An Eye Cream for Beginners - Sunday Riley's Start Over (Review)
Eye Creams are something that I sometimes often forget to apply or something I often skip in my skincare routine because...I am simply just too lazy *insert embarrassed emoji*. Now that I am getting that little bit older, sometimes late, sleepless or "big" nights are just not as kind to my skin as they used to be - especially my eyes. Whilst I'm still relatively youngish (I am 27 this year), eye creams which boast powerful anti-ageing or anti-wrinkle formulas is something that I simply do not need as of yet. Instead, my main concerns for an eye cream is something that targets puffiness and minimises the dark circles and sometimes the bags underneath my eyes. I will also look for something that helps to prevent the ageing process as well and that will brighten underneath my eye area. Sunday Riley's Start Over does exactly just that - it helps with puffiness, bags and it also brightens my dark circles underneath my eyes. It also boasts all sorts of powerful botanicals which help to reduce and prevent the signs of ageing such as fine lines.
What Is It:
Sunday Riley's Start Over is basically a lightweight, almost gel like eye cream that targets puffiness and tired looking eyes. Like most Sunday Riley products it boasts a cocktail of active ingredients both of natural botanical origin and synthetics.
What Does It Do:
Start Over claims to pretty much do a bit of everything but in particular it claims to reduce the look of puffy, tired eyes and also the appearance of bags underneath the eye area. It does this by brightening, cooling and reducing inflammation within the eye area. Over time, Start Over promises to reduce the look of fine lines and eyes to look more plump and firm due to collagen boosting ingredients in the formula.
Ingredients:
Prickly Pear Extract, Blue Agave Extract, Lady's Slipper Orchid Extract, Cactus Extract, Olea Europea Fruit Extract, Rosa Rubiginosa Seed Oil, Methylsilanol Carboxymethyl Theophylline, Butylene Glycol, PEG-75 Meadowsol, Ammonium Polyacrylate, Isohexadecane, PEG-40 Castor Oil, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium, Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Glucosamine HLC, Urea, Artemisia Vulgaris Extract, Lecithin, Cholesterol Olry, Cholesteryl Chloride, Punica Granatum, Astaxanthin, Lycopene, Alpha D-Tocopherol, Thioctic Acid, Lutein, Methyl Paraben, Propyl Paraben, DMDM Hydantoin
It is refreshing to see that Sunday Riley's Start Over have an ingredient listing that has quite a few botanical extracts (the first 6 ingredients are derived from natural sources!) and it also combines these with more synthetic, science based ingredients also. Sunday Riley does use both cutting edge science and botanicals quite well and most of the time delivers fantastic results with her products and thus has developed quite the cult following. It is also important to note that parabens are on the ingredient listing as 2 of the final 3 ingredients. This is obviously due to preserve the product, but those out there who have issues with parabens are probably best to stay away.
My Thoughts:
Let be honest here...if you have dark circles underneath your eyes, most of the time, you have them because of genetics. No matter what cream you apply on your eyes, you will never be able to fully get rid of dark circles due to genetics. I have dark circles underneath my eyes and no matter how much I sleep get or what I use, I will never be able to fully get rid of them (thanks Dad). What can always be done is to alleviate the look of dark circles, but nothing it seems can diminish them completely. Eye creams I find hit and miss, but Sunday Riley's Start Over does not disappoint, as I do find that upon application those dark circles and puffiness around my eyes are noticeably brighter. I find that I do not look like I have had a horrible sleep or zombie like. This is a great eye cream for 'beginners' (those who are in their late twenties) or for someone who is starting to become concerned with ageing or would like to prevent the ageing process. By all means if you are in your early 20's I don't think you will need to use this yet!
When using Start Over, the first thing I notice is the beautiful feeling and texture of the lightweight cream. I previously reviewed the Lu Ming Tang Elixir de Vie Eye Concentrate, and whilst I love that product and what it does for me, the texture is quite heavy and it does take some time to sink in the eye area. Sunday Riley's Start Over however, instantly has a wonderful cooling effect on the eye which helps to depuff the under eye area. I also find that the product sinks in effortlessly and seamlessly. Due to this, I do not have to wait long to apply the next step of my skincare routine, making this perfect to use in the morning or when you are in a hurry or time poor.
