Saturday 18 May 2013

Mistine Eye Gel With Cucumber

At the tender age of twenty three, I have already been bombarded with more beauty buys, quick fixes, celebrity staples, ageing essentials and revolutionary miracle products than it is financially possible to afford whilst still having the luxury to buy food and water (for survival and that).

The assault descends upon all senses and in every available medium. Surely I'm not the first to ascertain that half of Vogue consists of advertisements for physical beautification. The domain of beauty has exploded, eclipsing almost all else. In a social and cultural climate that perceives the natural and inevitable aging process as a kind of vampire that drains you of your youthful vitality as you sleep, and worships nubile youth as if Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez were Zeus and Hera, it's no wonder that in the ensuing storm cloud of 'God, I'm past it at 19' panic that women (and an ever increasing number of men) clamour at boutiques and beauty bars for that one god send that will eliminate all existing ageing and safeguard against the ever-looming process.

Most of the anti-aging brigade will be fully aware that the delicate, thin eye skin of the eye area is one of the first to betray the final flush of youth. Every time we smile, frown, or indeed show any expression, we are creasing the eye area. Experts consistently advocate the wearing of sunglasses to prevent squinting in direct, harsh sunlight and the regular application i.e. twice daily, morning and night, of thick moisturisers to hydrate this most vulnerable of areas, preventing the early onset of fine lines and wrinkles.

For any existing under or side eye crinkles, the moisturiser essentially acts as a lagoon over desert sands, penetrating inwards, plumping up and perishing signs of aging. This is usually only a temporary solution in combating the permanence of markings. Creams should be applied lightly, using the baby (pinky) finger so as to exert the least pressure. It goes without saying that skin should never be tugged or pulled, particularly here where the effects are likely to be most visible. After all, unless you lock yourself away in a room all day staring at the wall, you are going to be using your eyes to express yourself and communicate.

Given that I've exposed my skin to five months and counting of excessive sunshine and Miranda Kerr endorses an eye cream or gel as being one of her most essential youth investments, I picked up the titular product at a pharmacy in Koh Phangan, Thailand.

Scent

Frest and intoxicatingly natural, I'd say it encapsulates the love child of aloe vera and cucumber. It has a soothing, balmy scent.

Packaging

A miniscule white pot with a pastel green lid and simple flowing gold lettering. I picked this because it looked natural and simplistically fancy.

Price

Unhelpfully, I cannot recall exactly but I believe it was the equivalent of £6 in Thai baht.

Texture

As a gel it has the appearance of kids TV green gunge. The picture makes it look like a paradise to plunge your fingers into, but the reality is somewhat different. It looks like aloe vera gel with a thicker consistency, almost like a fairy with a massive head cold sneezed into the only available container.

Bang for your buck

The pot may be miserly but the inside looks like Scrooge himself filled it. The product was glooped together inside a quarter of the pot. Disconcerted at the abysmal emptiness before me and questioning if I'd actually inhaled half of it in my excitement at purchasing my first eye gel, I also found the sticky, gunge-like texture hard to apply in a gentle fashion. You either have to tug and try to smooth it on or apply the smallest possible amount known to man and 'leave it' to sink in itself. It looks and smells good but for such a small amount of product it was about as easy to apply as a top hat to a giant with nothing but a step ladder.

Does it work?

Despite the long list of disappointments this product was effective. Cucumber is renowned for it's recuperative properties for the eyes. Once you manage to get the product on, it leaves a refreshing film over the area that you can feel acting as a barrier and replenishing the skin. It feels good on the eyes and the following morning my eyes looked fresher, brighter, more youthful, smooth and relaxed. It has a calming, soothing effect on the skin.

Would I repurchase?

This product may have worked for me HOWEVER the meagre amount and tough application mean that you'd have better and cheaper results applying actual cucumbers to your eyes for twenty minutes or making your own gel using natural ingredients. No - I will not be repurchasing. As a suggestion to the manufacturers, I am not sure whether I just happened upon a poorly prepared pot, but if the consistency and texture of the gel was improved rendering easier application and the pot was filled to the brim (as images suggest it is), this product would be highly recommended.

Does it last?

You only need to use a little bit but the pot provides so little product in the first place that it won't last you long.

 

Overall rating: 3/10

No comments:

Post a Comment