Usually, when the word "unicorn" is used to describe something, it signifies an item that is rare, special, and magical. And sometimes, it just means sparkly. Arcona's Eye Dew Plus eye cream manages to embody all of those attributes. It's a mega-powerful plumping, brightening, and fine-line-erasing potion, which is, within itself, pretty stellar. But it also just so happens to look like what I imagine unicorn snot might resemble. That is, it's a thick, viscous substance that's iridescent in color.
Yes, I realize that sounds nasty. But admit it, you're also kind of curious now, right? Before we get to the pixie-phlegm portion, let's focus on the eye-cream part of it, shall we? Eye Dew Plus is, you guessed it, a supercharged version of the brand's iconic Eye Dew. It uses high percentages of an active peptide and an eye-safe retinol to help protect and repair fine lines, along with an ingredient the brand has dubbed Liquid Crystal. This appealingly named mixture (bravo, marketing team) is what gives the goo its pearlized nature. It also smooths the appearance of fine lines and increases elasticity under the eyes. Because the more elastic that skin is, the less saggy it will look and feel.
That alone is what made me pick it up — I love me some anti-sagging. I pumped a dab on my finger and felt the texture, noting the somewhat tacky feel and that it was a hybrid between a cream and a serum. And, oh yeah, it was fucking glimmering.
I believe my exact words involved a few "holy shits" and "this is so freaking rad." I spent a good two minutes just moving my finger around to see all the different ways it caught the light. It reminded me of the sheen a puddle of oil gets after a rainstorm.
This rather benign-looking bottle really doesn't convey the Hogwarts-worthy, fantastical contents within, so I took to Instagram to give you a visual explanation of why a grown-ass woman found herself mesmerized by a blob of eye cream. (Ignore the chipped polish — I'm lazy.)
Right? Told you it was cool.
The first thing I noticed when I actually used Eye Dew Plus was that it was VERY easy to overdo it on this stuff. I'm used to doing one full pump of cream, but here a full pump left me with about an inch-thick layer of sticky serum that I had to tissue off. Half a pump, or even a skosh less, will get the job done.
As I described before, it is a bit tacky — that goes away for the most part after some vigorous dabbing and subsequent absorption, but since it's a bit on the heavy side, that takes some time. The brand says it's a night and day cream, but based on the texture, I would limit it to bedtime application. It does have an instant blurring and brightening effect, which I admit is kind of wasted if you only use it at night, so there is a benefit to applying it in the a.m. Basically, you do you, boo.
One thing the brand doesn't trumpet as much as it should — besides the magical mucus thing, obviously — is that this is a fantastic lip cream. In addition to making my lips flake-free and soft, it left behind that same multifaceted gleam on my pout. My lips had a subtle rose-gold, iridescent thing going on for the better part of the day. Nothing too obvious, but just a hint of makeup intrigue. As someone who has been cursed with super-dry lips that are preventing me from wearing actual lipstick right now (screw you, Accutane), that little shot of shimmer made me honest-to-god giddy.
And, while "unicorn" has become an overplayed descriptor in the beauty world (guilty), in this case, the product definitely earns the moniker.
Arcona Eye Dew Plus, $95, available at Arcona.
Arcona Eye Dew Plus, $95, available at Arcona.