Pai Echium Eye Cream

Prelude:
OK so the deal I have just made with myself is that if I am not going to drag my behind to the gym I am going to sit it in front of the laptop and tap this post out. So here I am. And here it is!

Synopsis:
A simple 'two thumbs up' for a beauty staple by Pai - their Echium Eye Cream. And a way of making me feel less lazy.

Full article:
I tend to use a facial oil morning and night and if you read this regularly you'll know I LOVE A FACIAL OIL! And I was doing OK without the use of an eye cream as I find an oil is usually rich enough. That was until now. For whatever reason, since I finished up working a month ago (OK, OK! 6 weeks ago) my sleep pattern has gone all awry. I'm turning a little nocturnal and my eyes are telling the tale on me!

To the rescue, I have turned to Pai's Echium Eye Cream for its rich and most excellent capabilities of smoothing out those crinkly badger eyes. As with everything Pai does, it's supremely gentle - a thick cream, that absorbs quickly and mess free. The pump delivers a healthy amount and the packaging is well designed. Let it be noted that I hate tiny little eye-cream bottles that get lost at the bottom of a make up bag or down the back of the dressing table. It's a minor thing but it makes a difference.

But nevermind all that, the real deal with this cream is the bountiful benefits of echium. Echium contains GLA, gamma linolenic acid which is an omega-6 with a great reputation for anti-ageing and cell regeneration. And not only that, it also contains stearidonic acid (SDA) which is a rare form of omega-3, further supporting these anti-ageing credentials.

Topical application of these EFAs is reported to have results on your skin but if you really want to up the effects of the essential fatty acids EAT THEM too!

Here are some shelled hemp seeds. Delicious! Nutty!

Hemp seeds are a great source of essential fatty acids that occur in a ratio that is most beneficial to our body. I buy shelled hemp seeds and put them in my porridge in the morning. So there you go. Echium Eye Cream at Night. Hemp seeds in the morning. Easy really.

Afterthought:
I didn't realise I was going to sprinkle this post with a titbit of dietary information. But I did! Quelle surprise!

Pai Echium Eye Cream is £24.00 for 10ml available online
Shelled Hemp seeds available online at www.thesuperfoodco.co.uk

Neal's Yard Rose Formula Hydrating Eye Cream

As I mentioned in the last post, I had a lovely facial at Neal's Yard (again you can read it here) a while back and along with the Lemon Balm and Rose Tea I was also given the Rose Formula Hydrating Eye Cream. How nice!

So the reason I was given this particular cream was because although I was concerned about the onset of fine lines around the eyes (in which case the White Tea Toning Eye Gel is also a good option) I was actually more interested in finding a cream to plump out my under eye area for a more wide awake look. So many eye creams drone on about relieving puffiness and being cooling etc... as if you might suffer from a permanent black eye on the brink of swelling up like a baboon's behind. Now I might be alone in this but I don't really get puffy eyes (unless I'm sobbing my heart out to Beaches or something) so I'm not really in the market for this kind of effect. Instead, I'm more prone to the reverse, looking a little sunken if that isn't too scary a thought. And obviously, I know the only real cure to this is to get more sleep, but I think it's almost too late for that. I might have to live out the rest of my days asnoozin' on the veranda, stacking up the Zs to chase away my dark shadows. By which time I might wake up in my nineties and my sunken eyes won't be the problem,  it'll be my hips, my knees, my teeth! Good god what a shocking glimpse of the future. Ugh.

Anyway. Luckily I have help before we get to that stage. The Rose Formula Hydrating Eye Cream is a very soothing and very, well... hydrating treat for the eyes, that has now become firmly lodged in my skincare routine. 

Years ago, I didn't really care much about eye cream. I guess I didn't have to. But the more I think about it the more I realise how important it is to protect and feed the skin around the eyes, as it's the thinnest, most delicate and the first place to go, so to speak, when age sets it.

The rose formula is suitable for all skin types as it's extremely gentle and calming. I use it twice a day and like to take a minute carefully patting it in though it does absorb really fast. Witch hazel is the first ingredient, not aqua (water) which is almost always the first ingredient in a cream. And witch hazel is a great toner but apparently it also has an anti-oxident effect to reduce those fine lines for a smoother appearance. It's got a whole host of other goodies in there too, like pomegranate seed oil, avocado oil, starflower oil and propolis extract. It tightens the skin in the nicest possible way. And it promotes collagen production. All that, along with the hydrating effect, will help to get that lifted, plumper look.

