SBLA Eye Lift Wand Review: Is It Worth It?

If you’re reading this, your social media feed has probably been attacked by those “miracle” ads. You see a woman apply a sleek, silver wand to her eye, and like magic, her hooded lid tightens, and the puffiness vanishes. I saw them too.

As a woman in my 50s, my eyes are my biggest insecurity. I’ve spent a fortune on “lifting” creams that do nothing. My main intent here is to serve as a warning. I fell for the hype, I spent the money, and I am here to tell you: do not buy the SBLA Eye Lift Wand. It’s not just a disappointment; it’s a masterclass in frustration.

My Experience With SBLA Eye Lift Wand

My journey with the SBLA Eye Lift Wand started, as I imagine most do, with a 3 AM “doom-scroll.” The video ad was just so compelling. It wasn’t a 20-year-old model; it was women my age, with real, droopy eyelids, getting what looked like a surgical lift in 60 seconds. The brand ambassador, Christie Brinkley, looked incredible. The marketing was brilliant, using phrases like “eyelift at home” and “clinically proven.” I was skeptical, but I was also desperate. I had a class reunion in two months, and the thought of looking “lifted and awake” was all the convincing I needed.

I clicked the link. The price was shocking.

This was not a drugstore purchase; this was an investment. But the “50% Off Today Only!” timer was ticking (it’s always ticking, by the way), and I took the plunge.

That was mistake number one. A week went by. Then two. My order was “processing.”

I emailed customer service. Nothing. I emailed again. An automated response. This is when I did the research I should have done before I bought it.

I discovered that the company, SBLA Beauty, had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. My heart sank. I was convinced my money was just gone.

Then, five weeks after I ordered, a small, chic, silver wand arrived in a crushed box. The wand itself feels high-quality—heavy, cool to the touch, with a sleek, metallic rollerball applicator. The instructions said to apply it on clean, dry skin and to remain “expressionless” while it dried.

I pumped the wand, and a clear, slightly goopy serum came out. I rolled it all over my eye area—under the eye, on the crow’s feet, and, most importantly, on my hooded eyelid. It felt cool and a little tacky.

Then came the “magic.” Within about two minutes, I felt it. A tightening. It was an undeniable, pulling, constricting feeling, like a tiny, invisible piece of tape was tugging my skin. I looked in the mirror. Was it… working? My left eye, the “test” eye, did look a little more “open.” The puffiness under my eye was definitely flatter. I was shocked.

“Okay,” I thought, “this is it!” I was so excited, I immediately sat down at my vanity to put on my makeup for the day.

And that is when the entire illusion shattered.

The second my concealer brush touched my under-eye, the SBLA serum “pilled.” It flaked. It came off in little, white, crusty, glue-like balls. I tried to blend it. It got worse. I had a patchy, flaky, white residue all under my eye and on my eyelid. It looked like I had dry, peeling skin. It was horrifying.

I washed my face, frustrated, and tried again. This time, I used a tiny amount. “Less is more,” I thought. The “lift” was less noticeable, but I let it dry for a full 10 minutes. It looked okay. I gently tapped my concealer on. It still pilled.

I tried it over makeup, as some ads claimed. This was a disaster. It just smeared my concealer and left a shiny, sticky film that cracked when I smiled.

This wand doesn’t “lift” your eye. It deposits a clear, “film-forming” serum (I now know it’s an ingredient called Pullulan) that dries and physically contracts your skin. The second you add a water-based product (like foundation) or your skin’s natural oils hit it, that “film” breaks down, flakes off, and looks like a bad sunburn. It’s a temporary, cosmetic, “party trick” that fails under real-world conditions. And for that, I paid a premium price and waited five weeks for delivery from a bankrupt company.

