I tried a 'holy grail' beauty item loved by Margot Robbie, Kim Kardashian and Victoria Beckham... so does it live up to the hype?
Eye creams have never really been on my beauty radar until recently. Any dark circles and puffiness under my eyes have never been so dire that I've felt the need to address them.
But life in the toddler trenches, with a pint-sized pre-dawn alarm clock, has changed my tune. The caffeine intake is peaking and the sleep bank is in deficit, and naturally it's showing up right where I'd prefer it didn't: on my face.
Recent scrolls through my camera roll have increasingly revealed that my crows feet are less cute laughter lines and more deep crevices, while the shadows underneath are just as scary some mornings.
So when the opportunity came to trial Augustinus Bader's The Rich Eye Cream, it was a no-brainer. Slathering my (well, a small portion of my) tired skin with the same elixir apparently responsible for Victoria Beckham, Margot Robbie and Gigi Hadid's eternally youthful visage? Yes, please, right now.
For the uninitiated, Augustinus Bader is the brand beloved by celebrities and twice crowned 'The Greatest Skincare of All Time' by Women's Wear Daily, along with more than 185 other industry awards.
It was founded in 2018 by renowned stem-cell scientist and physician Professor Augustinus Bader, one of the world's foremost experts in stem cell biology and regenerative medicine.
Inspired by his three decades of cutting edge research on skin healing and tissue repair, Professor Bader developed the proprietary TFC8® Trigger Factor Complex that powers all of the products in his eponymous skincare line.
The patented technology is formulated with natural amino acids, high-grade vitamins and peptides naturally found in skin, to nourish and protect while supporting the skin's innate potential for renewal.
After: Two weeks into using The Rich Eye Cream morning and night, dark circles are reduced, the skin is plumper and fine lines towards the inner corner of the eye appear reduced
The original moisturisers, The Cream and The Rich Cream, hold almost mythical status as the absolute premium in luxury skincare, highly efficacious and backed by science.
The cult 'blue bottles' are revered by industry insiders and beauty experts, and subsequent products added to the range, including The Face Oil and The Eye Cream, have been just as well received.
Kim Kardashian has called the it her 'Holy Grail', while Hayley Bieber filmed herself applying The Cream in a GRWM (get ready with me) video on social media.
Other A-listers who've raved about the brand include Alexa Chung, Naomi Campbell, Amal Clooney, Demi Moore and Jennifer Aniston.
So does The Rich Eye Cream, which launched in February, live up to the sky-high expectations the preceding products have set? And does it justify its frankly eye-popping price tag?
As the name suggests, the pint-sized product is a more decadently rich and dense version of The Eye Cream. And if it does everything it says on the box, it's a miracle in a 15ml jar.
Promises include firming the delicate under-eye skin, reducing fine lines and wrinkles, intensely hydrating and illuminating, and visibly shrinking under-eye bags and dark circles.
These proclamations are backed by impressive clinical trial results: In a 12 week study, participants experienced a 70 per cent reduction in puffiness, a 45 per cent improvement in fine lines, and a 68 per cent drop in dark circles, while hydration tripled.
And in a consumer perception study of 110 users over the age of 35, a staggering 97 per cent agreed skin looks and feels firmer around the eyes, 95 per cent agreed skin elasticity feels restored, and 93 per cent agreed the appearance of crow's feet is reduced.
Further, 96 per cent agreed under-eye bags appear reduced, and 98 per cent agreed eyes look replenished and rejuvenated.
Those are some seriously promising stats, and I have visions of restoring my eyes to pre-parenthood youthfulness. After just two weeks, I've only just dipped my toe in, but early impressions? So far, so glowy.
Powered by the aforementioned TFC8 along with powerhouse ingredients like niacinamide, vitamins B5 and C, The Rich Eye Cream intensely hydrates and adds visible radiance.
The cream is thick and a little goes a long way. You can apply with your finger tip, or with the included applicator which, with its hefty weight despite its diminutive size, feels incredibly luxe.
The metal wand de-puffs and boosts circulation as it massages the eye cream into the under-eye area, and its cool touch adds 30 seconds of facial-like luxury to my rushed morning skincare routine - we take what we can get.
Immediate effects are an instant dewy radiance around my eyes as the dense cream melts into my skin.
After two weeks of using The Rich Eye Cream morning and night, there's a noticeable improvement in the texture and appearance of the skin around my eyes. I look refreshed, as though I'm getting a good eight hours.
The delicate and thin skin in this area appears firmer and plumper, and upon inspection of the before and after photos, the fine lines towards the inner corner of my eyes are far less noticeable.
Augustinus Bader is the brand beloved by celebrities and twice crowned 'The Greatest Skincare of All Time' by Women's Wear Daily's Beauty Inc, along with more than 185 other industry awards
The Rich Eye Cream is powered by the brand's patented TFC8 technology along with powerhouse ingredients like niacinamide, vitamins B5 and C
Make up glides on with ease after applying the cream in the morning, and the radiant glow remains visible beneath tinted SPF and foundation, so my highlighter and concealer have remained unused in my bathroom cabinet for a fortnight.