It's a real nice and easy cream and I love that the pump delivers exactly the right amount. But it maybe more helpful to praise this cream for what it doesn't do as I have used many eye creams that have left me a bit underwhelmed - where I haven't noticed I've applied it at all except for that sticky, tacky feeling. This one isn't too rich, isn't too icky, spreads very smoothly and quickly, absorbs very fast, doesn't leave a residue, doesn't have a weird smell, actually smells quite nice, but not too strong and isn't mega expensive. In fact it's quite reasonable.

You just can't go wrong.

Neal's Yard Rose Formula Hydrating Eye Cream £22.50 for 10ml
Available online and in store at Neal's Yard Remedies

Oskia Eye Wonder Nutri-Active Eye Serum

The Oskia Eye Wonder Nutri-Active Eye Serum is not just an eye cream. It's an eye serum... The clue was in the name. I like the word serum because you can imagine some one has poured various liquids into special little glass vials and held them up to the light, tinkering around with a glass probe and a measuring device, whilst a smaller, mousey-looking man observes, writing down the results on his clipboard with his Parker pen. What I mean is there's some proper science going on here...

As with all Oskia products, the formula is based on MSM, which is key in the production and support of collagen - we all know how important collagen is in staying youthful. There are so many other clever ingredients in here but I'll point out what I think are some of the most innovative ones, because that seems to be what Oskia is all about - creating products that only use exceptional ingredients that have some clear results to their name...

First up we have arnica, commonly applied to the skin to lessen bruising. What a great idea! Together with another ingredient, Laminaria, and also Vitamin B3 they act to decongest, banishing dark circles for a clearer and brighter look. 

Next we have milk peptides and Galactoarabinan (GA, an alternative to collagen from the plant Larch) which works to lift and firm the skin for an instant boost. I can really feel this effect...

And we also have Swiss Apple Stem cells and these are derived from a rare variety of apple that was known for its resistance to shrinkage and wrinkling of the skin. Can you see where this is going? These stem cells help our own adult skin stem cells in repairing the skin and reducing the depth of wrinkles. 

As with all these ingredients Oskia's website highlights some very commanding research to explain what each one does in far more depth so for more information check it out here.

The Eye Wonder serum is a very lightweight texture and a little goes a LONG way. By a long way, I mean it will cover all of your face if you wanted it to. It's very cooling, very fresh, very pleasant to use either day or night. And I have been using it for several weeks now twice a day. 

My initial reaction was one of wonder, suitably enough being called Eye Wonder. It was quite strange! It did seem to lift and firm and tighten once it dried. And I say dried because it is more like a drying rather than an absorbing. This drying effect does the clever tightening part, giving a smoother looking appearance. But I'll be honest, I did struggle a little trying to work out how much to put on, not sure that this much was really right. The pump bottle delivers a massive amount! And because it goes so far and seems to feel like too much I started trying to use less, not wanting to overload my skin as well as not wanting to waste it (it's 58smackeroons!) So I was unscrewing the top to use just a dab instead. But you know what? After awhile, I was a little underwhelmed and realised that this wasn't perhaps the idea. The effects I was getting before were better so I have gone back to pumping out whatever the pump wants and massaging it in (lightly, obviously, we all know the rules) all over the eye area, as it says on the bottle, from temple to temple. I don't just mean delicately tapping just above my eye lid and just below. I mean above the brow to above the cheek, right across the temples, even across the bridge of the nose. Everywhere! Spread the love right? I'm not sure if this is the idea... but I think it works for me, it's such a light texture it really doesn't drag and once it goes kind of 'tacky' it pulls the skin into shape and you're laughing! Clever, clever stuff.

Trying to decide if it's had any life changing effects is really tricky because I have to say I am much happier with my skin now, more so than I have been in long, long time. And this is totally down to changing my ways and choosing genuinely clean and pure products. The overall appearance of my skin has definitely improved. I'm really impressed with Oskia's range and the ethos behind the brand. And I'm in firm support of the research that goes into each ingredient. The Eye Wonder serum is lovely to use, with a very clever instant boost effect. As for diminishing wrinkles, it's hard to tell and that's surely down to the test of time, whether I end up with a face like a saggy grey tracksuit or a brand new lycra one-piece. 

But I like to put a little investment in and a little trust too so I'm going to continue to use it and you can watch my face... It'll be like Play Your Cards Right - higher... lower...no,  higher! 

Oskia Eye Wonder Nutri-Active Eye Serum 

£58 for 15ml (which is quite large for an eye cream)