This $72 eye serum from Bluemercury is the only product that has actually helped the puffiness and dryness under my eyes
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- Bluemercury's M-61 Hydraboost Eye Serum ($72) is the only eye serum I've tried so far that noticeably reduces the appearance of fine lines, puffiness, and dark circles.
- Its powerful mix of ingredients, which include vitamin B5, hyaluronic acid, licorice root extract, and peptides, deliver results in a small package.
- To find more of our favorite eye serums and creams, check out these guides: The best eye creams you can buy and the best retinol eye cream you can buy.
Until I met the Hydraboost Eye Serum from Bluemercury's in-house brand, M-61, I had yet to find a product that improved the fine lines, puffiness, and dark circles under my eyes.
The biggest problem I've encountered with many under-eye products is that if they solved one problem (puffiness, for instance), they faltered in solving the others (fine lines and dark circles) at the same time.
The M-61 Hydraboost Eye Serum is the first I've tried that targets all three simultaneously and effectively.
If eyes are the window to the soul, then my soul was tired and defeated before using this eye serum. If I don't get enough sleep, I cry, or I'm stressed, the first dead giveaway are my swollen eyes or dark circles. I also smile and laugh easily, so I've always had lines by my eyes (though at least that means you can tell I'm dishing out genuine smiles).
A few small taps of the M-61's light and bouncy Hydraboost Eye Serum improves the look and feeling of these afflictions, and a tiny pump of the product is really all you need. A combination of key ingredients gives the serum its high-value effectiveness: vitamin B5, hyaluronic acid, licorice root extract, and power peptides.
Both Vitamin B5 and hyaluronic acid promote the skin's natural repair process and help fill in those lines around your eyes. Hyaluronic acid is used in one of my favorite skin-care products, Neutrogena's Hydro Boost Gel Cream, which hydrates my skin while making it feel more plump and supple. The same effect applies with this eye serum - the area under my eyes feels tighter, more bouncy, and less dry.
The licorice root extract diminishes the appearance of dark circles and makes your eyes look brighter, while a trio of peptides (aka the basis of proteins like keratin and collagen) further reduce the appearance of fine lines, dark circles, and puffiness.
Throw in some aloe vera and the medicinal herb centella asiatica and you have a skin-care product that's as soothing as it is effective.
Typically with eye products, I'm unsure if they actually worked. Is it just a trick of the light or is my mind just convincing myself that there's a difference? For me, the Hydraboost Eye Serum provided the most clear evidence any eye serum ever has. My lines weren't as pronounced, the puffiness went down, and I looked more alert in the absence of shadows under my eyes.
Though $70 can seem like a lot to pay for a tiny 0.5 oz. bottle, it's actually on par with brands like Dr. Dennis Gross, Tatcha, and Drunk Elephant. It's certainly more affordable than the $100-$200 bottles from prestige brands, and it works so well that I see no reason to pay more.