• VII Code

    VIIcode O₂M Oxygen Eye Mask for Dark Circles | #Sponsored Review

    December 3, 2023

    Hi Everyone,

    This post is sponsored by VIIcode, a skincare brand that focuses on eyes. A few years ago, I reviewed their VIIcode O₂M Oxygen Eye Mask for All Night Repair (read my review). Today, I’ll be reviewing the VIIcode O₂M Oxygen Eye Mask for Dark Circles.

    These individually wrapped gentle oxygen eye masks are designed for continuous 8 hour use overnight. They contain a natural, alcohol-free, non-irritating formula and are completely safe to use.  Each mask is infused with a potent blend of nourishing ingredients that work hard to reduce dark circles and puffiness so you wake up looking youthful, refreshed and well-rested.

    VIIgarden website

    Ingredients: Aqua, Glycerin, Cellulose, Carbomer, Mentha Arvensis, Butylene Glycol, Cellulose Gum, Tetrasodium EDTA, Triethanol Amine, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Allantoin, Tartaric Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Vitamin E, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Camellia Sinensis (White Tea) Leaf Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia, Aloe Barbadensis, Algin, CO-Q10, Sodium PCA, PEG-40, Betula Alba Extract, Glycyrrhetinic Acid, Sorbitol, y-PGA, Citric Acid, Butylparaben, Isobutylparaben, Propylparaben, Ethylbisiminomethylguaiacol Manganese Chloride.

    VIIcode recommends wearing the patches for 6-8 hours. On the back of the pack, it says to “let the masks work their brightening and hydrating magic no more than 8 hours, then remove.” Make sure to follow their instructions, since you don’t want to have any irritation (especially to your sensitive under eyes).

    Comparing these to the All Night Repair masks, these also have a cotton-y side and the other is like a gel-like membrane. It’s been a few years since I reviewed the All Night Repair ones, so I don’t know if they’ve changed the shape. The ones for Dark Circles are symmetrical, while the All Night Repair masks had one side that was slimmer. I prefer the symmetrical ones since it covers more surface area. Also, I like that both eye masks aren’t scented.

    To apply, your skin should be clean and dry.  Make sure to put them on carefully because repositioning them will make them less tacky on the sides and they might lift while you sleep. I tried wearing them both before bed and overnight. Some people might wear a sleep mask to bed, I don’t so I’m not used to having anything on my face while I sleep. While wearing them, you can definitely feel them on your face, but it’s not uncomfortable. They aren’t like pimple patches where you can’t feel them once you put them on. I can definitely tell they are on since they are quite big and right under my eyes. So when you move your face, you can feel them.

    If you’re wearing them to sleep and you’re a side/stomach sleeper, I would make sure to take them off a good amount of time before you leave the house, they left a mark on my face once or twice. Like when you wake up from a good sleep and realize you have a line on your face from your duvet. 

    I like that these are dry eye masks. They won’t slide down your face and because of the cotton-y side, you can wear them to bed without getting serum/product all over your pillowcase. The gel makes them stay in place, but they aren’t so sticky that it leaves a sticky residue after. It just feels tacky like you applied some eye cream, but it goes away once it absorbs into the skin and feels smooth. I didn’t get a chance to try, but I think makeup would apply nicely after wearing the masks overnight. 

    The gel of the eye masks makes them feel nice and cool. These would be great to use during the summer. Sometimes I throw my sheet masks into the fridge to cool them down, so I tried putting a pair of these eye masks in the fridge for half an hour. On the initial application, they felt quite cold. After a few seconds though, I got used to the cold and it didn’t feel that much different from the eye masks at room temperature. I also found it a bit harder to peel the backing off when they were cold (the gel seemed stickier), so I prefer keeping them at room temperature. 

    RATING: 3.5/5

    I think you would have to do more than 6 treatments to know whether these help in the long-term. You would have to be using them for a few months instead of just a few weeks. A box of masks comes with 6 pairs which is only enough for three weeks if you use them twice a week.

    I think I prefer the All Night Repair Masks since I don’t have dark circles. For me, these are more of a self-care item than a treatment since I’m not trying to target dark circles or wrinkles. 

    Check out VIIcode’s socials: Blog | Shop | Instagram

    Love,

    *This post was sponsored, but all opinions are my own. Links are NOT affiliate links.

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  • klorane organic cornflower

    First Impressions with Klorane

    August 18, 2021

    Hi Everyone!

    Today, I’m reviewing two products from Klorane. This is my first time trying Klorane products. I know their dry shampoo is popular, but that’s pretty much all I know about the brand. After taking a look on their website, it looks like they have collections based on specific ingredients. For example, I’m reviewing products from the Organic Cornflower selection. To name a few, they also have calendula, chamomile, mango and oat products.

