It was fate that, one afternoon, I was rummaging through my good friend Chandler’s medicine cabinet only to stumble upon the one Clinique product I’ve never seen before (my mom is quite a fan of the brand). It was a slim and vibrant orange tube with the words “super energizer” on the side. I couldn’t help myself; anything that advertises energy automatically has my interest. So with his permission I tested out what would become my latest and greatest obsession: an eye treatment that gets rid of puffiness and dark circles all day long. The under-eye gel feels like washing your face with cooling and revitalizing water from the purest of rivers. After my test application, I had the product in my Sephora shopping cart within minutes. What makes it stand out to me, somebody who has battled puffy eyes since potentially birth (awaiting doctoral confirmation on this one), is how lightweight the product goes on. From start to finish, the gel feels nearly weightless. Even when it dries, I don’t feel as though there’s anything on my skin. And the cooling elements are extremely refreshing—so much so that if I need an afternoon pick-me-up, I reach for this rather than another cup of Joe. What’s more, it really does make a difference in the appearance of my under eyes. Even if I struggle with sleep the night before, the dark rings that I grew so accustomed to seeing under my eyes are no longer taking over my face. The formula is packed with hyaluronic acid and creates a buoyancy for my skin that’s almost shocking. After rolling the gel back and forth for a bit, it looks like I have a concealer on. This makes getting ready an absolute breeze. And yes, it’s marketed toward men. But it’s my belief that the rules of gendered marketing should absolutely be broken, especially when it comes to skincare and makeup. With that said, I owe Chandler an apology for ever making fun of his routine because it gave me the MVP (most valuable product) in mine. Shop the de-puffing and energizing gel below: To buy: $35; sephora.com
