Review: Sunday Riley Auto Correct Eye Cream

Price: £60

Volume: 15ml

Where to Buy: Available on Cult Beauty HERE

Packaging: Comes in a heavy-feeling (glass) pump-type packaging with a cap. Very easy to use and good to travel with. I use half the dispensing/pumping amount and that’s fine for both eyes. I think instead of 3 months, this could last 4.

Good for: Puffy, dry eyes. I don’t think sensitive/reactive or allergic skins would like this.

What is this?: (from the company) – ”An eye cream that instantly delivers a lifted and d-puffed look to the eye area” – I would say this is an eye cream that helps de-puff the eyes and moisturise them.

Description: ”Autocorrect Brightening and Depuffing Eye Contour Cream instantly gives a brighter, lifted look, while reducing the appearance of dark circles and puffiness. Caffeine and Brazilian ginseng root extract rapidly reduce the appearance of puffiness and dark circles, energizing tired-looking eyes.” – Now Ginseng isn’t proven to energise the skin so I’ll ignore that. The dark circles bit I also have issues with because this product, like other eye-brighteners, contains Titanium Dioxide (and Mica) which help to physically cover up the darkness.

The company also state that ”horse chestnut and acmella oleracea extracts” help the appearance of fine lines and crows feet. ”Cocoa and shea butter plump the skin with moisture” and ”watermelon rind extract and sodium PCA infuse hydration into the skin.” – this is all meant to de-puff the eyes and make them look well-rested.

Directions: ”Apply two to three pumps morning and evening, and throughout the day as needed. Use your ring and middle fingers, lightly tap into the skin around the eye area.”

How I use it: I apply this both AM and PM. I apply less than half a pump as that is easily enough for the under eyes. I usually first apply the Niod FECC and then apply this on top to seal it all in.

NOTE: I did for a time, use this both under my eyes AND on top of my eyelids and unfortunately, every time I used this on my eyelid, the next day I developed a stye (a blocked pore aka a pimple on the eyelid itself) – and that has never happened with any other product apart from this AND the Mad Hippie Peptide Eye Cream. It may be the Shea butter that is too heavy for my easily-clogged pores, or something else. So I no longer use eye creams on my eyelids and instead use just the Niod FECC (much much thinner and lighter) and then if I require further moisture, the Etude House Soon Jung Hydro Barrier Cream, I will apply on top.

Texture: This is very much like a cream. You can tell there are fats/oils in here. I could tell that there was Shea Butter included as it has the same texture albeit much more easier to spread! I do like the spreadability, it does ‘glide’ over the skin so there’s less chance of tugging and friction. And because of the high spreadability, that means that I don’t need to use so much product and therefore don’t waste £60 worth of eye cream so quickly.

You can tell the product has a sort of ‘sheen’ in it – like there are small pearl-like crystals/material in here to help ‘glisten up’ under the eye – very similar to the Inkey List Brighten Eye Cream HERE.

Do you see this cream has a ‘colour’ i.e. some pigment in it to brighten up dark circles/the under eye. Not a huge fan of this. The reason is, how much of the product is actually making a difference to dark circles and how much of it is simply the colourants in it giving a short-term solution and covering up the darkness?

I must say – this colour does dull down on the skin (i.e. it doesn’t look like you just smudged concealer under your eyes) – this covering does blend in with the skin (I am olive skin toned however – if you require reference). But do you see that a little goes a LONG WAY.

Key Ingredients: Contains caffeine – an ingredient which is supposed to reduce vasodilation to the blood vessels under the eyelid and therefore reduce the look of puffiness/dark under eyes. Caffeine, Horse Chestnut and Watermelon Extract are also supposedly antioxidants. Glycolic acid helps exfloiate the skin(i’m guessing to help with the fine lines?). And then ”skin-identical” ingredients include Glycerin, Sodium Pca. Some soothing ingredients: jojoba, Brazilian ginseng (supposedly), Roman Chamomile Oil (an essential oil). And then colouring: Titanium Dioxide and Mica (to give it that sheen and colour-correcting quality).

Apparently the Brazilian Ginseng Root Extract helps with puffiness and Horse Chestnut aids with ‘lifting the eye area.’ Watermelon extract is supposed to help with hydration and improving the skin’s moisture barrier.

Colour: I think what could give the product its yellow colour is Lutein – a ”deep yellow antioxidant derived from marigolds.”

