Erno Laszlo Firmarine Eye Serum, 0.5 fl. oz.

I really like the refreshing feel and the light texture of Firmarine Eye serum. I’m over 70 years old.

I have puffy eyes and some darkness that makes me look tired. I've tried may eye serums/gels etc. And I'm often disappointed that they don't seem to work except giving some moisturizing effect that is short term. Also many contain high levels of dimethicone which just fills in the imperfect areas like wrinkles to make the skin look smoother and often clogs pores and can make the skin break out or feel itchy. This doesn't contain any dimethicone. Instead it has cucumber, caffeine and aloe which does seem to help with my puffy eyes. However, I'm not sure if actually helps with any darkness under the eyes. I like that it is a gentle gel that does not give me any allergic reaction and would definitely recommend it.

I don't normally use eye serums or creams, as they don't offer any added value to the serums I normally use, which I put all over my face, including around my eyes. I wanted to try Erno Laszlo's Firmarine Eye Serum because it claims to have firming, lifting, and de-puffing properties. Puffiness is a problem specifically of my eye area, so a de-puffing eye product might be worth a try. The Firmarine Eye Serum is light blue in color and comes in a plastic pump bottle (0.5oz/15ml). Instructions are, after cleansing or toning, smooth the serum under the eyes, from outer to inner corners of your eyes. It is supposed to de-puff eyes while "restoring firmness and suppleness".Spirulina Maxima, Algae Extract, Cucumber Fruit Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf, Aloe Vera, and Sea Water are supposed to de-puff, sooth, and tighten, while Glycosaminoglycans, Glycerin, and Sodium Hyaluronate bind moisture. I'm not sure why glycosaminoglycans are listed separately from sodium hyaluronate, as sodium hyaluronate is a glycosaminoglycan. In any case, the Firmarine Serum is actually a gel. It's thick. It would be better packaged in a small pot with a little plastic applicator to dab a few times under the eyes. The pump dispenses five times as much product as you need. It is easy to get a half-pump if you are careful, but it's still too much product.I used the Firmarine Serum for two weeks. It is possible that any firming effect would take longer –on the order of three months- because the product claims to boost collagen. It shouldn't take that long to see reduction in puffiness or increase in hydration, however. I saw neither in two weeks. I have minor puffiness under my eyes that contributes to dark shadows that can't be concealed with makeup. So I'm vigilant about puffiness. This product didn't reduce puffiness. I would rank its hydrating ability with a light moisturizer. Any of the serums that I use on my face does better. I have previously used Erno Laszlo's Eye Serum Masks, which I did find to reduce puffiness but are also poor hydrators.I am confused about the ingredients in this product, as the ingredient list on the box I received is slightly different, primarily in the preservatives, than the list on Amazon and on Erno Laszlo's web site. And my box is white, while the box pictured on Amazon is blue. It is possible that reviewers received an older product and ingredients have since changed. Essentially, the serum that I received contains a long list of preservatives. The product on Amazon has replaced those chemicals with Methylisothiazolinone and added a second colorant. The active ingredients are the same on both product boxes, so performance should be the same. My guess is that the blue box is newer.Ingredients for the serum I tested (white box): Water (Aqua/Eau), Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Spirulina Maxima Extract, Algae Extract, Pullulan, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Maris Aqua (Sea Water/Eau De Mer), Sodium Hyaluronate, Glycosaminoglycans, Sodium Lactate, Lactic Acid, Serine, Urea, Sorbitol, Lysine, Magnesium Chloride, Potassium Chloride, Zinc Chloride, Sodium Chloride, Allantoin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Retinyl Palmitate, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Carbomer, Disodium EDTA, Hexylene glycol, Sodium Benzoate, Benzoic acid, Dehydroacetic acid, Pentylene glycol, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin, Blue 1 (CI 42090).Ingredients from Erno Laszlo's web site (blue box): Water (Aqua/Eau), Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Spirulina Maxima Extract, Algae Extract, Pullulan, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Maris Aqua (Sea Water/Eau De Mer), Glycosaminoglycans, Magnesium Chloride, Sodium Lactate, Lactic Acid, Serine, Urea, Sorbitol, Potassium Chloride, Zinc Chloride, Lysine, Allantoin, Pentylene Glycol, Phospholipids, Tocopheryl Acetate, Retinyl Palmitate, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Sodium Chloride, Carbomer, Sodium Hydroxide, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Methylisothiazolinone, Blue 1 (CI 42090), Ext Violet 2 (CI 60730).

All Erno Laszlo products seem to have a really nice design to them--both the product and the package. This may be the most attractive product I've seen yet. The eye serum appears a metallic blue-gray, floating in its glass display. It's glamorous. At the same time, this product feels more accessible than other Erno Laszlo products. The packaging tells you what's in the product, what it's about, and how it's used. The Erno Laszlo regimen is still alluded to, but you get the sense that an average person could use this product and not screw it up (which is not necessarily the sense I've gotten with other product lines in the brand).Unlike some other Erno Laszlo products, this one came with instructions--right on the bottle too! Other products I've gotten have had either no instructions or a multi-lingual packet that, despite its length, contains little guidance. I'm happiest with some basic instructions smack dab on the product. For an eye serum, instructions may be self-explanatory, but these do lend some guidance. You're to apply this under the eyes, rubbing from the outer eye to the inner eye. Good enough for me!The serum itself feels a little slimy. That's fine with me as long as it gets the job done, but I have experienced creams that feel a little more luxurious. It's always nice to have an eye cream (or any cream) feel light and silky smooth. This isn't that kind of product.One small pump covers both eyes, and the bottle is relatively big. I applied half a pump to both eyes and it almost felt like too much. I'd want to assume, though, that their pump represents whatever the perfect amount is. It certainly *looks* like the perfect amount. The pump expels a perfect little sphere of serum. Five minutes after applying the serum, I still feel it. Am I supposed to? It feels like there's something, unabsorbed, on my face. I think I'll try less in the future.I don't really have any specific under-eye concerns, so it's hard to say whether this product relieves unwanted features. My use of skincare like this would generally be for brightening, maintenance, or prevention. I can't speak to baggy under-eyes. I could be convinced that this serum brightened things a bit. It adds a bit of a shine, though, so what looks like brightening could be reflected light. I'd definitely put make-up over this serum were I to wear it in the daytime.

Erno Laszlo Firmarine Eye Serum is a product that actually does what it says can do. With a little diligence, this product has helped firm the skin around my eyes, reducing the appearance of sags and even helped fade some small wrinkles. The serum is very easy to apply and a very, very small amount applied is all you need. Using the product regularly has helped me regain slightly more youthful, less tired appearance around the eyes, which really helps to make entire face look younger. The eyes have it, so they say, and it is true.