I´ve been using this for 4 years now.
Let me start by saying that I´m not reacting bad in any way when I´m using skin care with retin-a or vitamin a as an ingredient. But please test this cream on your arm before you use it, because some people tend to react irritated to vitamin a.
Originally, when I started, I was 31 years old and I wanted to do something for the prevention of winkles. I had no winkles at that time, only dark circles. So I bought this bottle, which contains a light, peach-coloured cream and used it every night under my eyes.
The cream has no heavy smell and applies lightly. A little goes a long way and a bottle lasts about 2-3 months.
I still have no real wrinkles or creases under my eyes and I´m convinced, that it´s partly because of this cream. The dark circles are still there, but I like to believe that they look better and my skin generally looks more glowing and healthy.
I won´t stop using this cream and I ´m happy that I found my HG. Highly recommended.

I buy this oruduct simply because my pharmacist suggested it. I am 32. I have used this creme for over 4 moths. I have dark circles and mild expression wrinkles beneath my eyes. As I used this cream, everything got worse. I can't see any progress. In fact, puffy eye bags are developed.

This eye cream is NOT recommended to women allergic to retinaldehyde. As much as I Love Avene Brand, this creme almost ruined my sensitive eyes, it stings when applying and after a night of itching & suffering I woke up with puffy red eyes, and was itching for couple of days after I stop application. Very disappointed in this product. I believed that all Avene products are hypoallergenic, but apparently NOT the ones, containing retinaldehyde. I through away the full bottle of this product, tried to re-apply it the 2nd time after the unsuccessful first attempt, but it stung more the 2nd time, and the puffiness and redness around the eyes the next morning was unbearable:( What a shame. I switched to Clinique Repairwear Eye Creme. And I am LOVING it!!!! continued >>

I have been using this product for 6 months now and it has completely transformed my eye contour area. I am 31 and don't have any deep wrinkles, but my skin tends to look crepey. I also suffer from droopy lids.
I was underwhelmed by the cream initially because at first I saw no difference, then a turn for the worse. However, after three months, my skin has started to look super smooth and firm (in a good way). Six months later, my dark circles have disappeared and my eye area is as smooth as a baby bottom. And plump. AND... *drum rolls* my lids are less droopy. I would NEVER have expected that might even be remotely possible w/o a brow lift. Please keep in mind to only use this at night and to use sunscreen during the day. I don't want to miss this from my skincare stash anymore. Ever.

I received a sample of this and although I feel that this is quite a heavy duty eye cream for my age (I'm 25), but I thought that it couldn't hurt. Right? Wrong! I've just been introduced to milia on my undereyes. I followed the instructions, only used it at night but unfortunately I am left with a bunch of tiny white bumps on my undereyes. So this will be the end of my use of this eye cream, and will definitely not purchase the full size.

Makes your eye area gleam and look radiant. Texture glides on beautifully. Great as a primer for any under eye concealer. You need much less, and your concealer seems to improve in your mind, but really it's because you've prepped your eye area first with this!:)

My fave eye treatment at the moment. Gives my eyes a luminosity. A little goes a long way. Love that it's peach coloured rather than that glue white colour:)
Think I can find better though.....

I like the texture of this eye cream. Though it's called gel-cream, it's more on the cream side imo. Softening and comforting, without being too greasy or sticky. The line-reducing effect? Can't really tell cuz I always believe that eye creams are more for prevention than correction.

I have used one huge sample that lasted me for a long time, applying only in the evening (retinol shoul never see sun light!) and still have some left.
At the beginning it was OK, did not notice big improvements, but neither did I have unwanted effects.
After some applications though, my eye area begun to sting like crazy (upon application). Therefore I stopped using. I know retinol can cause sensitization, and this was my case.
Not sure if I will dare again to apply it. If I try,I will use very sparingly.
Be very careful if you have sensitive skin (I have not, and look what it did to me). To me it's a no-buy.

No noticeable results for me. Disappointed I wasted money on this.

Been using for a month, my puffiness and dark rings has effectively been reduced and brighten, but i find the product abit oily, and after using i notice there severe tiny bumbs growing around my eye area. Not really recommned for people with oily sensitve skin.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS SHOULD ONLY BE USED AT NIGHT - the active ingredient (retinaldehyde) is degraded by UV light. Following the instructions is highly recommended when using retinoids, ignoring them may damage skin permanently. Make sure to use adequate sun protection in the daytime and only use retinal/retinaldehyde products at night. This is NOT great as a primer for under eye concealer unless you wear concealer when you sleep, because that's the only time you should be using this.

This is a preliminary review, I've only been using this for a week so far and can't comment on longer term effects yet.
Thing is I've been using Avene retinoids for 3 years and know this works for the rest of my face but my eye area is very sensitive so I've pretty much assumed this would be too irritating.
It's not. No adverse effects so far, which is very unusual for me with any eye cream. No instant miracle but not expecting one, the main thing so far is that I can happily conclude that even my eye area seems able to tolerate this.

