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While I love eye make up, my own style is quite boring and generally consists of grey eyeliner and mascara. Occasionally I glam up and apply some grey blue eyeshadow (Dream is my favorite) or even a dusky pink (I love Vintage) but it is rare. And so in the spirit of all things adventurous I started looking around for eye makeup ideas and came across some great video blogs from EcoTools. I have listed the links below and a bit of detail about each one. If you do try out any of these shades or styles, please let me know…and I will share my experiences next month. In the meantime if you see me in store with bright green eyeshadow, I am not trying to emulate Kermit the Frog…I am just trying something new!

• How to do Cat Eyes – this is such a simple but sassy look. To do easily use the Bamboo Angled Eyeliner Brush and Bamboo Eyeshading Brush. The eye colours you can use are:
  • Charm as a base colour with Lust or Serene as highlighting colours.
  • Or Its a Girl with black liquid eyeliner

• How to create a Smokey Eye – this is the ultimate in sultry eye makeup. Although this eye is often created using quite dark shades (black & grey) you can also adapt it using dark and light blue, dark brown and copper or even brown purple shades with antique pink. Be creative with this technique. I have previously done a video using Dream and Flirt from Minerelle but also recommend Ere Perez Smokey Eye Duo. For a different take, celebrity makeup artist Meredith Baraf talks through her technique using brown tones. Naturally she uses EcoTools brushes which are great from an eco-perspective – they are vegan, made from recycled materials and fast growing bamboo which has a low impact on the environment.

I will bring you more videos from our brands over the next few months as they bring new perspectives and tips. If you have any eye makeup application tips you would like to share please do so. I would love to read about them…and then try them out. And while I think green eyeshadow can look great…on me it looks awful so I take back my Kermit the Frog quip!

Antiaging ingredients and eye creams that work…a myth or reality? While there may be many products in the market that claim to work, how many actually do make a difference? Two tried and true ways of finding out are:

1.     Review the research. Antiaging is big business but there are a handful of key ingredients that show real promise. Among them, marine extracts, Hibiscus esculentus extract, sodium hyaluronate and naturally sourced alpha hydroxy acids.

2.     Alternatively you can try a product out for yourself. What works for others may not work for you…and vice versa and it can be worth spending the money to find out.

The Eyes have it…

In my opinion eye cream isn’t just a clever marketing gimmick – it really does work! And it makes sense to take care of the skin around your eye, as it is the thinnest skin on your face and the first to show the signs of aging. And yes, eye creams are different to everyday face creams. Moisturisers tend to have a heavier molecular structure and so can cause puffiness or inflammation around the eye area. Eye creams are designed specifically for the delicate skin around the eye.

In my experience, eye creams are lighter and tend to absorb in more quickly. The ingredients are also targeted for the eye area however, there are many different choices when it comes to eye creams and eye products tend to focus on specific issues be it puffiness, dark circles or fine lines and wrinkles. Choose the one that suits best suits your skin and the predominant issue. Similarly to moisturisers, it is important to choose age-appropriate eye creams (and I don’t mean R-rated eye creams!). Anti-aging eye products and creams are probably to rich for someone in their early 20s. In this case an eye gel may have a better result.

To get the best out of your eye cream use it daily both in the morning after cleansing and in the evening after you’ve removed your make-up.  Gently apply using the pad of your fourth finger and dab the eye cream around your eye socket. Our pick of the very best natural eye creams on the market now:

1. Worth every cent La Mav Certified Organic Firming Eye Lotion contains active ingredients to help with skin restructuring by preserving collagen & elastin fibers and marine extracts help reduce the appearance of dark circles.

2. Haven Scent Rosehip Eye Cream is a light soothing eye cream that nourishes and hydrates skin using certified organic aloe vera and rosehip oil. A favorite indeed!

3. To minimise dark circles Devita Under Eye Repair Gel is ideal. A light, refreshing serum that soothes tired eyes. The inclusion of bioflavanoids Astaxanthin and Hesperdin help strengthen the capillary network under the eyes and clear dark circles. Don’t expect overnight results; give it 3 months and you should see a lightening of dark circles – anything less is unrealistic.

4. As a light and soothing gel, Third Stone Botanicals Green Tea Eye Serum l contains colloidal silica and green tea antioxidants soothe and protect the delicate eye area and help reduce puffiness. Storing this product in the fridge will further help with the reduction of puffy eyes.

Tell us what your favorite eye product is and why for your chance to win a $10 Vitale Gift Voucher (prize will be presented 14 days after post).

I am a recent convert to eye creams but now that I am, I am addicted. My twice daily indulgence is applying the Haven Scent Rosehip Eye Cream to my eye area. However, there are many different choices when it comes to eye creams and each one tends to focus on a different eye issue be it puffiness, dark circles or fine lines and wrinkles. In this video I discuss which natural eye creams are better for each issue and how to choose which one is right for you….or if you even need one at all.

View our natural & organic eye creams.