Murad’s Essential-C eye cream is the most recent addition to what I affectionately refer to as “the arsenal;” that is, the array of products I apply prior to makeup in the morning and before sleep.  A few weeks ago I was at the drugstore searching for a replacement daytime eye cream, i.e. one w/SPF but not chock full of ridiculously-named lifting and firming ingredients (you’ve seen it – how they give the unpronouncealbe names of the active ingredients abbreviated-yet-kind-of-clever names that try to convince you of their effectiveness).  I’d been using Garnier’s Anti-Fatigue eye cream for a while, and while I found it moisturizing enough, it was doing nothing to help me look more awake in the morning (I always need this regardless of how much sleep I’ve had).  Plus, it didn’t have SPF.  No matter what stage you’re in in terms of skincare (very young, adult, mature), I maintain that some type of SPF around the eyes is a must.  Thin skin around the eye and lips is the first to age, so it’s never too early.

Dissatisfied with the drugstore selection, I abandoned my search for another time.  Maybe I missed it, but all I wanted was a basic, daytime eye cream that depuffs and that has SPF.  Anyone have any recommendations for the future?

A few days later I stopped in a local spa, whose storefront is stocked with brands the likes of Bliss, Phyto, Kenra, and as you might guess, Murad.  I perused their selection of Bliss products, but again, nothing seemed to fit the criteria.  I drifted over the Murad section of the wall and took a closer look at their eye products.  It looked promising, but then – simultaneously – there they were: sticker shock!!  almost $70 for an eye cream?? and ack, out of the corner of my eye, here comes the overly eager salesperson who happens to be the in-house aesthetician therefore likely to be extremely knowledgeable about the products!!!

“Can I help you?” she asks.  ”Actually,” I begin, “I’m interested in an eye cream for daytime…”  Reading my mind, she asks, “Would you like one with SPF?” “Yes,” I say confidently.  She looks the Murad wall in front of me, finds what she wants, and explains its miraculous properties.  It sounded great, in spite of the price, and I always thought Murad would be a good high-end skincare brand to try…at some point….when I had more money.  

The aesthetician quickly quoted me the price which, surprisingly, was actually printed on the box (normally, it’s a situation where, if you have to ask, you’re in the wrong store – so I’ve noticed), and said, “…so you’ll go w/this one then?” as she already started toward the checkout.  ”Uh, sure!” I decided, and produced my Visa.

I left the spa with a sinking feeling of buyers’ remorse unlike I’d ever experienced, but was also busily trying to rationalize the purchase in my head, and was eager to try the cream the next morning.

Fast-forward to now, almost 3 weeks later, and I have to say, it looks as though I’m becoming a loyal Murad devotee.  Not only does the cream live up to it’s promises, but it takes only a tiny little dab to apply, is unscented (smells very serious and dermatological), and I swear – though this may be a mind-over-matter thing – the skin under my eyes seems to have actually improved.  As a result, I’m able to apply less undereye concealer.  Less makeup means a more natural-looking you!

Here is a link to the product at Sephora.com: http://sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P12869&shouldPaginate=true&categoryId=4164

To summarize:  If you’re on the market for a fabulous daytime eye cream, don’t be deterred by the sticker shock and make the investment.  In this case, it’s totally worth it.

Happy Beautifying!