Update December 7th:
Still no negative reactions whatsoever. Using this as any eye cream at night. Not expecting an overnight miracle.

Update May 27:
It's taken me until now to use up the first tube and i've been using this pretty much every night. Not bad. The impressive thing is that it's visibly improved my eyelid skin texture. I started using this because i was starting to notice the skin around my eyelid crease was becoming more crepey, less smooth, and i chose this product because in my experience Avene retinoids tend to actually work. I haven't changed any other facial/eye area products or other habits, so i think it's safe to credit this with the improvement. It was getting to the point where i'd begun to avoid wearing even moderately shimmery eye shadows in the crease, because the shimmer brings out any crepeyness and i don't particularly want to emphasize the things that make me look older.
Well i'm back to using shimmer shades in the crease now, because that crepey look is all gone.
I've also been using this underneath eyes, where i have some lines. Can't say i see any change in those, not that i had expected a mild retinoid like this to have any real effect on those, but i should mention that although i see some very significant improvement that can only be ascribed to this product don't expect miracles. But it really does work, and that at a very reasonable price.

I received this product as a free gift from an online purchase. I feel that the eye area is one of the most significant places to fight aging so I was anxious to try this. I looked it up on line and although I did not find a lot of information regarding this product, what I did find was quite positive.
After using this for two weeks, I really do like this product. I notice a difference in fine lines around my eyes however it is so strong that I cannot use it every night. If I do, the skin around my eyes seem to be rather sensitive as if I had used too much Retin A or have a sunburn, so I've reduced use to every other night which seems to give me optimal results.
I am going to continue using this product and plan on making a purchase as soon as my generous sample runs out.

I bought this product when it had a promotional sale. Once you put it on you will feel the tighness around your eyes. It does make your eye muscle tight and with a comfort feeling as well. It does what it says. Good!

Avene Ystheal+ Eye Contour Care 15ml / 19 euro in Greece
I really like a lot this eye cream. I am all life La Prairie Cellular Contour Eye Cream..but month ago I decide to try this and I really really like it. My eye area improved very much. Less fine lines ,much firmer & bright eye area and huge improvement with my eye puffiness also love the pump bottle. Just don’t forget to start slowly with this as can dry your eye area. Starting 3 x week will be great. I think I will stay with it. continued >>

I was really hopeful that that this Avene eye cream would be my HG. I did a lot of research on retinaldehyde and it seemed to be one of the best anti-ageing ingredients going. However, my experience was something completely different. This cream made the skin around my eyes puffy and actually INCREASED my fine lines. I began to look really haggard around the eye area. I would wake up with extremely puffy eyes and during the day, my foundation would settle into my enlarged fine lines. After about 2 months of this, I gave up on this cream. I should note that I only used it once a day, didn't have any irritation and have had a lot of success with eluage and ystheal emulsion. I have now returned to Neostrata bionic eye cream and after only one night's use, I have woken up with a MUCH fresher eye area. Unfortunately, I really wanted to love this Avene eye cream but it was not to be... :(

Initially, this was a "no, and never again" for the Gingerrama. BUT - UPDATE - I have now read up on the retinaldehyde matter a bit; Tetrakis, Beethovengirl - thank you! Tetrakis' notepad (http://makeupalley.com/user/notepad/tetrakis) is outstanding, I would recommend it as a place to start on the research front. Her tips on usage are absolutely invaluable. A 3 from me, unfortunately, as this works no better than my regular eye-cream.
Gel-cream for the eye area with lovely texture and no added perfume, 0.015% retinaldehyde. Cruelty-free, well tested, and using that rarest of things, ingredients backed up by actual research. A nice change. I tried this out as it had been so well received here on MUA and on the Boards.
But... I didn't do the rest of my research on the Boards first. I applied Ystheal in the evening as I do my usual eye cream: immediately after cleansing and moisturising, on damp skin.
This was a bit of a mistake. Results: initial irritation (outer corner of eye socket, where my skin is very very thin), inflamation, and the eye itself would barely open in the morning as some of the cream had crept in. There was more redness and swelling; nothing requiring medical attention, and all went back to normal later in the morning after much rinsing and the application of teabags soaked in cool water. Some flaking around the eye area for about a week after; resolved by sticking the flakes down, and sticking the skin together, with the trusty Avene Soothing Eye Cream mixed with a little emollient cream. I lived to tell the tale, and am not scarred for life.
I then blamed Ystheal for the consequences, rather than the combination of delicate skin and my own faulty application method.
So: double stupidity. Ladies and gentlemen of MUA - learn from my example. Go ye to the Boards and the Pads.
Tetrakis' tips worked well: I went for waiting (30 mins. or so) till skin had dried, then applying the Ystheal. A tiny amount - some say a grain of rice, I'd say a sesame seed. Any excess will just sit on top and eventually flake off. I'm doing this every 3rd day, building up (over the course of weeks) to every other day, etc., piano piano. And using sunscreen during the day, as per usual (given pale skin/red hair + functioning brain and self-preservation instincts).
No reactions, and skin is no worse than it was under very simple eye-cream. No better either.
I should add that the packaging for Ystheal eye is outstanding: pump, fully sealed, nitrogen packed. And pretty too. I'd used a sample; a full 15 ml is in the region of EUR 20.00-25.00 (and more outside Europe).
INGREDIENTS: Water, mineral oil, Avène thermal spring water, butylene glycol, polysorbate 40, squalane, caprylic/capric triglyceride, sorbitan palmitate, BHT, butylparaben, carbomer, disodium EDTA, methylparaben, phenoxyethanol, red 33 (CI 17200), retinal (Retinaldehyde C.T. 0.015%), sodium hydroxide, tocopheryl glucoside, xanthan gum. continued >>

