L'Oreal Revitalift Eye Cream

At some point last year I used L'Oreal's Youth Code eye cream and was pretty impressed with it.  The Youth Code range is pitched at people in their 30s whereas Revitalift is for women in their 40s.  While I'm not quite there (!) I like trying something new and the Revitalift eye cream contains Pro-Retinol A which is L'Oreal's trademarked vitamin A rich serum.  Vitamin A is an antioxidant and well known anti-aging ingredient.  And I'm all for as much anti aging as possible.

The cream is very light and I found I didn't need to use too much of it.  As it's very light and non oily there's no drag when you apply it which, around the delicate eye area, is a good thing.  I'm always a bit wary of products that are too thick and heavy.

I personally thought this was a good maintenance product but I'm not sure that, in the time I've been using it (I'm almost at the end of the pot, and I use it twice daily pretty religiously) that there's been any real reversal of any signs of aging.  L'Oreal claims that in 4 weeks wrinkles and crows feet will be visibly reduced but if they were, it wasn't so dramatic that I noticed.

This is a product I may, or may not, buy again.  I'd pick it up if it was on offer and I was in a hurry.

I do like the fact it comes in a pot so you can actually use ALL of it!

Widely available, RRP ~ $30.

L'Oreal.

Source:  purchase.

Rimmel Gentle Eye Make Up Remover

A while ago (as in many years) I was looking around for an eye make up remover.  I'd had a sample of Chanel biphase one which had been awesome but was also (I suspected) out of my price range for every day use.

I did a bit of research and this Rimmel product got some very promising reviews.  I've been using it ever since and have recommended it to other people who have been just as happy.  This includes people who wear contacts and have had issues with other products irritating their eyes.

In Australia this retails around $10 but last time I bought it I found it a bit tricky to find (in the end, I snared the last bottle in David Jones).  Maybe availability has improved since.

As an eye make up remover, all it has to do is remove eye make up.  It does the job well and unless you cake eye make up on or use some kind of industrial mascara you should be happy.  I find that generally only one or two wipes of the eyelid are required, with a bit more attention to eye lashes.  And while I recently raved about Lancôme's Hypnôse mascara, that too came off nicely with this product.

I should caveat this by noting that I do generally give the cotton pad a good soaking with the eye make up remover. My logic is that I don't want to be dragging anything across the delicate skin around the eyes, so the more the better. A big tick from me - definitely a go to product.

In theory, available where Rimmel is sold. RRP ~ $10.

Rimmel.

Source: purchase.

Lancome Hypnose Mascara

Mascara - one of those things that I hardly ever buy because I am always getting a sample of it in a gift with purchase or from the counter.

Also one of those things that I hardly ever buy because I hardly ever wear it.  One of the reasons I hardly ever wear it is because I invariably end up with panda eyes before the night is over.  It really does my head in - I head to the loo midway through the evening and discover I've started growing dark rings around my lashes ...

So I was really surprised when I tried Hypnôse because that didn't happen.  And that included a walk to the train station in some wind (which always makes my eyes water).

Good coverage, a nice natural look (I only ever use mascara on my upper lashes anyway) and no panda eyes mid way through the evening.

I also found it pretty easy to take off (though that's all about the eye make up remover, really).

Very impressed.  So much so I've already recommended this product on twitter.

Available at Lancôme counters, RRP $52.

Lancôme

Source:  gift with purchase.