Unboxing Beauty

This is my second initial impressions on Annie’s Way masks ~ this time for the Soothing/Anti-Allergy Collection.  Annie’s Way is from Taiwan and they not only make facial masks, but jelly (wash-off) masks, facial mists and other skincare products.  I am only familiar with the sheet and jelly masks line and have not tried other skincare products from them, due to availability.  I reviewed the Anti Acne collection first and then decided to go with the Soothing/Anti-Allergy collection next, as I will save the Moisturizing collection for when the snows begin.   Each collection contains 10 masks ~ 5 masks x 2.

In case you didn’t read my Anti Acne Collection review, I will repeat my information on Annie’s Way  ~ if you already are familiar with this info, you can skip over to the masks!

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I originally posted my photos and comments on IG and as you can see by my IG posts below, I don’t have a lot of viewer activity ~ I would love it if you followed me on Instagram and comment too.  I really want to engage and connect with my readers.   I am friendly, so don’t be afraid to comment or ask questions 🙂  I won’t ignore you!

Annie’s Way Masks Characteristics

All of the Annie’s Way masks I tried  in this review are ultra thin masks, soaked in essence.   They have a “pearl paper” (plastic sheet) to help place the mask on your face without ripping the thin mask, and then you remove the pearl paper.   These masks remind me of Lovemore masks, another brand I adore, but it so hard to find online ~ they are always sold out.  The fit is very good around my face, not a lot of open areas or bunching up and it does fit like a second skin.  In fact, once it is smoothed into place, you can barely see the mask.   When the sheet is removed, you can see the different open weaves in the mask sheet.

Established in 2009, Annie’s Way mask sheet material is imported from Japan and it is made from silk, based on the sticker on the front of the box.  

Their products go through intense quality control processes and are insured for NT$10,000,000 (about $308,689 USD) ~ that is how confident they are about their products and safety.

Annie’s Way logo is a butterfly and it symbolizes the “humble caterpillar” who after applying an Annie’s Way mask, their spirit is “transformed into a beautiful butterfly”, blooming into a” bright eternal radiance”  Or something like that.  Things are lost in translation!!  

Soothing/Anti-Allergy Mask Line

There was no description for this particular collection.  I was curious to see what an “anti-allergy” line was all about.  Does it mean that it will help you not sneeze?  Not break out in rashes?  Hives?  I understand what soothing is, so I have, in my clumsy way, picked out some ingredients and based on the description, marked the masks as either soothing, anti-allergy or both.

Lavender Sleeping

I am going to mark this as an anti-allergy mask, even though I know that some are allergic to lavender.  It is more of a relaxing mask and the scent of the Lavender Sleeping mask was amazing!  Very lavender and this mask was dripping in essence.  So much so, that it was dripping off my chin ~ quite annoying, but due to that, I was able to leave this mask on for 35 minutes instead of the recommended 10 to 20 minutes.  The shorter mask time is due to the thin silk sheet ~ it dries out quickly as the essence is absorbed faster into your skin.  With the exception of this mask, I have adhered to the 10 to 20 minute time frame on my face with Annie’s Way masks.

I was pleasantly surprised when I took this mask off and saw an immediate brightening of my skin ~ that is a rare thing with facial sheet masks.    I have one more of these masks, so if I have the same results, this might be the one that I repurchase on its own! 

The reason why this mask is called a Sleeping Mask, is because the scent is so relaxing, that it is a mask you can use right before going to sleep.  Don’t fall asleep with it on, however!  Facial Sheet masks should not be kept on your face until they are dry ~ similar to clay packs, what will happen is that your moisture will start getting pulled out of your face once the mask is dry.  It isn’t worth it and sheet masks are so inexpensive, just remove them while they are still slightly damp.  If you feel that is wasteful, drape your sheet masks on your legs and let them get the final bits of treatment. 

Description: Lavender extract relieves stress, relaxes and soothes your skin while repairing its damage. Suitable to use before bedtime.

Ingredients: water, carbomer, butylene glycol, sodium hyaluronate, panthenol-B5, fragrance, dipotassium glycyrrhizate, propylene glycol, lavandula angustifolia (lavender) extract, beta-glucanβ, sodium benzoate, methylparaben, sorbic acid, methylisothiazolinone, iodopropynyl butylcarbamate cosDNA.com analysis

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Oats Anti Allergy

I suppose the beta-glucan causes this to be an anti-allergy mask.   It has oats 🌾🌾🌾 from the beta-glucan and also Job’s Tears seed extract.   It is a very moisturizing mask and with this one, I had some issues with it.  After I removed it, my face was very hydrated and sticky.   Within a few hours, my lower half of my face started to get some raised white bumps and I took care of it by using my Amore Pacific Enzyme cleanser to exfoliate and then I put on my HA essence and Mizon All in One Repair Snail 🐌🐌 cream on my face.

I don’t know what caused this, as I looked over the ingredients list and there is nothing there I haven’t tried before. Since Annie’s Ways masks usually have the same core formula ingredients, perhaps it was the combination of all of them or it could have been my normal skin care products that I used afterwards.   I don’t think I will use the other Oats mask in this collection right now!! haha.  I did love the scent ~ like freshly baked yeasty bread 🍞🍞🍞    My first dud with Annie’s Way masks

Description: Oats has rich vitamin B, protein and mineral that nourishes, whitens and moisturizes dry skin. It minimizes skin peeling and sensitivity during autumn 🍁🍂🍁 and winter season ❄⛄ 

Ingredients: water, carbomer, butylene glycol, sodium hyaluronate, propylene glycol, panthenol-B5, fragrance, dipotassium glycyrrhizate, paeonia albiflora root extract, beta-glucanβ, cucumis sativus (cucumber) fruit extract, methylisothiazolinone, iodopropynyl butylcarbamate, coix lacryma-jobi (job’s tears) ma-yuen seed extract, methylparaben   cosDNA.com analysis

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Chamomile Tender

This mask, along with the lavender mask, are the best smelling of the bunch.  This is just like a lovely cup of chamomile tea ☕☕ and has a very soothing scent.  Allantoin is the anti-allergy ingredient in this mask and will help reduce inflammation.  This mask is soaked with essence and it is very hydrating.  Due to the scent, it was like experiencing an aromatherapy session with the chamomile scent🌻🌻🌻!

