There’s no denying Espa’s under-eye gel masks (£46, Lookfantastic.com) are a godsend for tired, dull skin – but have you ever tried using them elsewhere on your face?

I hadn’t until a video from TikTok’s Elle McNamara, aka @bambidoesbeauty, showed the skinfluencer applying eye patches to her nasolabial creases alongside the caption: “To the girl who told us eye patches aren’t just for your under-eyes, I owe you my life.”

More curious than ever, I took a whack at the new approach to eye masks, with the image of McNamara’s post-patch glow playing on repeat in my head.

For context, I’m 27 years old and am starting to see fine lines around my eyes, 11s (the area between the eyebrows) and forehead, with my nasolabial creases, too, getting increasingly sunken as I get older.

Of course, all of this is natural and I’m definitely of the mindset that ageing is a gift; however, if there is an injectables-free method to take the edge off these natural signs of getting older, I’m all ears. Read on to discover my verdict.

How I tested

I applied the masks to my under-eyes, nasobial creases and 11s/forehead (Lucy Smith)

Following in McNamara’s footsteps, I applied the cooling masks to all my areas of concern, tapering them so that the tail end was sitting where there were fewer fine lines and the wider, main patch where they were more concentrated. I left the masks on my skin until they were as thin as tissue paper, no longer had any moisture and weren’t slipping and sliding about my face.

Regarding results, I tested the hydrating properties of the patches by raising my eyebrows, frowning, smiling and scrunching my eyes with an aim to find the movement in these zones restricted, and any fine lines plumped. Here’s how I got on, both initially and after continued use.

After using all the masks and scrunching my features, my fine lines – especially around my mouth and the corners of my eye – were minimised (Lucy Smith)

Espa isotonic hydra gel eye masks

Size: 60 patches

Key ingredients: Glycerin, niacinamide, aloe vera and turmeric

Suitable for: All skin types, except sensitive

Fragranced: Yes

Cruelty-free: Yes

Why we love it

Significantly reduces the depth of fine lines with continued use

Wakes up tired eyes in the morning

On first application the eye masks feel akin to ice cubes on the skin: cooling and wet. As they settle onto your complexion they dry over a one to two-hour period, with all of the moisture seeping into the upper layers of the skin.

When I removed the masks, I could immediately feel that the skin in those areas was more taut, though not in a tight or uncomfortable way, rather feeling more plump and firm. Around the eyes, I found that puffiness had dissipated and, while the patches didn’t sit tightly enough under my lash line to minimise the fine lines in that zone, they did cover my crow’s feet entirely and left their appearance around 2mm to 3mm shorter.

I saw the most improvement around my nasolabial creases, which appeared softened and fuller. Likewise, my 11s had less of a shadow when frowning and, in terms of ingredient benefits, the added aloe vera had a soothing effect on some areas of irritation and blemishes across my forehead.

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The verdict: Espa isotonic hydra gel eye masks

While £46 is undoubtedly expensive for eye masks, the improvement I saw over an extended period (around two weeks) was undeniable. Not only were the masks a great start to the morning, reducing post-snooze swelling around my under eyes, but they also helped to give the rest of my face more elasticity and fullness even when tired or dehydrated. I’ll definitely be repurchasing and, thanks to TikTok, I’ll be using them here, there and everywhere, too.

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Can this viral TikTok hack really reduce fine lines? I put it to the test

Using under-eye masks all over my face, I saw a visible reduction in creases and lines

How I tested

Espa isotonic hydra gel eye masks

The verdict: Espa isotonic hydra gel eye masks

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