As a beauty editor, one of the questions that I get asked the most is "which is the best eye cream?", but more specifically "what's the best eye cream for dark circles?" Friends and family, it seems, are constantly in search of a product to brighten the eye area and disguise those bags. I always recommend a few, but the one that's always on the list is Origins Ginzing Brightening Eye Cream.
This eye cream has long been a cult product in the industry thanks to its dark circle tackling skills. The formula includes brightening vitamin C, niacinamide that helps with pigmentation and caffeine to help reduce puffiness. The other clever thing about it is that it's slightly tinted so further illuminates. The brand has really recently added a warmer version, so there are now two shades to choose from depending on your own skin tone.
The trouble is, it isn't the cheapest eye cream on the market. If you want to know a little more about its efficacy before making a purchase, keep reading, because I enlisted the help of three beauty experts to put the eye cream to the test.
Here are their honest thoughts...
Jeanette Nkwate, freelance beauty writer
"When I first opened the pot, I have to admit I was slightly alarmed by the colour: it was a warm taupe colour, which was described on the packaging as ‘warm’. As I gently dabbed the cream to my eye area, I was worried that the warm shade would still be too light, however, I was pleasantly surprised that the cream blended in nicely and disappeared.
Although I was sceptical about the claims of the cream depuffing and smoothing, I did find that the cream did instantly uplift my eye area, hydrating the skin and making some lines smoother. But I found the result to be a relative improvement rather than a miracle fix, because while I looked slightly more radiant, I still had a little darkness under the eye.
I continued to use the eye cream in the morning for a week to see if the cream would continue to make a difference. I found that the cream continued to make my under eyes look brighter (like I had put on a touch of concealer) and when I applied my makeup it made my under eye area look much smoother."
Lucy Partington, freelance beauty journalist
"Everything about this eye cream is so well thought out: I love that it’s tinted (and available in two shades) which works to legitimately cover dark circles – as we all know, it’s near on impossible to get rid of them without resorting to injectables, so being able to neutralise the colour with skincare is an easy and effective option that works.
I applied it with my little finger (although be warned, the pot isn’t long nail friendly) and dabbed it underneath my eye, gently working it in until it had just about blended with my skin. The immediate difference is incredible, and the fact the formula has a subtle luminosity to it helps to brighten the area too, making me look like I’m much more awake than I feel. As well as the immediate benefits, it’s formulated with vitamin C and niacinamide so I know that with continued use it should have an overall positive impact on my eyes.
I really like how hydrating it is, too, and that it sits well underneath my foundation – the only thing is that I just had to make sure I didn’t apply foundation too vigorously over the top as I found it was prone to going patchy if I wasn’t careful."
Zeynab Mohamed, content creator and writer
"I’m on team "no eye cream", they’re often too heavy for my under eye skin, and I end up with milia. However, this one could be the one to sway me. I’ve been using the Origins one, while away on holiday, and between the jet lag and tiredness, my eyes have been giving the Origins eye cream a run for its money.
Personally, I really enjoy the fact that it has a luminous finish, good for detracting from the dark circles on top of the added Vitamin C & Niacinamide which work to combat the visibility of dark circles. My dark circles were definitely strong and the slight tint worked to neutralise the dark shadows, creating a neutral base for my concealer. In that way, the results were you could say instant but didn’t get rid of my dark circles.
It’s also on thinner side and absorbs into the skin well, and I haven’t had any milia pop up, which is my biggest concern when choosing an eye cream. The fact that I have continued to use it, almost daily is a very good sign and definitely one I will use as part of my everyday skincare routine."
