This One Beauty Product Is the Single Best Way to Brighten Up Your Eye Area

I often find that applying eye cream in the morning can shorten the lifespan of my makeup by increasing the risk of slip. This overnight serum, however, gets to work overnight, leaving eyes looking brighter and more awake come morning. With retinoid to tackle fine lines as well as niacinamide and ceramides to help hydrate and minimise the appearance of dark circles, it's a really hardworking gem. 

Not only does this under-eye treatment have a cooling gel texture to help liven up the eye area, but it is also formulated with brightening vitamin C, niacinamide and ginseng root extract to treat at a deeper level. It's my go-to for winter mornings when I'm feeling particularly sleepy.

This eye cream is widely regarded to be one of the most brightening around, and I have to agree with the general consensus. With vitamin C and niacinamide, it depuffs and brightens quickly, but the best bit is it also has a slightly tinted, pearly finish to reflect light and create the illusion of more awake eyes. The brand has recently launched different shades of this cream to better suit different skin tones, too.

Texture-wise, this cream is lightweight, but its ingredients are anything but. With caffeine, squalane and niacinamide, it delivers ample hydration and an impressive reduction in the appearance of dark circles.

I'll go ahead and say it: This is hands down the most brightening eye cream around. The apricot tint helps to counteract the purple hue of dark circles and vitamin C helps brighten in the long term. The only glitch as an oily-skinned girl is that it's very rich, making it ideal for those with dry skin.

Unlike other eye creams on this list, this particular product doesn't pride itself on its brightening abilities, however, I have used this stuff on and off for years and can categorically say it is one of the most instantly awakening eye treatments out there. It's lightweight—meaning it doesn't contribute to puffiness—and the metal applicator wand is wonderfully invigorating.

I'll admit that Charlotte Tilbury's cult Magic Cream for face doesn't lend itself to my oily skin, but I find its accompanying eye treatment faultless. It contains time-release retinol to smooth fine lines, a plethora of oils and extracts to nourish, and a botanical eye-contour complex to tackle puffiness and dark circles.

When this eye cream launched last year with the promise to reduce dark circles in just seven days, I was sceptical. Since using it more religiously over the past few months, I can confirm my dark circles are looking a lot better. They're still there, of course, but they are significantly reduced.

If you hadn't already guessed, vitamin C is one of the most effective ingredients when it comes to brightening dark circles, and this serum is chock-full of the stuff. Along with hyaluronic acid, it helps to brighten up tired eyes and plump out fine lines while it's at it.

Usually, I find that eye creams with a peachy tint tend to counteract dark circles the most efficiently, which is why this stuff took me by surprise. The white cream doesn't look as though it should have any dramatic effect on under-eye circles, but the combination of soy peptide, organic red tea and arnica really do help boost luminosity.

Murad is famed for its glow-boosting vitamin C formulas, and this eye cream really lives up to the hype. Yes the high vitamin C content delivers stellar glow, but it's the rich gold colour that helps counteract dark circles immediately.

A new addition to my eye cream collection, this stuff impressed me from the get-go. With vitamin C and collagen amino acids, it really tackles the eye area from all angles. Helping to brighten, plump, firm and hydrate all at once, it really is worth the money.

Next up, 5 products we should all be using this winter, according to skin experts.