The Inkey List Caffeine Eye Cream – Review

The post will be reviewing The Inkey List Caffeine Eye Cream.

Unlike many people, the biggest issue I have with my eye area is puffiness. I don’t struggle with wrinkles and dark circles. I just have eye bags that announce to everyone that I didn’t get enough sleep the night before. Which is concerning because I literally get between 7 and 8 hours of sleep daily. I don’t joke with my sleep, so I’m amazed that I have consistent daily puffiness. This didn’t bother me a lot until I started taking more pictures. As a result of not wearing makeup, my eye bags are super visible in my photos, so I decided to do something about them. The first product I tried was The Ordinary Caffeine Solution which turned out to be the only product that has worked for me. But then in the last six months, I’ve been travelling a lot, and I needed a convenient product to carry about. I usually travel with a backpack for my entire trip, so I need my cosmetics to be under 100ml.

Naturally, I learned about The Inkey List’s Caffeine Eye Cream, which comes in a 15ml tube and is super convenient to travel with. Of course, I had to get it. But is it as effective as The Ordinary’s Caffeine Solution?

Let’s find out!

First Impressions of The Inkey List Caffeine Eye Cream

According to The Inkey List,

This hydrating and lightweight under-eye cream can help to instantly reduce the appearance of puffiness, dark circles and fine lines under the eyes.

Caffeine, a natural antioxidant derived from coffee, acts as a diuretic and can help to relieve water retention, a major cause of puffiness under the eyes. The added Matrixyl 3000™ peptide can help reduce the appearance of fine lines and the smooth texture provides a perfect canvas for make-up.

Ingredient List & Fragrance

Honestly, I wasn’t so concerned about the ingredient list. I just wanted an eye cream with enough caffeine to be effective. But for the sake of this post, let’s find out about the rest of the ingredients in this formula.

They include;

• Glycerin
• Squalane
• Matrixyl 3000
• Hyaluronic Acid
• Jojoba Esters.

You pretty much have a hydrating product sprinkled with Caffeine and Matrixyl. As always, it is alcohol, essential oil and fragrance-free like the rest of the products in their portfolio.

Texture & Consistency

Possibly the only redeemable quality of this product is the texture and consistency. Its lightweight consistency makes it easy to apply and blend in without it feeling too heavy or piling under your eye area. It works perfectly well especially since you don’t need too much product at a time. This means that if you wear makeup, it is great to layer under other skincare and makeup products. Sometimes, I forget to use it in the middle of my routine and only remember it at the end. Still, it glides in nicely.

Packaging, Price & Avaliability

As I mentioned earlier, the only other reason I got this product was its packaging. At 15ml, I find it super convenient to travel with. I can squeeze it in my transparent PVC bag and still have space for many other products. It literally does not occupy that much space at all, which I think is brilliant. I also find the applicator tube very easy and convenient to use. It dispenses the correct quantity you need every single time without any leftovers.

But when you think about the price and size compared to its other effective counterpart, it is pretty pricey at $10/£9 for 15ml worth of product. Then again, pricing is relative. If you don’t mind the price like me, you can go ahead and try it.

Review of The Inkey List Caffeine Solution

When you take out the excellent packaging and the lightweight and hydrating texture, the only thing that’s left is the product’s effectiveness. I used this eye cream for a few months hoping to see some immediate results like I always do but unfortunately, I didn’t. Yes, it hydrates my under eye area, but unfortunately, it doesn’t help with my puffiness at all. Even after reapplying a couple more times, I did not feel like it helped my eye bags. Even if the result is short-lived, at least I’ll appreciate it if it worked temporarily.

For now, I still carry it around and use it because I haven’t found a replacement. I just try to supplement it with Caffeine Under-Eye Patches to help combat the puffiness. So far, it’s been manageable and not so noticeable.

The Inkey List Caffeine Eye Cream vs The Ordinary Caffeine Solution

This post will not be complete without comparing these two popular brands. As of now, I’ve used both, and I can categorically say that The Ordinary Caffeine Solution is more effective than The Inkey List Caffeine Eye Cream. The former might not help with your dark circles, but it sure as hell will help any chronic eye bags. Yes, the latter is more hydrating, but you can get the same effect from a basic drugstore eye cream with Glycerin and Hyaluronic Acid. Also, I’m not quite sure that Matrixyl makes any difference. So, if you’re getting anyone, get the one from The Ordinary. Then again, you can also try the one from The Inkey List. After all, everyone’s skin reacts differently to products.

Finally,

I’m sure we can all agree that using any of The Inkey List’s products is mostly a gamble. They tried to copy The Ordinary’s business model and have fallen flat on their faces. At this point, I just have manageable expectations and don’t expect too much from their products.