Hello my darlings and welcome to a cold and rainy Tuesday afternoon. Today there is something in the air that is just making me stuffy and puffy. I have the air purifier running and it is helping loads. Since sneezing has been a recurring theme for today and that never bodes well for makeup and I am not leaving the house today, I opted for a no makeup day.
However since i am also skipping the mid week face mask, I decided to do something a little different. A while ago I received this pack of Bright Eyes Eye Gels from Beauty Bio in a subscription box. While I adore eye masks for their depuffing nature on the back of the pack it also lists using them on the sides of your mouth to reduce lines.
So in the absence of makeup I decided to go for that as well. And so I added them to my face and got some work done while I let them soak in. This is one of those days where I really decide to monitor my calories more than participate in any activity.
I know I will feel a bit twitchy later in the day, but it is more a breathing is hard kind of day and even though I know the exercise will do the rest of my body good, when my sinuses get like this even when I take medicine exercise makes my nose drip and my head feel like it is going to explode.
So some days the body takes a back seat. And I monitor my calories very closely.
The Beauty Bio eye gels were worn for fifteen minutes. I have to say my under eyes feel great. I feel less puffy and bleary eyed. While there is hydration on the skin to the sides of my mouth I think I would have to repeatedly use them on a daily basis if I was going to see much in the way of reduction.
It is an interesting thought and I can see where they would conceivably work. I just think it needs repeated applications in order to show results. And to be honest there are a few minor results. My eyes are a little less puffy. Actually they are a great deal less puffy. I think when I look in the mirror I think, still puffy. It is when I see the photos that I realize the change. Also Yes, they are different eyes from the before and after. Both were equally puffy before, I just somehow forgot which eye I took the picture of in the first place. The depuffing stands though.
And now for the mouth.
Sorry the image gets fuzzed out. It is in focus I just had to crop it down to show the mouth and the lines and then when the cropped par t is blown up it gets fuzzy. As you can see there is a reduction in the lines. And I think consistent use would bring them down. I also sneezed off the ones by by mouth a couple of times. They are not as stable by the side of the mouth as they are under the eyes.
While nice, I just think these eye gels will be better used as eye gels. Beauty Bio does make a nice eye gel though so I am happy to keep wearing them for that. The depuffing was better than i expected and I will certainly be using them again.
I know this wasn’t my normal daily, but to be honest, it was a nice break from work to sit with the masks. I was just in a non makeup mood. I do feel more awake now, so that is something. And now, it is back to work for me. Don’t worry. Soon the rain will pass, the allergens it stirred up will leave the air and all will return to normal. Today, it is just me and the skincare. Have a great rest of Tuesday my darlings!
I have tried a lot of Wander Beauty products and there are quite a few I really like. Pictured above are some of the favorites in my collection. The Staycation mask is really good for hydration (no surprise there) and is something I turn to routinely in the wintertime. If you are interested in a more fulsome review, it featured on a Face mask Friday post a while back and you can read about it here. The Do Not Disturb Overnight Repair Concentrate was a part of my Skincare routine from July 2nd – September 3rd, 2021And I liked it enough to pick up a second one. In fact I pulled it out of my skin care drawer because I need to rotate a night mask into my current routine and I will be adding this in. The baggage claim Eye masks are long term faves and this, my last set, will be slipped into my travel bag before i leave for Thanksgiving and reordered once I return.
Wander Beauty also offers a 24 piece variety pack ($75) this set includes not only the Limited Edition Festive Fuchsia Baggage Claim Masks but the original gold and the rose gold sets as well.
Whatever color you use they all are fabulous. they are light weight and stay in place well so if you want to put them on while getting things done around the house they are easy to wear and you don’t have to worry about them slipping. Last year my mother and each wore a set while wrapping Christmas gifts. And then after got dressed for the holiday gathering. (where we handed out the presents we just wrapped, timing slipped a little last year).
They are great for a pre makeup ritual and they really help to depuff the eyes which is why they are onw of the products I keep around for allergy season. Actually during allergy season i like to put them on and then while they sit I will lightly roll over them with a jade roller. It pushes more of the serum in and the coolness of the stone is also beneficial to allergic eyes. So for me the larger pack is always a good idea. I like the way they feel and I love that they don’t leave any sticky residue on the skin when you peel them off.
The eye masks also feature this year in the Wander X Tenoverten Mask and Mani Set ($46). With this set you get six of the original gold Baggage Claim under eye masks and three nail polishes from TenoverTen. The colors are R&R (Soft Pink), First Class (Metallic Gold) and Soirée (Berry). I have tried the Ten over Ten top coat called Outlast. It is designed to make the polish chip resistant and I found it to be a really good quality top coat. i have never actually tried any of their nail polishes before. If they work as good as the top coat then I would consider this a very good deal. Each of their nail polishes retails for $12 on their own and the masks are a $26 value so you you get over $60 worth of product for the price.
I think that is one of the things that I really like about Holiday Bundles in general. You can get long time favorite products, try new things and get a great deal into the bargain.
Of course not all of the Holiday Bundles from Wander Beauty are about the under eye masks. (I just go through so many of them that I gravitate there first). One of the sets that really interests me this year is the Skincare essentials set. it is a Duo of the Drift Away Cleanser and the Dive in Moisturizer. I have never tried either product actually. I know I love the Do Not Disturb Overnight treatment so I am pretty sure the Dive In moisturizer would work well for me too, but if I am honest I am most interested in trying out the Drift Away Cleanser. It is a gel to foam cleanser that is supposed to provide the effect of a double cleanse without stripping the skin.
You know I love a double cleanse. And the few cleansers I have tried that have been gel to foam or cream to foam have been transitions I really like because the initial form (gel or cream) really lets me see where i put the cleanser so i can make sure i have in fact covered my whole face and am washing everything. I know that sounds a little strange, but I am not at my best first thing in the morning and the visual cue is helpful. I’m better after coffee, but still I like the transformative cleansers. I’m actually using a cream to foam cleanser at the moment.
Which I suppose it just long way round to say that I like this bundle.
They also have non skin care bundles this holiday season. Two of them caught my eye. The first is the Double Date Mini Lip and Cheek Set ($25). There are six mini lip and cheek products which is all of their lip and cheek shades plus the new release Spring Fling. I love this set for several reasons. One I would get to try every shade Wander Beauty has of the Lip and Cheek Creams. That right there is a bonus. i mean how often do you get to try out an entire lines worth of shades in one set?
Also I have really been liking cream blushes lately. the ones I like give me a great deal of control with blending and pigmentation level. (Of course the ones i don’t like provide a degree of angst, but that is the way with every product). I have been eying the Wander Beauty Double Date Creams for a while trying to decide which color suits me. And the ones that don’t work as Blushes on me look like they would be fab as lip products. And I will never say no to lip products. there is also something aesthetically appealing about the clear plastic rounds. Youi can see the product at a glance so you can quickly pick the shade you want and honestly they just look attractive. Plus, you know I already wanted to try them. Sort of a no brainer that I’d like it.
Of course you can’t forget the mascara. I have to say I am amused by this next bundle. It is the Eye-tinerary mascara Duo ($35). I have tried both mascaras and liked them both. They are just both good products. Personally I like the Unlashed a little bit more. I like the curved wand and if I had to pick i will generally go for volume over lengthening in a mascara. If I can get both great, but if not I will lean towards volume. So of course I go for the Unlashed which is a volumizing mascara. My cousin on the other hand loves length and absolutely adores the Mile High Club Mascara. Unsurprisingly, it has great lengthening properties.
So we predictably disagree on which mascara is the best. I know as far as serious debates go it doesn’t hold a candle to anything but when others get into more heated arguments about far more important (and family damaging) disagreements the debate between length and volume has served to break up the tension.(And when it doesn’t works there always the Smurfs Vs. Snorks debate to fall back on for diffusing tempers, admittedly that debate might show my age a bit). Regardless, I find it amusing to see both mascaras in the same bundle. I also think it is a great deal as both are in fact really good mascaras.
If you just want to try the Wander Beauty Mascaras without committing to a full sized tube they also have a trio of mini mascaras ($35) It has both the Unlashed and the Mile High Club as well as the Upgraded Lashes thickening Mascara. I have not tried that one so I can’t speak to it, but the other two are fantastic.
There are other Holiday sets available this year from Wander Beauty and honesty they all look well worth the price. these are just the ones that caught my eye. If you are looking to try items from the brand, stock up on favorites or seek out gifts for the skin care or makeup loving family member, there are several items on the Wander Beauty Holiday Sets page well worth looking into.
By now I think everyone knows that I love eye masks in pretty much every form. They are one of my favorite skincare items. well, the good ones are anyway. For me a good eye mask will provide much needed moisture or some sort of beneficial serum to the under eye area. It may make me feel more awake, but above all almost all of the eye masks that fall into my use again category help me with some depuffing during allergy season.
Now I know you’ve been in the stores and seen various eye masks and realize that none of them say recommended for allergy relief on them. That’s because it never seems to be what they intended. I think it is a combination of the fact that they are cool against the skin and providing skin enhancing benefits through their serums that helps out my under eyes. Some of them specifically mention depuffing while others don’t. I am getting ready to start a longer trial with a box of Depology Hydrogel under eye patches but before then I wanted to try out the last untried single eye gel pack in my box of single use masks.
The box isn’t empty but the other ones in there I have tried before. I tried clearing them out and by the time I emptied the box more came in through subscriptions. I will never complain about that because I always use them, but this was the one I hadn’t tried out.
So this is the Flashpatch Rejuvenating Eye Gel from Patchology. While I have a single use set, a set of thirty will cost $50. So about $1.66 per set of eye gels, if you want to break it down that way. which isn’t too bad. The name Patchology is familiar to me, but I can’t honestly say I have tried any other products from them. If I have I don’t remember them. So this is a first use product for the brand for me as well.
According to the website…
still connected
Puffiness. Fatigue. Dryness. Enter the fast fix for tired eyes, featuring Caffeine and Hydrolyzed Collagen. Look like you got your full 8 hours every day. REVIVE IN FIVE Refresh in an instant. Eye Revive FlashPatch® 5 Minute Hydrogels feature our highly advanced HydraSurge5™ Moisture System. More effective than topical creams or serums, this patch technology accelerates the delivery of essential ingredients Caffeine and Hydrolyzed Collagen. And the Hydrogels stay put—so you get these ingredients where you need them most. Cooling. Smoothing. Refreshing. Your just-woke-up-like-this suddenly looks a whole lot brighter.
So these eye gels are specifically designed to depuff and to do so in five minutes. Now while I will wear eye masks throughout the day while working at my desk over lunch or if I feel like I am in a mid afternoon slump. I decided to try these out first thing in the morning. I washed my face patted everything dry and then opened the packet. I decided to wait for the rest of my skincare until later so that I could see what this set of eye gels did on their own. Then I wore them for five minutes while I set the coffee on to brew and got my clothes out for the day. I think i ended up with about a seven minute wear time instead of a five but I don’t think that should affect to much.
First off the eye gels were very juicy when they came out of the pack. The plastic holder was a bit on the slick side. The eye gels were still connected to each other which I haven’t had in a really long time. Actually I can’t remember a set where the gels were attached to each other. There might have been but I don’t recall them. I pulled them apart and they did separate without the use of scissors but I was worried that I was going to tear them. I managed it without incident and then put them on.
They went on easily and stayed in place for the length of time I wore them. they were wet enough that I thought they might slide or leak serum down my cheeks (which i have had happen before). These did neither. They were comfortable to wear and easy to forget about while I passed the wear time.
Back in the bathroom I removed them. The before and after pictures are below.
before on left, after on right
To be honest, I can see a definite improvement. It isn’t huge, but it is certainly there. Some of the allergy related puffiness is gone. (The ragweed is in the wind where I live and everything has a fine yellow dust over it). Oddly, I think there might have been more of an improvement if I wore the patches for a little bit longer. They were still wet when i removed them although they were significantly drier than when I put them on so i know the serum either evaporated or absorbed. even though these are bulled as five minute eye gels, I think if I had worn them the standard fifteen I would have seen much more depuffing. I will say that this single use of the Flash Patch Rejuvenating Eye Gels does make me want to pick up at least one more set to try for the fifteen minutes to see if I am right. I could easily see these Flashpatch Rejuvenating eye Gels from Patchology in a longer use trial with a full sized container. As for now i will say that they did exactly what they said they were going to do. And for me, that’s a win.
Good afternoon my darlings. I’ll be honest, today was not a makeup day. This morning I was a little stuffy when waking but after my morning walk I could practically feel the bags under my eyes start to sag. My eyes were watery and itchy as well. we had a brief bout of rain and it seemed to have brought up a whole bunch of stuff into the air.
Luckily I just got in a new batch of the Klorane Smoothing and Soothing eye patches. They feel cool on the skin and that alone helps take down a lot of the puffiness and bags, but the soothing is also fantastic for allergy season. Plus the gel consistency keeps them in place while i work so i can keep going even if my allergies attack. which is good because today has been a very busy one.
The odd scheduling from the past two days has finally caught up with me. So there is a mountain to do, but at least my eyes are starting to feel better. It isn’t the most glamorous look, but as all interaction with others involves the phone or e-mail today, I am good. I started with a set of these eye patches this morning right after my post walk shower and ended up with a second set shortly after lunch.
