April 5, 2011

Olay Total Effects Line and Dark Circle Minimizing Brush

Knowing my track record with dark circle anything at my local drugstore I probably shouldn’t try to take on the new Olay Total Effects Line and Dark Circle Minimizing Brush, I predict a FAIL in my future.

But count me curious regardless!

Olay Total Effects Line and Dark Circle Minimizing Brush acts as a daily eye cream as well as a concealer. Supposedly it’ll do battle with dark circles as well as minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, reduce puffiness, hydrate, and even skin tone.

The roll on technique was initiated by Garnier last year so Olay explores a brush option with their new formula ala the popular Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat, but don’t expect it to work as good!

The product is $19.99 and could prove a novelty for those wishing to explore a new concealer.

I’m throwing in my hat and and avoiding it, anything that says dark circle minimizing that’s purchased at the drugstore almost reeks of gimmick plus Garnier’s version wasn’t anything I wrote home to my mum about.

What do you think?

About the Muse

Isabella MuseIsabella is just an average everyday geeky girl who doesn’t blend her eyeshadow correctly, wears too much blush, and hopes she never finds her holy grail products because she likes the thrill of the chase so much. Her mission is to bring you super honest reviews on makeup, skincare, fragrance and all things beauty. She’s in no way an expert on the topic and she sure as hell isn’t a super model. But she’s passionate about makeup and is seeking like-minded individuals that like pina coladas, getting caught in the rain, and ones that enjoy spending hundreds of dollars at Sephora without feeling buyer’s remorse. If you’re that person feel free to reach out and leave a comment or follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Bloglovin‘.

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Comments

  • Emily

    im with you muse. i have hereditary super dark circles and i can’t find anything to get rid of them or anything. its all a gimmick. now if i could just find a concealer to help me. i swear i have tried almost everything drugstore. im scared to buy the “high-end” in fear that it wont work and i have wasted my money. by the way…i don’t think your a high end snob.

    • the Muse

      agreed emily. I’ve tried ALOT of eye creams and concealers and such that claim they “treat” dark circles but no way, never happen ;-D Aw thanks, I like all beauty ;-D just so long as the quality is good!!!!!!!!! ;-D honestly I do feel concealer is a splurge item ;-D If you want something cheap try out hard candy’s new concealer, that’s pretty decent ;-D If you wanna splurge a little, head to bobbi brown, have them try a concealer out on you, they really do concealer well imho ;D!

      • Emily

        i tried the hard candy glamoflage (however its spelt) and that sucked for me. it was so drying. i have been looking for the newest concealer but haven’t spotted it yet. i have been debating on trying bobbi brown but just cant bring myself to do it. i always seem happy with a new concealer for like a week then end up hating it and wanting to find something else so now i have like 20 concealers that have barely been used. lol.

        • the Muse

          oh same here. I’m constantly switch and rearranging ;-D How about Milani’s click pen?

          • Courtney

            Sorry to butt into the conversation but I too am constantly on the lookout for something to cover up my dark circles. Glamoflauge is great for acne and scarring but it dries out under your eyes really bad. I like the Milani pen but I don’t feel like the coverage is that great. I’d totally go with the Bobbi Brown if it were me. Laura Mercier secret camoflauge is nice too. If you order at Sephora and it doesn’t work out for you you can always return it for a refund. Right now I’m doing a thin layer of benefit’s eye bright under my eyes (it’s kinda pinky purpley) and then I put a creamy concealer on top of it. The brand depends on my mood that I day as I own about 20 different concealers at the moment. lol

          • Emily

            no i have yet to try that. it looks like it won’t have enough coverage for me. i do have a $50 sephora gift card that i got for christmas that i haven’t used yet. i have been trying to be good and use it on a good sale so i can get more bang for my buck but i think i will definitely go in and get them to look at my “problem” and see what they recommend also. im definitely going to go get that bobbi brown though. thanks so much.

          • the Muse

            good luck emily let us all know how it goes ;D!

    • Nina

      Maybe you should try MAC prolongwear concealer. IMO it is amazing! It does not compare to any concealer i’ve used before. I was orginally a little apprehensive since it is a liquid but I asked a relative who is also an employee of MAC about it and she raved about the quality. This concealer stays on all day and I mean all day! It is easy to layer and really brightens and hides dark undereye circles and @ only 16.50 it’s not a bad deal

  • eight

    Yeah, I probably won’t try it, either. I’m not a “high-end snob,” (I love a good drugstore cheapie!) but it’s still 20 bucks and I’d rather put more money towards a higher-end, higher quality foundation and concealer that I can actually test at the counter. That would probably save me more money in the long run from trying out tons of different under-eye concealers and gimmicks.

    • the Muse

      amen eight ;-D agreed 100%. Really depends with lower end, drugstore buys, some are fab but some are huge misses and if I’m going to spend 20 bucks on something that more than likely does not work, well, might as well spend 20 on something at Sephora that does as I can easily get a concealer for around the $20 from a mid range brand that actually does the trick of concealing and not promising the miracle of erasing ;D!

