I Tried Lace Eye Mask for Dark Undereye Circles - Before and After Photos

For someone with a prodigious skin-care regimen, I'm not so great about eye cream. Which is where (or so I like to tell myself), eye masks come into play. Like any other mask, an eye mask is meant to deliver a concentrated treatment to the skin. For the delicate area of thin skin around the eye area, this means hydrating ingredients and anything (anything!) to help dark circles. The problem, of course, lies in the fact that these are some of the toughest skin problems to correct, even over time, let alone in under an hour.

So, when I set out to try Starskin's Revamping Meltaway Lace Eye Mask, and took some "before" selfies, I was skeptical. These are some dark circles I've got going on. (See the left image above.)

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The ingredients, however, are promising. Hyaluronic acid, collagen, and adenosine help to plump the eye area, which minimizes the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Korean mugwort is a brightening anti-inflammatory herb, while green tea brings some antioxidant power to the formula.

This mask is fuller-coverage than those little half-moon, croissant-shaped undereye patch masks. It covers the bridge of your nose and extends out to your temples, the undereye gets the same, if not more coverage than the undereye patches allow. It's also supremely Instagram-ready given that it's a real piece of lace trapped inside the hydrogel material. Cool, no?

Courtesy of Sara Spruch-Feiner

Starskin is a little fancier than your average sheet mask company, so the mask itself contains something the brand refers to as "meltaway serum," which basically means that when the mask hits the skin, the serum trapped inside of it melts or absorbs into the skin so you get the most bang for your buck — 10 grams of solidified serum, in this case.

Here's what most impressed me about the experience of actually wearing the mask. First of all, the grip is impressive. Unlike some masks that lay atop the skin and effectively incapacitate you as long as they're on, this one stayed right in place. My one tip is to make sure to smooth it out so it actually lays flat under your eyes. Secondly, thanks in part to the hydrogel material, this mask stayed cool for the 25 minutes I wore it on cleansed, makeup-free skin — so forgive the selfies! (The package recommends 20 to 40 minutes).

After 25 minutes, I'm pleasantly surprised to say I look a little more awake and my dark circles are a little less dark. The difference is subtle, but hopefully, combined with some extra sleep over the long weekend, I'll be looking bright-eyed in no time.

Shop the Starskin Revamping Meltaway Lace Eye Mask for $15 (for a set of two) at barneys.com.

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