I love a good face mask. They’re my favourite form of skincare because I can put one on and go about my day. They’re easy and the results are so worth it.
Everyone I know is aware of my obsession. My sister and my best friend always give me their free samples from Sephora. I tend to get skincare sets as gifts for my birthday and Christmas as well. I have also been told that if you speak to a Sephora employee, you can get free samples. I’ve always been too anxious to ask, but if you’re more brave than I am, go for it!
Anyway, during the winter break my mum asked me to clean the cabinet under my bathroom sink. This led me to find a bunch of masks I had forgotten about. Because of the weather, my skin has been very dry lately. Since coming back to school for the new semester, my acne has also returned with a vengeance.
A face mask may not get rid of all my problems, but it certainly helps.
I would first like to note that I have combination skin. If you want to figure out what your skin type is, you can do this quiz. Just keep in mind that what works for me might not work for you.
Also, most of these masks suggest that you use them multiple times a week. I only used each one once before writing this review, so my opinions are based on my first impressions.
That being said, below are my thoughts on the masks I tested out.
Dr. Jart+ Shake & Shot Rubber Hydro Mask ($15)
I used this mask before I went to bed one evening. The product comes in two parts, which made me feel like a mad scientist. When you first open the package, there are two envelopes inside. Pour both into the cup and shake it until they form a paste. Then, use the applicator provided to put it on your face. However, the instructions emphasize (in bold letters) that you only have 2 minutes to apply it after mixing, so doing this whole process made me feel like I was trying to deactivate a bomb in an action film.
My first thought when I started putting it on my face was that it was very cold. It wasn’t unpleasant, but it did surprise me. I also felt that the applicator that came with it wasn’t the best, so I gave up and used my hands.
Although it’s supposed to be a single use mask, there was way too much product for one time, yet it wasn’t enough to use again. I would’ve saved it for later, but because you only have a limited amount of time to use it after mixing, I had to throw it away. It seemed like a waste.
The package said to leave it on for 15-20 minutes, but I waited longer because it wasn’t turning solid. I found it weird moving my face around while I was wearing it, because I was afraid it would slip off. After about half an hour, I took it off.
It felt like I was removing slime from my face (the mad scientist concept continues). Afterwards, my skin felt very tight. I was expecting my skin to feel more hydrated, as that was the point of the mask, but my skin just felt average. I followed up with my regular skincare routine (toner, serum, moisturizer) as the instructions said, and went to sleep.
The next morning, I still didn’t notice any difference. I decided not to do my morning skincare routine to see if my skin was hydrated on its own. By nighttime, 24 hours after I had used the mask, nothing had changed.
All in all, I didn’t find this mask to be anything special. Perhaps if it was used on a regular basis, it would make more of a difference. However, because it’s only a single use mask and it costs $15 for one package, I wouldn’t buy it often. I would much rather use another product.
Glamglow Thirstymud Hydrating Treatment ($30 for the mini size)
The next mask I tried was another hydrating mask. I hoped this one would be better, as my skin was still dry af. I’ve also heard great things about Glamglow, so I prayed this one would come through for me. The package said it could be used as a normal mask, as a sleeping mask, or on a plane to keep your skin moisturized (it’s a shame I didn’t have this when I visited Tokyo).
It said to apply the mask to a “clean, dry face”, so I only used my regular face wash. The first thing I noticed when I put it on was how good it smelled. It’s got a tropical scent to it, and smells a lot like coconuts. I wanted to keep sniffing it forever.
I put on an even layer, as per the instructions, however, my face absorbed it all very fast. I’m not sure if that was just because of the product itself, or because my skin was very dry. I applied about three even layers, for good measure. I used extra on the parts of my face that were really dehydrated.
I wound up leaving it on for more than 10-20 minutes. I’m not sure how long it was, because I get distracted easily. I’m going to guess it was around 30 minutes.
The instructions said I could wipe it off or rub it into my skin when the time was up. I opted to rub it in, but my skin had absorbed almost all of it, so it wasn’t really necessary.
I could instantly see that my skin was more hydrated. It looked brighter as well, and overall, just much better than it had before.