    Scientifically proven effectiveness of our plant-based ingredients. A quality approach resulting from our pharmaceutical background, which applies to all our plants.

    I received the water cream and eye patches from Topbox to try. According to their website, the Water Cream is best suited for dehydrated or tired skin. For rejuvenating skin in the morning. The eye patches help eliminate signs of fatigue (wrinkles, bags and fine lines).

    Cornflower water cream with ORGANIC Cornflower and 100% plant-based Hyaluronic Acid

    The Water Cream with Organic Cornflower and 100% plant-based Hyaluronic Acid moisturizes and plumps dehydrated or tired skin, leaving it refreshed and glowing.
    +83% immediate hydration* thanks to the gel-like texture of the 98% natural formula.

    Ingredients: Aqua, Glycerin, Propanediol, Butylene Glycol, Centaurea Cyanus Flower Water, Betaine, Sodium Dextran Sulfate, Sodium Hyaluronate, 1,2-hexanediol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Ci 42090, Caprylyl Glycol, Citric Acid, Parfum, Potassium Hydroxide, Sodium Citrate.

    It retails for $37 CAD (50mL) at Shoppers Drug Mart.

    • klorane water cream with organic cornflower
    • klorane water cream with organic cornflower

    I was sent the tube, but it’s also available in a jar for the larger size.

    The water cream has a gel cream texture that I like. It doesn’t feel too heavy on the skin and hasn’t pilled with any of my products. It smells like cornflower which is pleasant and it doesn’t linger all day once you’ve applied it. If you’re unfamiliar with cornflower, it kind of reminds me of the blue Mr. Sketch scented markers (even though that is a blueberry-scented marker). It’s possible I’m remembering wrong, but that’s what comes to mind when I smell the cream.

    I know it’s more cost effective to buy the jar, but I like that the tube is more hygienic. I don’t have to dip my finger or a spatula into a jar every morning.

    RATING: 3/5

    It’s a nice water cream and it’s perfect for the warmer months for my dry skin. I probably wouldn’t be able to use this on its own in the colder months. Even now, I use it with a drop of facial oil.

    Smoothing and soothing eye patches with Organic Cornflower

    Smoothing and relaxing eye patches with Organic Cornflower and 100% plant-based Hyaluronic Acid is a refreshing anti-fatigue treatment for eye contour area after a long day or a short night. With 99% of natural ingredients and 100% biodegradable, the new patches with hydrogel technology hydrates, smooth away fine lines, promotes decongestion and reduces signs of fatigue (dark circles, puffiness, etc). Patches with a refreshing effect for a revived look!

    Ingredients: Water (Aqua)*, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride*, Glycerin*, Pentylene Glycol*, Algin*, Centaurea Cyanus Flower Water*, Sodium Hyaluronate*, Blue 1 (Ci 42090). Butylene Glycol*, Calcium Sulfate Hydrate*, Hesperidin Methyl Chalcone, Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate*, Sodium Dextran Sulfate, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Tetrasodium Pyrophosphate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Xanthan Gum*

    A box of 7 pairs retails for $35 CAD at Shoppers Drug Mart.

    • klorane organic cornflower eye patches
    • klorane organic cornflower eye patches

    The patches are a pretty blue shade (not that it matters what colour they are). They look like whales to me lol. This is a minor thing that doesn’t really affect the efficacy of the patches, but it looks like they were all made in moulds that face the same way. So one of the patches won’t lie against your skin in the same way as the other (one side is flat and the other side is more rounded). You can see what I’m talking about in the second picture of patches.  

    I personally don’t like under eye patches. I prefer to just use an eye cream or gel. Similar to sheet masks, they can be nice to use from time to time, but I find it a hassle to do it every single day. Having to put on a mask/patches, wait 15-20 mins and then take it off. I’d rather just apply my skincare and be done with it.

    RATING: 1/5

    There wasn’t enough serum in the patches to be hydrating enough after taking them off. They felt nice and cool while they were on, but there wasn’t much to tap into my under eye area after.

    Overall, both products were okay, but I don’t see myself purchasing either of them on my own and I’m not curious enough to try other products from the Cornflower selection.

    Have you tried Klorane products? What are your faves?

    Love,

    *Products were received complimentary from Topbox.

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  • vii code under eye 02m oxygen masks

    50/50 | Under Eye Masks

    August 20, 2019

    Hi Everyone!

    I’m starting a new blog series – talking about the differences in opinions for a certain beauty topic.

    Today, the topic is split at 50/50 on under eye masks…how do you wear them?

