Clinique All About Eyes, $29

The best way to get the skin around your eyes looking lovely is to moisturize and get a good night's sleep. Well, we can't always sleep how we want (or, you know, how we feel we should--I, for one, love staying up late), so sometimes we need a little help. I have undereyes prone to blue circles, and a job (and hobby!) that involves staring at a glowing rectangle for hours. I felt like the perfect candidate for a cream that promises to "reduce circles and puffs."

I got a small size (0.21 oz.) of Clinique's All About Eyes in their High Impact Lashes Set ($20) that comes with mascara and makeup remover (reviews to come!). The regular size (0.5 oz.) is $29.

The first thing I noticed was its texture--it's very thin but super soft and lightweight. It immediately soaked into my skin and left it velvety, not oily at all (I hate that oily feeling some creams leave, especially eye creams). I used a tiny bit before bed and woke up with considerably less puff under my eyes. I put it on again in the morning and my eyes felt and looked even smoother throughout the day. I've been using it twice a day and I'm loving the results.

That being said, I still have darkness under my eyes, for which my genetics and skin tone might be to blame. I still feel the need to wear concealer, but All About Eyes does help that concealer work better by leaving a smooth, moisturized base.

Final verdict
Cost: $29 for 0.5 oz., $47.50 for 1 oz., or for $20 you can get a set with a small-sized cream, mascara, and makeup remover.
Texture: Lightweight, incredibly soft, not oily at all.
Effectiveness: I found that it moisturized my skin and reduced puffiness, but didn't really lighten my darkness as much as I hoped.
Repeat offender: This is my favorite eye cream I've tried. I love the feeling it leaves behind, its lightweight texture, and how it diminishes my puffiness, even if I need a little concealer, too.

Psst, like my nails? Konad Nail Art--will show more later!

-T

Nivea Creme, $4.99

As summer comes to an end and winter approaches (so quickly!) we have to start thinking about taking care of our dry, dry skin : ( This is where this classic comes into play. Nivea's Creme has been around forever (1911 to be exact, nice little wikipedia page) and is available globally. This is definitely my go-to thick and absolutely guaranteed moisturizing product.

You would think that such a thick cream would go on heavy and greasy but it dries very quickly after your skin soaks up the moisturizing powers of Nivea Creme. I like to use it on my hands and arms daily because it helps keep the skin soft and makes sure that my elbows don't get dry. I use this product a lot on my legs in the winter time because that is my biggest dry skin problem area. It is an excellent all-over body moisturizer and has the mildest fresh scent.

Final verdict:
Cost: $4.99 for a giant glass jar--really can't beat the price.
Is it only good to use in the winter?: I think that this cream is good for all seasons, the only reason I mention that it's good to use in the winter is because it is indeed a thicker product and tends to be better than thinner creams.

Repeat offender?: Absolutely, I mean this stuff has been around since 1911, obviously it is legit.

-M

The Youth As We Know It by Bliss, $79

I received a sample size jar of The Youth As We Know It by the skin care line Bliss from a recent Sephora purchase. This skin cream is "an extraordinary anti-aging moisture cream" that promises to revitalize and protect skin.

The cream is light and has a faint citrus smell to it. When you put it on your face it feels super refreshing and kind of has a slight cooling effect. The product doesn't feel super heavy on the skin when blended in either, rather it dries quickly and gives you that "tightened" feeling.

I think that this cream is really excellent but I can't say that it has really given me any results. I can't do a side-by-side comparison of how I will look with or without this cream in ten years so reviewing it based on whether it works or not is kind of difficult. Obviously I am 24 years old and it's not like I have wrinkles to begin with but I am all about prevention! I think everyone should take care of their skin (this goes for men too, they hardly moisturize!) because it is so sensitive and we all feel confident when we look our best.

I can say that I like this moisturizer because of the texture, scent, and how it feels on my skin. However, I'm not a fan of the price or the fact that it doesn't have any SPF. The instructions specifically state to follow with SPF but I'm more into having a daily moisturizer with SPF included. The product is definitely pricey and I wouldn't splurge this much on it but I'm sure there are people out there who wouldn't mind the splurge for a good product.

Final verdict:
Cost: $79 for a large jar of this cream.
Does it hydrate your skin well?: Yes! When you put this product on your skin it feels instantly hydrated but not greasy or oily. Like I said before, it kind of "tightens" the skin.
Repeat offender?: Based on the price I wouldn't get this product in the full size. I like my sample but I'll stick to something that will make my wallet happy as well as my skin!

-M

Clinique Even Better Skin Tone Correcting Moisturizer, $42.50

I've had this moisturizer for a few months now and wasn't quite sure how to review it. What drew me to Clinique's Even Better Skin Tone Correcting Moisturizer was the promise to even out skin tone. I often get freckles from the sun and figured maybe this would help smooth some of those away.

