I’ve tried many, many eye creams in the quest to diminish my nagging fine lines and dark circles. “You look tired, did you not sleep well?”, is a comment I am often faced with. But even with years of product knowledge as a beauty editor, achieving that elusive wide-awake look proved harder than expected — until now.

Dr.Dennis Gross is a skincare brand that I have used before and routinely rate. The latest launch is a fancy new eye cream that claims to 'fill, lift, smooth, and brighten my under-eye area'—but could such brilliance really exist? I was sceptical. That said, I cancelled my Botox appointment and unboxed the DermInfusions Fill + Repair Eye Cream, (which retails for £64). It's an investment for sure, but given the cost of injectables around the eye area, (around the £200 mark) I thought it was worth a try.

From the first use, I was impressed. Packed with two different sizes of hyaluronic acid (a mega-moisturiser that increases skin’s water content and volume), it instantly plumped the under-eye area, and it gave my skin a juicy hit of hydration.

I popped a tiny dot of the light fluid-like cream in six places: eyelids, bunny lines, eleven lines, the inner tear trough, and my two main concerns – under-eye circles and fine lines. There was a satisfying tingle as the peptides and antioxidants got to work, and I was genuinely surprised by how well these clever ingredients tackled puffiness and general fatigue.

While it didn’t dramatically fade my dark circles (some things are just in the DNA), even after a rough night’s sleep, I looked visibly less tired. As for my fine lines? I actually leaned into the bathroom mirror to find them!

If you’ve ever found yourself wondering whether eye cream is actually beneficial, you’re not alone. There’s much debate within the beauty industry, and I, too, have sat on the fence as to whether eye creams are necessary: “Can’t I just slather my face cream under my eyes too?”

The answer is, technically, yes, but it won’t be as effective.

“The skin around your eyes is much thinner and more delicate than the rest of your face, which is why it often shows signs of ageing first,” explains award-winning aesthetic doctor, Dr.Sophie Shotter. “Eye creams are specially formulated to address these specific concerns without irritating that fragile skin. They also often contain more targeted ingredients to deal with issues like puffiness, fine lines, and hyperpigmentation.”

Many ingredients found in facial moisturisers – especially those targeting specific skin concerns – aren’t always suitable for the delicate eye area. Think potent vitamin C or rich emollients, which can easily overwhelm or irritate thinner skin. Eye creams are specifically designed with a lighter texture and fast-absorbing formula to suit the delicate, thinner skin around the eyes.

Let’s be real — no eye cream is going to completely reverse age-related sagging or puffiness, no matter what the label claims. That said, a well-formulated eye cream still earns its spot in your skincare routine, offering real benefits for dryness, dullness, and those tell-tale signs of tiredness.