How much is too much to spend on eye cream?
I know the answer to this question because I just spent it. I can't quite bring myself to tell you what I bought or how much I paid for it. Suffice to say it is the most I have ever paid for a beauty product and, since I was once a beauty editor and got year's worth of products for free, may possibly have been more than I would have spent over several years. IN ONE HIT.
Maybe because I no longer walk among fashionable people every day so have stopped spending money on clothes. Maybe because I'm getting older and I have to take better care of my skin. Maybe because since I started thinking about "face vs ass", I realised I should probably invest a bit more into my face. Preventatively.
So anyway. I go to the counter, pick the product I want and hand over my credit card. Sign the slip with a shaky hand and remind myself 'at least you're not a crack head, that would be more expensive and also totally bad for your skin – lose-lose.
The scary lady behind counter (there were 2 actually – both of a certain age, one
with awful fake fingernails and the other with scary brows that looked
like rectangles) – anyway, one of them came over and said “Do you know
how to apply it?” and when I looked vague (um, duh, with my FINGER?), she launched into long
complex explanation and then said “You must come to our seminar on January 7 where
we have a whole night with videos on how to apply the products” and I
said “Um, no?” and she looked at me and said ‘Why not? and when I temporarily lost the power of speech and looked at her open-mouthed, she said
‘well, you must come on March 1st then, we’re having another one.”
Oh sure. Let me just diarise an evening NEXT YEAR to come and learn how to put cream under my eye. That would be neat.
I ran away with my cream that could send the economy into deficit but was so flustered by whole Expensive Eye Cream Experience
that I lost my car in the parking station. Damn you Westfield. Again.
Took me 50 minutes to find it.
Thought may have to live in car park for a few days and would be forced
to eat eye cream. It would want to double as sustenance for that price.
Overall result: poor and traumatised.
As soon as I got home, I emailed my beauty editor friend: "Do I need to
go to a seminar to learn how to apply my Embarassingly Expensive eye cream? Unless I have
to apply it with my tongue or, say, my big toe, I’m thinking I can
probably manage, yes?"
She replied immediately and for free: "How to apply it: Use the
silver ball on the stock – it's called an orb – and massage it in, sweeping back and forth along
orbital bone. Easy. The orb helps with puffiness and dark
circles. Feels lovely and cooling. No seminar required."
Super. Now I just need to find out what my orbital bone is……
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Just saw this post – have to comment. At a danger of sounding like an irritating know-it-all, everyone MUST convert to reading Paula Begoun’s ‘beautypedia’ website. She reviews the content and technology of each and every product and explains what will work and what not. It is a true eye-opener.
Personally, I have started to use Skinceuticals’ Retinol 0.5 at her recommendation, and it’s gotta be one of the few products that actually do make your skin look younger. It is also scientifically proven – they have done lots of research, and retinol or rather Retin A (end product of retinol) have the power to renew the skin and decrease wrinkles.
I buy everything off Strawberrynet, and pay half of what it would cost retail in Australia.
Well, for me I don’t need to spend a lots of money just for my eye. Maybe a little bit. Anyway, I enjoyed reading this post. Thanks for sharing.
-krisha-
Ah Mia, just saw the sidebar – The New Black!! That was the name of the book – loved it!!
Hey Mia just wanted to let you know you are gorgeous! Have read your columns for years and your book (sorry name of which escapes me at this late hour but I did enjoy!) Anyway onto the subject of the day. Have used both inexpensive and expensive creams and have noticed little difference really in any of them but at 51 the lines around my eyes aren’t too bad. The secret I feel for me anyway is to pat the cream around the eyes and to never “drag” the skin around the eye are when removing makeup. I have been doing this since my teens (advice from a Dolly magazine would you believe!)Also take all your makeup off every night and apply whatever eye cream suits you. At the moment I am using an Avon one (more expensive end of their market) and am quite happy with it. Not greasy and doesn’t “sting” eyes and plumps up lines around eyes. Cheers!
PS Always use sunscreen too – Megan Gale Invisible Zinc is the one I’m using. Not sure if it is still available though or is it Elle promoting it?? Anyway it’s good and I’ve tried them all.
