We have a bunch of products we've been asked to review and this is the first in the series - the Olay Regenerist Advanced Anti-Aging Eye Roller.
This is a new product from Olay, made available in Canada in January 2010 and retailing for approximately $34.99 for 6 mL. It's part of the Olay Regenerist line and like the other products in this line, it's designed to regenerate skin's appearance, making the skin appear younger, smoother and refreshed.
The Anti-Aging Eye Roller is a concentrated, hydrating anti-aging treatment that instantly helps reduce signs of aging in the eye area and housed in an applicator with three micro-rollers that gently massage to help reduce puffiness and reduce/soften fine lines and wrinkles.
We will again be using our 5 point scale to rate and review this product. To read a full description of the scale, please visit this post: http://beautysquared.blogspot.com/2009/11/beauty-squared-review-scale.html
We each used the Olay Regenerist Advanced Anti-Aging Eye Roller for seven days. Here is a quick description of our undereye area skin types to help provide you with an idea of how the product works.
C's Undereye Area:
No matter how much sleep I get or how much water I drink, I have always had dark circles under my eyes. When I don't get enough sleep, don't drink enough water, drink alcohol, eat lots of salt, I wake up in the morning with puffiness there too. I am concerned with the first signs of aging in my eye area especially as I wear contact lenses and rub my eyes quite a lot from the discomfort of wearing them.
I have chronic dark circles that are in due to having very thin skin underneath my eyes (it's genetic!). I also suffer from puffiness when I've eaten too much salt, drunk too much alcohol or my seasonal allergies have kicked in. I have a few tiny fine lines underneath my eyes but no crow's feet just yet. My main concerns are signs of aging, puffiness and dryness.
Close-ups of the tip of the Eye Roller, without product and with product.
C's Review:
Value: 3
For the most part, I feel eye products are overpriced, simply because they can be. The area around your eyes is more delicate than the skin on the rest of your face, so it shows ages more quickly and often more dramatically. Hence, companies charging two or more times the price for a much tinier amount of eye cream than they would a bottle or jar of face cream.
$34.99 is pricey for an eye roller, especially since it's about $15 more than the Garnier Fructis Eye Roller which I feel provides the same effect and is also available at drugstores. Since this isn't technically a moisturizer, this is both an additional step and significant cost to your beauty routine. However, I'm not overly concerned with fine lines (yet) so perhaps someone who is would feel the $34.99 price tag is justified.
Application: 4
The Olay Regenerist Anti-Aging Eye Roller has three small metal balls embedded in the smooth plastic wand and you press the bottom of the wand once or twice to release the cream. I like that you have control over the product released though you don't need to click more than once or twice for plenty of product. The instructions tell you to apply the cream by massaging it into the undereye area for 30 seconds. I found that one click gave me enough product for both eyes and I still had excess I needed to gently pat into my skin after the 30 seconds.
Effectiveness: 4
This product definitely does what it claims to. It's ideal for the morning when my eyes show some puffiness and it somehow does minimize the appearance of my dark circles ever so slightly. It also provides a good base for make-up. I do however, get the same effect from my Garnier eye roller although the cream in the Olay Regenerist is more moisturizing and abundant. The cooling sensation from the metal balls is very soothing and effective for reducing puffiness but I find I get more from my Garnier eye roller.
J's Review:
Value: 3
I feel the price is on the steep side for a drugstore brand, but in comparison to higher end brands such as Dior, which I've used in the past, it's fairly affordable. Eye products are in general one of the most expensive forms of skincare, so the price point does not surprise me.
Application: 5
The applicator is very effective in delivering a perfect, even amount of product and I found the massaging action of the roller balls very pleasant. Massage helps stimulate circulation and lymphatic draining, so this action can add to the effectiveness of the "de-puffing" ingredients. This application system also prevents you from wasting any product, which is a huge plus when you're dealing with expensive eye products.
Effectiveness: 4
I generally think this product fulfills its claims. It does help ease puffiness, and provides a nice level of moisture to the undereye area without any trace of greasiness. I usually use Garnier's Eye Roller, which seems stronger in the de-puffing department, but I do prefer the cream texture of the Olay roller over the gel texture of the Garnier roller. I find that Olay's product penetrates the skin fully, whereas the Garnier product tends to leave behind a film which can interfere with make up, making my concealer application a bit patchy looking.
C & J
Please note that the following product up for review was sent to us by a PR firm. All the opinions expressed in this review have been made independently and are not in any way affiliated with the company supplying the products or the PR firm we are in touch with.