Future Icon: This €11.99 eye cream is among the best I’ve ever tried

Spending lots of money on your eye cream isn’t as important as following the golden rules of eye cream. This budget one proves that correct eye cream use trumps price every time…

A very wise person told me when I was 18 that if I didn’t start using eye cream right then at that age, before crows feet were even something that crossed my mind, that I would regret it later. It was a gentle but ominous threat, and so I heeded the advice and bought my first ever eye cream. Because at that age I hadn’t a bogs about skincare, I went into Boots and grabbed the cheapest one – A Simple one, if I remember correctly.

Two hundred years later, here I am, about to turn 31 and I have fewer wrinkles around my eyes than I know I deserve. Since that first Simple purchase, I’ve tried what must be close to a hundred-odd eye creams throughout the course of my beauty journalism career. But what I’ve discovered is this: Once you’re using it correctly, and it’s not completely terrible, you don’t need to spend big money on eye cream.

How to use eye cream correctly

1. Apply a pea size amount onto your ring finger
2. Gently tap or lightly massage it onto your ocular bone (eye socket)
3. Don’t push the product too close to the eye
4. Don’t drag or rub your skin in that area, ever
5. Give it five minutes to settle in before disturbing it with make-up or other product

The budget one I love

There are precious few skincare products for €12 that really compete with high end ones. CeraVe are a brand that launched into Ireland last year and have made a massive impact since, and their Eye Repair Cream, €11.99, is just one of the products from the brand that have taken up a permanent position on my skincare shelf.

It contains three kinds of ceramides (CeraVe are all about the ceramides, hence the name) as well as hyaluronic acid and niacinamide. It has a lightweight texture, so doesn’t overload the delicate skin, but still feels creamy enough to nourish the eye area. I am funny about having an eye cream that smells particularly good, because to me, artificial scent in skincare means irritation or reaction, so I was delighted when I first tried this that it didn’t have a strong smell at all.

CeraVe Eye Repair Cream, €11.99

The best of the rest

There are, of course, lots of eye creams on the market that are pleasant to use and contain nourishing and anti-aging preventative ingredients. Here are three more I really rate, should you wish to let your budget can stretch a little further.

1. Clarins Multi-Active Yeux, €42
2. Chanel Hydra Beauty Micro Gel Yeux, €59
3. Vichy Idealia Yeux Anti-fatigue Eye Care, €24.99