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.

Being Frugal

As a Dior Club member, I was given a tiny little gift on my birthday. And, when I say tiny, I really do mean tiny.

As I stared at the tiny little tube in my hands, I thought wryly to myself, "Is Dior being funny or sarcastic about giving me an anti-ageing eye cream as I get a year older?"

Yep, on one hand I was glad that I got another 2ml of the Capture R60/80 eye cream. On the other, I couldn't help but think of how apt or how "thoughtful" they were being.

Well, 2ml of eye cream is really not a lot but considering how little we use each time, I think 2ml was more than sufficient. Until I got tired of squeezing every tiny drop out. My fingers would hurt and I would struggle to balance between squeezing the tube and popping a finger to 'receive' the cream out from the tube. As much as I loved the hygiene that's presented with a squeeze-tube, I hate that it's so hard to not to waste expensive products like that.

So, I rooted around for a small clean travel-sized container I seem to have a lot of. I found one and proceeded to chop my tube of eye cream into 3 pieces. The tip, the middle part and the flat bit at the end. When I purchased the full-sized Dior eye cream, I was given a spoon as well. For the same hygienic purpose, I would presume. Using that spoon, I scooped every bit out from the 3 bits of the tube. It was highly-satisfying to see that not a single drop of product was wasted.

I repeated the same thing this evening with my trusty Olay Total Effects serum. However, this time, it was much, much harder. This is where your other half came in handy! Once again, I rooted around for yet another clean travel-sized container. And, I saw that it was the last travel-sized container I have. Thankfully, nothing is running out yet. Armed with his trusty Swiss army knife, he chopped the Olay bottle into half and once again, I scooped everything out.

With the eye cream, I think there was enough of product to last me for a good couple of months! Imagine how much product there is left in the tube had I just tossed it away! With the serum, it was good for another extra week at most, but, it's still a lot of product left behind!

For a change, I wish manufacturers would come up with bottles and tubes that would allow us to use up every single drop. It's not just that I'm a miser (yes, I can be when it comes to beauty products) but it's also, I think, the responsible thing to do.

Now, if only there was a way for me to open up my Olay Total Effects moisturizer!