Having incredibly fair skin means dark circles under my eyes stand out a mile. And it only takes one bad night's sleep for them to appear with force.
My skin type means dark circles present as almost bruise-like patches under my eyes. And while my glasses work wonders in helping disguise them, the deep purpley-blue pigment is hard to miss against my otherwise very pale skin. Makeup helps, but even with the best lightweight foundation and concealer, they take a lot to cover, resulting in a very unflattering cakey look.
So I was excited to see Trinny London release a new Take Back Time Eye Cream. I've been using Trinny London's gravity-defying Elevator neck cream for a while now and the difference has been visible, so I was eager to see if Trinny's eye cream is as good. But I was sceptical - nothing I have used up to this point has touched the sides when it comes to reducing the darkness under my eyes.
How I tested Trinny London Take Back Time Eye Cream
Said to reduce eye bags in 12 weeks, I set about putting, as instructed, a small amount of Take Back Time around my eyes in the morning and evening every day. To test the formula, I applied it only on my right eye, so any difference it made would be immediately clear against my left. Despite it saying it takes a good few months to take effect, I couldn't believe the difference after just 10 days of use...
Trinny's Take Back Time eye cream is designed to target fine lines, crow's feet, dark circles, eye bags, puffiness and tired-looking skin. I've been using the product for less than two weeks, and have already seen a significant improvement in some of these areas.
As is clear from the image above, the dark bruise-like mark under my right eye is barely visible – a stark difference to my tired, almost black-looking left eye. Had these results not been on my own face, I'm not sure I would have believed them. Whatever Trinny has used to create this treatment has already worked wonders on the dark circles and puffiness around my eyes.
As if that wasn't enough, the cream is also beautifully smooth - it has the most luxurious texture. Even applying just the small amount needed each day makes my eyes feel awake and refreshed first thing in the morning, and relaxed and pampered before bed.
When opening the box, I was a little confused by the small spoon included, and how to use it. But a quick watch of Trinny's demo helped me to understand and enjoy the product all the more. The spoon included is the amount you need for each application (when scooped and flattened) and is cooling against your skin. Following Trinny's massaging technique to help lymph drainage, opening up my eyes and letting the product really sink in are the most enjoyable few minutes of relaxation time that I look forward to each day.
And it's not just me, Trinny London carried out extensive clinical testing with this product to see how it performed on different skin types, and the results speak for themselves. In this video below, Trinny explains how Take Back Time, which she calls "time-defying skincare", went through 52 iterations before finally hitting the shelves, and shares some staggering before and after photos from the product's clinical trials.
I've been using Take Back Time for two weeks now, and with its claim to help lift upper eyelid sagging after a few months, I'm excited to see what else it is capable of – I'll keep you posted with any new developments.
Shop my favourite Trinny London skincare
I was lucky enough to test The Elevator after being released earlier this year, and I have been so impressed with the results. The skin on my neck was the first to show signs of ageing, and this has really helped with the thin, crepe-like feel it had started to develop. It smells gorgeous and is a lovely moment of indulgence for an area of your body that is so often overlooked.
Ideal for sensitive skin, Plump is a combination of peptides and hyaluronic acid to help the skin look and feel visibly firmer. The formula is incredibly lightweight, so much so it barely feels like you are wearing anything. "Peptides are food for the skin, they can help with dryness and they will really get collagen and elastane and give an increase in the firmness and the cushioning of your skin," Trinny says.
It wasn't that long ago I was ignorant of the need to wear SPF every day. Not only that, the texture of many SPFs I had come across was not something I wanted to apply to my sensitive skin daily. But then I tried See the Light, and couldn't believe how non-greasy, light and smooth the formula is. It smells gorgeous too!
