Looking tired? That’s so last season.

Ask anyone who experiences seemingly immovable dark circles under their eyes and they’ll tell you their least favorite invasive beauty comment is “Are you tired?” (See variations: Did you get enough sleep? Have you tried going to bed earlier?)

If everyone who has asked me that question only knew how many times I’ve tried to remedy my dark circles with sleep, lavender sprays, and white noise machines, I think they’d erase the question from their vocabulary.

Dark circles do pop up when one fails to catch a few Zzzs, however, I’m not talking about the transient half-moons that disappear after resetting your sleep cycle. I’m talking about the dark circles that are associated with age, genetics, and ethnic background; those that are a bit more stubborn and take a bit more work to tackle.

As someone from an Eastern European background with skin that produces hyperpigmentation if it even so much as sees someone else’s wound or cut, dark circles have been a skin concern of mine since before I even got my first pimple. I’ve tried every dermatologist tip, from hydrating so as to plump up the skin under the eyes to applying a caffeine based eye cream to stimulate blood circulation.

Effective for some, these hacks just didn’t work for me. My dark circles were rooted in hyperpigmentation and genetics, not broken sleep cycles and dehydration.

It was with this discouraged attitude that I approached Goodal’s Green Tangerine Vita C Eye Gel Patch. Because I’d been let down so many times before, I assumed they wouldn’t work. Boy, was I wrong.

Goodal’s Green Tangerine Vita C Eye Gel Patches target hyperpigmentation with vitamin C, niacinamide, and hyaluronic acid.

After reading the ingredients of these hydrogel patches, I had a giant face palm moment. Why had I not tried vitamin C on my pigmented under eye circles before? I used it daily on the hyperpigmentation on my face and it makes complete sense to apply the ingredient on my dark circles- vitamin C interferes with pigment production!

Because these hydrogel slices contain vitamin C, they focus on long term brightening results over short term blood circulation or momentary plumping, making them perfect for me and for all those with genetically induced dark under eyes.

Vitamin C is an active ingredient, so I was careful with where I stored the patches. Eventually, they ended up in my fridge, which added a nice cooling sensation upon application! They’re super thin and jam packed with serum. Their weight made them comfortable to wear and reduced the amount of slipping and sliding they did on my face while I was wearing them.

Over time, and with consistent usage, this eye mask drastically reduced my under eye circles- so much so I’ve cut out using my beloved NARS concealer on regular days.