Review: The Body Shop Vitamin E Eye Cream

As I am rapidly approaching my 30th year, I have started to become a lot more interested in anti-ageing products, and eye creams in particular.  I had read some reviews of The Body Shop's Vitamin E range and decided to give their eye cream a whirl, as I am particularly fond of their body butters and body scrubs.

The Body Shop's Vitamin E Eye Cream claims to help reduce the appearance of fine lines, puffiness and dark circles and is said to be suitable for all skin types.  This isn't an anti-ageing product as such, but as I don't currently have major problems with fine lines or dark circles and mostly want to keep the area hydrated, this wasn't a major concern to me.

The product comes packaging in a small 15ml tube which I would guess would last quite some time as you only require a small amount of product.  The applicator has a tapered nozzle which easily allows the correct amount of product to be dispensed.  I prefer this to a jar as it is much more hygienic than dipping my finger into a pot of cream.

The cream itself is of a medium consistency and is easily absorbed into the skin.  That, however, is where my good experience with this cream ends as  within a couple of minutes of applying, there was an instant burning sensation where I had applied it.  This wasn't the usual tingling that is experienced with some skincare products, it was actually very painful and I had to wash it off immediately.  

I did try applying this again a few days later but I had exactly the same reaction and therefore I haven't used it since.  

Verdict

If you have sensitive skin, I would recommend you do not try this product as I obviously had a bad reaction to it.   I have also since read some other reviews from users who have had similar issues.  On the plus side, the consistency of the cream is good and it does absorb quickly.  From other reviews, many people have said this works well for them although it seems to be best for younger skins, providing hydration to the delicate eye area. My advice would be to see if you can try before you buy to ensure you do not have a reaction, and if you have sensitive skin, to avoid.

Price - £9.50

Where to Buy - The Body Shop 

 

February Empties

I've managed to work my way through a few full-sized products this month, including - gasp! - a body lotion!

Biotherm Lait Corporee Anti Drying Body Milk with Citrus Extracts  (review here) - a deliciously scented body lotion which sinks into the skin quickly.  If I didn't have a ton of body lotions already to work my way through I would consider buying a full-sized tube.

 

Nivea DNAge Cell Renewal Anti-Age Body Care - I've had this for ages and it was time to use it up.  I'm not even sure it is even still available to purchase but I wasn't that impressed with it as it wasn't particularly moisturising so wouldn't repurchase.

 

Balance Me Handcream (review here) - I liked this and indeed I have liked all Balance Me products I have tried to date.  Would certainly repurchase.

Bliss Lemon and Sage Soapy Suds (review here) - I liked using this as a shower gel but was unimpressed with its performance as a bath foam. I wouldn't repurchase as there are too many other bath and shower gels that I'd like to try out.

Toni & Guy Warm Blonde Conditioner - This has been languishing in my bathroom for quite some time, mainly because I wasn't that impressed with it and I preferred using other conditioners I have had on the go such as the Tigi Dumb Blonde.  I wouldn't repurchase as I didn't feel it was moisturising enough for my dry, coloured hair.

Green & Spring Mild Toner (review here) - Despite not being a regular toner user, I loved this and will certainly be purchasing a large bottle as soon as funds allow.

Kiehls Eye Alert (review here) - This eye cream was just what I was looking for.  It absorbed quickly and was not greasy, leaving my eyes feeling hydrated and refreshed.  I did realise after purchasing that it was supposed to be for men,  but I tend to think products such as eye creams are the same for men and women, they are usually just scented differently.

Have you managed to finish any products this month?

January Favourites

I seem to have quite a few favourites this month, I guess because some of these were Christmas or Post Christmas purchases and they all still seem very shiny and new!

Neutrogena Pink Grapefruit Facial Wash

I haven’t managed to review this yet but I am finding it great for my oily / combination skin as it cleans without stripping away oils and really makes my skin feel very clean.  I’m not sure how good it would be for drier skins though.

Tom Ford Violet Blonde

A Christmas present from my lovely hubby!  This is more of a weekend scent for me, reminding me of holidays and trips away.  I won’t embarrass myself by trying to describe the notes, but needless to say it is gorgeous!

Top Shop Cream Blush in Neon Rose – I reviewed this here as part of my cream blush post and was reminded of it when The Sunday Girl posted about it recently.  I love the way that it is not a traditional cream blush formulation, as it changes from a cream to a powder on the skin and lasts all day.  Only the tiniest amount is needed!

Laura Mercier Full Blown Volume Mascara – review here

This is my current favourite mascara (and boy do I have a lot of mascara!).  A great natural look, no flaking or smudging and the most important thing-  no CRISPY LASHES!

Mac Matchmaster in 3.0 - review here I have been wearing this foundation a lot recently and although I did find it a little too dark initially, I have been wearing it with a little of the Nars Orgasm Illuminator to tone it down a little and give a more radiant look.

Kiehl's Eye Alert – review here

I really enjoyed using this eye cream which I bought on a  whim from a blog sale.  I’m almost finished it and currently deciding whether to repurchase at full price or to finish off my Liz Earle eye cream which I wasn’t as enamoured with.