    You know how some eye masks are shaped like an apostrophe? Skinny on one side and wider on the other side? How do you wear them? Skinny on the inside or the outside?

    This all started when I was scrolling through Instagram and saw a girl wearing under eye masks where the skinny part was on the inside. and I thought…OMG! Is that how you’re supposed to wear them? I’ve always worn the wider part on the inside because it covers more of the under eye area….so I looked it up on Google to see and saw masks worn both ways.

    wide on inside (top), wide on outside (bottom)

    I did an Instagram poll to see what you guys thought and the results were 50/50. I also made a post on Instagram and I got quite a few comments. Here are some of their answers (in my caption, I wrote that I use wide on the inside):

    I’ve wondered this exact same thing!!! I’ve always worn mine with the fat part on the inner eye too, but saw someone wearing them the other way so I thought I was wrong! 😅 Let us know the results of your poll! – @mom_into_beauty

    Interesting, I’m the opposite! My crows feet expand pretty far down, so I prefer the wide part on the outside. Never tried the other way though – @classic.skin

    Maybe I’m doing it wrong lol the ones I buy the girl on the package has the skinny edge to the inside – @melsmakeupdesk

    I do mine either way depending on what area I want to target but for the most part, I wear the fat side on the inner part to help with dryness. I’ll put the fatter part on the outside every now and then to target crows feet! – @lipglossnlashes82

    Lol I switch it up, that way I figure I’m doing it correctly at least half of the time. #itsamystery – @nowjenplans

    I tried it out both ways and I found that skinny on the inside looked more aesthetically pleasing when taking a selfie. When the skinny part is on the inside, I apply the masks closer to my nose (and slightly on my nose). This makes your face and nose look slimmer. When I put the wider part on the inside, they don’t touch my nose and therefore my face and nose look wider.

    I asked my family and it was also 50/50. I’ve always done wider on the inside because I have dry under eyes. I asked my dad and he said he would do the same. I asked my mom and sister and they both said wider on the outside. My sister said she instinctively put the wide part on the outside, but it’s also because her cheeks are dry.

    There’s no right or wrong way to put them on. We are all different and we use under eye masks for different purposes. Most people wear them to target different areas: dark circles, puffy under eyes, crow’s feet, etc.

    You wear the wider part depending on what you’re targeting.

    WIDER ON THE OUTSIDE: If you have crow’s feet
    WIDER ON THE INSIDE: If you have dry or puffy under eyes, or dark circles

    How do you wear under eye masks?

    Love,

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  • vii code under eye 02m oxygen masks

    First Impressions with VIIcode | #sponsored

    August 16, 2019

    Hi Everyone!

    This post is brought to you by VIIcode Skincare. This is a skincare brand that focuses on the eyes! Today, I am sharing my thoughts on the VIIcode O2M Oxygen Eye Mask for All Night Repair.

    They sent over a box which contains 6 pairs of eye masks. When I was reading the description, I wondered how these masks worked. Are they saturated in serum/essence like sheet masks? How do they stay on while you sleep?

    These easy-to-use under eye pads are the first eye masks that are safe to use for 8 hours. With the most natural potent antioxidants, skin will be refreshed and invigorated overnight. Peel, stick, and go to sleep.

    BENEFITS

    Skin is instantly refreshed

    Minimize visible signs of aging around eyes

    Reduce fine lines and wrinkles effectively

    Instantly moisturize and soothe delicate under eye area

    I eagerly opened the package to see what the eye masks looked like. One side is cotton-y and the other has a gel-like membrane covered by a plastic backing.

    Unlike other eye masks I’ve tried, they aren’t soaked in serum/essence. They have a very light, fresh scent and they are comfortable to wear.

    It’s a bit hard to see, but I’m peeling the plastic backing off of the top eye mask.

    Apply to cleansed, dry skin and wear for up to 8 hours. The masks stay on well and can easily be repositioned.

    When I removed the masks, my under eyes felt cool and refreshed. The under eye area is a bit tacky right after removing the masks, but they’re not a sticky tacky – It’s like after you apply an eye cream.

    These masks are meant for overnight use. I tried sleeping with them, but I’m not used to having something on my under eyes in bed. I personally prefer using them while I’m awake – either right before bed or as soon as I wake up!

    RATING: 4/5

    I can’t comment on how effective the masks are at targeting fine lines and wrinkles, but my under eyes felt smooth and hydrated. Also, you can use them as eyeshadow shields once you’ve used them. These masks felt refreshing and they’re different from any other eye masks I’ve tried. 

    Check out VIIcode on Instagram!

    Love,

    *This is a sponsored post, but all opinions are my own.

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