I am always trying to even out my skin tone. While concealer and foundation will do the trick, it would be more ideal to resolve the problem from within so that I could go without make-up and still feel like I can face the world. I bought two products to try to resolve two very different problems: RoC Correxion Eye Cream for my undereyes and Porcelana for some other areas, particularly an area of darker skin on my upper lip.

RoC's Correxion Eye Cream is "specially formulated for the delicate eye area, it visibly reduces wrinkles around the eyes and crow's feet in 12 weeks. In addition, it evens out dark circles and reduces puffiness in 4 weeks." I've probably had dark eye circles my whole life, but I first noticed them when I was in college. While they really come out when I haven't gotten enough rest or am dehydrated, they're probably inherited and therefore the best I can hope for is improvement, not perfection.

According to Allure magazine, the best help for improvement for undereye circles is retinol, which will help thicken the skin, and hopefully hide the broken blood vessels that cause the dark circles. Most retinol products are not for use around the eyes and will cause major irritation and drying, but this product was designed particularly for the undereye area.

I've seen some pretty good results with this cream wearing it both morning and night for about six weeks. It doesn't provide the results that I saw with Shiseido's Super Eye Contour Cream, but the results are pretty impressive for its $17.99 price tag. My only complaint is that it doesn't wear well under make-up. Perhaps wearing an eye cream that is specifically designed to be worn under makeup would be better for daytime, but this would be at the expense of having the benefit of the retinol twice a day.

Darker skin areas can occur for several reasons: age spots, freckles from sun exposure, or hormonal changes. This product claims to help fade dark spots for all of these reasons. "Porcelana® Fade Dark Spots Nighttime Treatment uses an innovative combination of the active ingredient, Hydroquinone, antioxidants, and botanical extracts to fade dark spots and other skin discolorations while moisturizing and firming your skin."

I bought this Porcelana cream specifically to help fade some darker skin on my upper lip, but I also put it on some freckles on my forehead that are the result of too much sun exposure. My results have not been at all what I was hoping for. After 3 months of use, I've seen very little to no improvement on the freckles on my forehead. From time to time, I've thought there has been some improvement on my upper lip, but since the discoloration seems to be hormone related, the darker color always comes back in full effect.

So do these drugstore skin lightening products work? I wish I could report some miraculous effects, but so far, I'm not impressed. For now, it looks like make-up is the way to go for hiding flaws with skin tone.

What They Say: "With Soy Complex & Vitamin E

Revitalizes skin tone, visibly reduces wrinkles and improves firmness

With time, the signs of aging become more visible because melanin, a natural pigment that forms even skin tone, becomes unbalanced and collagen, proteins that give skin strength and suppleness, becomes depleted.

RoC® Age Diminishing™ Moisturizing Night Cream with Soy Complex and Vitamin E is an optimal blend of active proteins, essential lipids, and antioxidants that helps to balance and even skin tone, diminish the appearance of wrinkles, and improve skin firmness while you sleep.

This gentle, nourishing night cream is enriched with extra emollients to replenish the moisture your skin needs to look its best. With continued use, you will notice the following results:

* More even skin tone and texture
* Diminished appearance of wrinkles
* Visible reduction in age spots and blotches
* Improved skin firmness
* Softer, smoother and more supple skin

This exclusive formula is:

* Oil-free
* Hypoallergenic
* Non-comedogenic (won't clog pores)"

Melissa's DeLush Downlow: I would love to tell you that I used this and it made my skin look gorgeous, so you could run out and get some. Because simply put, I usually LOVE RoC products. I've been looking for a really effective hydrating face cream to use at night that would give me glowy skin in the morning. When I saw this fairly new cream from RoC, I thought the search had ended.

Perhaps it does improve skin texture. Maybe it really does help even out those fine little lines. I'll just never know it. Why? Each time I use this cream my skin feels immediately tight as leather, which could be considered a plus on the aging front, but on top of that, my face becomes incredibly dry. I simply cannot stand the way my face feels; it's entirely too uncomfortable.

I tried. I wanted to give it a good run. But anything that makes my face feel that way is simply not worth it. Especially when I know there are nighttime creams out there that will actually make my skin feel good. So far, my favorite has still been Origins' Night-a-Mins.

Retail Price: $13.99 (drugstore.com)

DeLush Rating:

From the RoC Website: " The formula contains a combination of RoC® Retinol and a mineral complex of magnesium, zinc, and copper that has been optimized to provide visible reductions in even deep wrinkles. RoC® RETINOL CORREXION™ Deep Wrinkle Night Cream is formulated to work through the night when your skin is most receptive to repair and renewal. As you apply, the upper layers of your skin are firmed, leading to a visible reduction in expression lines. Then, through the night, the formula works to smooth even your deep wrinkles."

Jen's Experience:  This product was recommended to me by a friend of mine who raved about how it made her skin super soft and was really working to reduce the expression lines in her face.  So, of course, I ran out to get it immediately.  I had never used a retinol-based product before, so I wasn't really prepared for the way my skin reacted the first time I used it.  It felt really tight and it burned my face like I'd lit a fire.  It does say on the packaging that some redness and irritation is common in the first few days of using it, but I just wasn't sure how much irritation was too much.  I ended up burning my chin to the point where it was raw.  (Full Disclosure: My face was already super dry from another product I was testing, and this may have been a result of combining the two products.  I have been unable to reproduce the situation.)  After my face recovered, I have been using it daily and have been happy with the results.  My face really is a lot softer and my skin looks firmer and more healthy.

Tips:  If you have sensitive skin, you will want to consider breaking in this product slowly.  Build up the frequency until it no longer causes irritation when you apply it.  Also, as with any retinol product, make sure you use at least SPF 15 during the day.  Not that you aren't already, right?

Rating: