Although I’m almost 30, I’ve only been to two bachelorette parties. But at both of them, I received the same gift: Grace & Stella Eye Patches. And according to all of my friends and other Cosmo editors who have been on bachelorette trips, they’ve also received these same ones. Under-eye patches at the bach party totally makes sense. After a night out celebrating the bride, the first thing I’m doing is pouring a cup of coffee, sticking on an eye patch, and sitting in silence. And this pack from Grace & Stella is under $30 for 24 pairs, making it uber affordable to stock in a bunch of welcome goodie bags. It’s really the perfect gift.
But do these patches actually work? What makes them different from all the $$$ ones on the market? I investigated.
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These gold, gel eye patches are packed with hyaluronic acid and glycerin to help moisturize your skin, which is honestly the first step of defense against tired-looking eyes. Dry, crusty, patchy under-eyes, obviously, don’t look fresh and awake. Plus, hydration can help slightly plump up your skin to make darkness a bit less prominent over time. There’s also sea moss in the formula, which we know to be moisturizing, but also is packed with vitamin C to potentially help increase collagen. I’m not sure you’re getting enough of that in this formula to actually notice collagen-boosting effects, but if you used these all the time, you might see that benefit. The gel texture is also naturally cooling to help bring down some puffiness—even more so if you pop them in the fridge before use.
I’ve used these a handful of times now and most of all, always loved how cooling and soothing they felt on my tired, usually puffy under-eyes. But I wanted to see if these could really take down swelling and improve my dark circles. Energize, as the package says.
Unlike my bachelorette party shenanigans, my under eyes were worse for wear via entirely wholesome activities this time. I went to a concert and didn’t get home until around 11:30 p.m., then had a 7:30 a.m. hot yoga class booked the next morning. I raced to the office afterward to shower and get ready for the day, then placed these patches on my groggy, exhausted face. To start, there was a bit of discoloration in the inner corner of my eyes and just an overall puffy look.
I do wish these weren’t individually packaged (I hate single-use products as is, but plastic packaging that just gets tossed every time burns a hole in my heart every time I use one). But! I understand and see the value here for gifting or stashing in your bag on a trip. Once I put them on, they stay well. I sat in the office with these under my eyes (beauty editor things) for a solid 20 minutes while I worked and I barely even remembered I had them on. Our executive editor Sascha de Gersdorff walked in and pointed “love that!” and at first, I entirely forgot what she was referring to. That’s how comfortable they feel on my eyes. They also don’t slide down and are pretty easy to place on without ripping—a problem I often have with gel eye patches.
Once I removed the patches, my under-eyes looked a bit fresher. My dark circles and puffiness were still there, but the extra hydration added a slight glow that helps detract from it. Most of all, though, I felt less tired. Could that be because I had an iced latte while I wore them? Maybe, but I’m willing to believe the cooling patches helped wake me up a little too.
Are these eye patches going to erase your dark circles and depuff a weekend’s worth of alcohol and salty foods? No (and tbh, not really any eye patch can do that). But they’re affordable, gentle, and hydrating, making for a fantastic combo to have on hand on any girls’ trip or any situation that requires a calming moment. The best case scenario? Pairing these with a really good eye cream (my go-to is Clarins Total Eye Lift, but if you want a budget pick, try The Inkey List Caffeine Eye Cream).
Beth Gillette is the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan with more than seven years of experience researching, writing, and editing skincare stories.
Beth Gillette is the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan, where she covers skincare, makeup, hair, nails, and more across digital and print. She can generally be found in bright eyeshadow furiously typing her latest feature or hemming and hawing about a new product you "have to try." Prior to Cosmopolitan, she wrote and edited beauty content as an Editor at The Everygirl for four years. Follow her on Instagram for makeup selfies and a new hair 'do every few months.
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