Initially, I really didn't like it. I started using it and it felt like it was too much for my skin. Funny thing is that this is a pretty thick moisturizer and I was using it in the winter when my skin is at its driest. It felt oily and I even felt like my skin started to break out. I was pretty pissed off that I paid $40 for a moisturizer and it didn't seem to be working well so I took a break from it.

I'm a big fan of a lot of Clinique skin products and have had experience with a bunch of their moisturizers so I thought that this would be a good buy. After not using it for a few months I picked up the jar once again and tried it on my skin once more. It seems to be taking much better now and doesn't have that oily thick effect that I was feeling in the winter. I'm not quite sure what changed but I guess it's true that our skin really does change with the different elements.

Final verdict:
Cost: $42.50 for a large jar. If you want to buy Clinique skin care products wait until they have a nice gift pack to give you along with your purchase, it makes it way more worth it.
Does it actually correct skin tone?: I honestly cannot say that I saw much of a difference in my skin tone in terms of "evening."
What are the benefits?: It moisturizes really well because the cream is a nice thick (but not super thick) consistency. It has SPF 20 which is what drew me to it because I like my daily moisturizer to be higher than 15.
Repeat offender?: I don't think this cream was right for me. I'd rather use Clinique's Youth Surge or Moisture Surge moisturizers.

-M

Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20, $42

Let me just say upfront: I don't like foundation. Sure, I'll wear some under my eyes if I feel like I look tired (which, uh, has been like everyday lately) or in a futile attempt to cover a bad zit, but I can't really do the all-over thing. Feels too heavy and I feel like it always looks fake, especially up close. So, I chose the Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer as a free sample from Sephora because I figured this would be the closest to foundation I could bring myself to wear.

(Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer in Nude)
I must admit, this stuff is pretty nice. It's really thin, making it easy to blend a thin layer on my face. I was surprised by the coverage--it made a noticeable difference in evening out my skin tone. It felt light and soft, and I actually forgot I was wearing it. (Note: As with all face makeup I've tried, it did make my blemishes look, well, like I had tried to cover them with makeup. So, no exceptions there.) And, I learned that the color of blush really pops when applied over a nice base.

Final verdict
Cost: $42. Ow. Maybe if the price was, like, $30, which is still a lot, I'd be willing to pay for it. But $42 is just too much.
Coverage: Even though it's just a tinted moisturizer, it still evened out my skin tone noticeably. Plus it has SPF (even though it's just SPF 20, it's better than nothing!) and comes in a ton of shades.
Texture/feeling: This was my favorite part--it felt really light and soft. My boyfriend couldn't tell it was there.
Repeat offender: Well, if I had a ton of money then yes, I would recommend this. But, I just can't bring myself to spend that much!

-T

Sephora deal: This one is open to anyone with a Beauty Insider card (if you don't have one, sign up! It's free and you earn points toward samples!): 15% off your entire Sephora.com purchase with the promo code MADNESS. Good April 12-19.

Aveeno Ultra-Calming Daily Moisturizer, $15

Attention, those with sensitive skin: This may be the moisturizer for you! A couple months ago, my skin got irritated from an acne medication. My old moisturizer didn't help--it would sting and burn when I put it on, especially right after washing my face. I decided to try Aveeno's Ultra-Calming Daily Moisturizer, hoping that it would calm my pissed off sensitive skin. It did. I threw away the medication, but the moisturizer stayed.

This stuff is "fragrance-free, oil-free, noncomedogenic, [and] hypoallergenic"--probably one of the gentlest moisturizers around. Plus, it has sunscreen in it (available in SPF 15 or SPF 30) which, as you know, is important for keeping your skin looking young. The moisturizer soaks into your skin quickly and smells just faintly of sunscreen. Now, I also have combination skin (oily and dry, wee!), so I use moisturizer primarily on my cheeks and try to avoid the corners of my nose and my chin. That being said, I haven't had a problem with oil while using this, but judging by its lotiony feel it might not be best for oily skin. But, I don't know for sure. (Perhaps SPF 15 would feel a little lighter.)

What really sold me on it is that, pretty quickly, it had a noticeable effect on my skin's appearance. The tone looks more even and my face just looks healthier. It's as simple as that.

Final verdict:
Cost: $15 is actually pretty cheap for moisturizer--the top picks at Sephora average about $50 or so! And since you really don't need a lot, it lasts a long time.
Is it true?: Aveeno claims that it "visibly reduces the appearance of redness and soothes sensitive skin," and I have found this to be true.
Skin types: It's probably best for those with sensitive skin, dry skin, or combination skin. I'm not sure if it would be best for oily skin.
Repeat offender: Yes! I'm really happy with it.

-T