I used this mask in the morning, so when I went to bed at night, I could still see an improvement. I did have to use some moisturizer on the parts of my face that were more drier, but overall, my skin was looking good.
I will definitely be using this mask again. It’s awesome how different my skin looked after just one treatment, so I’m excited to see what my skin will look like after I use it multiple times. The recommendation is to use it 2-3 times a week, so I’ll stick with that and hope for the best.
My bottle came in a gift set, so it wasn’t as big as the mini size at Sephora. That one retails for $30, which the reviews say is decent for Glamglow. I highly recommend it.
Origins Active Clear Improvement: Active Charcoal Mask to Clear Pores ($16 for the smallest size)
Ever since I came back to campus, my acne has returned with a vengeance (I love stress). I haven’t found a face mask that helps with it yet, so I’m hoping that one of the two I tried will show good results.
The first I tried was this Origins mask. Before applying, it said to place a moist towel over my face for a couple minutes to help open my pores. I am lazy, and decided I didn’t have time for that, so I washed my face with very warm water. Hopefully that was good enough. After that, I layered it on and did some ironing while I waited for it to dry.
Like the Dr. Jart+ mask, the first thing I noticed was how cooling it was. I didn’t expect that, but it wasn’t unpleasant.
I also found that the mask itself started to dry quickly. After about ten minutes, most of it was done and my skin felt really tight. Despite that, I was deeply invested in my housework so I didn’t take it off until half an hour had gone by.
It took forever to rinse off. This stuff stuck to my face like glue. Every time I thought all of it had come off, I would glance in the mirror and a good part of my face was still covered in grey.
Once that was done, there were no instructions as to whether I should follow it up with my normal skincare routine. Because it was difficult to rinse off, I decided to use toner to get rid of any leftover residue. Then I used my regular moisturizer.
Over the next two or three days, my skin didn’t break out again. However, my acne didn’t go away completely.
Origins suggests that you use this mask once a week, so I think with continued use there would definitely be some long-term results. Overall, I think the $16 price tag is reasonable. Sephora also tends to offer mini sizes of this mask as a reward, so it’s worth redeeming 100 points for just to test it out.
Boscia Luminizing Black Charcoal Mask ($45)
My mum got me this mask as a part of a gift set for Christmas, so I was extremely excited to test it out. It’s a peel-off mask as well, which has always been my favourite type of mask.
According to the Sephora website, this mask will help “to minimize the appearance of pores and enhance radiance.” I could definitely use some of that.
I followed the directions, which said to apply to a clean, dry face. It also said to use a “thick, opaque” layer. I tried my best, but in hindsight, I would’ve gone even thicker as the mask was hard to peel off later.
While I waited for it to dry, I figured I would get some stuff done. I wound up watching BTS interviews instead. Whoops.
After 30 minutes, my skin felt tight, but the mask wasn’t completely dry. I decided to watch a couple more videos and wait 15 minutes.
When the time was up, I went to peel it off. Like I said earlier, it was hard to get a grip on the mask itself because I didn’t apply a thick enough layer.
Despite that, it was still satisfying to remove it. I could see a difference instantly once it was off. I wasn’t expecting much after the last few masks, but with this one, my skin looked brighter right away. I was impressed.
I followed up with some moisturizer, as the package said. My skin did feel dry, so I would’ve used some even if it wasn’t recommended.
I used this mask in the afternoon and when I went to bed, my skin still looked bright. I used some more moisturizer though, because it still felt a little dry.
Overall, I loved this mask. I will definitely use it over and over again. Its suggested use is once or twice a week, so I will likely stick to that.
In terms of cost, this mask only comes in one size at Sephora, which retails for $45. I do believe they sometimes offer it as a reward, so that would be a great way to test it out. You can also ask an employee to give you a sample before you make a purchase. I do think it’s a worthwhile investment though.
There you have it — my thoughts on four different face masks. All in all, I think the Glamglow and Boscia ones were the best.
I hope this was somewhat useful for you and helps inform your next purchase. Happy shopping the next time you hit up your local Sephora!