elainehn's Full Review: Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Eyes Time Complex Capsule...
I’m no skin care expert … not a dermatologist nor a cosmetician nor even a well trained sales person for a skin care line. But I do believe that I’m fairly well informed when it comes to taking care of my own skin. And one part of that care is that if I want to avoid wrinkles and looking old before my time, I need to take a little extra special care of my eye area.
My understanding is that the tissue/skin around the eye area is different than the skin on the rest of the face ... more delicate, fewer oil glands, etc. And therefore the eye area does need a different treatment than the entire face. I’ve always been taught to be extra gentle when applying or removing eye make up and to gently pat the eye area when applying creams or moisturizers rather than rubbing or tugging on the skin. Perhaps this is just sales person talk ... but it makes sense to me. Feel the skin just beneath your eyes and then feel the skin on your cheeks ... it's noticeably different to me! And as I get older, I’ve begun adding that extra step of an eye-treatment to my usual skincare routine. My usual eye care product is Elizabeth Arden Ceramide EyeWish Eye Cream and I think it is a wonderful product which serves me very well. However, whenever I can manage to obtain a gift with purchase or other sample of Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Eyes Time Complex Capsules I am thrilled! And happily I received a full size container of these precious little capsules in a skin care and cosmetics gift set that I received as a gift on my last birthday.
Beauty.com tells us that Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Eyes Time Complex Capsules are ”One of the purest forms of eye care available. Helps strengthen skin's resistance to fine lines and retexturizes skin in the eye area. Contains botanical extracts to give a radiant glow. Vitamins C and E help repair free-radical damage and build the skin's natural defenses against future damage. Single-application capsules.”
The manufacturer also states that this product is ”For the specific concerns of the eye area such as dryness, puffiness and fine lines. Targeted care for the vulnerable eye area, the first to show signs of aging. Encapsulated for optimum efficiency and purity. Dermatologist and Ophthalmologist clinically tested. Preservative and fragrance free. Made in the U.S.A.”
Was it effective? Did it improve the way you look or feel?
Many people are very skeptical of skin care and anti-aging products and assume that everything about them is a bunch of hype and advertising hooey. I do think that there are many products out there that are over hyped and don’t live up to their claims, and I think that there are often less expensive alternatives to many products and that these alternatives work just as well as the prestige brands. But from my own experience, I have to say that I do believe that Elizabeth Arden’s ceramide products … and the Eye Capsules and Face Capsules in particular … truly have improved my complexion and are an integral factor in helping me avoid the signs of aging that many of my friends and other 30-somethings are fretting about.
The skin around my eye area is smooth and firm … and free of lines, wrinkles, dry patches and blotchiness. I don’t know at what age most women begin to show noticeable signs of aging, but I do know that old looking eyes are one of the first things that we notice on a person. Now, I don’t look like a teenager … and I’m not going to freak out when I do start showing a bit of age … but why not use a product that will help me avoid wrinkles and fine lines for as long as I possibly can? And if this product continues to work as well into my 40’s and beyond as it seems to be working now, then I’ll gladly be one of the ‘old ladies’ that many folks seem to feel is Elizabeth Arden’s primary market! *lol*
Also worth noting … I have fairly sensitive skin and I have not noticed any irritation, redness or discomfort while using this product. My skin also tends to break out occasionally and some oily products seem to be problematic … again, I have not had any troubles with this product. Using it does not seem to have directly caused any blemishes.
Application
The ceramide eye treatment is a very liquid substance that has an oil like appearance but truly isn’t oily when applied to the skin. It’s difficult to describe but it seems almost like a ‘dry oil’. It is packaged in individual capsules which are intended as one daily application each. You simply twist or snip off the tab and squeeze the product onto your fingertips to gently apply it beneath and around your eyes. I apply the product at night before bedtime … usually after cleansing my face and applying a light moisturizer. Or if I’m going to apply Elizabeth Arden Good Night's Sleep I apply the eye treatment first and allow it to soak in before applying the cream. These can be used in conjunction with the whole face Ceramide Advanced Time Complex Capsules as well.
If you are extremely frugal you can stretch the usage from these capsules by applying about half of the liquid and leaving the other half in the capsule for the next evening. I’m sure an Elizabeth Arden rep would tell you this is a horrible thing to do, but it has worked well for me over the years.