Full Ingredients list:

AQUA, PEG-8 BEESWAX, CAPRYLYL CAPRYLATE/CAPRATE, POLYGLYCERYL-6 DISTEARATE, DIMETHICONE, C10-18 TRIGLYCERIDES, GLYCERIN, POLYPROPYLSILSESQUIOXANE, PHENYL TRIMETHICONE, HYDROXYETHYL ACRYLATE/SODIUM ACRYLOYLDIMETHYL TAURATE COPOLYMER, TRIMETHYLSILOXYSILICATE, ANTHEMIS NOBILIS FLOWER OIL, BORON NITRIDE, FRUCTOSE, JOJOBA ESTERS, SODIUM PHYTATE, THEOBROMA CACAO SEED BUTTER, SYNTHETIC FLUORPHLOGOPITE, CARTHAMUS TINCTORIUS SEED OIL, METHYLPROPANEDIOL, CAPRYLYL GLYCOL, PROPANEDIOL, GLYCOLIC ACID, CAFFEINE, MICA, TRIETHYL CITRATE, POLYSILICONE-11, TITANIUM DIOXIDE, CETYL ALCOHOL, CITRULLUS LANATUS FRUIT EXTRACT, POLYGLYCERYL-3 BEESWAX, BUTYROSPERMUM PARKII BUTTER, CAPRYLYL/CAPRYL GLUCOSIDE, COFFEA ARABICA SEED EXTRACT, LENS ESCULENTA FRUIT EXTRACT, BENZOIC ACID, PHENOXYETHANOL, AESCULUS HIPPOCASTANUM EXTRACT, PFAFFIA PANICULATA ROOT EXTRACT, PTYCHOPETALUM OLACOIDES BARK/STEM EXTRACT, PYRUS MALUS FRUIT EXTRACT, LILIUM CANDIDUM FLOWER EXTRACT, LECITHIN, ACMELLA OLERACEA EXTRACT, POLYSORBATE 60, SORBITAN ISOSTEARATE, TAGETES ERECTA FLOWER EXTRACT, SODIUM LACTATE, SILICA, POTASSIUM SORBATE, SODIUM PCA, BENZYL ALCOHOL, SODIUM BENZOATE, CITRIC ACID, LINALOOL, LIMONENE.

NOTE: Skincharisma have a full product ingredient breakdown HERE And the Inci Decoder HERE

Note: This contains Glycolic acid – so you must wear spf around your eyes if you’re going to wear this. The caffeine doesn’t surprise me as I know this is often used as a de-puffer.

Mica and Titanium Dioxide – physically cover dark circles.

Good under makeup?: Yes it’s been fine.

Good under SPF?: Yes this has also been fine.

Fragrance?: Yes – Tagetes Erecta (Marigold) Flower Extract, Anthemis Nobilis (Roman Chamomile) Oil. Also Limonene.

How long have I been using this?: For just over a month.

The Effect: Moisturised, hydrated eyes. This does, through moisturisation, help temporarily fill in fine lines under the eye. And because of the titanium dioxide, this does physically brighten the under eye temporarily. I don’t see any long-term improvements however in terms of lines and dark circles.

What I like:

• Moisturising
• Very spreadable
• Easy to use / not messy.
• Because it is spreadable, you use a lot less which means this should last a while.
• Really travel-friendly packaging – airtight pump too.
• Like the addition of Glycolic acid
• Small effect in reducing dark circles (due to the titanium dioxide) temporarily.
• Feels ‘luxurious’

What I don’t like:

• If I apply it on my upper eyelid – it gives me a stye – so that shows you how emollient this product is.
• Not a fan of the smell
• I think it’s a cop-out when products that are said to help dark circles simply add Titanium Dioxide to their product (this is in mineral sunblocks) – which physically lighten the under eyes (a short term solution, like applying concealer) – instead of trying to put actives in that will actually brighten the under eyes LONG TERM. Same thing as the Inkey List’s brighten-i eye cream.
• Long-term effect or changes in under eye circles/lines, I can’t see.

Rating and Conclusion: 3.2/5 – not terrible, but not for me. I think it does moisturise but for the price, I could get a cheaper emollient eye cream if I wanted. I do like the packaging and I love the pump mechanism however. This isn’t unpleasant to use – the texture is luxurious, I wont stop using it, I will just refrain from putting it on my eyelid, and I’m not going to use it expecting long-term changes or improvements, but temporarily, it’s a fine eye cream.

Would I repurchase?: No. This gave me a stye on my eyelid and the thing is, I want to use eye creams on my eye lid, and I have used eye creams previously that did not do this. I think perhaps I’m sensitive to some ingredient in here that is the same as the mad hippie eye cream. Also not a fan of EO and fragrant-type ingredients added in here (unnecessary). I think this is much better for older/more mature eyes that want some deep moisturisation. I think this is too rich for me, and I got it mainly for reducing dark circles, but since this product focuses mainly on a temporary fix, I would rather stick to my FECC and use a light cream on top.

Dupe?: I think if one wants a cheaper eye cream that is lightweight,spreadable and isn’t so expensive – the Innisfree real olive eye cream was lovely to use – it felt like a butter melting into my skin. Emollient, ligthweight and moisturising.

Disclaimer: I am a skincare enthusiast and not a skin expert. I am not qualified to give out dermatological advice. This type of advice should only be given by a medical practitioner. Upon trying / using any of the reviewed products on the blog, please follow the manufacturer’s instructions and warnings and please seek medical advice if needed.