“You look tired.”

Seriously, what are people *thinking* when they say this?

Well, usually, they are noticing the skin around your eyes looks haggard and the bags are dark and puffy. Strike back at the rudest frenemy line in the book with an excellent brightening cream. We recently got to try a good one: Belli Eye Brightening Cream.

FIGHT THE “YOU LOOK TIRED” LINE WITH VITAMINS K & B3

Vitamin K has long been used to lighten dark circles under tired eyes. Vitamin K helps with blood coagulation and circulation. Since both damaged skin and poor circulation can increase the appearance of dark circles, topical application of Vitamin K can reduce the appearance of darkness around tired eyes. And there is probably no time that eyes appear more tired than during pregnancy and when there is a newborn in the house. Belli Eye Brightening Cream was created for new Moms and Moms-to-be to combat tired looking eyes with a brightening cream that works.

ARE YOUR DARK CIRCLES UNRESPONSIVE TO MOST EYE CREAMS?

Belli designed this cream as safe for new Moms, but anyone with tired and dark under eyes can benefit from Belli Eye Brightening Cream, as it contains Vitamin K and B3, both of which improve all kinds of dark circles including those caused by a lack of sleep. But this Vitamin super-duo also addresses a tougher to treat kind of dark circle, the kind I got: dark circles due to leaking capillaries. The capillaries under the eye slowly leak, and the pool of blood absorbs into the eye tissue and gives it a dark brown look, like a bruise. There isn’t much to do about it but strengthen the tiny vessels and lightens the darkness that has already occurred. Belli Eye Brightening Cream can address both problems.

WHAT IS SPECIAL ABOUT BELLI EYE BRIGHTENING CREAM

I’ve been through my share of dark circle treatments and creams in my day, and have a drawer full of concealers that didn’t work. While many creams offer some benefit in reducing the puffiness of the undereye area or giving a smoother appearance, few address the actual darkness or cause of darkness: the blood vessels leaking or experiencing impaired blood flow which gives the appearance of dark undereye skin. So I was excited to use this cream.

A 2004 study in the “Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology,” showed that topical Vitamin K was most useful at dark circle reduction and brightening when paired with other ingredients like Vitamin B’s. Belli Eye Brightening Cream has this brightening combo of ingredients and then some including:

• Vitamin B3 is Niacinamide. It is the hot new anti-aging ingredient of late and for a good reason: this collagen promoting skin brightener addresses a loss of elasticity and reduces redness. An effective brightening and lightening tool all own its’ own, when paired with Vitamin K, it results in brighter and firmer skin.
• Arnica decreases bruising, swelling, inflammation
• Green Tea reduces puffiness, is anti-inflammatory, and is soothing
• Cucumber is soothing and reduces swelling
• Lactic acid is a popular form of AHA, or Alpha Hydroxy Acid, a powerful ingredient that reduces the appearance of acne and wrinkles. While Lactic acid can be harsh on the skin when paired with soothing ingredients and used in reasonable doses, it does not cause irritation while still being very efficient.

Other features:

• Allergy tested
• Gluten-Free and not tested on animals.
• Free of paraben preservatives, gluten, phthalates, and artificial dyes or fragrances.
• Safe for Moms and Babies: For expecting and nursing moms, Belli strictly avoids any ingredient, synthetic or natural, that has any known link or harmful effect during pregnancy or while breastfeeding.

TESTING OUT BELLI EYE BRIGHTENING CREAM

INITIAL IMPRESSIONS: It felt cooling, soft and soothing on the skin. The scent is light and dissipates after application.

USE: The cream is emollient and blends well into the skin, and in my opinion, made for good base cream for a concealer. It did not appear greasy when worn on bare skin. My eyes were not irritated or watery after use. My skin stayed emollient but not greasy for several hours after application.

TIP: To enhance the cooling benefits, keep the cream in the refrigerator to make it extra cooling on contact and to help reduce and puffiness.

TREATING PUFFINESS AND SOOTHING IRRITATED SKIN: I had puffiness around my eyes that dissipated upon cream application, and some red, irritated skin along the bottom of one dark circle, there is a small eczema patch there, about the size of a pencil eraser tip. I had used an AHA peel the night before, so the eczema was red. That spot seemed soothed by the cream, and the redness eased off during the day, with the redness subsiding to about the size of a pencil point. It did not sting the skin.

RESULTS

With daily use, my eyes began to look less tired, wrinkles are smoother, and the eyes appear lifted. Collagen production takes about a month with any product, but Vitamins B3 and K are a great combo to build collagen and other supporting structures. The result is firmer, brighter skin. It does this while reducing darkness under the eyes and the overall look of the eye is much brighter, and the skin looks firmer.

CONCLUSION

If you look tired for whatever reason, including being a new Mom, Belli Eye Brightening Cream Eye Cream can brighten and firm the skin while smoothing wrinkles and improving the condition of the skin to look bright-eyed and bushy tailed. If you have tried a Vitamin K gel or serum in the past with limited results, consider the dynamic duo of Vitamin K plus Vitamin B3 to get superior results than what can be achieved by Vitamin K alone.