Arbonne Hydrating Eye Cream

I’ve written about Arbonne before. It is a Swiss company that makes its own brand of personal health care products that are botanical based and cruelty free. It is also committed to being “green,” using recycled packaging and carbon-neutral shipping practices (read more here).

I would totally buy all of my health and beauty aids from Arbonne if it weren’t so darned expensive. So, as it is, I only buy the products that I want to splurge on. Like, the things I really want to work or can’t find a good cheaper version of. This Hydrating Eye Cream is a good example of both. Some eye creams can be so cake-y that you end up tugging your skin trying to blend it in. Other eye creams can so liquid-y that it ends up running into your eyes halfway through the day. This product is the happy medium–the Goldilocks of of eye creams. It’s a cream that comes in a pot, and when you dab your finger into it, it sticks and doesn’t slide off. But when you put it on your skin, it blends in like a silky dream. I use this in the morning after washing and moisturizing my face. I have to be careful not to use too much or else it won’t absorb completely and end up irritating my eyes.

Arbonne Intensive Pro-Brightening Night Serum

First, a bit about the company: Arbonne is a Swiss company that has been creating all natural beauty and health products for 30 years. It is Leaping Bunny certified, which means that none of its products and ingredients is tested on animal and that none of its ingredients is animal derived. You can learn much, much more about its philosophy from its website at www.arbonne.com.

The company is structured like Avon or Mary Kay, wherein there are independent beauty consultants who run their own Arbonne business and from whom you purchase products. I have no problem with that business model; one of my friends is an Arbonne consultant. However, it does make obtaining the products you want a little harder. That being said, I absolutely love the company and would love to buy all of their exciting products. THAT being said, the products are pretty pricey. Like $45 for body lotion and $10 for lip balm pricey. If I were a millionaire, I would shop exclusively with Arbonne. But because I’m firmly middle class, I have to rely mostly on mass-produced products and splurge every few months on Arbonne.

Now, about the product: The Intensive Pro-Brightening Night Serum is a big winner for me. I started using it a few months ago and have really noticed a difference in discoloration on my face. I have acne scars, tons of freckles, and some sun damage. This serum has faded my acne scars and evened my skin tone (I don’t see much of a difference in my freckles, which is fine by me). The serum feels really nice going on–cool and silky–and absorbs quickly. It can be a little sticky feeling once you’ve rubbed it in, but that goes away. I will say that it took a couple weeks for my sensitive skin to adjust to the serum–it initially made my acne worse (but, honestly, everything does)–but it did adjust.

Lastly, independent beauty consultants who sell expensive products love to say “but you don’t need to use a ton of this stuff, so this bottle will last a really long time.” Although I think this is not always true, it is certainly the case with this serum. A 1 fluid ounce bottle has lasted me about 6 months.