Burt's Bees review: "This claimed to 'soften skin and increase radiance, firmness and minimize fine lines.' I don't know about the radiance or the lines but it did seem effective at softening the skin. I liked the nice, soft and creamy feeling of the product, though it didn't absorb quickly."
Aveda review: "This cream claimed to 'bring radiance to the tired eye area.' I saw no difference right away, though my skin seemed softer after six weeks. I didn't like the heavy feel; it felt similar to putting on an ointment like Neosporin."
Results: "With the Aveda cream, I didn't see a change to fine lines or dark circles, at least not enough difference to make usage twice a day worthwhile. With the Burt's Bees cream, I didn't see enough change to keep from wanting to try some different products."
Burt's Bees review: "I didn't like that it felt oily, looked shiny and didn't absorb as quickly as the Aveda cream did. I liked the smooth texture, but not the strong, cheap-perfume scent. I would rather not put scented creams around my eyes."
Aveda review: "I liked this product's matte finish; it didn't look or feel too oily or dry around my eyes. I didn't see results on my skin of their claims to add radiance and diminish dark circles. It felt smooth and creamy, and absorbed quickly. And it had no scent."
Results: "I saw no difference with either product. My skin is the same as it was before."
RoC review: "I liked the texture of this cream but it felt funny underneath my makeup. By the end of day, my concealer looked a little more chunky and goopy than usual. The cream was just as effective as the Hylexin, but took about a week and a half to show results."
Hylexin review: "I liked this better because it took a shorter amount of time -- just a few days -- to show results. It felt great and blended well with my makeup. I didn't notice the warming sensation that the box mentioned I might feel though."
Results: "I don't have severe dark circles, but both creams worked to decrease the circles and puffiness I do have. The only exceptions were dark circles produced by allergies. Neither cream seemed to work against those."
RoC review: "The first time I opened this tube, the cream starting oozing out before I even squeezed it. It did this for about the first three weeks of using it until the tube had slightly emptied. It was annoying and wasteful. But a little of the product goes a long way. Just a drop covered the entire eye area. At first there was a greasy feel, but that went away after a couple minutes and then my skin felt moisturized. The concealer I use went on nicely over it too."
Hylexin review: "I liked the tube and the way in which it dispensed the cream. The cream has a nice consistency when applying it to the eye area -- not too thick, not too thin. It left a nice, smooth feeling and my concealer went on nice and even over it. The tube said I might feel warmth, but I didn't feel that at all."
Results: "I would choose RoC because it softened the lines around the corners of my eyes, the Hylexin didn't work on wrinkles or lines."
RoC review: "The intentional misspelling in the brand name of this eye cream, which is supposed to 'visibly reduce dark circles and puffiness,' is the first hint of its ineffectiveness. The upside: The watery solution went on smoothly and mixed well with my concealer."
Hylexin review: "I won't step outside to get the mail without under-eye concealer on, so I was ecstatic over the thought that Hylexin, which claims to reduce serious dark circles, might lessen the humbling circles under my eyes. The tingling sensation I felt after applying the pricey cream, which comes in a medicinal looking yellow and gold package, raised my hopes. My euphoria was short-lived though."
Results: "Hylexin mixed like oil and water with my cover-up and four weeks later I still need sunglasses when dashing out to get the mail. Sadly, the still-present, purplish circles under my eyes after a month of faithfully using RoC twice a day were unmistakable proof that this item didn't live up to its tagline: 'We keep our promises.'"
Puffiness, dark circles and fine lines suck, no matter if you're 27 or 52. So we dared to ask: Do any of the eye treatments -- from chi-chi to cheapie -- actually work?
"These products can and often do show results if they are used appropriately and for a long enough time," says cosmetic dermatologist Dr. Kenneth Beer. But did they? Check out these 19 brave women's un-retouched before-and-after photos here.
