Amorepacific Time Response Eye Reserve Creme Review
Some skincare experts will tell you that eye cream is unnecessary. What they mean is that it’s not necessary to buy a separate product that says “eye cream” on it, and not that using anything on your eye area is unnecessary. I can see the logic in that statement, but I still respectfully disagree with it. I don’t know about you guys, but the skin on my eyelids is different from the skin on the rest of my face. many of my friends are complaining about this as well. For example, some of them have oily eyelids but otherwise dry skin, others have extremely thin and sensitive eye area with normal or even oily skin on the rest of their face. It just doesn’t make sense to me to treat different skin types with the same product, so I’ve been using a dedicated eye cream for as long as I can remember.
Eye creams often come with a hefty price tag, too, which honestly makes them less appealing than using the same jar of moisturizer all over. Some part of that price hike is just marketing, but mainly it’s because the cosmetic testing in the immediate eye area is more expensive than a general test on a small patch of human skin. So essentially, you’re paying for safety and a level of reassurance that you’re not going blind if it gets in your eye, heh.
TIME RESPONSE COLLECTION:
Amorepacific says that Time Response collection is designed for people experiencing light to moderate signs of aging, traditionally someone in their mid-30s to early 40s. Think sun pigmentation, mild loss of firmness, shallow crow’s feet or laugh lines, that sort of thing. Time Response line vaguely promises to help improve the look of skin’s firmness, hydration, and overall skin tone to promote youthful-looking complexion, as well as potentially prevent some of the future free radical damage [one of the main causes of skin aging].
EYE RESERVE CREME:
According to Sephora, Amorepacific Time Response Eye Reserve Creme ($260) is “a nourishing anti-aging eye cream powered by green tea that visibly improves the look of skin’s firmness and delivers intense hydration for younger-looking eyes.” I believe it only comes in a single size – 0.5 oz jar, unlike the moisturizer from the same line that I reviewed yesterday. The cream has silky yet rich texture, but it’s also surprisingly lightweight and a little goes a looooong way. I’ve been using mine once a day for a few weeks and still only scraping the lid. In fact, I probably used a month’s worth of product for that arm swatch below to show the texture, haha!
The ingredient list is long and may seem intimidating, but there are 3 key things I noticed:
- There are a couple brightening actives on the list – Niacinamide and Adenosine – but the brand makes no claims regarding pigmentation. This makes me think they are present in fairly low concentrations. That doesn’t mean they’re useless, but it might take a while before you notice any effect.
- It contains some nice antioxidants, which is always a plus when treating an area that usually starts showing signs of aging first [crow’s feet].
- At the very top of the ingredient list, we see hydrators, humectants, and occlusive moisturizers, which makes this formula a pretty good choice for dry or dehydrated skin.
Like the moisturizer, I wish this eye cream was fragrance-free, but it does contain added fragrance in high enough concentration to put it in the middle of the ingredient list. This could be potentially problematic for people who are scent-sensitive or those with sensitive skin.
After using Amorepacific Time Response Eye Reserve Creme for a few weeks, once a day in the evening, I noticed that the skin around my eyes felt plumper and more hydrated. This cream seems to actually stay on the lid despite me turning and rolling in bed all night, which is kind of impressive actually. Can you find a product that would do the same for 1/10 of the cost? Sure. There are dupes for everything these days, and that’s great. But I don’t want it to take away from the fact that it’s a good eye cream and it fully delivers on its promise to “visibly improve the look of skin’s firmness” and “deliver intense hydration”, so if you want to – and can afford to – spend $260 on an eye cream that will make your skin feel comfortable and hydrated, then, by all means, give it a go.
You will LOVE it if:
- You have normal, combination, dry or dehydrated skin type.
- You are looking for an antioxidant-rich eye cream to combat general dryness and make the area feel more comfortable throughout the day.
- You appreciate the luxury aspect of this product: brand’s own fields for botanical extracts, in-house research centers, etc.
- You avoid parabens and colorants in skincare.
- Your budget allows skincare splurges.
- You are a diehard fan of k-beauty.
SKIP it if:
- You have sensitive skin.
- You avoid fragrance in skincare.
- You avoid products in jar packaging.
- You are looking for strong anti-aging actives in your eye cream.
- You are on a budget. This is a pretty good eye cream, but $260 is a lot to pay for what is essentially some antioxidants and humectants, no matter how well-formulated they are.
- You prefer all-natural skincare.
- You are allergic or sensitive to any of the ingredients.
Ingredients – CosDNA: Camellia Sinensis Leaf Water, Butylene Glycol, Water, Glycerin, Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin), Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Hydrogenated Olive Oil Lauryl Esters, Jojoba Esters, Methyl Trimethicone, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Diisostearyl Malate, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Behenyl Alcohol, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Propanediol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Peg-40 Stearate, Camellia Sinensis Seed Oil, Arachidyl Alcohol, Betaine, Niacinamide, Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate, 1,2- Hexanediol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Mica, Arachidyl Glucoside, Fragrance, Titanium Dioxide (Ci 77891), Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Caffeine, Glyceryl Caprylate, Dipalmitoyl Hydroxyproline, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Disodium Edta, Ethylhexylglycerin, Adenosine, Beta-Glucan, Tromethamine, Sorbitan Isostearate, Polysorbate 60, Palmitic Acid, Natto Gum, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Seed Extract, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Extract, Dextrin, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Glucose, Tocopherol, Poloxamer 235, Ethoxydiglycol, Epigallocatechin Gallate, Tocophersolan, Poloxamer 338, Phenoxyethanol, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Magnolia Obovata Bark Extract, Caprylyl Glycol.
BOTTOM LINE:
With the absence of actives, Amorepacific Time Response Eye Reserve Creme is not performing any miracles, but it certainly makes my skin feel soothed and hydrated, despite the added fragrance. Products with added fragrance can sometimes irritate my skin, but that was not the case with this eye cream or the moisturizer I reviewed yesterday. I think Time Response Eye Reserve Creme would make a good choice for someone who is simply looking to keep the eye area more hydrated and plump. The cream sticks to the skin well and actually lasts the whole day or night, unlike some products that seem to disappear after a couple of hours. If you keep it in the fridge, you might also enjoy a temporary depuffing effect.
I often see this misconception online that the more expensive the product is, the more it should do, if you know what I mean. I think it’s ridiculous to expect miracles from any topical skincare product, and we know that there’s a set list of actives that can get the job done regardless of what the product they’re in is priced at. Amorepacific is a luxury brand, and the price reflects all of the luxury markups that come with it: nicer packaging, beautiful marketing campaigns, maintaining their own botanical gardens, tea tree plantations, and research facilities, among many other things that more budget-friendly companies simply outsource or buy in bulk from overseas wholesale suppliers. But, you know, if those things are not something you deeply care about then there’s no reason to splurge. It’s nice, but not a miracle worker by any means.
UPDATE 8/24/2020: I’ve been using this eye cream for a year now and it became my favorite eye product of 2019, and probably 2020 at this point! I just can’t get over the divine texture of this cream – it is incredibly smooth and glides over the skin without any tugging. After 3-4 months of daily use, I also noticed major improvements to the fine lines and overall firmness and plumpness of the eye area in general. It never looks tight anymore, never dry, and the skin even feels more elastic. You know how you’d smile or squint for a while, and the dents stay for some time afterward? Now my skin is resilient enough to bounce back within minutes, and that’s saying something when you’re 35+. I’m almost at the bottom of the bottle – and yes, it really lasted this long! – and won’t be able to repurchase because of the price, but damn that was a good cream. If you can afford it – go for it! (and know that I’m eternally jelly, haha)