The first ingredient on the ingredient listing for Sunday Riley's Start Over is Prickly Pear Extract which is an ingredient that is rich in Vitamin K and antioxidants. Creams that are rich in Vitamin K have been known to alleviate dark circles around the eye area and creams with a high amount of Vitamin K have been prescribed by surgeons in the past to aid in post eye surgery for this reason. Whilst I could not find any scientific papers that relate prickly pear extract and its benefits for the eye area in particular, I know that Sunday Riley does pride itself on being a brand that carefully selects the ingredients in its products for maximum effect. I find that the final effect of this eye cream, whilst not diminishing my dark circles completely, does overall give me a well rested appearance. It brightens, soothes and hydrates the under eye area making my appearance more human like and less panda. The brightening effect underneath my eye area could be very much attributed to the use of the Prickly Pear Extract in this formulation.
The second ingredient on the listing for Start Over is Blue Agave Extract which not only has soothing and cooling qualities for the skin but also aids in the hydration of the skin and the process of anti-ageing by plumping the skins cells. The use of pomegranate seed oil (Rosa Rubiginosa Seed Oil) helps to stimulate collagen in the eye area, which also contributes to the anti-ageing process. Boosting collagen production will in turn create a firmer eye area, and will eventually with time, banish fine lines within the eye area. Whilst I don't have fine lines and I never really use an eye cream long enough to notice the effect of 'lines' around my eyes, I can definitely vouch for Start Over's hydrating and plumping qualities around my eye area. Sometimes, I do get quite dry around my eye area from allergies and using this cream with the addition of my moisturiser, helps to keep my eyes hydrated and not dry,flakey and crepe like.
From what I understand, Start Over's packaging has recently changed to a tube applicator with a metal tip. The current one I own is the older edition of the packaging which features an airless pump mechanism which is easily lockable. This is something that I personally love about the product as I do find that it is very easy to use the product (and control the amount I would like to use) and is most hygienic. I have heard recently some complaints about the new packaging but I am not able to comment as I haven't used this product in the tube as of yet. Those who are sensitive to smells do not need to worry about this as this product has no scent whatsoever. This product also does not contain any fragrances or synthetic fragrance compounds (that I can see) in its ingredient listing which is nice to see. One thing I also have to mention about this product is the AMOUNT of product that you get, whilst this eye cream is on the pricier side, do not forget that you are receiving 30ml of product which is twice as much as you would normally get for a typical eye cream. It is a generous amount and I find that I am only half way through using this!
For me, I find that Sunday Riley's Start Over a perfect beginners eye cream for me as it does exactly as I want in an eye cream - it targets puffiness, dark circles, hydrates and helps to prevent ageing around the eye area with continued use. Whilst this eye cream does claim to reduce the look of crows feet or fine lines, I unfortunately cannot comment as these are concerns that I have yet to experience (sorry, I am just trying to be an honest as I can). However, this product has received many reviews online, and many swear that it has made a difference in their lines and wrinkles around the eye area. I think this product is fantastic for those who are in the market for an eye cream that is just a little bit stronger than average to kick start the age prevention process and targets a little bit of everything. This is recommended for all skin types, and whilst I haven't had any reactions, I have read people have had a stinging sensation when using this. So those with sensitive skin, please ask for a sample first. It is also important to remember that you need only the smallest amount of this for your eyes, the size of a sushi rice grain is all that I use for both eyes as this product is quite rich in active ingredients.
Repurchase YAY or NAY:
I really like to use Sunday Riley's Start Over in conjunction with my Lu Ming Tang Eye Concentrate, as Sunday Riley is perfect for mornings and when I am in a rush. It's lightweight gel cream texture makes its wonderful to use in the day time or on days where it is quite hot as it doesn't feel as rich or as thick underneath the eyes. It targets all my concerns that I have with my eyes which is to reduce the dark circles, depuff bags that I may have underneath the eye area after a big night or a sleepless night, hydrate and also to prevent the signs of ageing. I have always felt more human looking after using this after a bad night's sleep and I feel this product does the job well which is why I definitely will repurchase when I finally finish using my existing bottle.
Sunday Riley's Start Over can be purchased from Australia at Mecca Cosmetica for AUD$127, in the UK or worldwide at Cultbeauty for GBP£65.00 and in the US from Sephora for USD$75.00 for 30ml of product.