Is it worth the price? Obviously, many will deem splashing hundreds on an eye cream ludicrous. This is a luxury, even with the 20 per cent discount for those willing to commit to auto-replenish their stash at least three times.
If you have the cash to spend, and prioritise buying high-quality, high-efficacy skincare, then this is certainly a worthy product to invest in.
Augustinus Bader is a premium skincare brand and it lives up to all the hype.
I'll be scraping every morsel out of this little jar of radiance and pondering the fiscal responsibility of opening a dedicated skincare savings account to work towards my next top-up.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
27 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Labour isn't working: Sick leave in Whitehall surges under Starmer as civil servant absences jump by over a quarter in major government departments
Sick leave in the Whitehall blob is surging under Labour, analysis suggests. Absence rates jumped by up to 26 per cent in major government departments last year. Civil servants taking prolonged periods off over mental health issues was fuelling the rise, sources claimed, with tens of thousands of working days lost. And it showed Labour ministers were 'turning a blind eye' and had gone soft on trying to boost productivity in the public sector, critics said last night. The analysis comes amid wider concerns about Britain's sick-note epidemic, with 11 million 'fit notes' – which assess an individual's ability to work – doled out in England last year. Public sector workers are 60 per cent more likely to be off due to illness than those in the private sector. Foreign Secretary David Lammy's department saw one of the biggest increases, with 35,452 working days lost last year, the study found. This soared from 28,122 in 2023 and concerned 2,904 staff, up from 2,437. Alex Burghart, the Tories' Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, said: 'This is shocking analysis. Too many days are lost to sick leave in the Civil Service. It's unfair on taxpayers and on the staff left to carry the load. 'Ministers are turning a blind eye and the Government has gone soft on productivity. This is the last thing Britain needs when it is already struggling under Labour.' Most of the increase was due to 'long-term' absences, suggesting civil servants are calling in sick for extensive periods. Working days lost as a result of these longer periods off surged from 16,165 to 20,770, compared to a jump from 11,957 to 14,682 because of 'short-term' sickness. Staff with no such time off stood at 67 per cent, down from 72 per cent. Mental health issues fuelled a surge in absence rates, the Department for Transport said. Its annual report and accounts claimed overall 'Average Working Days Lost' per staff member last year jumped from 8.6 to 9.2 for officials at the department and linked agencies. Again, the majority (5.7) were for 'long-term' sickness, with 'mental ill health' remaining the 'largest long-term absence type'. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper's office recorded a jump of 12 per cent in the sickness leave rate. As of March 31 this year, the average working days lost to sickness per official was 7.4 days, up from 6.6 in 2024. And the Department for Education's rate surged from 5.3 to six. Angela Rayner's housing department also saw a 12 per cent jump in average working days lost due to sickness, from a rate of five in 2023 to 5.6 last year. Only 58 per cent registered 'no sickness absence', down from 63 per cent the year before. But rates at agencies linked to the department were much worse, with the days-lost rate at 8.8 – up from 5.9. Just 41 per cent suffered no sickness, down from 56 per cent. Of eight departments to have published their accounts for 2024/25, just two saw sickness rates fall or stay the same. These were the Treasury, where the rate dropped from 3.3 to 2.8 days lost on average per worker last year, and the Department for Work and Pensions (6.9 to 6.8). It comes despite Sir Keir Starmer saying in December that 'too many' civil servants 'are comfortable in the tepid bath of managed decline'. A government spokesman said: 'The civil service provides a range of tools and policies to ensure employees remain in work and are supported to return to work as quickly as possible.'
