Tried and tested: Eye Creams, Hair Spray

Tried and tested: La Prairie White Caviar Illuminating Eye Serum

Verdict: “According to the description, La Prairie White Caviar Illuminating Eye Serum will work on dark circles in the eye area, target fine lines in the skin and have a generally uplifting effect. To get the best result the serums need to be used with an eye cream. I have never tried La Prairie products before but am very curious after hearing positive reviews of their skin creams from my girlfriends. Since I have dark circles under my eyes I am keeping my fingers crossed.

The packaging is very elegant with a dropper. Unfortunately the dropper is faulty, at least in the sample I got as I one day get almost no liquid at all out of it and another day I get enough serum for a full face and then some. With a super-expensive product like this you don’t want to waste a drop so I’d rather have had a pump or at least a better dropper.

The pleasantly fragranced serum itself feels comfortable and light on my skin, the immediate effect is somewhat cooling and the skin absorbs the serum quickly which I like. But after using the serum before using my regular eye cream (Dermalogica Multivitamin Power Firm) daily for six weeks I notice absolutely no difference in my dark circles nor in skin elasticity. The more I use the luxury serum the more I think of The Emperor’s New Clothes. I would desperately want something as glamorous as this to work, but despite my wishful thinking and prayers for an eye care miracle, La Prairie leaves me disappointed.

Rated: 1 out of 5.

Tried and tested: Sebastian Shaper Zero Gravity

Verdict: “Let’s start with the smell which is too strong especially if you are already wearing perfume. Even if it disappears quickly when you get outside it is a big minus when the scent of a hair spray is that overpowering. But annoying fragrance aside, Sebastian Shaper Zero Gravity is a really good hair spray best suited for fine hair. It isn’t too wet when applied, you can brush through hair without losing the effect and you won’t get flakes as you might with certain other hair sprays. Sebastian Shaper Zero Gravity gives you airy hair so you might not want to use it for updos or chignons but it’s perfect for giving loose hair some structure or to take away frizziness.”

Rated: 4 out of 5.

Tried and tested: Priori Smoothing Eye Serum

The verdict: “Priori Smoothing Eye Serum is an eye cream with anti-oxidants, lactic acid and peptides and it’s supposed to prevent wrinkles and puffiness as well as lessen existing wrinkles. The serum has a silky texture, is easy to apply and is quickly absorbed by the skin. It has almost no odour but leaves the skin very soft and has a cooling effect which makes it refreshing to use. But as for the results… I can see no difference in my wrinkles - they are just as deep as usual - and no other improvement in skin quality. Maybe the serum really is effective at preventing future wrinkles but I’ve no way to tell. I am 48-years-old and I think this serum works quite well as a moisturising eye cream, but if you want the rejuvenating effect then there are better options.”

Verdict: 3 out of 5.