January 17, 2018

Becca Anti-Fatigue Under Eye Primer Not Doing Much for These Puffy Eyes

I purchased this item and I receive a small commission if you shop using the links in this post.

I recently purchased Becca Anti-Fatigue Under Eye Primer not only because I wanted to review it but also, because it was a product I was highly interested in trying out for myself since I fit right into the target audience for this type of product.

It’s actually an eye balm which promises to have a cooling effect once applied that smooths and blurs finer lines while reducing puffiness. I am a strong believer that in order to conceal my puffy eyes I need a solid, pigmented concealer. And for finer lines? Moisture is the key element for making them less visible in my opinion. There’s nothing like dryness to make finer lines look more prominent.

At a glance, with its bright blue tint I expected this to be something along the lines of Thierry Mugler Cooling Effect Concealer but after reading the ingredients I realized there were going for a more Mally Beauty Poreless Face Defender style of product. Speaking of which Mally Beauty Perfect Prep Eye Primer or Clarins Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch would actually do a much better job of prepping your eyes compared to Becca Anti-Fatigue Under Eye Primer did for me.

So, buckle up kids, save your money, and jump ahead for my thoughts and review on this product.

I love the idea of a product that can be used to prep for concealer which also acts to depuff. According to Becca they load this up with caffeine which is actually quite a great ingredient for puffy eyes however, it won’t necessarily work if your puffiness is due to aging issues. I have actually given up hope on products that promise to depuff my eyes and just rely on concealer to diffuse their appearance because my puffiness is simply due to aging and no eye cream or special treatment is going to help me. Sometimes you have to be real with yourself and stop convincing yourself that $90 eye cream is going to reduce puffiness, treat dark circles, and make you like 16 again.

If you look at the ingredients on Becca’s balm a lot of it is silicone based which isn’t a bad thing at all. The silicones act to thicken these balm up and allow it to “fill” finer lines. If you’ve used products like Mally Beauty Poreless Face Defender, Covergirl Tru Magic Skin Perfector Mattifier, or Revlon Photoready Prime + Anti Shine you’ll completely understand the texture. In some of my reviews of those products I compared the consistency and formula to a solid form of a silicone facial primer. It’s like they took Smashbox Photo Finish Primer and squeezed it into a compact and left it to set. That’s essentially what this is! A solid silicone-based primer. That means, you actually don’t have to spend $32 on Becca’s Anti-Fatigue Under Eye Primer because you likely already have some solid facial primer in your stash already! Maybe you even use one daily! I know I’m a huge lover of Mally’s Poreless Face Defender and it’ll do exactly what Becca’s formula does only better.

On that note, I will say that Becca has packed with a few ingredients that might prove more beneficial than ones you’d fine in a solid facial primer such as Sodium Hyaluronate and caffeine for those who just have puffy eyes due to lack of sleep, too much gaming, or allergies. Sodium Hyaluronate is lower on the list but it’ll help to retain moisture under drier eyes and will even fill out finer lines.

However, after using this several days I can’t say I experienced much difference. I find the formula isn’t as soft and pliable as some of the solid facial primers I already have. When I run my finger across it I barely pick up product. If you press hard in you’ll break the surface and get a creamier, silky balm however, you have to be careful with placement as too much will pill under drier, finely lined eyes which will result in less than smooth coverage of your concealer. I tried it using this method and didn’t really love the results. It pilled really badly and I had little chunks of primer under my eyes.

So, here’s the deal.

If you already have very smooth, soft under eyes you’re in lucky as this might just make a great silky base for your concealer to adhere to. I’d say if you’re in your early to late twenties you’ll notice it applies beautifully. However, if you’re pushing 30 and the finer lines are creeping in along with dryness you might not see as great a results.

In my opinion, those with drier eyes will see more benefits from applying their eye cream and a small dollop of facial oil under their eyes to prep for concealer. You really don’t need a silicone balm under your eyes that will likely pill. For those with oily skin you might experience better results as you’ll get a nice silky smooth matte surface for concealer to adhere to. But again, if you have finer lines you may notice pilling.

I don’t see how this does anything different that a solid facial primer would do aside from a few extra ingredients that may or may not plump up fine lines and reduce puffiness. I was reading reviews that mentioned seeing instant results and puffiness disappearing right away. I have to admit I felt slightly skeptical about those miraculous results but everyone is different and maybe they did experience such great results. I, however, did not. If you already own a solid facial balm I’d recommend trying that under your eyes and seeing how things go. If you like the results maybe you’ll want to step up your game and splurge on Becca Anti-Fatigue Under Eye Primer.

As for me? It was a miss.

Becca Anti-Fatigue Under Eye Primer is available now at sephora.com and ulta.com.

I purchased this item and I receive a small commission if you shop using the links in this post.

