Tatcha’s Brightening Eye Cream Brightened My Puffy Under-Eyes

When I turned 32, I began to reconsider my stance on eye creams—which I’d previously deemed superfluous given the smooth, bright skin I’d taken for granted in my 20s. These days, I awake to greige shadows and puffiness even icy water can’t quell. My under-eye skin—an area that’s thin, delicate, and notoriously prone to rapid aging—has adopted a crinkly texture that bodes poorly for concealer application.

Desperate to restore some semblance of my college-era skin, I turned to an eye cream from Tatcha—a brand beloved by beauty editors, Oprah, and Meghan Markle. The brand’s Brightening Eye Cream promised to ameliorate each of my under-eye woes, including sallowness, puffiness, and laxity. After two weeks of daily use, the formula singlehandedly converted this naysayer into an under-eye cream-proponent.

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Tatcha the Brightening Eye Cream

Tatcha

The Tatcha Brightening Eye Cream is a lightweight, creamy treatment for dark circles, fine lines, crepiness, and puffiness. The formula features brightening ingredients praised for their illuminating benefits, in addition to firming properties that tighten crepey skin and target pouchiness.

The key brightening agent? Vitamin C. Beloved by dermatologists, the antioxidant fades discoloration over time and ultimately creates a more even-toned, refreshed skin surface. Also present, Niacinamide: a B vitamin and anti-aging powerhouse known for its hyperpigmentation-pummeling properties. Together, the illuminating duo tackles dullness, yielding brighter under-eyes.

Additionally, the cream offers instant plumping benefits thanks to glycerin, which attracts moisture and, in turn, smooths fine lines. Squalane, a lipid that mimics skin’s natural sebum, softens the area and creates a smooth, crease-free canvas for concealer.

I’ve been using Tatcha’s eye cream for about a month (in conjunction with its corresponding brightening serum), and am genuinely impressed by the smooth, sparkly transformation my formerly dull under-eyes have undergone. Admittedly, my shadows still exist—though I look significantly less haggard and my puffiness is less pronounced. Plus, my concealer glides more smoothly and creases less throughout the day.

I’m hardly alone in my love for Tatcha’s illuminating powerhouse. One shopper with “horrible” dark circles said it’s “the only thing that has worked,” reporting visible improvement in their shadows after three days. Another fan, who has dry, mature skin, said their under-eyes look “brighter, hydrated, and overall less puffy” since using the cream. Similarly, another reviewer said the cream “brighten(s) and tones down discoloration,” leaving their under-eyes “bright and gorgeous.”

A word of advice for the eye cream-skeptics: Try Tatcha’s Brightening Eye Cream before you write off the category as a whole—I only wish I’d done so sooner. Below, peruse more fan-favorite solutions for tired-looking under-eyes.