I've always woken up with puffy eyes, and let's be real, it's the worst. They seem to appear out of nowhere, and it's like, what even happened overnight? I've tried all the usual tricks to combat puffiness – jumping out of bed in the morning, drinking more water, drinking less water, even trying out that fancy Sassi water (which, surprisingly, actually works) – but as someone who's basically lazy, the second I saw a cream specifically designed to target eye puffiness... game over.
I have to admit, I'd never thought about using a special product for this issue before, but since I'm super concerned about both puffiness and dark circles under my eyes, I decided to take the plunge and order it.
Before this, I'd tried all sorts of eye creams – hydrating, relaxing, anti-aging, you name it – but I wanted to find something that specifically targeted my problem areas. And it turns out, the Icon Skin 'Eyes yoga' cream-gel is basically the only product of its kind, so I figured I'd give it a shot.
KREM-GEL OT OTEKOV I TEMNYKH KRUPOV EYES YOGA
Where I bought it - Goldapple.ru
Price - 1100 rubles
Volume - 15ml
Breaking down the ingredients and promises
The ingredients listed on the packaging:
The ingredient list is a long one, but it's impressive. Aqua, glycerin, hesperidin methyl chalcone, steareth-20, dipeptide-2, palmitoyl tetrapeptide-7, camellia sinensis (green tea) leaf extract, ruscus aculeatus extract, glyceryl stearate, persea gratissima (avocado) oil, olea europaea (olive) oil, ammonium acryloyldimethyltaurate / VP copolymer, phenoxyethanol, DI-C12-13 alkyl malate, hydroxyethylcellulose, sodium alginate, parfum, niacinamide, sodium hyaluronate, ricinus communis seed oil, ascorbyl glucoside, isoquercetin, and tocopherol are all on the list.
According to the manufacturer, the key ingredients are:
I like that they've detailed all the active components.
The results that Icon Skin promises are pretty impressive:
Active care for the skin around your eyes.
Aside from the mysterious peptide complex, all the other ingredients seem like they could be effective. But how well do they really work? It's hard to say just by looking at the ingredient list. Still, the formula does seem comprehensive, tackling multiple issues like tone evening, anti-aging, and moisturizing.
One thing to note is that the eco-conscious crowd might not be too thrilled about this product due to potential irritants and allergens.
ICON SKIN Крем-сыворотка для кожи вокруг глаз Eyes Yoga , жидкие патчи , от отеков , от темных кругов, от мешков , пептиды
Packaging
The product comes in a cardboard box with all the essential information printed on it: the ingredients, promised results, usage instructions, manufacturer details, and expiration date. The font is clear and easy to read.
Inside the box, you'll find the cream-gel in a glass bottle with a plastic pump. The pump works flawlessly, doesn't clog, and allows you to dispense the perfect amount of product - I can even get a single drop out of it!
What's also important is that the pump doesn't leave any residue on the nozzle, so you don't get that sticky feeling. It's also great that the pump helps you use up the entire product efficiently.
Convenient pump The product information is also duplicated on the bottle, including the ingredients, precautions, and expiration date. This means you don't necessarily need to keep the cardboard box - it's a nice touch.
Not as nice as the font on the box, but still readable The transparent plastic cap on top of the pump has developed a small crack around the edge over time. Otherwise, the packaging looks visually pleasing to me.
One thing that's a bit annoying is figuring out how much product is left in the container - it's hard to tell because most of the surface is covered up. It's also a bit tricky to estimate by weight, since the initial amount is pretty small.
Despite that, I'd give it five out of five for ease of use.
Long-lasting
Sensory experience
The cream-gel is pretty liquid, thicker than water but still easy to spread on the skin.
It's a light beige color, with a uniform consistency and no visible particles.
Easy to spread, absorbs quickly, pleasant scentI do notice a pretty strong fragrance when I apply the product, but it doesn't linger on my skin - only when I first open the packaging and apply it. The scent isn't reminiscent of any natural ingredient, but I find it pleasant.
It absorbs quickly, and at first, it seems like the product is only having a positive effect because my skin looks more healthy:
Before and after 5 minutes of application. The initial result is pleasing
However, the cream doesn't leave a residue, sits smoothly on the skin, and so on. But I didn't like using it as a base for other cosmetics because, unfortunately, my skin under the eyes starts to look like this throughout the day:
The moisturizing effect is clearly lacking, despite the presence of hyaluronic acid and vitamin E in the formula. For me, this is a pretty alarming picture, given that my skin under my eyes is thin and dry, and it's definitely not getting enough moisture from this product.
If you apply a layer of makeup on top, it looks even worse.
How to use it / tips for better results
Icon Skin offers two application options:
Icon Skin Eyes Yoga Anti-Puff Cream Gel As you can see, both methods require using another product on top (apparently to address potential dryness issues, like mine).
I've tried both methods, but I've been using the morning routine more often, since dealing with puffiness is a major concern for me.
I never had to wipe off any remaining cream, as it absorbs really well – I'm not sure how much you're supposed to apply, though.
When fighting puffiness, I also like to gently massage the cream into my skin with a patting motion after application, to stimulate blood flow and improve absorption.
Instead of using another moisturizer, I'd apply some simple patches about 20 minutes later, which helped address the dryness issue.
I have to admit, I wasn't a huge fan of using this gel at night, mainly because all its key benefits like antioxidant protection and improved microcirculation are most relevant in the morning and during the day, not at night. But for those who don't have time to wait 15 minutes in the morning to apply another cream, night time is the only option left.
Using the product once a day, this small 15ml bottle lasted me almost two months. I'm still unsure if that's good value for money.
Results, puffiness
As for the results on puffiness, I can assess them on the first day of use, but I find them a bit questionable.
I often wake up with puffy eyes, but by lunchtime, they've usually gone.
With this product, it seems like they're reducing a bit faster, but not immediately, not in those 15 minutes after applying the cream.
It takes around two hours to see a noticeable difference:
This is the feature that bothers me the most, although puffiness manifests in other ways tooThis product doesn't seem to reduce the frequency of puffiness at all, so it still appears frequently.
Therefore, I consider the results on puffiness to be weak.
Results, dark circles and wrinkles
As for the results on dark circles and wrinkles, they're not immediate – I only started noticing them after a month of use.
From my perspective, dark circles, which are most pronounced around the inner corner of my eyes, have become less noticeable:
A month in: before and afterAnd if I take a closer look, it's like the situation with wrinkles has actually gotten better:
A month in: before and afterI got pretty excited about these results and started using the cream even twice a day for a while, but unfortunately, the situation, while still improving, was doing so at a much slower pace.
The lowdown and who it's for
Let's break down the good and the bad:
+ the packaging is super convenient and feels nice to use
- the price and size are a bit off-putting
+/- the results on puffiness are a bit hit-or-miss, and there's no long-term effect
+ the anti-aging effect is pretty solid - it's helped reduce wrinkles, firm up my skin, and even out my complexion
Overall, I'm not gonna lie, this cream is pretty decent, and it's definitely worth checking out. It didn't do much for puffiness, but it did give me a nice anti-aging boost.
Would I buy it again? Maybe, if it gave me a bit more moisture, but as it stands, I'm not so sure. I just don't get why, with its hyaluronic acid formula, I'm not seeing better results.
That's all for today, friends
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