Advertisement info: This blog post contains PR-Samples (gifted items) and affiliate links. I received no money to write it. Please read disclaimer.
This is not my first Merumaya review. You might have read the one on their Melting Cleansing Balm (it is here in case you haven´t) and remember that I was not a fan.
What I AM a fan of though is the brand itself: The founder that I had nice chats with on social media, the #beautyhasnoage hashtag they use to promote their products, the whole way of thinking when it comes to what skincare is supposed to be, really.
So I was more than willing to put another one of their products to the test: The Merumaya Intensely Youthful Eye Cream. Could that one convince me?
What the Merumaya Intensely Youthful Eye Cream claims
Insanely effective, yet light textured, it wow’s the pants off everyone. A Collagen boosting eye cream for wrinkle repair and minimizing dark circles. Best eye cream for dry and sensitive skins with Hyaluronic Acid and mega calming Echium Oil. Adaptonenic herbs reduce eye bags and puffiness. Anti-oxidants help prevent skin ageing damage caused by UV light. All skin types and men love it.
Facts
Prize and size
One pump contains 15 ml and retails for 33 £ on the website here. I adore the packaging: air-tight, hygienic and delivering exactly the right amount for both eyes. The only downside is that if you don´t reach for it over a few days, it can harden in the nozzle and create a plug that comes out easy, but needs to be discharged.
Texture and smell
The product is off-white, slightly yellow and has no distinguishable scent. Many people complain about a faint mushroomy smell due to the Echium Plantagineum Seed Oil used, but I did not notice that. It is easy to spread without being runny and sinks in quickly.
How to use the Merumaya Intensely Youthful Eye Cream
While the product can be used morning and night, I enjoy it most in the mornings and reach for my retinol eye cream at night. It plumps my fine lines due to the different humectants and the added silicones form a smooth base that prevents my concealer from creasing. If your eyeshadow look involves a lot of blending though, make sure you give it at least five minutes to absorb, otherwise prolonged blending motions could lead to some pilling.
Merumaya Intensely Youthful Eye Cream Ingredients
Hover the mouse over an ingredient for short explanation. Read more on INCIDecoder.
Several humectants like Urea, Betaine, Trehalose, Glycerin and of course different molecular weights of Hyaluronic Acid, then Dimethicone for smoothing and Vitamin E as antioxidant. You will also find fermented ingredients and Saccharomyces Extract which can be beneficial to the skin (read here why) as well as Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 to reduce the appearance of fine lines. Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, also known as Argireline, is a peptide that claims to mimick the effect of Botox on neuromuscular transmission. That would lead to less muscle contraction, which in turn reduces the depth of wrinkles especially in the eye area. *Hello Crows Feet*
I have talked about different peptides and their claims before (read here), but long story short I don´t think this even remotely comes close to a Botox-like effect, yet it doesn´t hurt to have it in there.
It does however contain quite a few plant extracts like Panax Ginseng Root Extract and essential oils as donor of Omega 3 and 6 and for their antioxidant properties, and that is where I can see a few people shying away from the formula. With the use of essential oils comes the presence of things like Citronellol and Linalool, known for having irritating potential. I personally don´t struggle with any of these, but wanted to let you know in case you need to avoid them.
Does it live up to its claims?
Hm.
I admit that I am a bit biased by my dislike for exaggerated claims, which is how the sentence „Insanely effective, yet light textured, it wow’s the pants off everyone“ feels to me, but I do really enjoy the eye cream. It contains antioxidants, provides hydration and is lightweight enough to use in the mornings. Due to the essential oils I would not call it the best eye cream for sensitive skin, but dry under eyes will find it very hydrating.
How does Merumaya Intensely Youthful Eye Cream compare to…
The Inkey List Caffeine Eye Cream
How does the Merumaya option hold up against my all time favorite morning eye cream by The Inkey List? For me the Caffeine Eye Serum still has a slight advantage as it helps better against the puffiness that seems to have become part of my early morning face – seriously though, that must be an age thing, I NEVER had puffy eyes until around two years ago *puff* they magically appeared! If you don´t have that issue, Merumaya might win in your books by being just a tad bit more smoothing, so concealer will not settle into fine lines as quickly. In terms of price per ml though The Inkey List has a clear advantage, it is about a third of the price for the same amount of product, but does come in a less fancy packaging.
I personally will stick to The Inkey List though.
Read my full review of The Inkey List Caffeine Eye Serum here
Would I repurchase?
No.
Not because I dislike the product, quite the opposite. I am just pretty set in my eye cream favorites and see no reason to stray.
Whom do I recommend Merumaya Intensely Youthful Eye Cream to?
I think the product is targeted at more mature skin that already has fine lines in need of smoothing and is more on the dry side.