7 Of The Best Hacks To Make Your Eye Mask Work Harder

It’s often a combination of things that result in eyes appearing dull and lackluster. It could be dehydration that makes lines look more prominent, dark circles that make you look tired, and slack skin that makes you appear less perky than usual. When this is the case, look to formulas that treat the entire eye area rather than targeting smaller patches. Masks such as RéVive Instant De-Puffing Gel Eye Mask and Decree SOS Revitalising Eye Mask are excellent because they saturate the surrounding skin with moisture and contain ingredients such as niacinamide, ceramides and squalene, which all help to calm, brighten and strengthen skin.

Applying eye cream sounds straightforward, but for the best results you should be more strategic in your application, according to expert facialist Georgia Louise. She recommends smiling broadly to identify where your fine lines appear and then liberally applying eye cream to those areas. Everyone’s pattern of lines manifests differently, and this technique will ensure your application method is the correct one for your facial features. It's simple advice, but the best often is.

As for choosing the appropriate eye cream, rich lotions and oils feel luxurious, and they are great options for overnight use or on days when you plan on wearing little makeup. If, however, you’re following your skincare routine with a creamy concealer or foundation, a lighter-textured formula will reduce the likelihood of makeup slipping during the day. Both Dr. Barbara Sturm Eye Cream and Augustinus Bader The Eye Cream are great options, as they plump, hydrate and, crucially, sink in fast.

Once you try FaceGym Medi Lift Eye EMS Mask, you’ll wonder what you ever did without it. It’s the same technology that’s used in those popular in-spa treatments that lift and tighten the muscles. This ‘superhero’ mask applies electrical stimulation for 10 minutes to work the orbital muscles – just dab a little of the gel on to skin to act as a conductor before securing the mask around your eyes. One treatment gives a temporary but impressive lift, while continued use helps to smooth slackness on the outer corners.

Allergies and staring at a screen for hours on end can leave the skin around your eyes feeling sensitive and warm to the touch. A leave-on gel or cellulose eye mask will help take some of the heat out of skin, especially if you cool them in the fridge first. You’ll find the seaweed in MZ Skin Hydra-Bright Golden Eye Treatment Mask to be particularly soothing, while Joanna Vargas Bright Eye Firming Mask is so discreet, we have been known to wear it at our desks.

Undereye puffiness can be genetic, but it is made worse by lack of sleep and excess salt and alcohol. If you wake up with puffy eyes, try a light massage with Omorovicza Cooling Derma-Globes. Pop them in the fridge the night before, then press the globes lightly around your eyes – the cool temperature will immediately help tighten skin and you’ll be blown away by the results.

Charlotte Tilbury Cryo-Recovery Eye Serum and Kora Organics Noni Radiant Eye Oil work in a similar vein. Tilbury’s cooling metal applicator smoothes on the caffeine- and peptide-rich formula, while Kora Organics’ rose-quartz roller-ball applicator cools and lightly massages away congestion under the skin. Keep both in the fridge for an extra-cooling application.

Containing arnica, ginkgo biloba and horse chestnut to stimulate microcirculation, Sisley Eye Contour Mask hydrates the eye area and protects it against low humidity in moisture-sucking airplane cabins during long-haul flights. Apply a thick layer before take-off and keep reapplying as it sinks in to eliminate dark circles and puffy eyes.

111Skin Meso Infusion Overnight Micro Mask is incredibly satisfying to use. The masks are small so you can place them exactly where you want to see results. This could be the lines around your mouth or frown lines, but we love to target the fine lines at the outer corners of the eyes. To use, firmly press the patch into place so the miniscule hyaluronic-acid and vitamin-C spikes perforate the skin. It sounds medieval, but they are absolutely pain-free and, when you wake up in the morning, you’ll find that the spikes have dissolved while you were sleeping, ensuring the powerful ingredients have been absorbed into your skin.

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