There Is Literally No Reason You Shouldn’t Own One Of These Eye Creams

Take my advice and don’t wait ‘til it’s too late to get yourself a fab hard-working eye cream.

If you’re not sure what you’re looking for (do I need de-puffing action? Is it too early to fight wrinkles? What about milia?), let me help.

So let’s break it down! For every product, I’ll share the pros and cons (of real testing!), along with a price point. No gatekeeping here— I’ll tell ya the truth, so you can find what’s best for YOU.

$ - Under $30

$$ - Under $50

$$$ - Under $100

OLEHENRIKSEN Banana Bright+ Vitamin CC Eye Stick

CC products have never been my fave, but I’m 🎵singing a new tune🎵 after testing out this eye stick. It’s more dense than a traditional eye cream (and can absolutely double as makeup), but never creases, even if I’ve been wearing it all day.

Pros: Diminishes the look of my dark circles and is a breeze to apply — just smear it on and blend lightly by pressing with your ring finger.

Cons: I HIGHLY recommend warming this up before applying it, as it can feel thick and hard to blend if you go in cold.

$$

Milk Makeup Cooling Water Eye Stick

Crammed into this petite tube is the cooling eye product I didn’t know I needed. Thanks to the addition of caffeine and seawater, you can look forward to seeing a major decrease in puffiness after a few minutes.

Pros: Laughably easy to apply (just swipe on!), without any need for blending. It actually feels cooling once it’s on and never causes milia. It’s also safe to use all over your body!

Cons: If you’re searching for something that targets dark circles or fine lines, I’d suggest looking elsewhere.

$$

Consonant Skin+Care Moisturizing Eye Cream

This baby is a workhorse, and she knows it. Ideal for banishing dryness and flakes back to hell where they belong, leaving your undereye area looking healthy and smooth.

Pros: Doesn’t pill under concealers or powders, and is rich enough to use a smidge at a time. The pump bottle makes dispensing easy-peasy, meaning you won’t have to stress about overdoing it by accident.

Cons: No fragrance (though this may be a plus to some!).

$$

Origins Ginzing Vitamin C Eye Cream

A lightly tinted gel-like cream, it is tailor-made for fixing undereye problems. Thanks to light-reflecting pigments, it’ll actually make you look more awake, too (even if you only got a few winks last night).

Pros: The fact that it’s tinted means it’s easier to blend in, so you won’t be left with a ghostly cast when you’re just trying to get out the door in the morning. It’s also got a touch of niacinamide to fight back against dark circles.

Cons: Dipping my fingers into a jar means it’s easier to go overboard and too much product can leave things looking greasy, rather than radiant (and might cause your makeup to slip around).

$$

ILIA Bright Start Retinol Alternative Brightening Eye Cream

One of my personal faves, it’s packed with light-reflecting pigments that never look sparkly. A cooling ceramic tip makes for easy application (and a lovely eye massage!). Did I mention it’s a retinol alternative, too?

Pros: If you’re someone who’s feeling a bit nervous about incorporating retinol, this is the stuff for you. It’s lightweight, non-irritating, and doesn’t cause milia (and it’s safe for contact lens-wearers, too).

Cons: The tip can get a bit clogged with product if you squish out too much at a time.

$$$

REN Dark Circle Brightening Eye Cream

Within a week or two, you’ll notice a clear improvement in your dark circles — I sure did. It also pulls double duty to smooth out your undereye area, so any texture you’ve got hiding there will be gone in a flash.

Pros: The pump top makes it simple to dose out. I love dabbing it around my brow bone, too, to keep my peepers looking bright and lifted.

Cons: The bottle is almost laughably tiny, but it’s highly-concentrated so don’t get discouraged by its packaging.

$$$