easier?)

This eye cream includes a few key ingredients that are common in eye creams: collagen, specifically, which is supposed to firm the skin; and ceramides, which are natural lipids that help “reinforce the skin barrier.” The inclusion of ceramides is what makes me feel confident that this eye cream won’t damage your pH barrier. It also includes niacin, which can help even your skin tone, peptides, and licorice root.

All in all, if you’re in the market for an eye cream, I think this one is a strong contender. I really love It Cosmetics; they are one of my favorite brands. However, in terms of eye creams, it’s not the most affordable; it is $38 for 0.5 fluid ounces. That being said, you use such a small amount day-to-day, it will probably last a significant amount of time.

I’m debating repurchasing or trying a different eye cream; if you have suggestions, let me know!

Beauty Review: Honest Beauty Younger Eye Cream

I wrote on Instagram last week about my experience with my Honest diaper bundle and customer service, but to reiterate: I receive Honest diaper bundles for Forrest and the past few months they've been showing up, well, absolutely destroyed. This month was no different, with my bundle arriving torn apart, diapers missing, and, worse, the free gift I had received (the Honest Beauty Younger Eye Cream) was nowhere in sight. I was extremely disappointed.

Thankfully, however, Honest Customer service sent me a package of the missing diapers and eye cream that arrived within 2 days. They really are amazing. 

I've been somewhat acutely aware that I needed to start including an eye cream in my routine for a while--I don't necessarily have dry skin, but at 29, I do want to start thinking about how to keep wrinkles as unlikely as possible. My skin has definitely gotten more crepey, especially around my eyes. It's not severe yet, but it was something I was watching.

Enter the Honest Beauty Younger Eye Cream. As I had the opportunity to add it to my bundle for free, I figured, why not!? It's free! Here's what it promises: 

“You’ll love this deeply hydrating eye cream, which contains hyaluronic acid to attract moisture and hydrate skin. This botanically charged formula also features barbary fig and baobab fruit, both rich in essential fatty acids. A chamomile and calendula blend helps calm and soothe. Eyes look younger and more refreshed. With results so eye-catching, don’t blame us if you get carded.”

Oh la la! At $28 for 0.5 fluid oz, it's not the most expensive product out there--but it is a bit more than I usually spend on a skincare item! However, since you don't use much of it at a time, it will last quite a while. Here are the results of a test study, according to Honest: 

“In a consumer study of 106 women, after 4 weeks of use:

94% agreed eye area felt refreshed after use.
88% agreed eye area looked rejuvenated and revitalized after use.
86% agreed fine lines around eyes were less noticeable after use.
84% agreed wrinkles around eyes were less noticeable after use.
82% agreed they looked like they had a good night’s sleep after use.
82% agreed eye area looked younger after use.
81% agreed eye area was instantly plumped after use.”

Oh wow! However, that's only 106 women and only 4 weeks of use. 

My Experience

I've been this for 2 weeks now. I know that's not a very long time for a review, especially of a skincare product, but here are my thoughts about that: 

• As I don't really have wrinkles or severe signs of aging around my eyes, my visible results are going to be much more subtle. 
• I'm adding this purely for extra moisture. 

So, do I like it? 

It took some getting used to to remember to put it on before my moisturizer at night--and it's especially difficult to remember to pat it and not blend it. (Cut to a flashback of me in high school absolutely destroying my face by rubbing it and scrubbing it. Old habits die hard.) 

I do quite like it. It doesn't feel greasy or heavy; it doesn't pill if I put it on under my make up; and I don't feel like it makes my make up wear off. I have felt like my eye makeup has applied better lately, but that might just be wishful thinking. 

One thing I don't love about it is the smell. In reviewing other Honest Beauty products, I've mentioned this as well; they smell is odd. It's not bad. But it's not good. It's not added fragrance, but it doesn't smell natural either. It smells vaguely like plastic cheese, if that makes sense. They really do need to work on the fragrance of their products, because while the smell doesn't last all day, it is very obvious when I'm applying it! 

Do you use an eye cream? What kind do you use? Once this tube is done, I'll be looking for a replacement!