Unboxing Beauty

Disclaimer: Products were sent to me for review purposes. All opinions are my own and unbiased. Contains referral links

Another great resource for beauty bloggers is Brandbacker ~ they offer opportunities for companies and bloggers to collaborate together and produce reviews, based on exchange of products.  When I saw the When campaign on my Brandbacker dashboard, I knew I would love to try more of these masks ~ I had tried one a long time ago and had really liked it.  I was able to request which two masks that I would like to try from their series

• Travelmate Refresh Your Skin
  
• 10PM Replenish Your Skin
  
• Snow Magic Brighten Your Skin
  
• Glamour Base Prepare Your Skin
  
• The Last Choice Hydrate Your Skin
  

I picked Snow Mage and The Last Choice

About When

Masks

All When masks are bio-cellulose sheet masks and are made from fermented coconut juice ~ which is produced by Acetobacter xylinum bacteria (bacterial cellulose) and are more effective and eco-friendly compared to fabric or hydrogel masks.   When masks are proven to hold significant amounts of essence, hug close to your skin and are gentle.   All of their masks are individually packaged, vegan, gluten free and they do not contain parabens, sulfates or triclosan.  All When masks contain hyaluronic acid and ginseng extracts to help keep skin healthy.   The total content of phenoxyethanol  is less than 0.05%.   All masks are “made in full  compliance with Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council, and are committed to safety and quality.”

When Snow Magic

I was introduced to When a couple of years back with Memebox and I really didn’t hear a lot about this brand again, until places like Sephora started to sell them.  This is a coconut jelly mask, similar to Leaders, but unlike Leaders, this mask doesn’t have that funky scent that I associate with coconut hydrogels. It is a one piece mask and it fits really well ~ and it hugs the contours of my face as well ~ it comes sandwiched between two pieces of paper, to help preserve the shape and also aid in applying the mask to your face. There is some leftover essence in the bag, so I just pat this over the mask and on my neck. You can see in the photo below how closely this conforms to my face.  This does have niacinamide which helps reduce hyper-pigmentation and is an antioxidant, but what is interesting to me is that this has platinum in it ~ I have found that masks with platinum seem to brighten my face more often than not. I left this mask on for 25 minutes and I was pretty pleased with the results.  My skin was soft and more brighter in skin tone. I also felt that this mask help hydrate my skin and my pores looked more tight ~ there was not any excess serum & there was a bit of tacky residue that absorbed quickly after a few minutes. I think that platinum is the key here for me and brighter skin and I am now going to look thru my stash for other platinum masks!!

• Hyaluronic Acid is an intensive moisturizing ingredient which bonds water to keep skin hydrated. It is a natural substance found in the human body and it made up of amino and uronic acids, and helps retain 100 to 1,000 times its own water weight in our skin cells.
• Panax Ginseng is used in anti-aging skin care products, as it is can stimulate the skin and activate the blood flow, which will increase toning and production of new skin cells. It also has anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, due to natural carbohydrate called saponin, and will help reverse damage caused by free radicals, such as hyper-pigmentation and also combat free radicals to prevent new skin damage of fine lines and wrinkles. Ginseng detoxes your skin and leaves it radiant and glowing. Applied topically, it helps stimulate collagen production to promote cellular renewal. Its herbal properties and usage dates back over 5,000 years.
• Niacinamide (Vitamin B3) ~ This is a powerful antioxidant that acts as an anti-inflammatory, improves your skin elasticity, enhance the skin barrier function and also it helps to even out skin tone and reduce post-inflammatory hyper-pigmentation.
• Aloe Vera is a powerful moisturizer that doesn’t leave your skin feeling oily or greasy. It soothes, treats inflammation, helps speed up skin healing and also has a plethora of antioxidants ~ beta-carotene, Vitamin C and Vitamin E, which help improve your skin’s firmness and keeps your skin moist and hydrated. It also contains over 75 different nutritious ingredients, including minerals, enzymes, amino acids, salicylic acid and much more.

Description: When you want clear and brighter looking skin, put on When Snow Magic to help your skin find its radiance and charm. UV rays, heat and stress can cause downcast on your skin. Give a ray of sunshine with When Snow Magic! The soft, jelly like mask sheet is made from coconut juice and is infused with light, comforting serum. When Snow Magic contains niacinamide and aloe vera leaf extract for brighter, glowing skin. All When masks contain hyaluronic acid and ginseng extracts to help keep skin healthy.

