Here at Rivet HQ, I suffer from really terrible hooded eyelids and have tried so many things short of getting surgery (eh herm, being able to afford it, that is).
Contours Rx is brought to you by the hooded eyed babe, Britain Todd, who wanted to help improve the look of saggy eyelids and also improve vision for those who cannot undergo blepharoplasty (upper eyelid surgery). Us hooded eyed wonders are going to be thanking her!
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Eyelid Tape?
Eyelid tape isn't a new thing. It has its roots in Asian beauty, which is widely different to what we in the West are used to. Monolids aren't exclusively Asian, but they are predominantly found in people who have ethnic roots in East Asia. Eyelid tape is a successor to eyelid glue, an invention from Japan that creates the double eyelid, a desired beauty feature representing femininity, and is pretty much the default eye shape for European and West Asian ethnic groups.
So why are we complaining about double eyelids when some cultures really want our eye shape? Well, if you're like me and your eyeballs are way back in your head (deep set) and you have high cheekbones plus a forward protruding brow bone, there might end up being too much skin around the eyes, and with age, that skin starts to sag and you suddenly can't see anything. Eyelid tape must be good for us too! I've tried a few Japanese eyelid tapes from Daiso and KBeauty stores, but haven't really found them to work. The shape of them aren't suitable for my more rounded eye, and you can't apply makeup over them.
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Product
Enter Contours Rx with their product Lids By Design, an adaptation of eyelid tape made from medical grade materials and non-latex adhesive. The strips come in various widths to suit different eye shapes and provide subtle through to dramatic lifts.
Britain Todd's brand was introduced to TVSN by Dr. Nassif MD, the top Beverly Hills cosmetic surgeon and host of reality series Botched.
The kit I received was the assortment containing strip widths of 4, 5, 6 and 7 millimetres with 20 of each size, giving 10 wears, including with makeup over the top. The range also includes a complementary primer pencil.
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Directions
The strips are applied to clean, dry skin. Using the plastic tweezers provided (I broke mine, of course, but there is a pair of proper tweezers available to purchase separately), remove one of the strips from the backing and place along the natural fold of your eye, lifting any excess skin out of the way. Use primer before applying makeup.
To practice placement, keep a strip of each size as a spare to see where you need to place it.
The width of the strip also determines the amount of lift.
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Results
These are my eyelids in their full, hooded glory. As you can see, surgery will be required later on in life because it will definitely impact my vision.
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| Eyes before. |
Here are my results using each size in the kit.
4mm - subtle lift, very akin to when my botox was in full swing, very comfortable to wear.
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| 4mm strips. |
5mm - my favourite, it's a good amount of lift and the strip disappears into my skin, minimal discomfort.
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| 5mm strips. |
6mm - getting a little harder to actually get a lift without it affecting my ability to blink or feel comfortable.
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| 6mm strips. |
7mm - I found this size to be extremely uncomfortable and difficult to place. I only managed to apply it to one eye "successfully".
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| 7mm strips. |
The claim to be able to wear makeup (eyeshadow) over the top was a bit of a pipe dream. I used the 4mm strips and an eye crayon prior to applying eyeshadow (I used the Australis Metal & Matte Palette). I also did a winged liner with The Quick Flick Grand 12mm size.
I think I probably had taken the strip off too many times to readjust placement that it lost its stickiness, plus the eye crayon probably didn't help. It is obvious up close as the textural difference is shown when eyeshadow is applied, but for the most part, it does blend in with the skin well.
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| Up close, the strip can be seen and it doesn't really make the wing look any better. |
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| View from the top, winged liner isn't any better. |
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| The strips aren't really visible from a distance. |
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Thoughts?
I thought I gave up on eyelid tape, but these ones are definitely different to those I have tried. The results are good, but I don't think I'll be using them for when I do makeup looks. Definitely will give them a chance for everyday wear, and maybe for some winged liner, sans any other eye makeup!
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Lids By Design and the rest of the Contours Rx range are available through TVSN in Australia and New Zealand.
Have you tried eyelid tape? Let me know in the comments!
This product was supplied as a PR sample for review, my thoughts are honest. For more information, please read my Disclosure Policy.
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