Chanel Sublimage Essential Regenerating Eye Cream

I knew I needed to start being more religious about eye cream when I realized that all the runway models and most of the American Idol contenders were younger than I. In the dawn of my twenties, I dressed my eye area with Clinique's All About Eyes, an unobtrusive gel-cream which I never replaced after the wee tub was scraped clean. Years of wearing shimmery/glittery shadows and scowling at people (not necessarily at the same time) have taken a toll, and my eyelids have begun to crinkle ever so slightly. Only a few weeks ago, after sharing a light-hearted moment with Mother of Shryh, said mother leaned in and peered into my face.

"Daughter of mine, you are getting old," she pronounced with great solemnity, tracing in the air the lines around my eyes with her fingers as I tried to bat them away.

"I know," I replied petulantly. "Which is why I am using the Chanel Sublimage Essential Regenerating Eye Cream."

I bought the Chanel Sublimage eye cream because of the excitement this little jar generated among beauty junkies and I wanted to see if it deserved the encomium. I would never buy the mother product -- the face cream -- as it would have been too heavy and rich for my exasperating combination and acne-prone skin, but I figured I need all the lushness of a Sublimage product for my eyes. I've used it for about five months now and am thrilled to see the bottom of my jar.

The Chanel Sublimage Eye Cream isn't cheap -- it retails for about USD$175, and I bought mine for what seemed like a song (okay, USD$140) at an airport duty free shop. For that price, you get a satisfyingly hefty glass jar with a metallic dark khaki top which instantly adds a touch of glamour to your bathroom counter. It comes with a little scoop to minimize contamination -- I've lost mine, but I wash my hands thoroughly before dipping my fingers into the jar. The texture of the eye cream is rich but non-greasy. I'm very prone to getting milia beads on my undereye area and I'm pleased to report that it was never a problem with this eye cream. The cream is easily absorbed, leaving the eye area soft and hydrated, and the comforting, slightly vanilla-y scent completes the experience.

But at that price, one would expect the Chanel Sublimage Eye Cream to wildly outperform other lesser-pedigreed eye creams, right? Unfortunately, no. This eye cream professes to target wrinkles, fine lines, the loss of firmness and moisture depletion of the skin. It certainly moisturized my eye area and plumped out several fine lines, but that was the most I got out of it. I'm not displeased or dissatisfied with this cream in the slightest -- when my ship comes home, I'll be happy to have a jar permanently on my marble counter next to the solid gold faucets. Until then, there is a slew of cost-conscious eye creams for me to explore which will do the job and hopefully, keep Mother of Shryh away.