One of my favourite category of skincare products are wash-off masks. I have a pretty big collection trying to cover all my bases as far as ingredients and claims and results go. I seldom find a mask I totally don't enjoy, so I thought I would do a BRIEF review of what I have! They won't be too in depth, just what they are and what they do for me. I've included my full-size products and deluxe samples.
All prices listed are in CAD and from Sephora,ca (or the product's site in the cases that it is not offered at Sephora).
SAMPLE MASKS
1. fresh Vitamin Nectar Vibrancy-Boosting Face Mask ($33 for 30mL, $80 for 100mL). It literally has chunks of fruit in it and it's supposed to help brighten the skin. Citrus fruit extracts have some minimal exfoliating properties on their own but it's not a very strong AHA. It smells like citrus. I like it but I likely wouldn't purchase a large size.
2. fresh Black Tea Instant Perfecting Mask ($112 for 100mL). I am so mad that this is so expensive because I love it. There isn't even a mini available to purchase! It has a delightful warming and cooling effect that makes my skin tingle (in a good way) and it feels so relaxing and luxurious. It softens and smooths my skin and it's awesome. It smells like black tea (duh).
3. fresh Rose Face Mask ($30 for 30mL, $75 for 100mL). Roses are my jam! It is a gel-like texture with pieces of rose petals in it. I find it quite moisturizing. I would consider purchasing this and fresh's rose petal toner. They're really nice and worth the splurge to me.
4. Laneige Multiberry Yogurt Reparing Mask ($33 for 80mL). This is a pretty great price point in comparison to the fresh products. It smells amazing, like a sweet and fruity candy. I think it does a pretty good job to soften and moisturize but it's not a miracle product. I might consider purchasing it but it's not urgent.
5. Farmacy Honey Potion ($75 for 117g). I actually have to admit I hated this the first time I used it. I love honey as an ingredient but this one has a really strong scent, not a nice "oh, it's honey" sweet scent but almost a synthetic "YES, THIS IS HONEY, OF COURSE!" scent that can be off-putting. Then when I put it on, it turns out it's a warming mask. So you feel your face get pretty hot and you're sticky and you smell like bee heaven. But then I washed it off and my face felt like a baby kitten and it was awesome. Once I knew what to expect I got used to the sensation and scent. Honey, propolis, and royal jelly are great ingredients for skincare and masks. I would consider purchasing this at some point.
6. boscia Luminizing Black Mask ($45 for 80g). I like boscia as a brand in general and they have a lot of hits for me. This dries down and peels off easily. It feels "clearing" and smoothing. I feel like meh about it, like it works well which is great but I'm not running out to buy it because I can't live without it. If I got another sample or it was on sale or in a set then I'd be happy.
FULL-SIZE MASKS
1. Lush Bunny Moon Jelly Face Mask ($13.95 for 60g). I am not huge into Lush like some people are. I just tried a few things recently and I have to say, I'm hooked on the Jelly Masks. Bunny Moon is a calming, brightening, and moisturizing mask. It smells like vanilla/maple/honey. It lives up to its claims based on the ingredients and I really enjoy using it.
2. Lush Just To Clarify Jelly Face Mask ($13.95 for 60g). A really gentle exfoliating and brightening mask. It has an interesting smell, it's not quite citrus like the ingredients and description say. It's not bothersome but I'm not sure what to describe it as. I don't know why this is but I tend to always reach for this mask when I have a bath. I leave it on and exfoliate with it when I remove it after.
3. Lush Cup O' Coffee Face and Body Mask ($11.95 for 150g). It smells like coffee and maple. You're literally throwing coffee grinds onto your face so part of me is like.. I could do this myself.. but it still feels luxurious for some reason. Damnit, Lush. It's really messy and hard to wash off, though. I basically just picked a well-reviewed or well-known Lush product to try, and I'd get a different one next time. Maybe Cupcake!
4. Glossier Moisturizing Moon Mask ($48 for duo with both Glossier masks, or $27 each for 3 fl oz/89g). People recommend using the Mega Greens mask first and then follow up with the moisturizing mask, which I personally haven't tried yet. So far I don't think I've given this mask a fair chance. The first time I tried it, I really didn't feel like it did anything. Claims to be brightening, soothing, and smoothing. It's kind of expensive and you really only save $6 buying both.
5. Glossier Mega Greens Galaxy Pack ($48 for duo with both Glossier masks, or $27 each for 3 fl oz/89g). I like this one better as so far it can stand on its own and still deliver as a "purifying" or "detoxifying" mask. I don't like this language because it really only means the clay ingredients are absorbing oil. People love to claim shit is clearing you out of toxins and junk like that (don't even get me started on detox teas. You have a fucking liver already that's doing that job). ANYWAY. A good mask in my books.
6. Peter Thomas Roth Cucumber Gel Mask ($64 for 150mL). This one always comes in sets and sometimes you can find it at places like Winners. If you can find it discounted in some fashion, it's worth it. I wouldn't buy it full price personally. PTR has other better masks. But the cool cucumber gel is nice to apply if your skin is irritated. If you get a sunburn on your face, or you over-exfoliate, or you have a reaction.. it's nice to have.
7. L'oreal Pure-Clay Red Algae Mask (price in range of $10.99-$15.99 for 50mL). I adore this mask. It's a clay one so it clears up your skin quite well but it also has volcanic rock bits in it that do a great job to exfoliate. It's a bit warming/cooling so it tingles as well. I love having this around and I'm definitely going to buy it again.
8. innisfree Jeju Volcanic Color Clay Mask - Purifying ($11.65 for 70mL from roseroseshop). This product really confuses me because I've never used a "clay" mask that didn't dry. It just kind of sits on top of your skin as a sort of sticky paste. I've tried leaving it on for a long time just to see but it doesn't behave the way you'd expect. There are several versions in this line which I haven't tried yet. It does have a very "clean" feeling when you wash it off, so much so that your skin has that squeaky, stripping feeling. I'm not sure of the pH of this product. It doesn't make me dry or irritated so I only use it when my skin is particularly congested or oily or something because it clears you right out. But it's still weird.
9. boscia Clarifying Detox Mask (I'm not sure of price as I don't think this product is made anymore, sorry). I like this mask a lot so I will likely be using the Queen Helene Mint Julep mask after I finish it since it's similar. This one smells minty and fresh, it tingles a bit, it clears and smooths my skin.
10. Nip & Fab Glycolic Instant Fix Mask (around $13.99 for 50mL). I fucking love this thing. It's not kidding when it says instant. It contains 5% glycolic acid (an alpha hydroxy acid that is water-soluble and dissolves dirt and dead skin). I use 7% glycolic acid usually but for some reason as this one is a mask and you leave it for 10 minutes before rinsing off, it does wonders. I'm not sure how that works because an AHA usually doesn't get washed off and it has time to work its magic.. I'm not a good fucking chemist so I wish I could explain. I just love glycolic acid so much.
So there you have it!
I personally recommend having a couple masks of varying types so you have one to address any skin issue that pops up. For example, a clay and/or charcoal mask for clearing out pores and absorbing oil, a gel mask with calming or healing ingredients to relieve red or irritated skin, either or both a chemical and physical exfoliating mask, and a moisturizing mask.
What mask is your favourite?
