Ive written before about my ongoing struggle with undereye cirlces and the many, many products I use to mask, brighten and correct them. But Id never really found an eye cream that I felt did much in that department – that is, until I encountered Ole Henriksens Banana Bright Eye Crème during a recent press trip with the brand.
Dont let the name fool you: It does not, as I had initially feared, smell like bananas. The scent is actually more in the citrus-y Creamsicle realm; thats because the “banana” in the name isnt referring to an aroma, or even a fruit-based ingredient, but rather the effect it has.
Like banana powder, the longtime makeup artist favorite for color-correcting, this cream instantly tamps down bluish tones, illuminating the undereye area before your concealer even goes on.
It also contains vitamin C to help brighten skin with repeated use over time, so youre both correcting that shadow-y effect immediately and lessening its intensity in the long-term. The base is a blend of jojoba oil and shea butter, so the cream is super-hydrating and silky – but not so rich that it will leave you with milia (those tiny, annoying bumps that can crop up when you OD on heavy ingredients near the eye area). Theres also vegetable-derived collagen in the formula to bolster skins bounciness and soften fine lines over time.
While the product can be used overnight, I favor it during the daytime for its aforementioned illuminating properties, and also because it creates a perfectly smooth, hydrated canvas for my concealer (which, in turn, allows me to use less concealer, because things are already looking a little less haggard). The eye cream is also a face-saver for those days when I forgo makeup altogether. Im not alone in my affinity for this stuff: Itsracked up more than 1,400 reviews on Sephoras website, with an average ranking of 4. 4 stars (out of five).
Ole Henriksen Banana Bright Eye Crème, $38, available here.