For me, Annie’s Way masks dry out faster on the forehead area so I just roll that down when it dries out so that the other areas can still get the benefits of the moist mask. This is a thin silk mask that comes with a protective pearl paper, which you should not remove until the mask is firmly positioned on your face.

What I do to get the best fit is to gently push a bit of the silk mask away from the pearl paper (at the top of the forehead area) and then I place the mask on my face (pearl paper facing outwards). Once I am happy with the position, I firmly press down on the mask and then with one hand, roll the pearl paper top down, starting at the forehead, where I already loosen the silk mask from the pearl paper. I use my other hand to hold the silk mask on my forehead. By the time I get past my eyes, the mask is adhering nicely to my skin and I can roll the rest of the pearl paper off my face. I then gently pat the silk mask into my face – do not smooth it in. You will stretch it out of shape. Just pat it in and that should remove any air bubbles or wrinkles. I leave mine on for about 10-20 minutes and I take the mask off when it is slightly damp, but not totally dry.

 

 

Description: Chamomile keeps skin supple and smooth. Infusing over sensitive and dry skin with moisture to regain your skin’s healthy glow.

Ingredients:  water, carbomer, butylene glycol, sodium hyaluronate, allantoin, panthenol-B5, fragrance, dipotassium glycyrrhizate, glycerin, hydrolyzed soy protein, chamomilla recutita (matricaria) flower extract, propylene glycol, potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate, methylisothiazolinone, methylparaben, phenoxyethanol, iodopropynyl butylcarbamate cosDNA.com analysis

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Mint Cooling

The Mint Cooling ❄❄❄ must be one of the soothing masks, as it is both refreshing due to the peppermint and soothing due to the cucumber ingredients.   I didn’t find this mask to be as “slap-in-yer-face” cold and refreshing as My Scheming Mint Collagen but it was refreshing enough and if you are hyper-sensitive to cooling products, this might be the mask for you.  It has a gentle cooling feeling, not icy which makes it a good mask for me in the cooler weather.    It did smell minty and again, soaked in essence 💧💧💧   This masks, because they are so drenched and wet with the product, do require you to take the time and care to properly apply it to your face ~ otherwise, you will have a hot mess on your hands!

 

 

Description: Mint extract revitalizes and refreshes your skin. It’s gentle enough even for the most sensitive skin. Regular use leaves your skin feeling smooth, refreshed and radiant

Ingredients: water, carbomer, butylene glycol, sodium hyaluronate, propylene glycol, panthenol-B5, fragrance, dipotassium glycyrrhizate, glycerin, chamomilla recutita (matricaria) flower extract, mentha piperita (peppermint) extract, cucumis sativus (cucumber) fruit extract, potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate, methylisothiazolinone, iodopropynyl butylcarbamate  cosDNA.com analysis

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Aloe Moisturizing

Aloe is soothing ~ duh, no flies on me!    This one smelled weird to me as I am used to Aloe Vera mask smelling like a combination of Aloe and Cucumbers, as they usually include cucs in aloe products.  They do have cucumbers in here, but it smells like a strange floral-y scent, which was the chamomile.  It wasn’t bad, but it was unexpected.  This was a very moisturizing mask with a cooling effect on my face.  My skin was moist but not sticky, and initially I didn’t think it was that moisturizing ~ so I brought out my handy-dandy digital skin analyzer (review here) and did a test ~ 20.8% oil/46.4% water ~ so it actually was hydrating!  I am glad I have this analyzer as it proves, or disproves, in this case, what my initial reaction was.

 

Description: Aloe is a recognized beauty skin enhancing ingredient. It revitalizes overdry skin, leaving your skin with a visibly healthy, youthful glow

Ingredients: water, carbomer, butylene glycol, sodium hyaluronate, propylene glycol, panthenol-B5, fragrance, dipotassium glycyrrhizate, glycerin, aloe barbadensis leaf extract, chamomilla recutita (matricaria) flower extract, phenoxyethanol, cucumis sativus (cucumber) fruit extract, potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate, methylisothiazolinone, iodopropynyl butylcarbamate cosDNA.com analysis

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I felt that this collection was good ~ It wasn’t a slam dunk like the Anti-Acne Collection.  I only really was impressed by 2 masks ~ lavender for scent and whitening properties and chamomile for the scent and relaxation.   The other masks were quite good, except for the oats, as my skin reacted badly to it, but not enough that I would repurchase them individually.  The lavender and chamomile masks I would repurchase on an individual basis.   All of these masks left my skin hydrated and only one, oats, caused issues with my skin. These masks do not dry out your skin at all but they don’t leave your skin greasy either ~ some of them might need a bit more time to absorb the essence completely into your skin after you remove the mask.   As with any product, please check the ingredient list to see if you have any sensitivity or allergies to the ingredients.   I do appreciate a variety pack as I can try out the different “flavors” in a smaller number, instead of having to purchase 5 or 10 of the same type at once.

Annie’s Way Collection Packs are sold at beauteque.com for $14.00 for a set of 10 masks, 2 of each type, so they are a relatively inexpensive mask at $1.40 a piece.   I purchased mine at beauteque.com, which does ship internationally to certain countries.    

 

[ description in italics from product package.  All products purchased by me ]