GlamGlow BrightMud Eye Treatment - review

Glamglow (errrr) BrightMud (tee emm) Eye Treatment box - full of holographic goodness and a pain in the backside to photograph

Promising a "Tap on, wait three minutes, wipe-off" regime, I can't see how I couldn't find the time to try this one out, but for all that, it has been near the bottom of my "to be trialled" pile for a few weeks now...

Inside the box.  This expression is a bugbear of mine.  Probably one of my most hated expressions ever.  But onwards.  Let's not judge a box by its... errrr...  cover. 

So, I took it out and had a look.  Annoying phrase pushed aside, the cute holographic packaging led to more cute holographic packaging - I remember now, this wreaked havoc with my old camera, but my newer one managed to capture it nicely in PHD* mode, with no messing around of settings that, I have to be honest, I have less than zero interest in figuring out.

Two "ChromeCells" - closed

This is supposed to brighten, de-puff, hydrate and lighten.  According to the blurb, it's a "reverse action undereye and orbital eye treatment".  £$%&$??!  Whatever.  I am far too tired to try work my way through that statement this morning, so onwards.  What it contains, is "bioactive mud" with "actives that help** minimise puffiness, dark circles, and fine lines while brightening and hydrating the eyes".  So, what I said earlier about de-puffing and brightening and whatnot.

Two "ChromeCells" - opened
Damnit, wait, which was left and which was right again?! ;-)

The idea is you gently tap it on (as you should always do with stuff around your eye area), leave it for a few minutes, then equally gently, wipe it off, leaving a micro layer of the active ingredients "for extended results".

It proudly contains no parabens, sulfates, or animal products, is designed for men or women and for all ages and skin types.

How you're supposed to use these

As before - tap, three minutes, remove.  One ChromeCell (ie capsule) per use, "2-3 days per week or as needed".  It purports to give "Instant backstage results"***

Don't let it dry.  For the love of god don't let it dry.  (I have no idea why, it just said so on the packaging ;-))  Also, it's for around your eyes, not in your eyes.  Dummy.

Ingredients and so forth

There were twelve "ChromeCells" in the packet - so it's good for twelve uses, if you use one under each eye.  The ingredients boast includes the following:

• 14% Nitroffeine™ to provide an immediate temporary ‘zing’ sensation; provides awakening and fatigue reduction (this is a trademarked caffeine derivative - caffeine is used to stimulate lymphatic drainage to reduce the appearance of dark circles)
• 2.5% Juvelane™, designed to activate retinol-like activity without the disadvantages (retinol is animal-based, so I assume that Juvelane is a synthetic in place of Retinol?  Not sure what the "disadvantages" are though)
• Dihydroxymethylchromone to support natural collagen synthesis and reduce its breakdown. 
• Cyclicpeptide to fight signs of ageing 
• Troxerutin to support natural capillary microcirculation 
• Ectoin to repair and defend (ok, these last four are basically a bunch of line-plumping ingredients)
• TEAOXI™ Peppermint Technology to activate sensory trpm8 cold compression to de-puff eyes; helps skin look noticeably smoother and brighter (a blend of fatty acids and vitamins based around peppermint leaves, helps cool and de-puff).

Essentially, it's water-based and also contains a bunch of other emollient ingredients like glycerin and trickery ingredients (like silicones), some alcohol and sodium hydroxide (that'll be the brightening ingredient there then).  So far so expected.  What did I find when I used it however?

What I found when I used it

On application, it smells very slightly of an alcoholic weak mint tea.  Immediately, it feels lovely and cooling (probably the alcohol and the peppermint) on application.

Then, very very slightly tingly - really, barely imperceptibly for a minute, then getting a little more so as time progressed.  I determined to tolerate it for the three minutes on the understanding that it wouldn't kill me and I wouldn't wipe it off before the three minutes were up... but if I'm honest, I am not 100% comfortable with any level of irritation around my eyes.

So after the three minutes, I did the last step and wiped it off as instructed.  I can honestly say the difference was minuscule - my fine lines were somewhat plumped.  My eye area felt a little bit tighter (as you'd expect from the ingredients) and my eye area was ever so slightly softer, but I was left with that annoying not-quite-but-not-far-off-irritating-slightly-more-than-just-a-tingle feeling for about an hour, thereafter it faded.  There was no change whatsoever in my dark circles (then again, I wouldn't expect that, as they're caused by hyper pigmentation rather than vasodilation (blood pooling in the area).  Fast forward a couple of hours and the "plumping" of my fine lines had turned into slight "plumping" of the overall area - leading to very slight puffiness around my eyes - which I never, ever suffer from.  The other differences (slightly softer and slightly tighter had dissipated several hours later).  So as a treatment for my eyes, I'd have to say an absolute "hell no", to this one.

Some pics...

Before.  Do NOT judge.
Sans a scrap of makeup, or any grooming whatsoever of unruly brows, ready to apply this stuff :-)

With the GlamGlow applied.  The leafy stuff is peppermint leaves. 

You tell me.  I really don't see a difference...
Have also just noticed that I'm wonderfully cross-eyed in this pic X-)

This set me back £45 from Love-makeup.co.uk (look here) for twelve capsules.  

Each package contains twelve capsules.  Each capsule is enough for two eyes, so you should get 24 uses out of this

Incidentally, there is a lot in each of these little capsules, I think you could easily make one stretch to two eyes.**** Assuming it worked for you that is.  It's not for me.  Having read great things about the face mask version of this, I was disappointed by the eye version.  Next product... And back to my "pile of stuff to give away to someone else" for you.

* PHD = Press Here Dummy - a wonderfully derogatory way my OH refers to my use of point-and-click cameras)

** ah there's that interesting use of that word "help" again

*** The clue is in the claim - "Instant backstage results" - that's the point - this is an instant result, not something long-lived or long-lasting.  The products in this one won't assist with any puffiness or dark circles over time, but they may help you out with temporary, instant results).

**** ok, pedants, under-eyes ;-)