If you try one product, make it these ridiculously glamorous (yet very hardworking) skin-smoothing Chanel eye patches

You don't need me to tell you Le Lift Flash is an object of desire - but there's more to this launch than meets the eye

an image of chanel le lift flash eye patches on a pink backdrop with their pink sachet behind, next to an image of beauty editor Fiona McKim testing the patches
(Image credit: Future / Fiona McKim)

Why is it that we love the beauty products we do? You'd think efficacy is everything - we want stuff that works - but there are psychological pieces of the puzzle, too.

We buy, not just the product, but the promise. The idea of ourselves as someone who 'belongs' to a certain club, who lives a big, glamorous lipstick-wearing life, or who self-actualises via our specialised skincare routine.

Why Chanel Le Lift Flash eye patches are my beauty buy of the week

Maybe you had an early-career 'I've made it' moment, treating yourself to one of Chanel's makeup best-sellers on payday. Or, perhaps you're a member of the 'my mum always wore No5' club (me too).

The point is, this brand doesn't have to work hard to capture our imagination - it's probably already in there. But they go ahead and create exciting, eye-catching things anyway.

Things that have a highly glamorous exterior, but are also hard little grafters that beat the competition on productivity. Which, of course, is how Chanel stays Chanel.

an image of chanel le lift flash eye patches on a pink backdrop with their pink sachet behind, next to an image of beauty editor Fiona McKim testing the patches

(Image credit: Future / Fiona McKim)

These practical aspects of Le Lift Flash set them apart, as does the serum they're infused with, mostly hyaluronic acid in a very low molecular weight, so it gets deeper into the skin to smooth and plump.

Interestingly, a version of these launched in 2019, with a separate rollerball of serum to massage into the under-eye, then seal in with the patches. It was lovely stuff, but in practice, it's tricky enough to find time to use one eye mask, never mind a two-step process.

So now we get this update, a one-and-done that is absolutely the one. Practicality prevails. Although if you're up for a ritual, Chanel obliges with a suggested gesture, smoothing the serum out towards your temples with a gentle index finger swoosh. Sounds good? Great! Let's chat next Sunday

Fiona McKim
Beauty Editor, womanandhome.com

As woman&home's Beauty Channel Editor, Fiona Mckim loves to share her 15+ years of industry intel on womanandhome.com and Instagram (@fionamckim if you like hair experiments and cute shih-tzus). After interning at ELLE, Fiona joined woman&home as Assistant Beauty Editor in 2013 under industry legend Jo GB, who taught her to understand ingredients and take a cynical approach to marketing claims. She has since covered every corner of the industry, interviewing dermatologists and celebrities from Davina McCall to Dame Joan Collins, reporting backstage at London Fashion Week and judging the w&h Beauty Awards.

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