I have been accumulating my empties over the last 6 months, ever since I decided to start my own blog. This is the first time that I took the time to accumulate all the products that I’ve been using up and I was surprised to see how many products I go through, even though I have a lot of similar products in rotation.

The idea behind an “Empties” post is to give you a review of the products after a thorough test,  having used up the entire full-sized (usually) product. I personally like these types of posts since I believe that the reviews are more genuine; the initial excitement of discovering a new product is gone and when you finish up a product you really have to think… Given all the options out there, do I want to spend my hard-earned money to repurchase this particular one? Do I like it enough to do that?

Because they are so many, I decided to divide them into several posts, grouped by category, starting with eye creams. I believe that way, it will provide more value since it will be easier to draw comparisons between the different products.

Elizabeth Arden Visible Difference Moisturizing Eye Cream

This had been my holy grail eye cream for quite some time. It is very moisturizing, light in texture, absorbs quickly and manages to keep my under eye area smooth and bright. I have been using this for years and it worked equally well in the freezing temperatures of Kazakhstan and in the hot Cyprus summer. Unfortunately, when I moved to my new flat, the combination of stress and dust led to a severe allergic reaction on the skin around my eyes, and this cream made the situation even worse. That is not to say that the eye cream caused the allergy in any way, but since then every time I attempt to use it, I get irritation around my eyes.

Would I repurchase? I’m really bummed, but no. My skin no longer agrees with this particular eye cream.

Eau Thermale Jonzac REhydrate Eye Contour Treatment

This eye cream was prescribed to me by my dermatologist when I had the allergic reaction mentioned above. This is a really really good eye cream. Formulated with Jonzac thermal spring water and designed specifically for sensitive skin, it managed to soothe my irritated skin immediately. I has a very light serum-like consistency that gets absorbed very fast providing all the necessary hydration. I would highly recommend to anyone with any kind of sensitivity or irritation around the eyes.

Would I repurchase? Yes, definitely.

Avene Soothing Eye Contour Cream

I purchased this eye cream when I run out of the Eau Thermale Jonzac REhydrate Eye Contour Treatment one. The two creams basically have exactly the same effects on me, however I prefer the Jonzac one over Avene. Avene’s eye cream has a thicker consistency that doesn’t absorb so well and, since it is in a squeeze tube, it is not so easy to control the amount of product to be dispensed compared to Jonzac’s pump packaging. If you consider also the fact that it was more expensive for less amount of product, Avene stays far behind Jonzac’s alternative.

Would I repurchase? If I had an irritation and Jonzac were not available, yes.

Ole Henriksen Total Truth Eye Cream SPF 15

This was a deluxe sample that I got as part of a kit at a recent online shopping spree. I like Ole Henriksen’s Truth range of products in general, and an eye cream with SPF in it intrigued me. Wearing sunscreen on the face is a necessity when living at a place like Cyprus, where the sun is very strong no matter the season, but I don’t think many of us remember to protect the area around the eyes from the sun. Having an eye cream taking care of that for me was just what I needed.

The cream itself had a fairly thick consistency and initially I was worried that the SPF would disturb the smooth application of my concealer. However, I didn’t notice any problems with makeup application whatsoever. A little product goes a long way and I was surprised by how long it took me to finish up such a little jar.

That being said, I didn’t find that the hydration provided to my skin was enough for my needs. As a matter of fact, apart from the SPF, I didn’t feel that it provided any significant benefits for my skin.

Would I repurchase? No. I didn’t like it enough to justify the price tag.

This post covered only a fraction the products I have used up; I have lots more to come, ranging from skincare, haircare, even some makeup. If you are interested in going through the rest of my “beauty garbage”, stay tuned.

What other eye creams would you recommend for sensitive eyes? Have you tried any of these products? Let me know in the comments below.