This New Eye Cream Is So Good, It Stopped Me From Getting Botox

Despite being a beauty editor with years worth of product knowledge in my locker, I still haven't mastered the art of looking wide-awake and well-rested 24-7. Waking up with puffy, purple-rimmed eyes is my norm. It’s a cruel irony. You'd best believe I sleep. I sleep well, in fact, often clocking up to nine hours a night. Cry me a river, right? Yet, no matter my (admittedly jammy) snoozing habits, that fresh and bright-eyed look continued to elude me until fairly recently.

My family isn't exactly blessed in the under-eye-department (apologies, Martin clan) so I’m partial to a quick fix. I’ll wax lyrical about Nars concealer, but I’ve never properly committed to an eye cream. I didn’t see the point. Sure, I’d tap on something soothing for two days at a time and maybe marvel at some slight improvement before forgetting about it completely, but where was the instant gratification? Rookie mistake.

While eye bags can be a genetic thing, you’d be making a mistake to assume that nothing can be done to counteract dark circles and tone down puffiness. It’s sensible to start using a good eye cream to temper those crepey lines - my latest cross to bear. I’m in my 30s and I know aging is to be celebrated, but that doesn't stop me from scanning skincare labels for words like 'smoothing' and 'tightening'.

After one particularly jarring look in the mirror (the morning after a boozy Italian meal, for context) I told an industry friend I was considering a dose of Botox. ‘I just need a wee something,’ I moaned, 'my eyes are always dark and puffy, and these new fine lines really emphasise the tiredness.’

‘Have you tried Caroline Hirons new eye cream?' she came back, lashes framing her own perfectly bright, smooth, hydrated (the list goes on) eye area. 'Honestly, it’s a game changer and I’ve genuinely seen such an improvement.’

With the proof quite literally staring me in the face I decided to give it a whirl. Enter Skin Rocks The Eye Cream, £65, which I’ve been testing for the past nine weeks - a record for me and my eye-cream commitment issues.

What does Skin Rocks The Eye Cream do?

Spoiler alert: it doesn’t fix genetically-earned eye bags. But it doesn’t proclaim to either. What Skin Rocks The Eye Cream does do, however, is improve the appearance of puffiness, fine lines, and wrinkles thanks to a clever cocktail of active ingredients. These ingredients work to strengthen the skin barrier. And beauty buffs know all too well the importance of a strengthened skin barrier, especially where the delicate eye area is concerned. Support you skin barrier and you'll find your skin becomes better at retaining moisture and less easily irritated. This eye cream, in my experience, really does work to ‘visibly lift and brighten tired eyes.’

Shop: Skin Rocks The Eye Cream

What ingredients are inside Skin Rocks The Eye Cream?

At a glance:

Tripeptide and Microalgae Powered Blend – Helps provide a multi-targeted approach, that moisturises while smoothing and improving skin texture around the eye area.

Winter Cherry and Cucumber Seed Blend – Helps to support skin barrier function while reducing both the appearance and depth of fine lines and wrinkles.

Persian Silk Tree Bark Extract – Helps to protect and strengthen skin around the eye area, while also helping to defend against fine lines, wrinkles and signs of fatigue.

Diamond Powder – Helps to illuminate and brighten the eye contour area

How to use Skin Rocks The Eye Cream

You can use Skin Rocks The Eye Cream twice daily on freshly cleansed skin. The brand advises taking a small amount on the tips of the fingers, before gently gliding it around the orbital bone. A little goes a long way - there’s no need to apply a thick layer.

How we tested it

I’ve been testing the Skin Rocks The Eye Cream morning and evening for the past nine weeks. Although I’d typically wait at least three months before reviewing a skincare product, in this case I’m inclined to share my thoughts sooner - I saw results within three days. You read correctly. Three. Days.

Our review

Rachael Martin beauty editor says:

'I began by applying this on freshly cleansed skin morning and evening - I'm entering my tenth week at the time of writing. Less is definitely more in terms of application - this eye cream errs on the richer side with the texture feeling velvety and almost balm like. That said, it does sink in beautifully. The morning after the first day of application I’ll admit I expected to wake up bright-eyed and beautiful. Unsurprisingly, that did not happen. But surprisingly it did happen after three days. Such speedy results are a total rarity where skincare is concerned. My under eye area appeared brighter and my usually puffy lids seemed calmer, too.  And with consistent use, these benefits have only become more apparent. Now, when I tap the product around my orbital bone I can really appreciate the improvement of the tone and texture. And those fine lines that almost had me spending my lunch hour on Harley street? They’re still there, granted, but they’re softer and blurred out - something I really noticed at around the five week mark. While it’s fair to say it’s not a miracle worker (there’s only so much an eye cream can actually do) the improvement in my confidence has been tenfold. Patience and consistency, it would appear, are key. As is a decent eye cream that delivers. Mastering the art of appearing refreshed and well-rested? Well, now you can consider me a pro...

Rachael Martin is Grazia’s beauty editor where she covers all things beauty, health and wellness