On My Radar: Deciem Hylamide SubQ Eyes Serum

I've briefly toyed with the idea of scrapping eye cream entirely out of my skincare routine, but truth is, I'm way too chicken to patiently wait for any first signs of aging to start creeping in - if there's something I can do to prevent or at least slow down their unavoidable advance, I'm going to do it. Which is why I sprang for Hylamide SubQ Eyes ($35 for 0.5 fl oz/ 15ml) from Deciem, a new Canadian science-driven skincare brand that has been on my radar for a couple months now, mostly thanks to the raving reviews from my good blogging pals Tracy (Beauty Reflections) and Rae (theNotice).

If you're a regular blog reader, you may have already seen a whole plethora of posts about Deciem products due to the brand's enthusiastic blogger outreach. I personally think that's fantastic; certainly these days I believe bloggers' recommendations much more than any magazine or celebrity endorsements. However, you know how it is sometimes: beauty gurus get sent free stuff and go on raving about it for a couple months, creating enormous amounts of hype, which in turn can be quite misleading for a simple consumer like me. Mind you, throughout the years, I've made up my mind which bloggers I can trust (yes, obviously Rae and Tracy know what they're talking about, and they're not afraid to slash a free PR sample when the product's subpar), but you do wonder if a given 'it' product deserves all the praise. I wanted to see for myself if Hylamide SubQ Eyes really was as wonderful as everyone was making it out to be.

I don't generally discuss my customer service/ shipping experiences, but let me tell you, I was very impressed with Deciem's delivery. I ordered on their website at around noon one day (I also used a coupon code to get 30% off - you can just google to see if there are any floating around right now to save yourself a couple bucks), and I received a shipping confirmation within 15 minutes. My order was actually delivered the very next day, and people, that was their no-minimum free shipping option. I believe the brand's US warehouse operates out of New Jersey so lucky for us New Yorkers, but still. But STILL.

Hylamide SubQ Eyes comes in a cardboard box displaying the key active ingredients AND a full ingredients' list, with the product nestled inside. My bottle came loose inside the box and rattled a bit, but nothing happened to it during shipment. SubQ Eyes, like most Deciem's products, is packaged in a glass bottle with a dropper dispenser. I've read a lot of complaints about this application method from Deciem's customers, but to be perfectly honest, I personally haven't experienced any issues. Deciem has also gone into detail explaining the reasoning behind this packaging choice - you can read it on Caroline Hirons' blog here if you wish.

Now, I can't verify all the science behind SubQ Eyes' advanced ingredients. The serum claims to 'rehydrate the fragile eye area below and above the surface, while targeted technologies visibly improve fine lines, crow's feet, puffiness and dark circles', and do it all with the help of peptides, plant saccharides and retinol. I do know that peptides and retinol are wonderful, clinically-proven anti-aging ingredients, and I know that saccharides act as humectants, attracting moisture to the skin. SubQ Eyes also contains 'Fluorinated Perfluorocarbon Complex', which tightens the under eye area for both immediate and long-term results. Hmm... I'll just have to trust them on this one.

The texture of this eye serum is quite thin and liquidy. I follow Tracy's advice and instead of squeezing the pipette to dispense some product onto my fingertip, I just wait patiently for one drop to drip down. I then press two fingers together and pat under my eyes, blending the remainder onto the brow bone as well. I sometimes experience very mild tingling, which goes away in a couple minutes. Because the product is so thin, it absorbs into the skin very quickly, but it does leave a layer of moisture behind - when I touch the skin under my eyes, I can feel a slight tackiness, and it feels nourished. Deciem formulates their products purposefully to penetrate deep into the skin instead of sitting on its surface, but if you prefer the thicker texture of a cream or balm, I would simply suggest patting a little of your facial moisturizer around your eyes over the SubQ Eyes. For me, it's enough on its own, and I find that my under eye concealer sits well over it during the day and doesn't look dry or cakey.

I've been using SubQ Eyes for a couple weeks now, and to be completely honest, I haven't noticed any dramatic results - but I haven't noticed a dramatic change with any of the eye creams I've used in the past, since I don't have very pronounced lines around my eyes nor any dark circles. What I HAVE noticed compared to other eye creams I've used is that despite its liquidy texture, SubQ Eyes really manages to keep my eye area moisturized and plump - and yes, I think my eyes may even look a bit more lifted. That's pretty much all I'm asking at this point; plus I want those potent anti-aging ingredients to work their magic over time and help me keep wrinkles at bay for as long as possible.

Overall, I'm pretty satisfied with Hylamide SubQ Eyes, and it has definitely left me wanting to try more products from the brand in the near future. I think their Flash-happy website can be a bit hard to navigate and the choice of products, especially serums, seems a little overwhelming at first, but I applaud Deciem for bringing innovative, high quality skincare products at an affordable price point to our market. I can't wait to see what else they have in store for us! Have you tried any products from Deciem? Which ones are your favorite? I'm making a wishlist here :)