I generally try to space them out and not do more than one set in a day, but today, between the mold and the grass seed, I need a double dose. and as effective as these are in taking down the bags, I have never had a problem with too much use from them. They are gentle as well as effective. I still don’t like using them too much in one go, but today the double use was worth it.
So I got my walk in, along with an unhealthy dose of allergens and I used the ab wheel again. I know it will take a while before anything shows, but man are my muscles feeling the use. So at least i feel like it is doing something. we are supposed to have more rain coming in a little while I’m hoping it is enough to wash some allergens out of the air for a bit and not a small amount that just makes the problem worse. Admittedly my time outside today is done. I have holed up with the air purifier going and I changed the hepa filter on the air vents. With the brand new air system we spent a hearty chunk of change on in May, the air in the house is as clear as it can be. I think for the rest of the day, me and my sinuses are going to stay in the air filtered bubble and hope for better news in the morning. I have my fingers crossed that the rain will wash the air clear for my morning walk. As tomorrow is a work in the house day again, if I can just get through that morning walk i shall be golden. Today however is eye patches and filtered air. (along with sinus medication to keep the nose in check).
I know it is just that stage of summer. It happens every year. This year seems a little worse though. I think that part of it, is that the face masks filtered out a lot of things when worn for the past two years. This year, the masks are being worn less so more allergens are getting in. So maybe it just feels worse because of the lack of personal filter. Either way, I know the next two to three weeks are going to be allergy city. Which is of course why I stocked up on the eye masks to begin with. Early spring when things just start growing and late summer when the intermittent rains and heat bring up mold and lead us into the end of the growing season are when under eye masks really shine. don’t get me wrong, I like them in other parts of the year, but now is their time of glory. Viva la under eye masks!
Eye masks are one of my favorite at the desk skin care items. I tend to use them when I’ve had a sleepless night, when allergies hit or when I just need a quick pick me up. They are easy to use and kind of a quick skincare treat.
However I have noticed that despite recieving several eye masks from different brands in various subscription boxes, I tend to gravitate to only two, Grace and Stella and Klorane. So I have pulled all of the non-Klorane and Grace and Stella eye masks together and am working my through them one at a time to see if they are worth adding into my collection, or if I should just let them go.
In my collection I have a box of Rodial Dragon’s Blood eye masks. There are three in the box. Oddly I couldn’t find the box of three anywhere, but the individual masks are listed on the Rodial Site for $6 each. Since I was reaching for the Rodial eye masks, I decided to go ahead and pull out the Rodail dragon’s blood lip mask and try that out at the same time. Both are designated as items that hydrate and tone and as it is currently winter, my lips could always use more hydration. According to the Rodial website…
These innovative cooling bio-cellulose gel eye masks are great for providing hydration to the delicate eye area, whilst also helping to reduce the visible signs of puffiness to help the eye area look brighter. These individual eye mask sachets are ideal for taking on-the-go, for your eye pick-me-up. It’ll become your new travel essential!
The Lip mask is listed as $7 per pair and it is described as…
very juicy paper masks
Achieve the perfect, fuller looking pout with these replenishing bio-cellulose lip masks that give a moisture boost and comfort and soothe the skin for smoother looking lips. Containing restoring dragon’s blood extract and hyaluronic acid to plump the lips through hydration, these masks will mould to your pout and take your lip game to a whole new level.
Now Rodial and I have a bit of a checkered past. I absolutely adore their Dragon’s Blood Sculpting Gel. I bought it on sale, used it and then when it ran out, took the container apart so that I could use every last drop of product. It was fantastic and well worth the $107 price. And yes, there are very few moisturizers I will say that about.
the lip mask came folded and was very hard to get open.
On the other hand I hated their sheet masks. In general I find that the products they bottle are fantastic and top of the line, while their single use items aren’t fabulous. I liked their serums and cleansers (although none of them inspire the adoration of the sculpting gel.) But none of their sheet masks have worked for me.
The reason is the paper. The paper they are made from is the same bio-cellulose that these eye and lip masks are made of. In general the paper is too stiff to adhere well to the curves of the face. It just doesn’t want to curve. It wants to stick out in it’s pre folded lines. The masks are also so loaded down with serum, which I think is their way of getting around the non-bendy paper, that they drip everywhere.
not the most convenient masks and wanted to peel up a lot
I was hoping that in smaller pieces, eye and lip masks, this would be less of a problem. The eye and lip masks are overloaded with serum so the slip and slide all over as you try to put them in place. I thought this boded well as they were certainly saturated. And it is a good serum. The problem is that after a few minutes on the face, they tend to dry and pucker up. The eye masks had only a few bubbles of air and did work better than the lip mask.
