I love a good mask, and my preference these days goes to sheet masks: they're less messy, easier to apply and remove in an instant than classic creamy masks out of a tube. The latest trend is the hydrogel mask: instead of being a piece of cloth soaked in serum like your typical sheet mask, it's a solid but flexible, thin "slice" of gel that's infused with active ingredients and releases them when applied to your skin. Not that long ago I tried such a gel mask for lips, and this time I'm testing eye patches that you might have heard of before, the VIIcode O2M Oxygen Eye Mask.

What makes the VIIcode Eye Mask different from other eye patches I've tried before is that it's made for overnight use. You're supposed to apply the masks right before bed and wake up to a smooth and refreshed undereye area. Unfortunately as much as I'd like to, I'm absolutely unable to use such eye patches overnight: I'm one who tosses and turns frantically in bed for a long time before finally falling asleep, and I often end up sleeping... on my face. There's just no way anything could stick to my undereyes in these conditions! So I used the patches during the day, and luckily they stick well enough that I can go on with my regular activities while wearing them for several hours.





VIIcode also advises to use the eye masks two to three times a week and use up 3 boxes (each box contains 6 pairs) as a full treatment to see the best results.

Let's take a look at what I liked and didn't like so much about these eye patches!




- The patches are easy to place and they adhere to skin well without being painfully sticky like tape. The outer side is covered by soft cloth so your hair or glasses won't stick to the patches, while the side that goes on your skin is the gel itself. With their asymmetrical crescent shape they fit perfectly well under my eyes.

- Unlike classic sheet masks, gel masks like these are not wet, so there's no serum dripping and getting into your eyes. It's a zero mess mask!

- They stay in place really well. I'v worn them for 3+ hours during the day, and they never moved although I was busy around the house. However they don't pull the fragile skin under the eye at all when you remove them.

- They didn't cause any irritation to my sensitive eyes. The very first time I used a pair, I felt a slight itch after a few minutes that went away after a while, but it never happened again.

- I clearly noticed a smoother undereye area immediately after use. The skin is well moisturized and looks plumper, so fine lines and crow's feet caused by dehydration are softened.




- The brand's claim that these eye patches bring oxygen to your skin doesn't make sense. What would that even mean? There's oxygen in the air all around us, and there's oxygen transported by our blood to all our organs, including the skin, already. What would you need extra oxygen under your eyes for?? Oxygen is the very substance that, although it's necessary to survive, is also the cause of oxidative stress: you know, that damage caused to cells that we try to fight with large amounts of antioxidants in our skincare!

- Same thing about the claims that these patches are based on a botanical formula made on the brand's website. There are a few plant extracts in here, but nothing out of the ordinary aloe and algae, and absolutely no "resurrection fern". The patches are mostly a cellulose/polymer hydrogel infused with glycerin, allantoin and aloe. These three ingredients are excellent to hydrate and repair skin, mind you, but very ordinary, and everything else in the formula is in minute amount, well below parabens... Except for lavender, which could in fact cause irritation.
Here's the full ingredients list: glycerin, carbomer, cellulose, tetrasodium EDTA, allantoin, aloe barbadensis, lavendula angustifolia, methylparaben, propylparaben, SmartQ10, algin, cellulose gum, citric acid, sorbitol, sodium PCA, butylene glycol, y-PGA, sodium hyaluronate, vitamin E, sodium ascorbyl phosphate, ethylbisiminomethylguaiacol manganese chloride.

The gel side of the patch that goes onto your skin

The VIIcode Eye Masks do what they promise: they hydrate the undereye area for a smoother and healthier appearance, so they could be a good choice if you're struggling with dry skin, like the idea of an overnight/long-wear eye mask, and don't mind forking out over $50 per box. If you just ignore the surrounding claims and bizarre background story on the brand's website to focus on the result, they're a pretty good product!



Where to buy? On the brand's website or on Amazon (there's also another version of the O2M Eye Mask specifically for dark circles, the box has a black stripe at the bottom).



The product featured in this review was sent by the brand's PR for consideration. I received no compensation other than a free sample to write this post, which only reflects my personal opinion. This post contains affiliate links.