Being pretty new to the whole eye mask-ing concept, I was a little perturbed when it came to trying this out. What if it gets in my eye? What if it stings and my eye blows up (not literally of course, man that would be bad). Will it dry hard and mean I wont be able to open my eyes?

Of course, as with most things, I was just being paranoid. I had no problem whatsoever using this and found that there was no discomfort involved.

Guinot’s Instant Eye Mask is formulated to calm, firm and tighten the skin around the eyes, whilst hydrating and reducing fine lines and shadows. Containing horse chestnut, which strengthens the capillary walls and diffuses redness, as well as vitamin E to hydrate and protect the skin from the effects of free radicals, this eye mask is meant to instantly hydrate the skin around your eye.

It’s pretty simple to use, just apply a thin layer to clean, dry skin. Smooth it over the eye, including the eyelids, and below and around the eye area making sure not to rub it in. Be sure that you’re very gentle when doing anything around the eye area as the skin is very delicate. You don’t want to be rough and tugging at the skin as that’s a surefire way to hasten the onset of wrinkles.

Immediately after application, I felt a cooling sensation, which was of much relief to my eyes after a long day at work. It doesn’t dry hard on the skin, like most face masks, so you’ll have to remind yourself to remove it after about 10-15 minutes. You can simply rinse it with warm water, or use a damp cotton wool pad to remove.

After I washed it off, my eyes felt refreshed and hydrated but I’m still a bit skeptical about any firming and tightening benefits. I imagine that might require more consistent use though.

I think Guinot has provided some competition to the ‘ol sliced cucumbers trick, as their eye mask is a quick and easy way to soothe and perk up puffy, tired eyes.