The longer it sat the more often it popped up and ha tp be pushed back into place
The lip mask ended up sticking to the sides of my mouth and my chin. They barely touched my lips at all. I kept having to press them down in the center and still, they only remained in contact if i held them. While i suppose I could hold my hand over my mouth for fifteen minutes like a five year old with a secret he desperately wants to tell, it isn’t ideal. the thing is, the serum in these masks is really a good serum. I like it a lot, which makes it a little frustrating that it isn’t going where I want it.
The eye masks are better than the lip masks. I will keep the other two and use them, even if I won’t repurchase them. The lip mask is a total wash out. In the future, i will purchase the Rodial serum and leave all of their sheet masks, face, eye and lip behind.
Welcome to the Friday face mask. Today I did a little something different. Technically speaking I used the mask early and it isn’t a full face mask. I did not sleep well last night and as a consequence this morning I awoke with puffy baggy eyes. So since I was starting my day working at the computer, I decided to start off with an eye mask. I went with the Erno Laszlo multi-task eye serum mask. It came in my July Look Fantastic box and I have been looking forward to using it ever since it came in.
I’ve used the Erno Laszlo Firmarine night cream (Picked up from Lovely Skin during one of their sales a while back) and it was amazing. I believe it is also carried by Look Fantastic on their store and they are always running some sort of weekly special so it is well worth looking into.
But I hadn’t tried any of their serums of masks. So I started the day with the Erno Laszlo multi task eye serum mask under my eyes as I began working at the computer. So what is it supposed to do?
A silky, All-in-one hydrogel eye patch formulated with a powerhouse of ingredients to tackle the major signs of under eye dark circles, puffiness, fine lines and wrinkles. The multi-tasking eye patch is soaked in serum powered by algae extract, vitamin B3, amino acids and allantoin to give immediate results under the eye area.
Each revitalizing mask conforms perfectly to the contours under eyes, helping our powerful actives penetrate more deeply: Glycerin: a powerful moisture magnet, attracts and holds hydration, helping fill in fine lines and crow’s feet for softer, smoother-looking skin, Vitamin B3: a natural illuminator, defies dark spots and discoloration by jump-starting skin cell renewal, Gotu Kola and other anti-inflammatories: calm stressed skin and improve circulation, reducing puffiness from allergies, pollutants and other assaults.
Lovely Skin currently has the six pack of these eye masks on sale for $38 in case you are looking to pick them up. They are of course also available on the Erno Laszlo site as well and probably a bunch of other places. The Erno Lazlo site not only has the six pack for $38 but they also have a two pack for $14. If you are just trying them out that might be a good option. I know I tend to try samples or smaller packs to see if I like them before I pick up the full sized version. (I just put an order in for Lovely Skin so it’s on my mind in case you are wondering)
So I took the eye masks out of the pack and put them on my skin. First off, they are the jelly like eye masks which I think always stay in place more securely and in general they seem to provide me with better results. Or maybe I just think they work better than the paper ones because I just like them more. There is something soothing feeling about the texture of the jelly masks.
Mask on!
I will say that once I applied the masks I felt a cooling sensation. There was no tingling, but it felt cool. One of the ways I tend to deal with my under eye puffiness is to take the quartz roller I keep stashed in the fridge and roll it under my eyes because cold really helps reduce puffiness for me. So I was really happy with the cooling sensation.
I was also happy they stayed in place while I got some work done this morning. Not slipping makes them extremely convenient. Then of course, it was time to peel them off.
I’m not certain how big a difference you can see in the before and after pics, but I can feel a difference. My eyes feel less baggy and the skin feels a little tighter. While the masks were saturated in serum when I applied them, the serum appears to have all soaked in and the jelly patches were only slightly damp.
One day I will get the alignment right, just clearly not today. Before is on the left and after on the right.
My skin also was only slightly damp when I removed them. I patted the last of the serum in so there was no wasted serum. While it clearly isn’t a replacement for a good night’s sleep, it does make me feel a bit more refreshed. So from me, this mask gets a thumbs up and a place on the repurchasing list. I think I would keep them until I need to look a little more bright eyed rather than use them every day, but I think keeping the Erno Laszlo multi task eye serum mask around isn’t such a bad idea. I’m really glad I tried these today. Thanks to Look Fantastic for choosing this to add to the July subscription box.
Ms. Mimsy Reviews 