This eye cream got rid of my dark circles in day
s
— Recommendations are independently chosen by Reviewed’s editors. Purchases you make through our links may earn us a commission.
As soon as I hit my 20s, I noticed dark brown circles under my eyes. I attributed it to the typical habits of a college student: staying up late, studying for class, or perhaps a not-so-great diet. (Living with a group of friends on campus can enable these behaviors.) But even after I graduated, moved into my own apartment, and got my nutrition, sleep, and hydration back on track, the circles didn’t budge.
I started to research what causes dark circles and how to get rid of them, or at least make them less noticeable. That’s when I found out that family history, diet, and sleep can all impact the development of dark circles. I also learned that the shadows I was seeing around my eyes can be caused by an excess of pigment in the skin. I wasn’t the only one in my family who saw dark circles at such a relatively young age, so the hereditary option seemed like the most likely possibility.
Even though I couldn’t pinpoint the exact cause, I attempted to address the dark circles because I was tired (no pun intended) of always looking tired. I wore cooling eye masks, I slathered refrigerated eye gel under my eyes, I relied on many layers of concealer, and I even had the dissolvable dermal filler Belotero injected under my eyes to add fullness. While Belotero made the most visible difference, the effects faded fast and didn’t feel worth the money or pain that fillers require.
And, of course, I turned to regular old eye creams. I tried ones that promised to add moisture, reduce wrinkles, and increase brightness, respectively, but didn’t see results. After all of these methods, I was ready to give up and accept that I was destined to have dark circles for the rest of my life. But while browsing Sephora one night, I saw the $39 OleHenriksen Banana Bright Eye Crème, which stood out because of its vibrant orange jar. The cream itself also has an orange tint to it that made me think it may be the color-correcting solution I was after. I decided to give it a try—and I've never looked back.
Related content feature The real reasons behind the dark circles under your eyes feature 10 eye creams to try for banishing dark circles, bags, and fine lines What does the OleHenriksen Banana Bright Eye Crème claim to do? Credit: OleHenriksen
The OleHenriksen Banana Bright Eye Crème contains vitamin C to brighten the under-eyes.
The OleHenriksen Banana Bright Eye Crème promises to target signs of aging by diminishing the appearance of dark under-eye circles. It also claims to boost your concealer's application and wear by acting like a makeup-smoothing primer when it's applied under complexion products. It contains collagen (a protein that provides structure to the skin) to smooth out fine lines and wrinkles and vitamin C to brighten dark circles. The collagen may also plump the thin under-eye skin, which can compensate for the hollowness that makes dark circles look more prominent.
What is it like to use the OleHenriksen Banana Bright Eye Crème? Credit: Reviewed / Ashley Zlatopolsky
The OleHenriksen Banana Bright Eye Crème comes with 0.5 ounces, but a little goes a long way.
The first thing I noticed about OleHenriksen Banana Bright Eye Crème is how thick it is—a little bit of product went a long way. Before applying it, I wash my face to create a clean slate and then pick up a pea-sized amount of product with my ring finger and massage it onto my under-eye and upper lid areas. I mostly use the product at night before bed, so it can sink into my skin while I sleep. (But because of the vitamin C content, it would be a great product to use during the day to help protect the skin from free radicals, along with some sunscreen on top.) I don’t use the cream as a base for makeup despite the instructions suggesting this because it makes my concealer feel heavier.
The cream has a citrus smell, which I enjoy and look forward to using every night. Some Sephora reviewers disagree, though, reporting that the fragrance is too strong. If you have a sensitive nose, you may fall into the latter camp because the smell lingers lightly. The jar might seem small at 0.5 ounces, but I’ve had my current container for more than six months and have over half of the product remaining. The packaging suggests the cream expires after six months, but as long as it does not change in appearance or scent, I plan to use every last drop.
Does the OleHenriksen Banana Bright Eye Crème do what it claims? Credit: Reviewed / Ashley Zlatopolsky
The OleHenriksen Banana Bright Eye Crème smooths wrinkles and fine lines with collagen.
After just the first night, my eyes looked brighter, refreshed, and evened-out in color. In disbelief, I chalked the color-correcting effects up to the cream’s concealer-like tint, but I still noticed an improvement after washing my face and removing the cream. After a solid week of use, my dark circles reduced significantly in color.
Every person's skin is different and results will vary, but I—like thousands of other reviewers—experienced the results that the Banana Bright Eye Crème promised. I felt and saw a boost in hydration and firmness and a reduction in dark circles.
Is the OleHenriksen Banana Bright Eye Crème worth it? Credit: Reviewed / Ashley Zlatopolsky
The OleHenriksen Banana Bright Eye Crème has a thick consistency.
I think the eye cream is worth it because of how drastic my results were for my dark circles—and my skin maintains the brightening effect from this cream as I continue using it. For how long the jar lasts me and the incredible results, it's worth the higher price than, say, some drugstore creams. Instead of turning to painful and (even more) expensive fillers, I’m glad to have a product I can use at home that actually works.
While this banana eye cream worked for me, it may not work for everyone, as the Sephora reviews suggest. Some buyers have reported allergic reactions or ineffective results. The best way to gauge whether a product like this may be right for you is to give it a test run. If you’re purchasing the eye cream at Sephora, you can always ask for a sample before committing to buying a full jar. Still, if you purchase the cream at Sephora or from Sephora.com and don't like it, you can return it by mail or at the store within 30 days for a refund as long as it's only gently used. In any case, this cream is at least worth a try if you’re tired of, well, looking tired!
Get OleHenriksen Banana Bright Eye Crème at Sephora for $39
The product experts at Reviewed have all your shopping needs covered. Follow Reviewed on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest deals, product reviews, and more.
Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.
— Recommendations are independently chosen by Reviewed’s editors. Purchases you make through our links may earn us a commission.
As soon as I hit my 20s, I noticed dark brown circles under my eyes. I attributed it to the typical habits of a college student: staying up late, studying for class, or perhaps a not-so-great diet. (Living with a group of friends on campus can enable these behaviors.) But even after I graduated, moved into my own apartment, and got my nutrition, sleep, and hydration back on track, the circles didn’t budge.
I started to research what causes dark circles and how to get rid of them, or at least make them less noticeable. That’s when I found out that family history, diet, and sleep can all impact the development of dark circles. I also learned that the shadows I was seeing around my eyes can be caused by an excess of pigment in the skin. I wasn’t the only one in my family who saw dark circles at such a relatively young age, so the hereditary option seemed like the most likely possibility.
Even though I couldn’t pinpoint the exact cause, I attempted to address the dark circles because I was tired (no pun intended) of always looking tired. I wore cooling eye masks, I slathered refrigerated eye gel under my eyes, I relied on many layers of concealer, and I even had the dissolvable dermal filler Belotero injected under my eyes to add fullness. While Belotero made the most visible difference, the effects faded fast and didn’t feel worth the money or pain that fillers require.
And, of course, I turned to regular old eye creams. I tried ones that promised to add moisture, reduce wrinkles, and increase brightness, respectively, but didn’t see results. After all of these methods, I was ready to give up and accept that I was destined to have dark circles for the rest of my life. But while browsing Sephora one night, I saw the $39 OleHenriksen Banana Bright Eye Crème, which stood out because of its vibrant orange jar. The cream itself also has an orange tint to it that made me think it may be the color-correcting solution I was after. I decided to give it a try—and I've never looked back.
Related content feature The real reasons behind the dark circles under your eyes feature 10 eye creams to try for banishing dark circles, bags, and fine lines What does the OleHenriksen Banana Bright Eye Crème claim to do? Credit: OleHenriksen
The OleHenriksen Banana Bright Eye Crème contains vitamin C to brighten the under-eyes.
The OleHenriksen Banana Bright Eye Crème promises to target signs of aging by diminishing the appearance of dark under-eye circles. It also claims to boost your concealer's application and wear by acting like a makeup-smoothing primer when it's applied under complexion products. It contains collagen (a protein that provides structure to the skin) to smooth out fine lines and wrinkles and vitamin C to brighten dark circles. The collagen may also plump the thin under-eye skin, which can compensate for the hollowness that makes dark circles look more prominent.
What is it like to use the OleHenriksen Banana Bright Eye Crème? Credit: Reviewed / Ashley Zlatopolsky
The OleHenriksen Banana Bright Eye Crème comes with 0.5 ounces, but a little goes a long way.
The first thing I noticed about OleHenriksen Banana Bright Eye Crème is how thick it is—a little bit of product went a long way. Before applying it, I wash my face to create a clean slate and then pick up a pea-sized amount of product with my ring finger and massage it onto my under-eye and upper lid areas. I mostly use the product at night before bed, so it can sink into my skin while I sleep. (But because of the vitamin C content, it would be a great product to use during the day to help protect the skin from free radicals, along with some sunscreen on top.) I don’t use the cream as a base for makeup despite the instructions suggesting this because it makes my concealer feel heavier.
The cream has a citrus smell, which I enjoy and look forward to using every night. Some Sephora reviewers disagree, though, reporting that the fragrance is too strong. If you have a sensitive nose, you may fall into the latter camp because the smell lingers lightly. The jar might seem small at 0.5 ounces, but I’ve had my current container for more than six months and have over half of the product remaining. The packaging suggests the cream expires after six months, but as long as it does not change in appearance or scent, I plan to use every last drop.
Does the OleHenriksen Banana Bright Eye Crème do what it claims? Credit: Reviewed / Ashley Zlatopolsky
The OleHenriksen Banana Bright Eye Crème smooths wrinkles and fine lines with collagen.
After just the first night, my eyes looked brighter, refreshed, and evened-out in color. In disbelief, I chalked the color-correcting effects up to the cream’s concealer-like tint, but I still noticed an improvement after washing my face and removing the cream. After a solid week of use, my dark circles reduced significantly in color.
Every person's skin is different and results will vary, but I—like thousands of other reviewers—experienced the results that the Banana Bright Eye Crème promised. I felt and saw a boost in hydration and firmness and a reduction in dark circles.
Is the OleHenriksen Banana Bright Eye Crème worth it? Credit: Reviewed / Ashley Zlatopolsky
The OleHenriksen Banana Bright Eye Crème has a thick consistency.
I think the eye cream is worth it because of how drastic my results were for my dark circles—and my skin maintains the brightening effect from this cream as I continue using it. For how long the jar lasts me and the incredible results, it's worth the higher price than, say, some drugstore creams. Instead of turning to painful and (even more) expensive fillers, I’m glad to have a product I can use at home that actually works.
While this banana eye cream worked for me, it may not work for everyone, as the Sephora reviews suggest. Some buyers have reported allergic reactions or ineffective results. The best way to gauge whether a product like this may be right for you is to give it a test run. If you’re purchasing the eye cream at Sephora, you can always ask for a sample before committing to buying a full jar. Still, if you purchase the cream at Sephora or from Sephora.com and don't like it, you can return it by mail or at the store within 30 days for a refund as long as it's only gently used. In any case, this cream is at least worth a try if you’re tired of, well, looking tired!
Get OleHenriksen Banana Bright Eye Crème at Sephora for $39
The product experts at Reviewed have all your shopping needs covered. Follow Reviewed on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest deals, product reviews, and more.
Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.