Don’t conceal, illuminate – Lavera illuminating eye cream & La Bella Figura eye découverte

Hello lovelies! The website is now back up and running and as you can see the website design has changed, it has some new functionalities, including a shop section where you can shop my favorites, updated work section, and newsletter. I mentioned my struggles several weeks ago, (here) trying to balance work/blogging and non-virtual time but I’m ready for the new energy that this year brings. Since January, I’ve been keeping up with my health resolutions, I’ve been working out regularly, eating better, just taking better care of myself. I’ve just recovered from a sinusitis and I’m feeling like myself again. As a result, I have been wearing almost no makeup in January and my skin has not been complaining. I’ve had however dark eye circles from the lack of sleep, but I have not given in to the temptation of covering them up with a concealer. After years of looking for an opaque concealer that hides the dark circles without settling into fine lines or looking cakey, I’ve decided to change my strategy and go for …wait for it… an illuminating eye cream! Some of you might already think of the Bottega Organica Illuminating eye cream, but I’ve already reviewed it (here). No, I’m referring to Lavera’s illuminating eye cream and La Bella Figura’s Découverte Under eye corrector.

Let’s start with Lavera’s Illuminating eye cream

A budget-friendly option, coming from a brand that I consider a ‘safe bet’. I’ve been using Lavera products for years and they have many great products at an affordable price. The illuminating cream has a creamy, almost liquidy texture. Cool-toned and pearlescent, it is meant to soften signs of fatigue around the eyes and counteract gray/blueish eye circles. In the formula, you can find coffee extract, pearl, mica, aloe vera and hyaluronic acid, all of which playing a key role in brightening the eye area. Upon application (which requires a lot of light patting motion) it does not really get absorbed, instead, it leaves a pearly ‘coat/film’ on which blurs minor fine lines. One to two dollops are enough otherwise, it gets too glittery. If you have fair skin, you’ll get the most benefit from it. This is not a product I’d use in the summer, or recommend to anyone with a darker skin tone because it is really pearlescent and the contrast makes it pop more. Overall it does provide a more “awake” look because the pearlescent effect is efficient. Since I have oily skin, I find it to be hydrating enough, but I’m not sure that people with dry and/or more mature skin will find it sufficient. For that price, I’m really satisfied and it’s an easy product to keep in your bar or put in your travel bag.
Price: 9.99 EUR for 15ml. Available on Ecco Verde.

Liz’ little tip: it also works as a subtle pearlescent cream highlighter, thanks to its tiny light-reflecting particles.

Ingredients (INCI): Water (Aqua), Glycerin, Alcohol*, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil*, Dodecane, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice*, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Mica (CI 77019), Fragrance (Parfum)**, tocopheryl Acetate, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil*, Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract*, Coffea Arabica (Coffee) Seed Extract*, Caffeine*, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter)*, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil*, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil*, Xylitylglucose, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Dehydroxanthan Gum, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Lactate, Glucose Glutamate, Anhydroxylitol, Xylitol, Dipalmitoyl Hydroxyproline, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Silica, Cichorium Intybus (Chicory) Root Extract, Algae, Magnesium Gluconate, Maltose, Hydrolyzed Pearl, Iron Oxide (CI 77491), Brassica Campestris (Rapeseed) Sterols, Tocopherol, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Linalool**, Limonene**, Citronellol**, Citral**, Geraniol**, Benzyl Benzoate**.  * certified organic ** from natural essential oils

La Bella Figura Eye Decouverte under eye corrector*

This is obviously a more high-end product, but if you have a look at the ingredients (I put in green the ingredients in Lavera and LBF had in common), you’ll notice that La Bella Figura takes it to a whole new level: rich in exotic butters, plant waxes, oils and flower extracts, Eye Decouverte is a decadent treatment. Concealer/eye cream hybrid, the eye corrector contains the same ingredients as their best-selling Decouverte Under Eye Repair Serum – which I’ve heard is amazing but haven’t given it a try yet. It contains their signature Barbary Fig Seed Oil. The latter is superbly hydrating and contains vitamin K which is apparently efficient in treating dark circles. Another star of the formula is the cupuacu butter, rich in polyphenols to combat free radicals in the tissues, and fatty acids to protect and moisturize. Plumping, it improves the skin’s elasticity and offers some protection against environmental damages. One of my favorite soothing ingredients, blue tansy, is also in this formula.

It is yellow-hued and contains tiny shimmer particles. For medium to darker skin tones, this one is a much better fit than the Lavera. Texture-wise, this feels almost like a balm, it is thicker in consistency than a cream, yet it blends effortlessly onto the skin. It’s super lightweight. Unlike Lavera which requires more “eye patting”, Eye Decouverte is quickly absorbed. It is often said that salmon-colored concealers are the most efficient ones to counteract blue/dark eye circles; LBF’s eye Decouverte, which is yellow-toned, does provide some kind of coverage – as shown in the pics below. La Bella Figura’s take on eye cream is clever and unique on its own. Upon application, my eye area looks smooth, perfectly hydrated and luminous. It doesn’t settle into fine lines. I like to be generous with the application, just a bit more than what I would use for RMS “un” cover-up .

Liz’ little tip: Eye Decouverte can also double as a highlighter and brightening eyeshadow cream. I love it on my eyelids for a subtle illuminating look.
Price: 55 EUR for 6.8gr. Available on Reina Organics.

Ingredients: Theobroma Grandiflorum (Cupuacu) Butter, Cetearyl Olivate (and) Sorbitan Olivate (Olive Wax), Maranta Arundinacea (Arrowroot) Powder, Argan (Argania Spinosa) Kernel Oil*, Opuntia Ficus Indica (Barbary Fig) Seed Oil*, Rosa Rubiginosa (Rosehip) Seed Oil*, Lycopersicon Esculentum (Tomato) Seed Oil, Raw Coffea Arabica (Green Coffee Bean) Oil, Rosa Damascena (Rose Otto) Flower Oil, Tanacetum Annuum (Blue Tansy) Flower Oil*, Helichrysum Italicum Oil*, Cymbopogon Martinii Motia (Palmarosa) Oil*, Lavandulia Augustifolia (Lavender) Oil*, May Contain (+/- Titanium Dioxide CI 77019, Iron Oxides CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499, Mica CI 77019 *Certified Organic

Since I’m assuming that some of you might be interested in combining them with a concealer, I included pictures (on the bottom row) of both products under the PuroBio pencil concealer.

As you can see, La Bella Figura Eye Découverte does perform well on its own, the blueish tone is less visible.

Do you notice how luminous Lavera’s cream is? It does not cover anything but the glow creates a distraction. Of course, once you apply concealer on top, all dark circles are gone.

Bottom line: what I like about illuminating eye creams is that they brighten up your eye are and create almost a distraction. The glow deters the attention from the so-called little ‘imperfections’. For me, applying both products on their own is sufficient for now.
What about you? Do you ditch the concealer? Have you found your under eye corrector or are you using a DIY recipe? (be careful with the Turmeric DIY’s all over Instagram and YouTube, some can cause some serious irritation)

Take care,

*sample sent for review consideration, all opinions my own