  • Csit

    I was considering this because I actually like the Garnier version, but $20 seems way too expensive for a drugstore item :/ I could get a concealer at Sephora for around the same price. If I happen to see a good sale + coupon for this though I may pick it up. Suppose the worst that can happen is I hate it and return it lol

  • deejay

    Well, I tried it and I love it, of course it does not conceal extremely dark circles but it does brighten them up. Plus I love that once its applied I get this fresh, cool feeling. I have extremely dark circles but i’m okay with the coverage it gives plus I would say its pretty good compared to other high name brand i’ve tried.

  • Kate

    agreeing w/ you muse. i actually got the garnier roller ball, it’s “fun” to use, and heck, i used my 20% off at ulta for it, so no foul here. but it’s not a miracle cure or anything. i doubt i’d repurchase. and ugh, i seriously do not like it when ppl are mean to you. like wth, why?! you’re the nicest person out there! poo. on. them.

    • the Muse

      ha it’s ok kate 🙂 I think she was just making a random observation based on the post. *hugs* I’m putting it out there and saying this won’t work and that’s as honest as I can get ;-D Def not going to sit here and rave about a shat product ;-D Same here…the garnier roller ball was really fun and unique, and I even liked the concealer one a little bit, but really it’s not going to treat dark circles, $200 eye cream can’t do it why would a $20 brush from Olay do it? ;-D That would be absurd to believe that!

      • Kate

        yeah seriously with the eye cream! and as ive said before, i love your honest opinions. omg u know what?! i saw the naked palette in store at ulta this weekend! i grabbed it! but before i bought it, i went on my phone to see your review first. hahah. you need an app my friend. like a Muse App. I’d pay to get it! you continue to inspire me, this blogging business is fun but can be challenging sometimes, also. in any case, i trust all your opinions and have yet to be disappointed. <3 u! have a great rest of the day!

        • the Muse

          aw thanks kate! LOL maybe one day ;-D you’re awesome kate thanks for making my day hun that’s super flattering to here jeez *hugs*

  • Susan

    I agree with you on this. I am curious to try this but skeptical as well.

  • April

    Have it and like it but it isn’t a miracle in a pen. It does do a wonderful job hydrating those fine lines under the eye so you look and feel refreshed. The light reflecting pigments do help temporarily minimize dark circles that aren’t too dark. For myself (someone who is fair skinned and has the first signs of aging around the eye) it is a nice product.

    As far as reducing puffiness, I don’t know. I don’t get much puffiness but I am convinced nothing beats a small cold pack on the eye area for a couple of minutes. Works wonders.

    For those who are trying to compare this to the wonderful YSL Touche Eclat..that is like comparing apples and oranges. Two totally different products.

  • cara

    Actually I’ve had quite good results with Olay as a brand in general so I would be tempted to try this. I’ve used their Pro-X discoloration fighter (not the actual name, but something like that) and — for me — it works better than the tube of Clinique Even Better I tried previously. I definitely would not dismiss Olay just because it happens to be a drug store brand.

    • the Muse

      I wasn’t dismissing it because it was a drugstore brand cara 🙂

      • cara

        Sorry — didn’t mean you personally! : ) I used to think that Olay wasn’t a great brand until my dermatologist recommended it! Olay really does seem to have improved over the years and offers a wide variety of products to suit the needs of different types of skin and age groups. The bonus is it doesn’t break the bank.

        • the Muse

          hi cara this was just a post about this new pen and how I was doubtful it would actually treat dark circles. Not about Olay as a brand in general. I’ve done a few reviews on the line and some items I def like and some not so much, but I was just commenting about this treating dark circles, hope this explains the post a bit.

  • shannon

    in the a.m. my eye’s look like a punching bag with dark circles, i got it and it did nothing for my dark circles and as far as unpuffing my puffy eye’s,
    an ice cube works much better.

  • Stephanie Zaleski

    I quite like byTerry’s touche veloute and lower end L’oreal’s touche magique, but I’m not sure if you have that one in the states yet. Thanks for the info.

  • Renata

    I’m with you, “snob”! 😀

    I get what you tried to say. *Chances are* a high end concealer/highlighter/whatever works better than a cheap one, so many times I choose to spend a few dollars more on a product that will last me a long time. 😉

    I mean – it’s more difficult to go wrong if you are willing to spend a little bit more.

    (I like the Garnier thing, by the way. It’s not ‘oooooooooooooh’ but it helps and I need less concealer when I apply it on my skin first. I’m going for the Dior Radiance Booster pen next, thank you :D)

    • the Muse

      ha renata ;-D same here. I’ve tried alot of cheaper ones but feel like concealer is a splurge item 🙂 You can spend literally 100’s on cheap stuff when you could have saved the money and just brought one expensive one that actually WORKS.

      same here, garnier is good for days I’m not using alot of makeup but def can’t go too far with it ;-D You’ll love the booster pen, it’s way better than YSL!

  • JoleneAL

    I’m becoming more and more dissatisfied with anything Olay. I tried one product for 3 months and saw nothing. Could be my slow healing skin due to my diabetes – which mean patience has to be there – or it just doesn’t work on me. But then I will buy a product and see results over night!

    So nope – I’d skip this too.