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

  • Magenta Wilde

    Have you tried The Ordinary’s caffeine serum? (It’s not called exactly that, but it’s the only caffeine option they have on Sephora.) It’s supposed to help dark circles and puffiness. I just got it about a week ago so I have no verdict, but I’m curious if you’re planning on trying that.

    • Isabella Muse

      I haven’t and probably won’t. I don’t really believe you can treat dark circles or puffiness due to age. I’ve tried so many caffeine eye creams/serums/etc and non work so I have doubts the Ordinary’s will help sadly! Let me know how it goes for you!!!!!

      • Magenta Wilde

        I agree. I think surgery is pretty much the only thing to fix bags, but for $7 I’ll give the Ordinary a go, and if it minimizes and brightens things a little bit, I’ll take it.

        • Isabella Muse

          I’m all about pigmented concealer ;-D Let me know how it goes! I hope it works miracles for ya!

      • Paige

        You could not be more right about this–surgery/filler/concealer, those are the only options.

        • Isabella Muse

          I used to be deillusional about the benefits of eye cream. All in all, eye creams are a fantastic source of moisture but most won’t treat dark circles/puffiness due to age. It’s just unrealistic to expect results like that from an eye cream. So yup, surgery/filler which I’m not personally interested in or good pigmented concealer!

    • Moi Vienneau

      Hi. I’m currently using the Ordinary’s caffeine solution. It feels nice and emollient going on, and has good ingredients, so I’ll keep using. But have I noticed a real difference? No, but I’m also over 50, and so it’s about making sure that your skin has good ingredients touching it and going into it!

      Also, as for the Becca Anti-Fatigue, I just got this and have used, and I’m liking it to hydrate under my eyes as the day goes on and it’s a great size for your purse. If you pat it on (and yes, you do have to be patient with getting it to smear onto your finger), you really do get a decent hydration, which helps to smooth any concealer dryness throughout the day.

    • Shelby

      I was just about to comment on trying this! I got it on Monday from Sephora and I cannot sing it’s praises enough. I’ve been using it in conjunction w/ Burts Bees Royal Jelly eye cream and my undereyes have seriously never looked brighter. I even got my boyfriend in on using it.

  • wendy

    I passed on this because I’ve never had a good experience with Becca. Me and Becca products just don’t gel. Thanks for the review.

  • Kimmwc03

    Aww…shucks! 🙁 I was hoping this would be a winner. Glad I waited for your review!

  • Heather

    Thanks for the timely review! I was sooooo close to falling for the hype and making the purchase…

    • Isabella Muse

      my pleasure! I don’t think you need it. If you’re dry a hydrating eye cream is the way to go imho!

  • kjh

    Does the anchorwoman blue work at all? Thanks, don’t even think i’ll swatch it. Heavy silicone can produce a bumper crop of milia, that take forever to get rid of. I have heard from OTs (occupational therapists) that you can adapt the retrograde massage technique VERY CAREFULLY to the undereye with success. RM reduces edema by pulling the trapped liquid out and back towards the heart. Not sure I believe. I do it on hands and feet, but would be afraid on the delicate undereye.

    • Isabella Muse

      It used to for me but I stopped using it when I started getting into more pigmented concealers. You have to be careful though, a little goes a long way otherwise it makes you look ghastly. You can indeed or use a jade roller, believe it or not a jade roller really does work at reducing puffiness and even keeping skin smooth. I do this nightly and it really does work!

      • kjh

        Yeah, that’s retrograde massage with a tool, and naturally, you have an Asian or Asian inspired one. I’d trust the roller, before my fingers, plus thecool and the slip of it! Nice. I’d be all over it, but I sink rather than puff.

  • Ann Marie

    Thanks for the review. I’ll pass on this. My baggy eyes are due to age also. I haven’t even had any luck finding a good concealer that hides them or the dark circles. I find that anything that hides the dark circles does a lovely job of highlighting the bags!

    • Isabella Muse

      My pleasure!!!!!! I use shape tape, that stuff covers like no one’s business!

  • Dena

    This really sucks. lol. I haven’t noticed a difference at all with using it for days. I should have known, but I was hopeful. The packaging is at least cute. lol.

    • Isabella Muse

      Didn’t for me. It pills and makes my concealer look dry and crusty 🙁

  • eva

    I never comment on these kind of things but felt like I needed to here… I’ve had this primer for months and I can clearly tell at the end of the day when I’ve forgotten this step. I’m not crazy about Becca products (except for their liquid hightlighter), but this one is definitely a keeper. It’s never pilled on me and my concealer stays on way longer. Also keeps creasing away. I’m 35. This i great for older skin. Fact that it has potentially beneficial ingredients in it is a nice bonus, I like 2 flies in one stones kind of products.
    P.s. Try Too Faced’s Born This Way concealer, everything Shape Tape wished it could be.
    Cheers, a beauty blogger / biologist.

    • Isabella Muse

      Happy to hear you had good luck with this Eva!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sadly, was a bust for me 🙁