These Japanese Eye Drops Give My Face Instant Energy

In 2013, I read an article onTom Ford’s grooming commandmentswhere he boldly stated: “Like white teeth, white eyes matter.” I typically respond to that kind of absurd specificity with introspection — do I just have two dull, itchy specimens where my eyeballs should be? Well, I have allergies to nearly everything, and a job that requires me to stare unblinkingly at a computer for several hours at a time. By 6 p.m., my eyes are so alarmingly bloodshot that I look likeCaptain HowdyfromThe Exorcist. I boughtRohto Maximum Redness Relief eye dropsat my local Asian beauty emporium, thanks to a recommendation from my contacts-wearing sister, who had apparently caught on to this beauty hack long before I did (our friends atthe Cuthavewrittenabout it, too).

The first time using these drops is a little jarring. They have a cooling, astringent feel to them that is invigorating, but scary if you’re not expecting it. The bracing sensation has become a distinction of my eye drops — using Visine now feels like flushing my eyes with tepid sink water. A minute or two after dispensing the Rohto drops, my scleras are healthy and white, giving the complexion an overall brightening effect. It works by contracting the eye’s blood vessels, a property called vasoconstriction that’s also effective atcalming a zit’s flushin a pinch, if you’re into off-label life hacks.

Having white ocular regions comes in handy several times throughout the day: I keep a bottle on my nightstand and use it immediately after I wake up. (I like to think of it as dropping caffeine directly into my sockets.) I keep a bottle at my desk at the office, to use before meetings with people I would like to impress with unwavering eye contact. They are particularly becoming when having my photograph taken. Facial contrast is critical to flattering pictures, which explains contouring, highlighting, andpersonal lighting devices. I utilize the same tactic for my eyes. Whiter eyes make my irises look richer, deeper, and “piercing,” according to a comment left under my last Instagram selfie.

For master-leveleye brightening, follow up with theseblue eye drops. The blue tint corrects any stubborn yellowness for surreally white peepers. I’ll use both as a brightening cocktail for post-work first dates.