I've worn liquid eyeliner almost every day since makeup became a part of my daily routine. This is a problem for me because I also have extremely sensitive eyes. They become instantly puffy after even a quick cry over something small, like a commercial with a dog in it, and my right eye in particular wells up the moment it comes into contact with literally anything. This has all made finding under-eye creams and treatments very difficult.
To add to this perfect storm of pretty specific skincare woes, I also have hereditary under-eye circles and the skin around my eyes tends to get dry, especially in the Winter. I've tried thick eye creams, serums, drugstore products, fancy ones, and nothing at all. (Honestly, doing nothing was probably one of the better solutions.) The only item that granted me solace up until this point had been my trusted Clé de Peau Concealer [1] ($70) which offers a temporary fix, but not necessarily a solution to the problem.
Earlier this year, I started to really get it together. I found a new eye cream in Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado [2] ($48) after several friend recommendations, and decided to try out Sephora's top-rated product for the area at the time: an eye mask. Now, I don't want to publicly drag said product — hey, it clearly works for other people — but it was catastrophic for me. This ultra-moisturising mask that's supposed to deliver a geyser of hydration and obliterate any signs of ageing or sleep deprivation, in a hilarious plot twist, actually made the skin around my eyes flake off for an entire week. (Shout out to Sephora's return policy.)
Had I entirely given up at this point? Sure. Did I check back on Sephora's eye mask offering shortly thereafter? Also, sure. This time, the top-rated mask was a new addition: Peace Out Skincare's recently released Peace Out Puffy Eyes [4] ($25). Because I will not be deterred, I bought the under-eye patches — and, not to sound dramatic, but they changed everything.
A box of Peace Out Puffy Eyes comes with six patches that moisturise, remove puffiness, and brighten the under-eye area. The patches are made in a slimy bio-cellulose material that apparently penetrates the skin better because the fibres are so tiny — 1,000 times thinner than human hair, tiny. (For what it's worth, SK-II's iconic Facial Treatment Mask [5] [$135] is in that same bio-cellulose family.) The patches are also drenched in passion fruit extract to de-puff, ice plant stem cells to boost collagen, and betaine, a sugar beet extract that soothes inflammation.
Just like that — after, you know, years of searching — I found something that works for me. I've now used a box of the patches and can happily report they haven't once irritated my eyes. Even better, my under-eye circles are noticeably diminished in the days after using the treatment. The patches have also helped a lot with the dryness issue, however, I will say the dryness pops up again if I go a long time in between using the patches.
Guess what? I too have become a person who wears fancy skincare masks on a plane. On a recent (woefully delayed) flight to Oslo, I popped the patches on mid-flight and it felt as divine and luxurious as a first-class seat, which actually might have been more appreciated at the time given the circumstances.
There's a part of me that still worries the eye masks will suddenly stop working or irritate my eyes, but I used my last pair last night for the purposes of writing this review and I feel pretty confident that these won't turn on me anytime soon. So, if you have a skincare concern that hasn't yet been remedied, the product for you might not exist yet — which sucks, I know. It's not great advice but it's what ended up happening to me.