Seven eye patch mistakes

1. Skin that's too wet or too oily. Gel patches grip by contact, not adhesive. Moisturiser first — or a dripping-wet face — and they slide off by minute two. Pat until barely damp.
2. Wrong placement. The wide end goes low, toward the cheek; the thin tip curves up toward the outer corner, a finger's width below the lash line. Too close to the lashes and gel migrates into your eye; too low and you miss the hollow entirely.
3. Leaving them on too long. Past about twenty minutes the patch starts drying and pulls moisture back off your skin. Fifteen is the number. Set the coffee timer.
4. Reusing them. A used patch has already given up its water and picked up your skin. Single-use means single-use.
5. Storing them badly. Sachets left loose in a hot car or a sunny windowsill dry out and degrade. Cool, dark, and — if you want the de-puffing bonus — the fridge.
6. Rushing into makeup. Concealer over still-tacky essence separates and settles into lines by mid-morning. Give it two or three minutes after the essence disappears.
7. Expecting a cure. A patch visibly improves puffiness, hydration and texture for hours. It doesn't move fat pads, erase pigment, or fix a medical issue. Used with honest expectations, it's genuinely useful; used as a miracle, it will always disappoint.

That's the whole list. Get the first two right and most of the rest stop happening on their own.