Best eye creams for brightening and lifting, tested by a mature skin expert

I’ve tested the best formulas to depuff, brighten and smooth fine lines Caroline Brien/The Standard While some might think that eye creams, serums, and masks are simply a way for skincare companies to make you part with more money, there are physiological reasons why your regular moisturiser just doesn’t cut it. This very specific facial area requires a more considered approach. “The skin around the eyes is the thinnest on the body, with fewer oil glands and less collagen than the rest of the face,” says Dr Ahmed El Muntasar, GP and founder of The Aesthetics Doctor clinic in Mayfair. “It’s more prone to dehydration, fine lines and irritation, so dedicated eye creams are often formulated with ingredients and textures that are better suited to this area. They also tend to be ophthalmologically tested, making them less likely to sting or cause irritation.”Best eye creams at a glanceBest overall – SkinSense Advanced Lifting Concentrate: £44, Debenhams.comBest budget buy – Q&A Vitamin C eye cream: £8.50, Amazon.co.ukBest for sagging eyelids – Murad Retinal ReSculpt Eye Treatment: £92, Murad.co.ukBest for severe dark circles – RoC Derm Correxion Eye Repair Cream: £24, Amazon.co.ukBest for instant luminosity – Lancôme Regenerie Yeux: £66, Lookfantastic.comGiven that dark circles and wrinkled, sagging skin are the most visible signs of ageing under the eyes. As such, it will come as no surprise that lifting and brightening are the most searched-for benefits when it comes to eye creams. Results, then, need to be targeted too, and thankfully there are plenty of brilliantly effective formulas to choose from.What makes the skin around the eye area dull?“There are several reasons why the eye area can lose brightness,” explains Dr Ahmed, “and it’s usually a combination of factors rather than one single cause. Pigmentation, thinning skin, dehydration, poor sleep, allergies and genetics can all contribute. As we age, collagen and fat beneath the eyes gradually diminish, making blood vessels and shadows more visible. UV exposure, smoking and chronic stress can accelerate these changes, leaving the eyes looking tired even when you’re well rested.”What makes the skin around the eyes start to sag or lose firmness?“Collagen and elastin naturally decline with age, reducing the skin’s ability to stay firm and resilient,” Dr Ahmed adds. “The eye area is particularly vulnerable because the skin is already very thin and constantly moving every time we blink, smile or squint. Sun exposure is one of the biggest external contributors, as UV radiation accelerates collagen breakdown. Genetics, smoking and poor sleep play a role too.”How can eye creams help?Match your main concern to the formula and its beneficial actives. “Hydrating ingredients can make the area look smoother within a few days by plumping skin and softening fine lines,” advises Dr Ahmed. “Ingredients such as caffeine may also temporarily reduce puffiness quite quickly. However, if you’re trying to improve pigmentation, wrinkles or loss of firmness, you need to be patient. Ingredients that stimulate firming collagen production, such as retinal and peptides, typically take eight to twelve weeks before you see meaningful improvements. That said, it’s important to remember that eye creams have their limits.” Also remember consistency is key – you need to apply your eye care around the orbital bone AM and PM, using your ring fingers as they have the lightest pressure.How I testedCaroline Brien/The StandardHaving road-tested and reviewed skincare for over 20 years, there are some eye care formulas I already rate highly: they’ve all worked on my dark shadows and lack of firmness in the past. For more recent arrivals, I tested one on each eye for a month – seeing results requires patience. I applied them morning and night unless instructed, gently tapping in with my ring fingers to avoid dragging the skin, starting below the lash line, then up around the orbital bone. Always use after other creams and serums too, so your eye care isn’t rubbed away.SkinSense Advanced Lifting ConcentrateCaroline Brien/The Standard ★★★★★Best: Overall anti-ageingWhat we love: Tackles skin tone and texture, refreshing feel, good valueTake note: Runny, so get it from fingertips to face quicklyIf brightening and lifting are the combined aim – they are for me – then this concentrate is an all-round hero. It has a very light, fluid texture but still packs a serious punch as it uses lamellar technology. This means active ingredients are organised in fine layers and mimic the skin’s own lipids, so they are easily delivered where needed. These include a peptide that targets inflammation and darkness, liquorice extract to protect against pigmentation patches, plus jasmine and hawthorn extracts to give skin a gentle lift.You’ll only need half a pump to cover the entire eye area, and as it absorbed, I could definitely feel and see a subtle tightening effect. Over the month, that kept improving. I also kept my bottle in the fridge during the heatwave for an extra cooling effect. Speaking of the bottle, it’s about double the size of other eye products, and a little goes a long way. So although the price is more premium, this is excellent value for money.Texture: Fluid concentrateSize: 30mlQ&A Vitamin C eye creamThe Standard★★★★★Best: Budget eye creamWhat we love: Protective and corrective, easy to dispense the exact amount, ideal for sensitive eyesTake note: Absorbs quickly, so no time to massageQ&A is my go-to brand when I’m asked for skincare recommendations that work without a hefty price tag. Like the rest of the range, this eye cream really delivers