NEXT Sunday is Easter – and if you want to have a chocolate treat without the guilt, there are some new spreads that claim to be the healthier option.
I tried them out and our Beauty Editor put dark circle eye creams to the test . . .
CHICKPEAS – Fabalous has launched this organic hazelnut & cocoa spread that is one-third . . . chickpeas. High in protein, vitamins, minerals and fibre, it is made up of 37 per cent fat and 24 per cent sugar (Nutella has 31 per cent but 56 per cent sugar).
Tastes great – a gorgeous mixture of nuttiness and rich chocolate.
Not too sweet. You wouldn’t know there was a chickpea in there. (£5.89 for 200g, Amazon)
HONEY – This is a mix of 95 per cent meadow honey and five per cent chocolate. Honey is high in antioxidant and antibacterial properties and can boost immunity.
It contains 2.8 per cent fat but 74 per cent sugar because of the honey. And boy, don’t you know it. Sweet, caramelly, utterly indulgent.
Tastes like the caramel layer on a Mars Bar. Yum. (£4.99 for 227g, fearneandrosie.co.uk)
SKINNY – Think of Nutella with less sugar. Skinny Chocoholic is 38 per cent fat and 4.3 per cent sugar. Made from sweeteners, shea, rapeseed oil, ten per cent hazelnuts and 4.8 per cent cocoa.
Not as “healthy” but the lowest in sugar by a big way. It tastes amazing. Sweet, silky, smooth, grown-up and indulgent (£3.99 for 350g, theskinnyfoodco.com)
BUDGET – L’Oreal Paris Rosy Radiant Eye Cream, (£14.99, 15ml boots.com): Eye cream formulated with light-reflecting particles to instantly improve the appearance of dark circles, as well as peony extract and fortified calcium to gradually restore and lighten the area.
Thick in texture and particularly good for hydrating and plumping skin under the eyes, but I didn’t notice a big change in my under-eye darkness. I preferred to use it at night as make-up didn’t sit well on top of it for daytime use.
MID – Ren Skincare, Brightening Dark Circle Cream (£42.00, 15ml, renskincare.com): Under-eye treatment to depuff and hydrate. Antioxidant elderberry flower extract helps to neutralise free radicals to reduce darkness around the eyes.
Glycogen helps to retain moisture to keep skin firm and plump. Melts into skin nicely – I noticed a swift improvement in brightness under the eyes. Super-nourishing too and is now my daily go-to eye cream.
LUXURY – Murad, Vita-C Eyes Dark Circle Corrector (£56.00, 15ml, murad.co.uk): Eye cream enriched with a unique gold-stabilised vitamin C to give potent antioxidant protection and brighten dark circles. Also includes red and brown algae extracts to reduce puffiness and soothe the under-eye area.
Thin in consistency and the micro-minerals included to illuminate shadows under the eyes give the product a gold shimmer.
Gentle enough to use twice a day, and it improved darkness under the eyes. Pricey but it works.
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