I kid you not Gig … I don’t recall ever posting anything anti botox – I may have said that someone has had too much. BUT I swear on the life of my 17 year old child, that I have botox every 3 months without fail, and will happily share the name and number of my injector, I have referred alot of people to her – she is amazing – you don’t have to look frozen – you can get it done so your face still moves a bit !!
The best things for the best skin you can possibly have is:
Healthy diet
Antioxidant supplements
A hat/shade/non-chemical sunscreen
Sleep
Water
Roship oil
Laughter
I work in the skin care industry and trust me, anything over $30 is just hype, or is something that will only work temporarily while you are using it. Rosehip oil is the only thing I have found that truely had made a prolonged difference. I am only 32 but from experience I can safetly say I would never fork out for any “anti-aging” skin care. I’d spend it on bags, shoes, and good wine instead.
A smile and raucous laughter makes anyone look fabulous, darling!
Eye creams are not up there for me in terms of financial priorities, in fact, I don’t think i have ever bought one.
I view eye cream similiarly to tarot reading… I don’t mind spending $30 for a bit of fun/something not real- but don’t have high expectations that they are going to dramatically change my life. If i have enjoyed myself, feel more positive about things and/or myself for a bit than it was worth it and I can quite easily justify to myself the money was well spent.
I think women traditionally spend/prioritise their money on everyone else first. If you have the money and it makes you feel special (regardless of whether it honestly works) than it’s worth it! WE DESERVE TO SPOIL OURSELVES every now and then and anything that makes us FEEL more confident, happy, positive, ready to take on the world is good.
Even if I had the money to buy very exclusive eye cream (which I don’t) I don’t think I could justify this one, because deep down i know it doesn’t work and that nothing will reverse the aging process. That’s ok with me, If i have ’spare’money to ’spoil myself’ rather than my family – I spend on things that feel like a little treat like; geting a massage, get my hair done, go to the movies, by a new book, get away for the weekend to the beach etc etc.
Having said that – I was given a mini pack of dermalogica this year and of all the bits and bobs I have semi-regularly slapped on my face, this was the best I have used. I might consider putting it on my Chrissie list, but not at the expense of getting a new pair of birkies…
Thank goodness, Makaleka, there’s finally someone on this blog who is older than I am…as the kids say, you rock!
Mia, now 66, I have used eye cremes nightly, almost without fail, since I was 26 when I worked for Revlon and used Eterna 27 – used it for years and years because it didn’t sting my somewhat sensitive eyelids. Then Nutrimetics Avocado Eye Creme for many more years. Now that I only work part-time I don’t have full makeup on every day, but always have moisturiser on my eyelids and around my eyes (before the essential eyeliner and mascara go on!). I’ll bet you that I have fewer wrinkles in the eye area than almost any woman over 50 that you meet.
Vanity, thy name is woman .. it’s also called preventive maintenance. Go, girl!
I don’t read posts or comments about this stuff, I really don’t, I don’t, I was just walking past the computer and somehow the ads or the internet randomly chose Mia’s blog, and this post. Perhaps it’s a Google thing.
But one comment caught my eagle eye. RealSydney I think you jest, you non-Botoxian you, I bet you are possibly 39, do indeed look 28, but heck no, from your previous comments, ain’t no way you are a botox baby…
Please don’t waste your money on expensive eye cream ladies. A fabulous product my mother discovered at her local health food store is called Miracell. She bought my sisters and I one each to try and we couldn’t believe how good our skin looked. It is an oil so only use at night all over your face.
My boyfriend’s mum has a tub of La Mer cream in the bathroom cabinet. A few months ago I was staying over and after showering realised I forgot to bring moisturiser, so I searched the bathroom for one that didn’t specify it was anti-ageing and found La Mer. I had no idea what it was at the time but thought it felt kind of nice on.
So I used it. And the next time I was there sans moisturiser, I used it again.
And then one day I was in the beauty department of David Jones and saw La Mer sitting behind some heavily locked glass cabinet. On special. For, you know, only a few hundred dollars. Oh shit.
you should use zinc! like the amazing kate miller heidke!
