A five-minute morning eye routine

Long routines fail on Wednesdays. Five minutes survives, and consistency is worth more than any single step in it. Here's the version we actually do, with the patch time counted as hands-free — you're doing something else while it's on.

The routine

1. 0:00 — Rinse with lukewarm water. No cleanser needed if you cleansed last night.
2. 0:30 — Pat dry. Pat, don't rub; a towel is rougher than this skin deserves.
3. 0:45 — Patches on, thicker end at the inner corner, pressed flat with no air pockets.
4. 1:00–15:00 — Hands off. Coffee, shower, get dressed. This is the free part.
5. Then 3:30 — Remove and tap in the residue until absorbed.
6. 4:00 — Moisturiser over the top if your skin feels tight.
7. 4:30 — SPF. Non-negotiable, and yes, up to the orbital bone.

What to cut

• Morning cleanser with actives. Save actives for the evening; mornings are for hydration and SPF.
• The second serum. If you can't say what it does, it's decoration.
• Rollers and gua sha, unless you genuinely enjoy them — enjoyment is a valid reason, results claims are not.
• Rubbing your eyes while half-asleep. Free, and the highest-return change on this list.

The event-day version

1. Patch on earlier — a good hour before you need to look finished, so there's no rush at the makeup stage.
2. Room temperature rather than fridge-cold if makeup is going on top.
3. Full five-minute wait after removal, not three.
4. Thinnest possible concealer layer, tapped in, set with the lightest dusting of powder.

What to expect

Immediately: skin that looks more even and feels comfortable, and the cool-down effect if the patch was chilled. Over weeks: the benefit of not having skipped it. We're not going to give you a results timeline — this is a cosmetic routine, and how your under-eye looks depends on sleep, salt, allergies and genetics far more than on the order of two bottles.