Ingredients: Aqua (Water), Butylene glycol, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Chamomilla recutita flower water, Polyacrylate 13, Aloe barbadensis leaf extract, Citrus grandis seed extract, Bambusa textilis stem extract, Pinus palustris leaf extract, Caprylyl glycol, Polyisobutene, Ethylhexylglycerin, Alcohol, 1,2 Hexanediol, Polysorbate 20, Sorbitan isostearate, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium hyaluronate, Arnica montana flower extract, Artemisia absinthium extract, Achillea millefolium extract, Gentiana lutea root extract, Disodium EDTA, Colloidal platinum, Panax ginseng extract, Parfum (Fragrance), Limonene, Linalool  cosDNA.com analysis

When The Last Choice

This a hydrating mask from When.  It has the same fit as Snow Magic, so I decided to show a close up of the mask right out of the package instead.  You can see how soaked this mask is with essence and this does have a mesh backing and pearl paper (plastic) backing to ensure that the mask is stable inside the package and to also help apply the mask to your face.

This mask has a cooling effect which I assume that is due to the coconut mask sheet ~ which I am so thankful it does not smell like a Leaders mask!   Some ingredients of note

• Dicaprylyl Carbonate is a plant derived fat and is a skin conditioner and emollient.  It helps the skin’s own lipid (oil) layer and creates a protective film on your skin ~ don’t worry, you won’t feel it!  It is considered a dry emollient as it moisturizes the skin without leaving your skin greasy.  
• Saccharide Isomerate  helps moisturize your skin, as it is an emollient.  It binds your skin and cannot be washed away easily, locking in moisture and hydration in your skin. 
• Bambusa Textilis Stem Extract ~ Bamboo contains 70% of silica, which is a crucial item when it comes to your skin’s connective tissue, collagen. By stimulating certain cells, silica helps strengthen your collagen and elastin, which in turn will help firm and tone your skin and plump up your skin, so fine lines and wrinkles are not as noticeable. Bamboo also is a very soothing ingredient that is good for sensitive skin, as it is an anti-irritant, retains moisture and helps combat free radicals as it does contain anti-oxidant proprieties as well.

I did take a moisture/oil reading with my skin digital analyzer and before I used this mask, my face was pretty dry ~ 14.9% oil/33.3% water.  After I removed the mask, my face felt hydrated, soft and smooth.  I did another reading to see if this mask added moisture to my skin  ~ 22.0% oil/49.1% water!  So an increase of  about 48% in lipids and 47%  in moisture.   That is good news!

Description: When your skin needs that extra glass of water, quench the thirst with When The Last Choice. Flakes and patches have no chance with When The Last Choice. Drink it up!  The soft, jelly like mask sheet is made from coconut juice and is infused with light, comforting serum. When The Last Choice contains sodium hyaluronate and saccharide isomerate to help keep skin moisturized.

Ingredients: Aqua (Water), Butylene glycol, Glycerin, Dicaprylyl carbonate, Chamomilla recutita flower water, Polyacrylate 13, Saccharide isomerate, Citrus grandis seed extract, Bambusa textilis stem extract, Pinus palustris leaf extract, Caprylyl glycol, Polyisobutene, Ethylhexylglycerin, Alcohol, 1,2 Hexanediol, Polysorbate 20, Sorbitan isostearate, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium hyaluronate, Arnica montana flower extract, Artemisia absinthium extract, Achillea millefolium extract, Gentiana lutea root extract, Citric acid, Sodium citrate, Disodium EDTA, Colloidal platinum, Panax ginseng extract, Parfum (Fragrance), Limonene, Linalool  cosDNA.com analysis

Final Thoughts

I am really pleased at the performance of these masks ~ Snow Magic did brighten my face and The Last Choice did increase the moisture level in my skin, while both masks left my face feeling soft and smooth.    I also love the fact that these coconut gels do not stink!!  I want to love coconut gels, but they always have a funky smell to them and these When masks do not ~ in fact, any scent they might have is very faint and disappears quickly. I knew I was going to like these masks since I had tried Travel Mate a long time ago and was very happy with that one, so I am really happy to have had the chance to try more from this brand.   Have you tried When masks?  Which “flavor” did you try and what did you think of it ~ please let me know in the comments!

Where To Purchase

When masks retail for $7.00 each, which is fairly normal for coconut gel masks ~ I have tried a few other coconut gel mask brands and this price is comparable.   Stores and online sites that carry When Masks

• Sephora
• Ulta Beauty
• Anthropologie (online only)
• Bartell Drugs
• Beautychoice.com (online only)
• Birchbox (online only ~ they have a variety pack!)
• Rickys NYC
• Starboard Cruise Services

[ Products were sent to me for review purposes. All opinions are my own and unbiased. ]

[ Contains referral links. Description in italics from whenmask.com ]

[ Powered by BrandBacker ]