Read More: My Thoughts On Dime Eyelash Serum

Cons Of SBLA Eye Lift Wand

• It is a Temporary “Film-Former,” Not a Real Lift: This is the biggest, most important “con.” The marketing is deceptive. It’s not “building collagen” in 5 minutes. It’s not a “non-invasive alternative” to surgery. It uses film-forming ingredients (like Pullulan) that create a thin, invisible, dry film on your skin. As this film dries, it contracts, which physically pulls your skin tight. This is a temporary, mechanical effect. It is, in effect, a bottle of very expensive, skin-safe “glue.”
• It Leaves a Flaky, White Residue: Because it’s a “film-former,” it is notorious for leaving a visible residue. If you use even a fraction too much, it dries into a white, crusty, or flaky patch. I’ve seen reviews where people compare it to Elmer’s glue drying on your hand. It settles into fine lines and makes them look worse by filling them with white, chalky gunk.
• It is 100% Incompatible With Makeup: This, for me, makes it a useless product. The second you try to apply any water-based product (like 99% of foundations and concealers), the “film” re-hydrates, breaks down, and pills. It rolls up into little, disgusting balls of serum and makeup. It is impossible to get a smooth finish. You have to choose: the “lift,” or makeup. You cannot have both.
• The Brand is in Chapter 11 Bankruptcy: This is not a “con,” this is a “full-stop” warning. SBLA Beauty filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in March 2025. This explains everything. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) website is flooded with recent complaints from customers who, like me, paid for products and never received them. Or they tried to get a refund and were met with total silence. You are, quite literally, giving your money to a company that is telling the courts it cannot pay its debts.
• Deceptive Marketing Claims: The National Advertising Division (NAD), a major advertising watchdog, has publicly warned SBLA to stop comparing its results to a surgical “eyelift.” They found that these claims were not supported by the evidence. The “before-and-after” photos you see are often taken in different lighting, at different angles, or represent an outlier result. You are being sold a promise that the product cannot legally or physically deliver.
• The “Sting” and Irritation: While it’s fragrance-free, this wand is not for sensitive skin. A large number of users (myself included) report a stinging or burning sensation upon application, especially on the delicate, thin skin of the eyelid. It’s an uncomfortable, irritating feeling that makes you want to immediately wash it off.

Pros Of SBLA Eye Lift Wand

• The Applicator is Genuinely Nice: I have to be fair. The “wand” itself is a beautiful piece of hardware. It’s made of a heavy, cool metal, and the stainless-steel rollerball feels fantastic on a puffy, tired eye. The cooling sensation is genuinely depuffing, and it’s a much more elegant and hygienic application method than dipping your fingers into a pot of eye cream. The tool is lovely. The serum is the problem.
• It Contains Good “Long-Term” Ingredients: This is the most frustrating part. If you look past the “instant-lift” gimmick, the serum does contain some genuinely good, proven skincare ingredients. It has Niacinamide (Vitamin B3), which is a powerhouse for brightening and strengthening the skin barrier. It has Caffeine, which is a great, well-known vasoconstrictor for temporarily reducing puffiness. And it has the “SBLA66” Peptide complex, which, in theory, could help support collagen and elastin over time.
• You Do Feel an Instant Tightening: The product is not a total lie. You do feel it work. That “pulling” and “tightening” sensation is 100% real. It happens in about 2-3 minutes, just as advertised. If you were going to a 30-minute, makeup-free event and just wanted to look a little tighter, it does provide that sensation. The “lift” is minor, but the “tightness” is undeniable.
• It Can “Flatten” Puffy Under-Eye Bags (Temporarily): The “film-forming” technology is very effective at one thing: compression. It acts like a tiny, invisible compression-sock for your under-eye bags. By drying and contracting, it physically “flattens” the puffiness. Again, this is a temporary cosmetic effect that will vanish the second you wash your face (or try to put makeup on).
• It’s Fragrance-Free: For a product that has so many other issues, I am at least grateful that they didn’t load it with overpowering, irritating perfumes. Its “fragrance-free” status is a genuine “pro” for those of us who are sensitive to scent, even if the formula itself still stings.

