I’m always on the search for a good eye cream, particularly when it comes to trying to fix my dark circles and puffiness problem. I know a lot of it actually has to do with how late I sleep and even partly genetics since I’m not one of those lucky ones who can sleep 3 hours a night and still look bright eyed and awake in the morning. And as much as I want a skincare product to fix the under-eye dark circles and puffiness issue I have, sleeping late is something I need to work on not doing so I can help my eye cream do its job.
One eye cream I came across after reading great reviews and effective results is the Ole Henriksen Banana Bright Eye Creme. Yes, even bloggers need to do a lot of research and rely on others’ reviews and word of mouth. We don’t always have all the time or money in the world to try different beauty products out, even if they are gifted at times. And especially with skincare, it takes time to see results. With the multitude of beauty products by thousands of different brands, we too need to decide what to try and spend our money on based on our needs and preferences.
And after doing my research and using the Ole Henriksen Banana Bright Eye Creme out myself for the past 8 months or so, here’s my full review on this Allure Best of Beauty Award winner.
Ole Henriksen Banana Bright Eye Creme
What It Is
The Ole Henriksen Banana Bright Eye Creme is a brightening eye cream that reduces dark circles, targets signs of aging and helps with better eye makeup application. So why banana if there’s no banana ingredients in it? This eye cream is actually inspired by the banana powder which brightens the under-eyes used by many makeup artists. The banana powder is basically a pale yellow powder used to illuminate the under-eye area which inspired the creation of this eye cream. But instead, this eye cream contains special pigments to instantly color correct the under-eyes and area. And with this name, it does insinuate that like the makeup, it will do its job and brighten the eyes.
Benefits
- Addresses fine lines and wrinkles as well as help with prevention
- Good for dull and uneven skin texture
- Illuminates the eye area over time with continued use
- Moisturizing
- Targets dark circles
Key Ingredients
Vitamin C – Targets visible signs of aging and is an anti-oxidant that protects against environmental stressors, and helps brighten the skin with a nice glow.
Collagen – It is a protein that helps improve skin’s elasticity and strengthens the skin to prevent aging.
The Ole Henriksen Banana Bright Eye Creme is made without bad ingredients like parabens, sulfates or phthalates – but I did notice that the ingredients list is very long.
Skin Type
This Banana Bright Eye Creme is good for all skin types to use.
How To Use
You can use this eye cream every day, morning and night.
How Much To Use
With this particular eye cream, I find that I really don’t need a lot since it is so moisturizing. I can dab my ring finger with less than a pea size amount for both eyes since the formula is easily spreadable, which also makes the eye cream last a lot longer than others. For more information on how much to use, here’s The Correct Amount Of Skincare Products To Apply.
Product Texture
The texture of the Ole Henriksen Banana Bright Eye Creme is smooth and lightweight.
I believe the oils in this eye cream contribute to the smoothness and moisturizing factor as well and helps create a smooth canvas for eye makeup.
Why do I mention the oils? It is because I’ve purchased 2 of these Banana Bright Eye Creme jars (one in a mini size and one in regular size) and both have had issues with the product separating. The eye cream is good for a few months, but then I start to see a lot of the oils separating into a layer on top of my eye cream. I’m not sure if you can recognize the oil in the photo above, but the color is slightly darker in the top left and very shiny. This means that I cannot even pick up the product to apply and I need to mix it together before being able to use it again. I have had to do this quite a few times and sometimes even had to pour a little bit out. I don’t know why I haven’t read other people’s review on this problem and I can’t be the only one having this happen to with 2 different eye creams at different purchase times.
Product Scent
The scent of this eye cream is a light citrusy scent. It doesn’t have any trace of banana or its scent, so don’t let the name of this eye cream fool you! The scent is extremely light and not irritating to the nose at all and disappears quite quickly.
Product Size
This eye cream comes in a standard size of 15 ml like many eye creams do.
