Product Review: Caudalie Resveratrol Lift Eye Lifting Balm

File this product review under "nearly empty product I'm finally writing about" or under "pre-vacation blogging." Either way, I have a backlog of beauty posts to work through before taking off for Paris at the end of March and I'm starting with Caudalie Resveratrol Lift Hyaluronic Acid Eye Lifting Balm ($72)! I've always liked this all-natural French brand's skincare and how it uses different parts of the grape plant—the grapes, the grape skins, the leaves, the vines—in formulas for their antioxidant and anti-aging benefits. I couldn't resist picking up this eye cream at Sephora a couple months ago; the adorable 15 ml millennial pink tube just sealed the deal.

Caudalie Resveratrol Lift Eye Lifting Balm boasts a bevy of ingredients that promise to depuff and hydrate the delicate eye area and lighten dark circles. There's the hero ingredient resveratrol, a firming ingredient derived from grapevines that's supposed to support collagen and elastin production. Micro hyaluronic acids help the eye area appear plump and hydrated, while peptides lift and contour and a natural plant complex derived from silk trees lightens dark circles.

This eye cream is a delight to apply and use. The upside-down needle-nose tube dispenses just the right amount of product with minimal waste. The balm is slightly cool to the touch when first applied and it melts into skin with the lightness of a gel, absorbing quickly with no oiliness (always a plus for those who suffer from oily eyelids as this eye cream won't wick away mascara and make it smudge). It's also fragrance-free and formulated for sensitive eyes, so it won't cause stinging, itching or milia.

Eye creams are a hard product category to review because they promise so much and rarely live up to the hype. I haven't noticed dramatic results or reversals in aging, but on the days and nights I use it I have noticed that my eyes look rested, refreshed and bright. There's less puffiness in the upper lids and under eye area and dark circles are not as pronounced. The only downsides are the smell (I get a whiff of something that seems mildewy at times, but that's probably because there's no added fragrance) and the price. That being said, I'd be open to buying a second tube.

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