Maintenance Tips For SBLA Eye Lift Wand

• My First Tip is: Don’t Buy It. Get a Refund: This is my most honest “maintenance” tip. If you have just ordered this, call your credit card company. Read the BBB complaints. You are dealing with a company in bankruptcy, and your chances of receiving the product or getting a refund are incredibly slim. Your best move is to initiate a “chargeback” with your credit card for “services not rendered” or “product not received.”
• If You Already Own It, Use “Less Than Less”: If you are stuck with this wand and want to try to make it work, you have to use an infinitescomal amount. I mean, one-quarter of a pump. You should have zero visible product on your skin. You want the thinnest possible film. The more you use, the more it will flake and crust.
• It Must Go on Bone-Dry, Bare Skin: Do not use a moisturizer before. Do not use a hydrating toner. Do not use anything. Your skin must be squeaky-clean and bone-dry. Any oil or emollient on your skin will prevent the “film” from adhering, and it will do nothing.
• The “No-Makeup” Rule: You have to accept that this is a “no-makeup” product. You cannot wear it with concealer. You cannot wear it with foundation. The only thing I’ve found that sometimes works is tapping a powder foundation (or a mineral veil) very gently over it after it has dried for 10 full minutes. But even that is a gamble.
• The 10-Minute “Expressionless” Rule: This is not a “swipe-and-go” product. You must apply it and then not move your face. Don’t smile, don’t squint, don’t talk. You have to sit perfectly still for at least 5-10 minutes to let the film dry and “set” in its tightest possible form. If you smile while it’s drying, it will literally “set” the smile-crease.
• The “Just the Applicator” Trick: Honestly, this is how I use it now. I’ve given up on the serum. I’ve washed out the wand. I now keep the empty metal-ball-applicator in my freezer, and I use it as a 100% free, de-puffing massage tool with my own (much better) eye cream. The wand itself is the only part of the product with any real, lasting value.

Comparison With Other Brands

• SBLA Eye Lift Wand vs. Peter Thomas Roth Instant FirmX Eye:
  • The Comparison: This is SBLA’s direct competitor. They are the exact same type of product. They are both temporary, “film-forming” tighteners.
  • The Verdict: Peter Thomas Roth’s (PTR) product is famous for the exact same “con”: it leaves a white, flaky, crusty residue and is impossible to use with makeup. The one “pro” for PTR is that it’s a legitimate, stable company. You can buy it at Sephora, you can return it, and you’re not dealing with a bankrupt business. If you must have this type of “Cinderella” product, PTR is the (slightly) safer, more reliable purchase.
• SBLA Eye Lift Wand vs. Plexaderm:
  • The Comparison: This is the other big “As Seen On TV” competitor. Plexaderm works on the exact same principle: it uses silicate minerals to form a temporary “film” that tightens the skin.
  • The Verdict: Plexaderm is, again, notorious for the same problems: a visible residue and a hard “crust” that cracks when you make an expression. All three of these (SBLA, PTR, Plexaderm) are in the same category of “temporary-but-flawed” gimmicks.
• SBLA Eye Lift Wand vs. NIRA Precision Laser:
  • The Comparison: This is the “Gimmick vs. Science” comparison. The SBLA wand is a temporary, cosmetic “fix” that lasts a few hours. The NIRA laser is an at-home, FDA-cleared, non-ablative laser device.
  • The Verdict: The NIRA laser is not instant. It works by gently heating the dermis to actually stimulate your body’s own, new collagen production. It takes 2-3 months of daily use to see results. But the results are real. You are actually rebuilding your skin and reducing wrinkles permanently. The NIRA is a real, long-term solution. The SBLA wand is a fake, short-term trick. They are not in the same league.

Also Read: My Thoughts on Grande Cosmetics Lash Serum

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Conclusion

Here is my final, honest word. Do not walk, run away from this product. I was fooled by the marketing, and I’m telling you, it’s a house of cards. The “instant lift” is a flaky, unusable, cosmetic trick. But worse than that, the company itself is bankrupt, and you are very likely to give them your money and receive nothing in return. You are not buying a “hero product”; you are buying a headache. Please, save your money.