Review: Masqueology Revitalizing Eye Gel.

     Wow, 2013 has made it's way in and got started!! I feel like these first few weeks have just flew by!! There are so many exciting things going/on and coming up! I wanted to do a little review on one of the products I received in a Birchbox 2 or so months ago; Masqueology's Revitalizing Eye Gel with Pearl Powder.
     These are little gel masks that you place under your eyes to reduce puffiness and help brighten and refresh the eye area. Although this product is marketed out of Los Angeles (or so I inferred from packaging), it was actually researched and developed by Korean dermatologists. I have heard so many great things about Korean cosmetics, and what I have tried I have liked, so I was eager to try out these under eye masks.
     When you open the package there are two little gel strips (think Biore pore strip size), with a curved shape to fit the under eye area more precise (I had taken a picture, but it was accidentally deleted, oops!). The little masks themselves are sticky, almost to the point they were messy if you over-handled them. There are of course a list of ingredients that make up the mask's formula, but key ingredients featured are hydrolized collagen, caviar, pearl powder, algae and adenosine. They are also supposed to have a cooling sensation while you have them on your face; the recommended time to leave them on is about 20 minutes. I did feel this cool sensation but after about the first 10 minutes it almost felt like a slightly irritated feeling, like when you use a really bad facial toner.
     After removing the masks, I felt like my under eye area did appear a little bit brighter. I thought at first this was just because the gel was being reflective since it was still a little bit moist. After the area(s) has completely dried the under eye area still looked brighter than before mask application, not luminous like I had hoped for, but brighter none the less. My eye area felt refreshed for a minute or so afterwards but then my skin began to feel tight, or "stretched", once again like when using certain toners. I can't really speak on whether or not there was a reduction in puffiness because my eye area was not puffy to start with, but I saw no change in the before and after.
     You can purchase 3 of these masque treatments for $24, and they can be used as a part of your regular skin care routine. How do I, personally, feel about the gel masks...honestly, I could take them or leave them. I already have so many products I trust to brighten the eye area, that I couldn't really see myself going out of my way to purchase these. They are one time use products, so $24 for 3 could start getting pricey and  it seems like you would need to make them a part of your skin care routine on a regular basis in order to achieve and maintain optimal results. Plus, I wasn't all that fond of the "cooling sensation" or tight skin feel I was feeling afterward.
     Masqueology has tons of other products of course, and I have a few more by them I will try out. You can visit their website at www.masqueology.com.
     Have you tried this product or others by Masqueology?? Do you have a favorite under-eye brightening product?? Comment below.
XO,
J.