If I could afford to buy the most expensive eye cream out there… I would do it now! Eyes are the most important part of your face. As it is I just use rosehip oil at the moment as some others have been saying. But I don’t think it does any wonders for me. I’m not sure if it does anything actually. I would like to try the almond oil though. Thanks Temmy! I’ll have to wait till I get back to OZ though cos its much harder to buy natural oils etc elsewhere.
I’m loving Payot the moment – super hydrating … but I’m also loving botox … get with the program ladies … I’m 39 and people usually guess me as late 20’s.
And on the topic of Nicole admitting it i’m in two minds really – not sure if she is obligated to tell anyone … when people guess my age as say 28 and they’re stunned when I say I’m 39 – I tell them it’s due to botox and they usually say something like “why do you admit it? – just accept the compliment”
I cannot believe it, I have zero interest in make-up and skincare (I am lazy and my skin reacts to everything, the more things I use the more zits I have) so all I use is water and Almond Oil. But I am stoked, cause Temmy the ex beauty thingy uses that too. Who knew that my disinterest was so on the money!
My mum has alway used Lancome and swears by it, so I will be interested to see if my skin is the same as hers when I am 64, its a long term experiment.
Cath, You so have to get yourself a bottle of Moet. It’s worth every cent. I won’t drink anything else. But then I rarely drink.
I use oil of olay on my face. My granny and aunty used it for years and they had lovely skin.
$30 a pop, I can get it at the supermarket, buy a bottle of Moet and get change from $100.
Happy days.
I swear by 100% rosehip oil. It is seriously amazing. I massage it in after a cetaphil cleanse before bed every night, and my skin glows in the morning. Sometimes if I am hungover or dehydrated I put some on in the morning as well… A girlfriend of mine (in her late 30’s) told me about it and she has the most gorgeoous skin I have ever seen.
good on you mia thats stimulating the economy for you! or like tara suggested you could just wear sunscreen like nicole!
about all the nicole bashing stuff the worst thing is not that she denies it but that it OBVIOUSLY effects her work. i for one am NOT going to see australia just to sit in agony for three hours trying to ignore the fact that nicoles botox is so tight its painful and she can’t make expressions at all. i feel very sorry for her!
However the difference is that Mia admits her transaction and even takes the mickey out of it.
Nicole just pretends she is blessed with good genes and only uses sunblock…not really the same thing!
Mia, maybe Nicole Kidman had the same transaction as you except hers was at a botox place. Aren’t you both just trying to achieve the same thing??? So why be so harsh and judgemental of her??
Hi Mia
Okay I am like you. A SUCKER. I am not going to recommend using sorbelene etc. I am a junkie for this expensive crap too.
I have been there. Shaking with the credit card. However, what I want to know is. DOES IT WORK! Please come back to us with the answer. We know it’s LA MER.
If you’re still unsure how to apply it just google LA MER eye creme. There was a model doing a tutorial with the silver orb device. The orbital bone is the hard bony bit found just under the bags under your eyes.
Biotherm, $85. so good, I’m only 25 but I’m starting prevention now! I made the decision and I choose FACE.
I think if you can get away with using Supermarket or cheaper brands then that is great.
I spend a hideous amount on skin care…probably more than you Mia!
I’m addicted to how good my skin looks using SK-II…though I don’t know if I’m addicted to how my skin looks or how the brand makes me feel…
And I totally agree with you Temmy…i find that I don’t spend as much money on make up because I don’t need it as much.
Though when I spend $180 on a moisturiser I’m not sure I can effectively apply “cost-saving” principles to the exercise
Oh, look I’m as guilty as the next woman of getting addicted to the ritual of handing over your credit card at the beauty counter, looking to the sky and repeating to yourself “I believe”, but any dermatologist worth their salt will tell you that eye creams are entirely redundant – we don’t need them (toners either, for that matter). I use normal moisturiser for my eyes (and yes, I carefully apply it – that contributes to the damage apparently, the pulling).
That said, it’s amazing how much more you can justify spending on a ‘good moisturiser’ after learning that …
I used Clinique DDML for more than 20 years and used to wash my face with Blackmores Marshmallow soap, but unfortunately, Blackmores decided to stop producing it, so I was forced to find an alternative, so I turned to SKII and have never looked back. I use their foaming cleanser and moisturiser as well as their eye gel and night cream. Gorgeous, and I’ve got compliments for the way my skin looks. I don’t know if expensive creams and gels do anything other than make us feel better about ourselves, but I figure if I feel better about using something, then I’ll continue using it.