using a well-thought-out blend of natural ingredients, plus I love the playful packaging colours and easy-to-read benefits on the side of the box. Crafted to brighten and hydrate tired-looking under-eyes, it’s packed with collagen-boosting and pigmentation-patching vitamin C to make skin firmer and less shadowy.Although it’s a cream, the texture feels more like a silky balm thanks to the shea butter and glycerine base. I found it slipped over skin easily and sank in fast, plumping and nourishing as I tapped the cream in. Within a few weeks, the fresher, smoother effect on my skin under my eyes started to last. I also loved the nozzle dispenser, as you can squeeze out only what you need without any splodges, plus it's hygienic. The formula is fragrance- and alcohol-free too, so ideal if skin is sensitive.Texture: CreamSize: 15mlMurad Retinal ReSculpt Eye TreatmentMurad ★★★★★Best: Targeting saggy, wrinkled eyelidsWhat we love: Cushion texture, targets hard-to-treat upper lids, lines instantly look smootherTake note: Won’t suit those sensitive to vitamin A derivatives like retinal and retinolFirst, an important note: this eye cream is a PM-only product. It contains retinal, a version of the gold-standard anti-ageing vitamin A, which generally isn’t suitable for use during the day as it can make skin more sensitive to sunlight. That said, Murad has created a formula that balances impressive smoothing and plumping benefits while minimising the chances of irritation.The bouncy texture makes it easy to pick up just a little on your fingertips, gliding over skin feeling lightweight but nourishing. While I could see impressive improvements with lines and wrinkles in the first few weeks, the real wow factor came from being able to use it on upper eyelids. They are particularly prone to crinkling and sagging as we get older, yet notoriously hard to treat without surgery, and most eye creams aren’t suitable for them. While the results take longer and are more subtle, this unique formula makes it worth the wait.Texture: CreamSize: 15mlLancôme Regenerie YeuxLancôme★★★★★Best: Eye cream for instantly brightening dark circlesWhat we love: Pearlescent glow, refreshing feeling, excellent primerTake note: Needs a minute to sink inIf crepiness on the eyelids as well as under the eyes are both an issue, this will benefit both. It has the texture of a thick, creamy gel, and it’s easy to tap your fingertip into the pot and pick up a pea-sized amount. I dotted the gel below my lashes before smoothing it outwards, then up and over, following the crease of the eyes. It slides on using the lightest touch and without dragging the fragile skin there.Although I found it doesn’t absorb immediately, once it does, lines look softer while the iridescent lilac tone works to counteract darkness, leaving skin with a pearly radiance. I also found I could apply undereye concealer afterwards without it creasing or pilling during the day, meaning it’s a brilliant base for make-up. In the evening, I used it on my upper eyelids too (something you should only do if it explicitly says so in the instructions) and could see a soft lifting effect alongside the line and wrinkle-smoothing benefits over the month.Texture: CreamSize: 30mlIpsum Eye Oil BalmThe Standard★★★★★Best: Natural and organic eye creamWhat we love: Clear formula, exceptionally hydrating, and ideal for sensitivityTake note: Oil-based means it’s tricky to apply under-eye concealer afterwardsPacked with natural ingredients and extracts that are gentle on the skin but don’t compromise on results, I love the multitasking benefits of this balm from an Australian range that’s something of a beauty insider secret. It uses retinol-alternative bakuchiol to smooth out wrinkles, squalane to deeply nourish and depuff, plus banksia (a native wildflower) for its brightening and anti-pigmentation qualities.It comes out of the nozzle quite thick, but melts immediately into a satiny oil that’s ideal for taking a moment to massage around the eyes and below the brow for a bit of a lifting effect. The calming lavender and sandalwood scent will encourage that me-time moment too. After a month, the skin around my eyes looked fresher, firmer and decidedly less puffy.Texture: Oil-balmSize: 15gRoC Derm Correxion Eye Repair CreamThe Standard★★★★★Best: Eye cream for dark circlesWhat we love: Instant radiance, cooling applicator, and 360° approachTake note: If you don’t apply enough, the applicator can drag the skinTurns out that there are four shades of dark circles – grey, red, brown and purple-blue. Each has a different cause and treatment, which this smart cream combines to tackle multiple issues at once. It uses cell-renewing retinol on grey darkness; anti-pigmentation niacinamide for brown; calming resveratrol on redness; plus a microcirculation-boosting active called proxygen for purpley-blue shadows.My dark circles skew brown and grey, so this powerhouse cream was ideal for simultaneously working on the dulling dead skin cells and the flecks of pigmentation that make skin tone patchy. After two weeks, I could see brighter, less lined and more even colour under my eyes, so I looked better rested in the morning. The metal applicator gives an extra cooling, depuffing benefit too, especially if you keep it in the fridge overnight.Texture: CreamSize: 15mlDermalogica Smart Eye DensityThe Standard★★★★★Best: For treating hollow under-eyesWhat we love: Specifically targets hollowness, rebuilds thinning skin, and satin finishTake note: Press the pump lightly, or it’ll dispense too muchTackling darkness and shadows caused by hollowness underneath the eyes requires an approach opposite of that for puffy dark circles. These formulas need