Talika Skin Retouch Eye Contour — A Temporary Eye Lift!

Let’s face it: in modern society, we practically demand instant gratification. We’re all, to some degree, Veruca Salt facsimiles, insisting, “I want it now!” Should a blemish rear its ugly head, we want it zapped in 8 hours or less. If our skin is looking sickly and pale, we want to look as bronzed as if we’d spent the summer in St. Tropez — all overnight, of course. And, if we awake to discover tiny lines and wrinkles around the eye region staring back at us in the mirror, well, we want those squirrelly squiggles to vamoose by the time our first cup of coffee has brewed. Now, even your most amazing eye creams (a group that includes Caudalie’s Premier Cru The Eye Cream, La Mer’s The Eye Concentrate, and L’Occitane’s Immortelle Eye Balm) can’t possibly deliver instant results and, while there are plenty of products to conceal under-eye circles, redness, and fine lines, few can actually go beyond camouflaging these problems. Luckily, the Talika Skin Retouch Eye Contour Stick ($30 at Talika.com and Nordstrom.com) will appeal to the patience-challenged woman in all of us, tightening the skin around the eyes upon application, reducing dark circles and puffiness, smoothing fine lines, and creating a lifting effect. This effect, of course, is temporary and mainly cosmetic in kind so that, the Talika Skin Retouch Eye Contour should not be used as an alternative to an anti-aging eye cream or serum. Instead, it’s a convenient pick-me-up for tired eyes that’s inspired by retouching techniques.

Each Skin Retouch Eye Contour box contains seven single-dose packets, each containing a slim blue tube with 0.05 oz. of the nearly magical treatment, along with a cotton swab that features a hollow stick with an open end. To use, you snap the top off the vial off along the marked area (a black insert delineates the region) and, holding it upright, you insert the stick of the swab into the tube. The liquid will then fill the hollow tube beneath the swab and make its way to the cottony tip. Once saturated with the liquid treatment, you can roll the swab around the eyes, working from below the inner corner of eyes to the outer corners.

So how exactly does it all work? Well, the formula contains a lifting and firming complex created with an exclusive co-polymer that’s infused with Siberian ginseng. Rich in polysaccharides, Siberian ginseng has long been used as a tightening agent in skincare products. When applied to the skin, the polymer structure of its polysaccharides changes and, as a result, an invisible film of sorts is created, working to smooth and firm skin. Other ingredients include marine collagen, which works to plump fine lines and wrinkles; argan oil, which softens, brightens, and smooths the skin; and wheat proteins, which works to attract and retain moisture. When you roll the tip under your eyes, you’ll instantly feel a bit of a tingle and you’ll sense the skin tightening, as if some invisible puppeteer were pulling at a set of strings attached to the corners of your eyes. When you look in the mirror, you’ll look like a Photoshopped version of yourself — and you will smile from ear to ear!

The trickiest part is mastering the application process but, after a few go-rounds, it should come to you rather quickly. Let’s walk through the process.

First, remove the cotton swab and liquid treatment from it packet, as shown below:

Next, take the blue tube and snap off the rounded tip, as pictured below:

Now, holding the vial upright, reach for the stick with the cotton swab tip and insert the stick into the tube. The picture below illustrates the process:

As the see-through, hollow stick of the cotton swab applicator is dipped into the vial, it pushes down the black mechanism that essentially dispenses the liquid (notice how it’s all the way down at the bottom  in the photo shown above). The liquid then makes its way into the tube beneath the applicator.

To make the liquid seep to the cotton swab tip more speedily, flip the entire thing over:

Once the cotton swab is completely moist, you’re ready to use it!:

As previously mentioned, you ideally want to roll the swab gently from the inner corners to the outer corners of eyes (the technique takes a bit of practice but, even if you don’t initially get it, you’ll still benefit from the effects by dabbing the treatment onto the area).

The Talika Skin Retouch Eye Contour can be used atop makeup (preferably atop cream foundations or tinted moisturizers) or on bare skin.

Now, this is a product grown-up Veruca Salts everywhere will want — and want now!