Laura Mercier Lip Gloss in Mauve 

This is my first Laura Mercier gloss and I very much like it.  A great my-lips- but-better shade, it has a gorgeous cocoa butter scent and is a great shade to go with lots of looks.  This was a limited edition product I think with the Space NK gift set, but based on the quality of this gloss, I will be investigating others from her line.

Chanel Illusion d’ Ombre in Emerveille - review here

This has been included in my monthly favourites previously and I am still enjoying the ease at which I can smooth this on with my fingers, add some mascara and I have an easy eye look in less than a minute, with no complex blending of several different shades. 

What were your favourites this month?  See anything above that catches your eye?

Review: Kiehl's Eye Alert

It was a sad fact of coming to terms with growing up when I realised that I needed to include an eye cream in my daily arsenal of products,  though truth be told, I should have integrated one into my routine some time ago.  Prevention is always easier than cure!

I bought Kiehl's Eye Alert on a whim from a blog sale a couple of months ago without knowing anything about it or indeed much about the brand.  I had heard of it, of course, but I'd had no experience with any other products so therefore had no prior expectations and my dissatisfaction with the Liz Earle Daily Eye Repair meant I was looking for alternatives.

The features I love most about this product are that it has no pretentions.  The packaging is simple but distinctive and you get 15ml of product for your pennies, which is standard, or even a little generous compared to some other eye creams.

The small dispenser provided the perfect amount of product for both eyes, meaning there was no wastage and no dipping your fingers in an unsanitary jar of cream. 

The consistency of this cream is perfect for me but for those of you who prefer more heavy-duty creams, this is probably not for you.  It is lightweight and sinks in rapidly, without leaving any greasy or oily residue so there is no need to wait a long time before applying under eye concealer and foundation.  I have been using it for about 6 weeks twice-daily and I have found that my dark circles do seem to be slightly lighter, and there are no visibly dry areas surrounding my eyes.  

Kiehls claim that this cream is soothing and an energy booster after a long flight or late night which I have to say I haven't fully tested, although it does make me feel a little more awake in the morning.  However,if you are looking for something that provides coolness and refreshes your tired eyes, I would probably just go for the tried and trusted cucumber slices or a cool eye mask!  

Verdict

Kiehl's Eye Alert is certainly one of the better eye creams I have tried recently, with its lightweight consistency and lack of strong fragrance (a major bugbear of mine in products that are meant for your eyes and that includes scented mascara!).  This would be perfect for you if you are someone who is just starting out with eye creams or don't need a cream that is super moisturising.  The price is comparable with other mid-high range brands and you do get quite a lot of product for your money, especially as such a small amount is used each time.  As a side note, when I searched for stocklists of this, I found it amongst the men's products in Space NK, however this is the first that I have heard of it being a men's product, and in my opinion, it is unisex and suitable for all.

4/5

Price - £22 

Where to Buy - Space NK

2011 Favourites: Part 2 - Hair and Body

Moving onto the second part of my 2011 favourites with Hair and Body.  If you missed the first part with my favourite makeup products, you can see that here.

 

Hair Products

TiGi Dumb Blonde Shampoo and Conditioner

I have flirted with many other shampoos and conditioners but always come back to this one, plusthey both smell amazing - I get chocolate orange from them although I'm sure they've changed the scent recently as I'm positive the conditioner used to smell of pineapple!  They stop my coloured hair going brassy and the shampoo always seems to remove all traces of products and buildup, whilst the conditioner adds and retains moisture without weighing down my locks.

Styling Product - Label.M Resurrection Dust

Although there are many products that produce a similar result for cheaper, I love this product as it gives volume to my fine lifeless hair in an instant. I also love the fact that I can re-volumise my hair later on in the day or evening by massaging at the roots to give more lift.

Skin and Body Care

Body Scrub – Korres Watermelon Body Scrub

www.lookfantastic.co.uk

I love the scent of this scrub! It wakes me up in the morning with a zing (or at least as much of a zing as I can muster at 6.30am!) and is sufficiently scrubby whilst still being moisturising.

Moisturiser – Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturising Gel

www.clinique.co.uk

Light enough to use on my oily / combination skin without turning it into an oil slick, this has been my favourite moisturiser for the last couple of years. I usually need to change up to something heavier in the winter but as we have had a fairly mild winter this year so far, this has been sufficient.

Eye Cream – Bobbi Brown Hydrating Eye Cream

http://www.bobbibrown.co.uk/

This was the first eye cream I tried and it has remained my favourite, despite trying out a few others this year. It sinks in easily and leaves no residue. My only grumble is that it comes in a pot, and I would much prefer a tube for hygiene reasons.

Hand Cream – Palmers Cocoa Butter Hand Lotion

I am constantly applying hand cream and Palmers is cheap, portable and smells good enough to eat! It is also very moisturising without being greasy and sinks in quickly, all essential qualities for a good hand cream!

Foot Cream -Body Shop Intensive Foot Rescue

http://www.thebodyshop.co.uk

Years of wearing inappropriate footwear and doing a fair amount of running have meant that my feet tend to suffer quite a bit. This is the thickest, most luxurious foot cream I have come across and I love to slather it on my feet and pop a pair of socks on to give some moisture to my poor tootsies!