Packaging
Each set of 60 capsules is packaged in a clear acrylic round dish. This packaging looks attractive on a vanity or shelf … but is impractical for traveling or if you have a very crowded, shared, family bathroom. The manufacturer states that these are for external use only and should not be ingested, so it is a very good idea to keep them out of the reach of children … who may be fascinated with the pretty bubble like capsules.
Availability & Price
Elizabeth Arden products are available at cosmetic counters in most large department stores nationwide and through many on-line cosmetic and skin-care sites. The Ceramide Eyes Time Complex Capsules retail for about $40 per package, though you can sometimes find them as a set with other ceramide products and the price works out less for each product than if purchased separately. Another option is to watch for them on Ebay if you don’t mind purchasing from non-authorized sellers.
Price-wise, I can’t justify these capsules as an essential part of my skincare routine. However if price were no object and/or when I can find them for a true bargain, I truly enjoy using them and feel that they do improve and help protect my skin. I’m not advocating that anyone break their budget or go without necessities to run out and buy these … but if your budget allows, or if you are willing to trade off some other ‘luxury’ or ‘splurge’ item then I definitely give Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Eyes Time Complex Capsules two tumbs up!
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Now for the Rewrite Write-Off - http://www.angelfire.com/jazz/sleeper54/rewrite/epspage.html portion of this posting ...
When I first joined Epinions and began writing reviews, I did what everyone says do … I read … read … read. Problem was everything I read was different, each of us is a unique individual and has a unique way of expressing ourselves and a unique writing style. I do think that ‘read read read’ is good advice for any newbie … but perhaps either a bit more ‘direction’ is needed (if the newbie is open to direction) or perhaps it just takes a bit of time and patience for each newbie to make their own discovery of what is and what isn’t a ‘very helpful’ Epinion. Luckily I had the luxury of both … some wonderful kindly worded comments and suggestions from many more seasoned writers as well as just giving my self time to become more and more familiar with what Epinions is all about. I still believe that as individuals we will all write differently and will have many different expectations when we read Epinions … but I also believe that a lot can be learned with the passage of time and through sharing with one another.
The original review I wrote for Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Eyes Time Complex Capsules back in 2001 is copied below. I seemed to be stuck in a ‘defend my cosmetics and skin care choices’ mode at that time. One reason was that I seemed to be one of the few Epinioners who actually liked this brand and many of the comments I received put me (needlessly) on the defensive. I’ve learned through time that I don’t need to defend my choices, we all like different things, right? Another reason was that I’m a very frugal product of very frugal parents and one of my personal flaws is feeling guilty when I splurge on a luxury item. No one at Eps cares about that … but I often let (both past and present) that deep-seeded guilt come through in my reviews. Maybe one day I’ll overcome the feeling of needing to justify my expenditures … but until then, at least hopefully I’ve learned to tone it down a bit and to include more information on the other aspects of the product than just the price and value. My writing is still far from perfection ... but I enjoy writing ... hopefully I'm always learning and growing ... and seemingly there are at least a few out there who enjoy reading it ...
Read it and weep … or laugh … and feel free to share your comments on either review and/or the changes ... or anything else in general if you wish!
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Luxury for the Baby Blues!
Jun 20 '01
Okay right off the bat ... YES these are expensive ... they're even too expensive for me to consider buying at full retail ... but when I get them as a GWP or find them for a decent price on eBay ... you'd better believe I enjoy using them!
My understanding is that the tissue/skin around the eye area is different than the skin on the rest of the face ... more delicate, fewer oil glands, etc. And therefore the eye area does need a different treatment than the entire face. Perhaps this is just sales person talk ... but it makes sense to me ... feel the skin just beneath your eyes and then feel the skin on your cheeks ... it's noticably different to me! Anyway, this is why I do feel that the expensive little capsules DO have a place in an EA fan's beauty routine and can't just be replaced by the 'full face' moisturizer or ceramide capsules. And if these capsules are out of the question, then I'd recommend some other eye treatment ... but something that is designed for the eye area.
(Of course this is all COMPLETELY dependent on the individual user's vanity and desire for younger looking skin and fewer eye area wrinkles ... someone who doesn't mind the aging process may not feel that ANY special facial or eye area treatment is needed.)
As far as the actual product goes ... I don't even know how to describe it ... when I open one of the little capsules it doesn't exactly feel oily, yet it definitely isn't a lotion or gel either, but it's not just 'watery' ... it's almost like its a 'dry' oil ... it soaks in almost immediately and leaves no shine or greasy after affect. I do use them at NIGHT not in the morning before applying makeup ... I'm not sure how well they would work if used under makeup.
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