We tried Maya Jama’s under-eye patches on a 4-hour flight – here’s what happened

You may know Maya Jama from her work as a TV and radio presenter, but if you’ve yet to follow her on Instagram, you’re missing out. Her refreshingly candid stories showcase everything from behind-the-scenes moments on set with her “glam squad”, to hilarious singalongs with her Uber driver, so it’s no surprise that she’s garnered a 2.3 million-strong fan base on the platform.

Jama’s followers will be familiar with her love for sheet masks and eye patches, as she often posts selfies of her wearing them while travelling, and talks about how much she relies on them to keep her skin healthy while juggling a busy schedule. So when the DJ finally unveiled her debut skincare line back in December 2020, after teasing the launch for months, her fans went wild.

The brand, MIJ Masks (after her initials, Maya Indea Jama), was an instant hit, with the first drop selling out in 24 hours. Ahead of the reveal, Jama even recruited her nan to model the sheet masks and created her own Instagram filter to make it look like you’re wearing the products.

The range currently consists of two types of under-eye patches and a sheet mask to suit different skin needs. Jama wanted to create high performance, multi-tasking products with a focus on hydration. Inspired by her on-the-go lifestyle, ​​the products are designed to be easily incorporated into your routine for a refreshing skincare hit.

But do MIJ’s products actually work? We got our hands on the coveted eye patches to see if they live up to the hype. Read on for our hot take.

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In true Maya Jama style, we put the under-eye patches to the test on a flight to Greece, to see if they made our tired skin plump and hydrated. We considered how easy the patches were to apply, how comfortable they were to wear, and the most important part: the results.

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First up, let’s talk about packaging. The box that the eye patches arrive in is made from FSC-certified card – meaning it’s obtained from responsibly managed forests that are approved by the Forest Stewardship Council – and the branding is fun and vibrant, much like Jama’s personality. You can buy the patches in two different pack sizes: the box with two patches costs £13.99, while the four-patch sets cost £24.99. The eye patches themselves are in a slimline, tightly sealed packet that’s perfect for slipping in your bag for travel. We took ours in our hand luggage with no issues.

The eye patches are made from something called hydrogel, a non-slip, jelly-like material that has the ability to absorb and store up to 85 per cent of its mass with hydrating serums. In layman’s terms, this means that the patches are packed with skin-loving ingredients, which, once applied under your peepers, will get to work on your skin, supposedly leaving it plump, de-puffed and glowy. These ingredients include hydrating powerhouse hyaluronic acid; allantoin, a natural anti-inflammatory that soothes the skin; and protective panthenol.

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So, back to our in-flight skincare moment. Our prosecco was poured (“Cling cling mother f*****,” as Maya would say) and we’d sanitised our hands, ready to apply our eye patches to our tired, dehydrated skin. The patches are housed in a round plastic disk, which makes it easy to pick them up without damaging them. We often find these jelly-like under-eye masks to be very delicate, and we have been known to snag or tear them during the application process, but these were robust enough to apply on a flight without any issues.

We also liked how generously sized the patches were, as this allowed us to find the most comfortable position for them to sit and ensured the whole under-eye area was benefitting from the hydrating serum. The curved, teardrop shape of the patches hugged the contour of our under-eye without any discomfort and we immediately felt their cooling effect. Other than that welcomed sensation, they felt barely-there on the skin.

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Naturally, we love the blush pink colour too. The brand recommends leaving them on for 10-15 minutes, but we got stuck into our pre-downloaded episodes of The Wire and left them on for about 40.

After having “a lovely time”, just as Jama promises, we peeled off the patches to reveal seriously glowy skin. These masks really live up to their claims, as we saw an instant result. Our under-eye area felt and looked more plump and hydrated, which was a real pick-me-up on a tiring flight.

Our only bugbear is our concerns around sustainability. As the beauty industry has such a big part to play in reducing packaging waste, we’d like to see MIJ take strides in creating masks and patches that aren’t just single-use. It’s clear that the brand is conscious of its footprint, as it uses FSC-certified card for its boxes and has partnered with Noissue to use sustainable mailer bags, but we’d love to see it pivot to reusable sheet masks, like brands such as Charlotte Tilbury, Dieux and Nurse Jamie.

We’re big fans of Maya Jama, so had high hopes for her skincare line. Thankfully, these eye patches delivered, giving us plump, hydrated skin, instantly. The under-eye mask was easy to apply and comfortable to wear too. We love how true the branding is to Jama’s personality, and we’re excited to see what comes next from the brand. Hopefully it’ll be something with a sustainable focus.