Product Packaging
The Banana Bright Eye Creme comes in a plastic matte jar. It doesn’t come with a spatula, but if you already have one you can use that to help with maintaining the product’s cleanliness. Otherwise, you can just apply it with your fingers after you wash your hands to avoid contamination.
How Long Does One Jar Last?
As I’ve mentioned above, the Banana Bright Eye Creme is really moisturizing so a tiny bit goes a long way. One 15 ml jar has lasted me about 6 months so I think it’s definitely worth its price.
How Much Does It Cost?
A 15 ml jar of the Ole Henriksen Banana Bright Eye Creme costs $39 USD / $52 CAD.
However, the eye cream does come in value sets which you can purchase along with other products from the same line if you want to try it out before you commit to the full size. Here are a few different options that include the Banana Bright Face Primer or the C Rush Brightening Gel Crème.
Where To Purchase Ole Henriksen Banana Bright Eye Creme
I normally purchase my Ole Henriksen products from Sephora because I get points which also contributes to my VIB status, the shipping and returns are easy, the price is in Canadian dollars, and there’s occasional discounts.
If you’re located in the US, it can be convenient for you to order from Ole Henrksen’s website directly and there are great discounts too. But you do need to spend $100 USD to get free shipping, whereas VIB Rouge members at Sephora get free shipping no matter the amount.
My Results
Now that you’ve read about all the features, benefits, and key details of the Ole Henriksen Banana Bright Eye Creme, here are the details on how this eye cream worked for me.
I know that a lot of skincare products do take time to work, so I made sure to use this eye cream for almost 8 months before deciding to write a review on it. I also heard from another influencer that consistent use is key and there is quite a bit of different after a year’s use.
The Banana Bright Eye Creme does instantly brighten the eye area – as do most eye products since you’re moisturizing the skin. But the product does also have mica in it which is great for reflecting light and gives the illusion of brighter eyes. So yes, you can possibly see “instant results”, but it doesn’t mean it has inherently improved your dark circles as it is a cosmetic approach to start. With long term use, that’s when the eye cream will slowly help with improving the brightness of the eye area over time so you’ll need to be patient. This eye however, did not help with puffiness for me – but this product also doesn’t claim to target this problem.
I found that after many months of use, that my eyes haven’t gotten darker and have even improved with brightness and is well hydrated. But, as I’ve said at the beginning of this blog post, sleeping late definitely does not help the cause and that’s something I majorly need to improve on to be able to see the full results of this eye cream. For the most part, I am satisfied with the results, but I think I may get better results if I maintain a consistent and earlier sleep schedule. If I’m constantly staying up until 2 or 3 in the morning, then the eye cream can only help so much.
With fine lines, I believe that is is helping with prevention and maintenance as I don’t really have any right now.
Verdict
I really liked the consistency of the Banana Bright Eye Creme since it was so smooth and easy to apply. It is also moisturizing but light at the same time. A little bit goes a long way, which makes this eye cream last a lot longer than I expected. In a year, I would probably only need to purchase 2 or 3 maximum of these eye creams.
The only part that bothered me was the oil I had mentioned in the product texture section. I don’t like that the oil separated from the product and I have to mix it in again to be able to use the eye cream properly. But also to say that because it does have oils doesn’t mean it’s too heavy on the skin as it did not leave little bumps under my eyes like heavier eye creams do so I wouldn’t worry about that.
I had no sensitivities or negative reactions from this eye cream at all. I think that the Ole Henriksen Banana Bright Eye Creme is excellent overall, aside from the oil separating annoyance but it doesn’t seem like other people were complaining about it from what I’ve read. I would definitely repurchase this to give it another chance as it does slowly help with my dark circles and I want to see longer term effects. For reference, here is How Long It Takes For Skincare Products To Show Results.
For those who have dark circles and puffiness problems like me, here are 2 Products To Instantly Improve Dark Circles and Puffy Eyes.