Initially, this was a "no, and never again" for the Gingerrama. BUT - UPDATE - I have now read up on the retinaldehyde matter a bit; Tetrakis, Beethovengirl - thank you! Tetrakis' notepad (http://makeupalley.com/user/notepad/tetrakis) is outstanding, I would recommend it as a place to start on the research front. Her tips on usage are absolutely invaluable. A 3 from me, unfortunately, as this works no better than my regular eye-cream.
Gel-cream for the eye area with lovely texture and no added perfume, 0.015% retinaldehyde. Cruelty-free, well tested, and using that rarest of things, ingredients backed up by actual research. A nice change. I tried this out as it had been so well received here on MUA and on the Boards.
But... I didn't do the rest of my research on the Boards first. I applied Ystheal in the evening as I do my usual eye cream: immediately after cleansing and moisturising, on damp skin.
This was a bit of a mistake. Results: initial irritation (outer corner of eye socket, where my skin is very very thin), inflamation, and the eye itself would barely open in the morning as some of the cream had crept in. There was more redness and swelling; nothing requiring medical attention, and all went back to normal later in the morning after much rinsing and the application of teabags soaked in cool water. Some flaking around the eye area for about a week after; resolved by sticking the flakes down, and sticking the skin together, with the trusty Avene Soothing Eye Cream mixed with a little emollient cream. I lived to tell the tale, and am not scarred for life.
I then blamed Ystheal for the consequences, rather than the combination of delicate skin and my own faulty application method.
So: double stupidity. Ladies and gentlemen of MUA - learn from my example. Go ye to the Boards and the Pads.
Tetrakis' tips worked well: I went for waiting (30 mins. or so) till skin had dried, then applying the Ystheal. A tiny amount - some say a grain of rice, I'd say a sesame seed. Any excess will just sit on top and eventually flake off. I'm doing this every 3rd day, building up (over the course of weeks) to every other day, etc., piano piano. And using sunscreen during the day, as per usual (given pale skin/red hair + functioning brain and self-preservation instincts).
No reactions, and skin is no worse than it was under very simple eye-cream. No better either.
I should add that the packaging for Ystheal eye is outstanding: pump, fully sealed, nitrogen packed. And pretty too. I'd used a sample; a full 15 ml is in the region of EUR 20.00-25.00 (and more outside Europe).
INGREDIENTS: Water, mineral oil, Avène thermal spring water, butylene glycol, polysorbate 40, squalane, caprylic/capric triglyceride, sorbitan palmitate, BHT, butylparaben, carbomer, disodium EDTA, methylparaben, phenoxyethanol, red 33 (CI 17200), retinal (Retinaldehyde C.T. 0.015%), sodium hydroxide, tocopheryl glucoside, xanthan gum. continued >>

I have been using 'Avene's Ystheal+ Eye Contour Care' for 2 months & am very pleased with this product. Price: $36.50 Canadian. I love Avene's 'Eluage' line so it's a name I trust. This product contains Retinaldehyde C.T., a proven effective agent in helping with lines & wrinkles. The product is a bit pricey but it comes in a 15 ml./ 50 oz. pump (love that= germ control!) so you can control the amount used. You DO NOT need a lot of Ystheal+; a dollop will do both your upper & lower eye area. Just pat it on gently and you're set. Because you need so little of the cream, the contents go a long way- to me, that offsets the price. I use this only at night as it can be a bit heavy. I stick with my beloved "Neostrata Firming Eye Cream' for day. I would highly recommend this product to anyone in the 40's age group, (or anyone with fine lines &/or deeper wrinkles around their eyes). This is a serious keeper. continued >>

I bought this as a night cream and have been using it as such for the last 3 weeks. Let me just say that this is my 1st (but not last) Avene product that I bought to get rid of my crow's feet (not deep wrinkles, but prominent laughter lines). I'm 29 and at first I experienced some slight itching and a bit of a light peeling on my eye due to using this product during the first 10 days or so. However, girls on the board said it was usual when starting a retinol treatment, so I didn't give up. I looked at myself in the mirror this morning up-close, and I have to tell you that my crows feet are gone. Something I never thought would happen. I am very satisfied with this and will continue using it. I must add that I use a lighter treatment in the morning (La Roche Posay Hydraphase Eye), because I figured out it might be too much to use this twice a day. No more ultra-expensive eye creams for me.