Chantecaille’s New Eye Serum Helped Me Break Up With My Dark Circles
My relationship with my dark circles is the longest one I’ve ever had. We’ll be celebrating something like 10 years this spring! While this might seem like a long time for someone in their late twenties to be entangled in such a lover’s quarrel, I have two counterpoints: one, I am chronically sleep-deprived and have been my whole life, and two, dark circles are genetic. Just my luck.
Lately, my dark circles have taken on a mind of their own. I’m convinced they’re committing mutiny against me and are attempting to take over my entire face before our silver anniversary. They are more prominent than ever, and every time someone says, “You don’t have dark circles!” I make sure to go without under-eye concealer around them. The first “you look tired” serves as a bittersweet “I told you so.”
To break up once and for all with my dark circles, I set out to revamp my under-eye routine with the determination of Goldilocks finding the perfect bed, chairs, and porridge. I wanted something just right—easy to use, not harsh around my delicate eye area, and efficacious. I have used enough eye creams that haven’t done anything for me in my time as a beauty editor, and this one needed to have horsepower.
I recently tried Chantecaille’s Blanc Peony Eye Serum to see if it fit the bill. I was initially drawn to it because of its cooling metal applicator. I’ve long been a fan of the cold spoon trick, where you pop a spoon in the freezer and put it on your under-eye area to constrict blood vessels and de-puff, so I figured that an applicator that mimics that effect would probably help. It didn’t let me down, and every time I put the eye serum on, it feels like a mini spa treatment.
In terms of the product itself, the texture is somewhere between a serum and a cream. It sinks into my skin instantly, but gives me a touch of radiance to make me look more awake (which, no matter how many cups of coffee I drink, I always need). It also plays nicely with my other products and doesn’t pill under sunscreen and makeup.
But what really propels this eye serum to MVP status in my routine is how it works to treat my dark circles. For the first time in years, I’ve been forgoing under-eye concealer, even before Charli XCX told our beauty director that eye bags are “chic.” The serum is packed with a brightening ingredient called Thiamidol, a plant-derived tyrosinase inhibitor. Tyrosinase is an enzyme that controls melanin production, so Thiamidol helps curb dark spots and hyperpigmentation by blocking it. Additionally, bitter ginger extract helps de-puff and white peony boosts radiance. While I’ve only been using the serum for about a month, I’ve begun to notice smoother and more even-looking skin under my eyes.
I don’t know if I look bright-eyed, bushy-tailed, and eight-hours rested (I work in media in 2025, after all), but I know that I at least look like I slept through the night and have a solid skin care routine. And I feel confident that if I continue using this serum, my dark circles and I might part ways for good. It’s not them, it’s me—and Chantecaille’s Blanc Peony Eye Serum.
elle