to inflate rather than deflate, and there aren’t many available. But Dermalogica have created an impressive eye treatment that works to rebuild the volume that’s been lost as collagen and fat deplete with age, making the area sink inwards.It uses growth factors that signal skin cells to reboot, speeding up their turnover to thicken skin and improve density. As well as helping to fill out hollow areas, this lifts and lightens the skin, combined with niacinamide for extra brightening benefits – something I noticed quickly on a hollow-suffering friend I recruited as my tester. She found the tiniest amount to be super-hydrating too, especially for a texture that’s so lightweight. And while it’s going to take longer than a month to see major improvements in rebuilding the under-eye area, the benefits in that short time are encouragement enough to keep going.Texture: Fluid-serumSize: 15mlRéVive Moisturising Renewal Eye CreamThe Standard★★★★☆Best: For intense nourishment and hydrationWhat we love: Comforting texture, instant softening and blurring effect, and gentle enough to use post-procedureTake note: PriceyThis cream has a rich and buttery feel when you dip into it in the pot, but as soon as it meets the warmth of the skin, it melts into a beautifully glossy balm. It’s the kind of cosy, enveloping texture that dry, sun- or wind-chapped and sensitive skin drinks up for comfort that lasts all day. The other instant benefits I noticed were a blurry softening to the look of my fine lines, while dullness also appeared more diffused.The blend of oils creates an illusion of immediate brightness, while a complex of peptides and amino acids works to re-texturise and renew the skin’s surface, so the brightening benefits become long-term. The formula also uses wrinkle-plumping hyaluronic acid and the glucosamine that boosts HA production, as well as helping to prevent the melanin production that causes dark patches. It swings a hefty price tag, but is packed with the kind of ingredients and technology that make a difference to midlife complexions.Texture: CreamSize: 30ml111SKIN Eye Lift Gel NAC Y2The Standard★★★★☆Best: Instant lifting effectWhat we love: Inspired by Harley Street expertise, the application technique boosts resultsTake note: Expensive, tacky for about 10 minutes while dryingIf you aren’t familiar, 111SKIN comes from renowned plastic and reconstructive surgeon Dr Yannis Alexandris and his expertise in theatre. It’s the surgical effects of an eye lift that have provided inspiration for this gel, which tightens skin and blurs imperfections as it dries. Specific application instructions – tap outwards below the lashes, then up and inwards along the brow bone - also help the lifting effect.You can apply twice a day, but I found it most beneficial in the morning to deal with puffiness and any dark circles, thanks to the caffeine shot that improves sluggish blood flow under the eyes. However, the hero ingredient is their signature NAC Y2, which protects skin from environmental ageing while repairing damage already done. While it’s not quite an ‘eye lift in a bottle,’ it certainly makes tired, droopy eyes look more alive and fresher from the first use.Texture: GelSize: 15mlLumene Nordic-C Glow Awakening Eye CreamThe Standard★★★★☆Best: For counteracting signs of tirednessWhat we love: For upper eyelids too; fights multiple signs of fatigueTake note: Might not be moisturising enough if skin is dryFor tackling fatigued-looking eyes – think a combination of dark circles, heaviness and puffiness – this will aim to fix it all. It’s a featherweight fluid, so easy to smooth around the eyes and ideal if you prefer your skincare in a lighter texture or it’s too hot and humid for a richer cream. If you also want a vegan eye cream, this will tick the box, with ingredients adding to the green credentials too.After a quick circle of my under-eye area and orbital bone, I could feel an immediate tightening effect as it went to work on puffiness, while the humectants hyaluronic acid and polyglutamic acid helped soften lines by pulling in moisture. Over a few weeks, I noticed better, lighter tone too, as vitamin C and Arctic Cloudberry started to counteract any dullness. And as the fluid absorbs quickly and leaves a matt finish, I could pop on concealer immediately afterwards in the meantime.Texture: Cream-emulsionSize: 15mlWhat are the best eye creams? If you want the boxes ticked on all your eye area concerns – including the desirable brightening and lifting benefits – then SkinSense Advanced Lifting Concentrate should be your go-to. Despite the fine fluid consistency, the carefully-selected active ingredients and clever delivery system mean you’re getting lift, illumination and a smoother texture from just one bottle. It’s notoriously tricky to formulate products for the upper eyelids that will actually yield results. But Murad has managed to pull it off with Retinal ReSculpt Eye Treatment, a silky, cushiony cream that smooths and lifts below and above lashes, earning its luxury price tag. At the other end of the money scales, Q&A Vitamin C eye cream is a brilliant eye brightener when you’re on a budget (and even if you aren’t). It glides on, plumps lines out fast and soon delivers on the illuminating benefits too.Why trust me?Journalist and author Caroline Brien has been covering her passion for beauty, from cosmetics to spas via skincare, for over 25 years, and a particular passion for fragrance has won her two prestigious Jasmine Awards, which recognise excellence in writing about perfume. In almost a decade contributing to the Standard, Caroline has written on runway trends and new ingredients to must-try treatments and wellness concepts.