 

That completes the round up of my products of the year! Let me know what your favourites were!

Review: Liz Earle Daily Eye Repair & Smoothing Line Serum

Liz Earle is well known for her approach to clean, unfussy skincare so when I was on the hunt for a new eye cream, I decided to give them a whirl.

As I am nearing the end of my 20s, I am becoming much more aware of some small fine lines that are starting to appear and ideally, I would prefer that these didn’t get any bigger, although to halt my impending forehead wrinkle I will need to stop frowning as much!  After a browse on the website, I decided to try out the Round the Clock Eyecare Kit which consists of a Daily Eye Repair and a Smoothing Line Serum.  They are designed to be used in conjunction with one another and to help keep the fragile skin around the eyes smooth, supple and bright and are suitable for all skin types.

If you are familiar with Liz Earle skincare, you will know that the essence of the brand is to use naturally active botanical ingredients which are kind to your skin.  As a result, many of her products have a distinctly ‘herbal’ scent, which although not overly unpleasant, can be something of an acquired taste!
 

To start with, I will talk about the Daily Eye Repair.  I have been using this only in the morning as I prefer to use the serum in the evening and I don’t like to overload my eye area with products as I find it can end up quite dark and congested if I overdo it with rich creams.

The eye repair comes in a small tube with a very small pipette for targeted dispensing of the cream.  It is very easy to control the amount dispensed, although I do prefer jars of eye cream.  I realise that tubes are more sanitary, it is just a personal preference.  The exterior packaging is in line with other products from the Liz Earle Brand and is very simplistic but functional.  The cream itself is of medium consistency, perhaps leaning a little to the runny side and you only need a couple of small squeezes to dispense enough product for both eyes.  There is no discernable scent to the product which is good, as I prefer not to use highly scented products close to my eyes.
 

The cream is said to contain light-reflective particles to brighten dark under-eye shadows, and also includes SPF10 mineral sunscreen to help protect from UV light.  The main benefit of this product is to reduce the appearance of fine lines, and nowhere in the product description does it mention that it moisturises the eye area.  Usually with an eye cream, I tend to look for moistursing formulas as using eye make up remover frequently can dry some of the delicate skin around your eye area.

In terms of brightening under–eye shadows, I cannot really say that this has made a difference, mainly as I usually use YSL’s Touche Eclat each day to brighten my under eye area and I find it does an excellent job.  After applying this cream, even without makeup, I confess I haven’t really seen a discernable difference.  The addition of SPF10 is a nice touch for everyday wear, but not really enough for summer when you wuold need a separate SPF.  I would say my one disappointment with this product is that it wasn’t overly moisturising.  Whether that was because I needed to use more or apply it more than once a day I am not sure, but it really didn’t seem to do much to the skin around my eye at all and often just seemed to sit on the surface of my skin, taking quite some time to sink in.

I used the Smoothing Line Serum in conjunction with the Daily Eye Repair and used it only in the evening, after cleansing and moisturising, just before bed.  It comes in a small container with a pump dispenser, which again made it very easy to control the amount of product required and again, there was no scent.  The serum was a clear, gel-like substance which I have to confess I wasn’t expecting.  For some reason I thought it would be more like a cream, but not being a big user of serums, perhaps all serums are like this? I found one and a half pumps sufficient for moisturing both eye areas.
 

The serum is said to help plump and firm skin around the eyes, lips, forehead and décolletage.  I tended to use it only around the eye area, although if I had any product remaining, I used a little on my forehead.  The full-sized product is very small at only 10ml so I couldn’t imagine it would last very long if you used it on all the specified areas!  I patted and smoothed it around my eyes and it did feel quite refreshing and much more moisturising than the Daily Eye Repair.  The serum conatins antioxidant grapeseed extract and soothing echinacea  both of which are said to help aid smoother and softer skin.

Verdict
After using these products for a month, I feel that both of them are in the ok, but not a must buy category for me.  They didn’t do anything bad, but I don’t feel that they made a significant difference to my eye area, and I much prefer Bobbi Brown’s Eye Cream for its moisturising properties.  I think if you are looking for a first eye cream and are perhaps in you are in your early 20s,  the Daily Eye Repair may be of use, although you can probably find similar products in other brands.  I did like the serum, as I feel it was more moisturising and helped to ‘plump’ my skin, but the fact that it comes in such a small container and you are expected to use it over a wide area such as your neck, decolliage and forehead would stop me from repurchasing as I think I would get through it very fast.  You also have no way of telling how much product is remaining as the container is not transparent.
3.5/5

Price - £26 for the Round the Clock Eyecare Kit, £13.75 for 10ml of the Daily Eye Repair or the Smoothing Line Serum (both products can be bought as a 5ml tube for £7.25.
Where to buy – Liz Earle, John Lewis (if you buy directly from the Liz Earle Website you can request some samples of other products you would like to try free of charge when you make your order which is a good way of trying other products that you may be interested in).