In our series Trial Run, TZR editors and writers put the buzziest new beauty products to the test and share their honest reviews. This week, deputy beauty editor Erin Lukas is testing the buzzy Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Lift + Sculpt Eye Cream.

Depending on who you ask, eye cream is a desert island skin care product or it’s a frivolous add-on to your main lineup. Until very recently, I always believed the latter. If you’re slathering on a moisturizer that addresses similar concerns for the rest of your face, can’t you just apply a little extra to your under eye area? What’s more, many eye creams are rich and greasy, which doesn’t necessarily jive with concealer or foundation. As it turns out, eye cream formulas are in fact specifically tailored for this thinner area of skin and I had just been trying the wrong ones. My current fixation: Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye lift + Sculpt Eye Cream.

This addition to the legacy skin care brand’s beloved Advanced Night Repair line aims to lift, firm, and sculpt the eye area with a four-dimensional approach by targeting the under eyes, eyelids, crow’s feet, and inner corners. According to the brand, it’s inspired by popular in-office injectable treatments and has compelling clinical trials to back up the claims.

As someone well into their 30s with minimal visible signs of aging, I always joke that I’m on borrowed time. So prevention is the main focus of my skin care routine, and that has included regularly using eye cream over the past few years. While I’ve found many are too rich for me, as a longtime fan of the original Advanced Night Repair serum, this eye cream piqued my interest.

Ahead, I share my honest experience using it both morning and night a month and a half ahead of its official launch.

Fast Facts

• Price: $85
• Size: 0.5 fl oz/15 ml
• Best For: Dryness, lifting, firming
• Ingredient Highlights: Tripeptide-32 night peptide, hyaluronic acid, hexapeptide-8
• What We Like: Instantly hydrating; lightweight; doesn’t pill
• What We Don’t Like: On the pricy side
• Rating: 4/5

How TZR Keeps Score: 1/5: Making a return; 2/5: Keeping as a backup; 3/5: Finishing to the last drop; 4/5: Recommending to my group texts; 5/5: Already on auto-replenish

The Formula

Beauty editors consider the original Advanced Night Repair serum liquid gold for its slew of anti-aging benefits. What makes the product so special is the brand’s patented Night Peptide, which works to promote skin cell renewal in conjunction with its natural circadian rhythm. This same peptide is the star of the Advanced Repair line’s new eye cream, in addition to two more key ingredients: 2HA Filler is a blend of two types of hyaluronic acid (high and low volume weight) that plump and restore volume, while Sclupting Hexapeptide-8 helps visibly lift the eye area. The brand’s clinical studies found that this peptide reduces the look of dynamic lines caused by facial movements. In other words, it’ll help smooth crow’s feet, under-eye lines, and wrinkles.

Unlike many eye creams, the consistency of this one is a milky serum. This helps it absorb quickly without leaving any greasy or sticky residue, making it perfect for both AM and PM use.

My Typical Skin Care Routine

Minimal but impactful is how I typically describe my daily skin care routine. In the morning, I’ll remove any excess oil and product residue from the night prior with a gentle cleanser like Youth To The People’s Superfood Cleanser. Then, I’ll apply Barefaced’s Liquid Gold serum for brightening and antioxidant protection, followed by Tatcha’s The Dewy Milk Moisturizer for hydration and a little glowy boost. The last step is always sunscreen. Lately, I’ve been reaching for Lightsaver’s Triplesome Serum SPF 40.

Before bed, I’ll wash my face with my AM cleanser. I’ll tone with Biologique Recherche P50 PIGM400 to address some dark spots I have from old hormonal breakouts, then apply Augustinus Bader’s The Elixir to prevent fine lines, wrinkles, and sagging. I finish things off with a healthy dose of Sulwhasoo’s Concentrated Ginseng Rejuvenating Cream Rich, a decadent retinol-infused moisturizer that also plumps, smooths, and minimizes the look of pores.

My Experience & Results

Like I previously mentioned, my biggest gripe with eye creams is that most of them are extremely thick and feel like wearing a wool coat in the dead of summer. So I was immediately taken with the milky serum texture of Advanced Night Repair Eye Lift + Sculpt. It almost instantly absorbs into my skin, doesn’t pill under makeup, or leave sticky residue behind overnight.

The biggest difference I’ve noticed after using the cream twice a day for a month and a half is that my under eyes are brighter and more plump. I’ve also noticed the outer corners of my eyes where crow’s feet typically form are a bit firmer, too. Overall, my entire eye area has been less dry, too. While my results aren’t necessarily dramatic because I don’t have significant dynamic lines on my eye area, I will continue using it as prevention. Because like many dermatologists and facialists have told me over the years, this is an easier route than trying to reverse effects of aging.

Is Estée Lauder’s Advanced Night Repair Eye Lift + Sculpt Eye Cream Worth It?

Until roughly two years ago, eye creams were never part of my routine, but I actually find myself looking forward to applying this one daily because it feels so nice and silky on my skin. Since the formula addresses a number of age-related concerns, it’s a great option for those who are new to eye creams, want to maintain the current state of their skin, or want to minimize visible signs of aging. Also, all (or some) of the above, too. The one downside? It is on the pricy side. However, it’s from a trusted brand which mitigates some of the risk of adding a new product into your routine.