Reuters
an hour ago
- Reuters
Atai and Recognify's schizophrenia drug fails to meet main goal in trial
July 25 (Reuters) - Atai Life Sciences ( opens new tab and its partner Recognify Life Sciences said on Friday their experimental drug did not meet the main goal in a mid-stage trial for patients with schizophrenia-linked cognitive impairment. U.S.-listed shares of atai dropped about 17% in extended trading. The trial enrolled 242 patients with cognitive impairment associated with schizophrenia (CIAS), which affects memory, attention and decision-making in people with the mental illness. Recognify said patients taking the drug, inidascamine, showed some improvement in cognitive tests compared with a placebo, but the results were not statistically significant. Despite the drug missing the main goal, Recognify said patients on inidascamine showed consistent signs of improvement in areas such as processing speed and verbal learning, with positive trends on a test assessing real-world cognitive abilities. The drug was well-tolerated, with no signs of sedation, weight gain, or movement-related side effects, which are common with existing schizophrenia treatments. CIAS remains one of the most challenging and underserved areas in mental health, with no FDA-approved treatments. Atai and Recognify's setback adds to a string of failures in CIAS drug development, including last year's decision by Neurocrine Biosciences (NBIX.O), opens new tab to halt its own CIAS drug program after disappointing results. Cognitive deficits affect about 80% of people with schizophrenia, a condition that impacts roughly 24 million individuals globally, according to the World Health Organization. Standard treatment for schizophrenia typically involves antipsychotic medications that help manage hallucinations and delusions, but often do not address cognitive symptoms. Recognify, which is majority-owned by Berlin-based Atai, said it will continue to analyze full trial results and present further data at upcoming scientific meetings. Atai said it intends to focus resources on its own pipeline of psychedelic-based therapies for mood-affecting disorders, while continuing to support Recognify's efforts.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Nutritional expert shares popular snacks parents think are healthy... but should actually not be fed to kids
An expert nutritional therapist has revealed the popular snacks parents think are healthy – but shouldn't actually be fed to kids. With the summer holidays in full swing, families will be scrambling to find activities to occupy their little ones. And it's no secret that giving them something to eat can fill the gap for a while. But Amber Silverman is urging parents to be careful when choosing a healthy snack, as what might seem nutritious is actually doing children more harm than good. 'One of the most common things I hear from parents is: "I honestly thought that was healthy," and it's completely understandable,' the nutritional therapist, from London, told NeedToKnow recently. 'Supermarkets are full of products that look wholesome, often plastered with phrases like "no added sugar" or "made with real fruit,"' she warned. 'But once you take a closer look, the reality isn't always quite so rosy.' Here are the most common lunchbox and cupboard offenders. Fruit Snacks Amber, a mom-of-two, said that labeling on fruit snacks often states that 'real fruit' is involved, but it can be extremely misleading. She explained: They're usually little more than processed sugar, syrup, and flavorings. 'Even when fruit purée is listed as an ingredient, it's stripped of the fiber and nutrients you'd get from eating real fruit.' And the same goes for fruit pouches, which are better than ultra-processed snacks, but still aren't as good as the real deal. Smoothies and juices Amber, 54, said that while smoothies are a great way to get kids' five-a-day in, they're only beneficial if made from scratch. She warned that bottled versions often contain fruit concentrates, sweetened yogurt, or added sugars – and are surprisingly high in calories. And juice is no better. Amber added: 'Even the pure kind is still very high in natural sugars and lacks the fiber that slows down sugar absorption in whole fruit. 'It's easy to forget that one small carton of juice might contain the equivalent of sugar of several pieces of fruit. 'Better to stick with water most of the time and keep juice as an occasional treat – or just eat an orange.' Flavored Yogurts Amber said that yogurts in little tubes or pots are usually marketed towards children, and can be enjoyed as part of a healthy diet. But there's little benefit for your tot. She dished: 'Low-fat versions are particularly sneaky, as the fat is usually replaced with added sugar to keep them tasting good. 'A better option? Go for plain, full-fat yogurt and stir in some fresh fruit yourself.' Granola and Cereals Oats, nuts, and sometimes a bit of dried fruit may seem like a winner, but what's really hiding in the ingredients? Amber said: '[They're often] held together by glucose syrup or other sweeteners and can contain just as much sugar as a chocolate bar. 'Not ideal if you're after something genuinely nourishing that'll keep kids going through the day. '[And while] cereal is quick and convenient, even the ones labelled with 'whole grain' or 'fortified with vitamins' can be high in sugar and low in fibre. 'They may give a short burst of energy, but that's usually followed by a mid-morning crash – and a grumpy, hungry child asking for snacks.' Veggie Straws and Chips If the phrase 'veggie' is used, it must be healthy, right? Wrong. 'Sadly, not. They're often made with potato starch and oil, with just a dusting of powdered vegetables for color,' Amber explained. 'Nutritionally, they're not much better than ordinary crisps.' Whole Wheat or Multigrain Crackers Reaching for crackers might seem like a quick, tasty, and nutritional option to feed your tot when they're hungry. But, like most foods, the labels are misleading. Amber said: 'Just because something has 'whole wheat' or 'multigrain' on the label doesn't mean it's automatically a healthier option. 'Many of these snacks still contain refined flours, low-quality oils, and not much in the way of actual nutrients. 'If you're buying crackers, check the label and look for ones made with 100% wholegrain and minimal added ingredients.' Amber advised parents to opt for savory snacks over sweet – such as cheese, homemade hummus, edamame beans, and nuts and seeds. She said eating refined sugars can be 'detrimental' to kids. The mom continued: 'It creates unstable blood sugar levels, where the highs and lows can have an adverse effect on behaviors. 'Common symptoms of this would be irritability or anger, fatigue or lethargy, headaches, mood swings, and attention problems. 'This can impact their learning at school and at home – and how they interact with people around them. Refined sugars are also linked to inflammation in the body, which in turn is linked to a diseased state. 'In the medium to long-term, there may be impacts on immune function and other health concerns when refined sugars are consumed daily or very regularly.' She also noted that refined sugars impact teeth, weight, and digestive health – which can also damage developing brains. Since it has addictive qualities, these difficulties can last even into adulthood. While it can feel overwhelming trying to make the right choices, she says the best method is to stick to real, whole foods and recognizable ingredients. And don't be afraid to whip up simple meals from scratch. She concluded, 'Feeding your child isn't about being perfect. It's about balance, awareness, and building habits over time. 'One less fruit snack and one more real apple might not seem like a big deal today, but over months and years, it adds up.'
