'I tried the $18 cream voted the best eye product of 2024. Here are my honest thoughts.'

Mamamia’s Tried and Tested series is your review of the latest to hit our desks in beauty, health and wellbeing. You won’t find any #sponsored content here, just honest, relatable and independent advice. This week, Mamamia's Beauty Editor trials Bondi Sands Eye Spy Brightening Eye Cream.

In case you've been snoozin', the 2024 You Beauty Awards winners were announced last week — and YES, it was juicy.

In fact, reading through the list of winners made me want to go ahead and try a huge sack of products that've slipped under my radar — from skin, hair, makeup, there's so many goodies I'm stocking up on and trying thanks to the Youbies and their stellar recommendations.

One such products? The winner of the best eye product.

Because as someone with very tired, dry and consistently dark under eyes, I'm partial to anything The People rate. Especially if it's a savey.

Watch: A step by step for hooded eyes. Post continues below.

Enter best eye product winner: Bondi Sands Eye Spy Brightening Eye Cream.

Yes! The iconic tan brand has dipped their (glowing) toes into the skincare pond — and at $17.95 (you can grab it at the chemist or at Myer), this guy is very appealing to the wallet. 

So! I put it to the test to see if it was really worth the hype.

What is the Bondi Sands Eye Spy Brightening Eye Cream?

Bondi Sands Eye Spy Brightening Eye Cream is formulated with ingredients like vitamin C and Kakadu plum, working to get rid of dark circles and dullness, while the addition of green coffee bean (caffeine) helps reduce puffiness. 

Here's what she looks like:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Everyday Skincare (@bondisandsskincare)

Cute, huh?

Not only does it promise to up the radiance of your under-eyes, but it's also specifically designed to hydrate tired, dry under eyes (me. this is me).

How did you go with it?

The most exciting thing about this product is that it works instantly. And as a lazy girl who's a fiend for those unicorn skincare products that make your skin look better immediately, this is a very good time.

To give you an idea of what you're dealing with, the formula itself has a glowy, golden colour (it has Edward Cullen-like light-reflective particles). It feels lovely and lightweight on the skin and when you apply it under your eyes, it immediately melts in and works to brighten and illuminate darkness. 

You suddenly look well-rested and like you didn't stay up to 1am doomscrolling, which is really very impressive because you absolutely did! Suckers.

Even better, it works to create brighter skin in the long term, too — with a combination of fast-acting and slower-acting ingredients. 

The verdict.

You guys, it's good. Very good. I totally get it now — and actually kind of mad at myself that I didn't try it sooner. While I've had a play with other products in the range (including the retinol skin scientist Hannah English recommends), this has been the first time I've slapped the eye cream on my face.

I love how the results are immediate (because approximately no one has three months to wait for their eye cream to work), but also how the ingredients work in the background to target dark circles and other under eyes concerns over time.

It's a great eye cream for the affordable price tag and I genuinely think it rivals a lot of other spendier eye creams on the market. Often you'll find you've just spent a hefty amount of cash on a tiny beautiful jar and not much else — which really sucks. 

I also love how you can pick it up in Woolies with your groceries or down at your local chemist (or at Myer!). What's more, it plays nice under your makeup, doesn't feel heavy and does the job.

If you're keen to dip your toes into the eye cream game or just don't want to spend a whole heap of cash on a teeny pot of cream — give it a whirl! 

Trust me, it came out on top for good reason.

Have you tried Bondi Sands Eye Spy Brightening Eye Cream before? Share your thoughts with us in the comment section below.

Feature image: Supplied.