A friend of mine uses sorbelene on her face. I tried it once and hated the way it made my skin feel…almost like it had a coating of something on it.
Having said that, I mix olive oil and a hand cream together for my hands and elbows.
Temmy, thanks for the tip about Almond Oil. I’ll give it a go when I want to try an alternative to SKII for a week or so
Ahhhhh this post was for me. I have spent years as a Beauty Editor and am a skincare junkie.
My advice is to treat your skin with kindness and yes splurge if you have to and buy the cheapest makeup. The better your skin the less makeup you need anyway. Although I must say I am a sucker for all things Jane Iredale and ID Bare Minerals.
The best.skincare.in.the.world.ever that I have tried – which is pretty much them all is Environ. For a makeup remover I use Almond Oil – gentle and hydrating as opposed to makeup removers which are chocca with alcohol. Yuk.
I have heard from someone who should know that Nivea cream is good, but can encourage hair growth on your face, so watch that if you use it.
Almond Oil and Olive Oil – even Rice Bran are all wonderful moisturisers that leave your skin like silk. I have tried La Mer and EA Prevage. Meh… thought they were both fairly average.
Mia, apparently all you need for wrinkle free skin with youthful padding (lips included) is sun-block
Hah! This is interesting, and right up my alley. I’m of an age where it’s all a downhill slide from now on, so I’m fighting ageing with everything I can afford. So I was surprised and delighted to read in my lovely Rae Morris make up book (she’s the very famous pro make up artist, and an Aussie to boot)… that those horrendously expensive creams are more about the placebo and feel-good effects (sorry Mia!!) and you might just as well use Nivea. Because it’s a good quality, tried and true brand. So guess what I use? Yep. Nivea. They make nice eye creams that don’t make my eyes water/smart (like some brands); they don’t require forking out the national debt of a small African country, and they seem to work just as well as anything else I’ve tried. They also make products for younger and “mature” skin.
I’ve tried some of the more expensive creams, but found them less effective, or at least no MORE effective, so from now on, I’m sticking with Nivea.
And no, I don’t work for the company!
They also make a nice high SPF cream for face and decolletage that is not heavy, sticky or greasy, and is very inexpensive. Called Face Veil.
Zinc is great to take too, i started taking 1 tablet (equiv to 22mg) before bed about 3 months ago, my hair, skin, and nails have never looked better.
I was told all moisturisers were 85% sorbelene?? If that’s true we are getting ripped of royally because you can buy 1 litre of sorbelene for $10!!
Other than the (apparently mandatory) Make Up Bitch Encounter, I’d love to be able to waltz in and buy some La Mer, or some SKII, so I could look all ethereal and Blanchett like. It’s possibly no more effective than anything in the $20 – $40 range, but I’d just like to find out for myself. I’d never be able to throw the jar away, though. Just like the ‘Moet’ champagne bottle I’d really like to be able to bring myself to buy for a special occasion!
Maybe buying top of the range product is just something every woman has to do – even if it’s just once. This friend of mine recently tried a sample of some very expensive eye cream, and was really miffed that no-one noticed ‘the difference’ in her appearance – including me, (luckily, her husband was way more in the dog house than me!). So I told her she did look ‘very radiant’, but I hadn’t been able to ‘put my finger on why’. Honesty is overrated in such a situation. But I guess it shows that no-one really notices your perceived flaws but yourself, really. I always think she looks good.
Another way if it doesn’t come with an applicator is with your ring finger because its the weakest of all your fingers. Pat just on the top of your cheekbone. Not ON your eye.
Any my eye creme threshold? $100. FOR REAL.
(C’mon tell us. Whisper it in our ears, we won;t tell!)
Mia, you of all people should know, you don’t need expensive eye cream. Good sunscreen/moisturiser (I’m a convert to invisible zinc with my horribly reactive skin) good diet, lot’s of water and a hat and sunglasses.