Unboxing Beauty

Due to unforeseen circumstances, the Asian Beauty Blog Partiers  are taking a break for a while, due to busy schedules and summertime!  However, we have one last blog post and this one is about masks ~ the theme is to post our favorite mask and then take it from there.    Read what my other fellow partiers are writing up on their blog post by clicking on their linked blog name.

Sophie at Maple Tree Blog

 My Scheming brand! This brand was a new discover for me this year and I’m loving what I’ve learnt so far. They’re not overly expensive and can be bought in boxes which makes daily masking less guilt inducing. I also love the packaging. In the herbal anti acne mask which I’m wearing the girl is hitting the acne with a mallet. Which is something I wish I could do! They come with a plastic backing which makes using them easier and are absolutely dripping in essence. There’s enough for me to slather my face, neck and décolletage in it. This particular type is moisturising and does help with my redness. It contains green tea, witch hazel, chamomile, aloe and Orris among other ingredients. Definitely a repurchase for me.

Amy at Peeping Pomeranian

As a person who hates spending more an a dollar on a sheetmask, I found it funny that I prefer hydrogels #expensivetastes. For myself, its mostly a time and texture issue. I don’t like spending more than 30mins masking. I always have stuff to do and having to lay down with a mask is almost never something I do. Which means I need a mask that will stick to my face well. I find more often than not hydrogels, due to the way they conform to the face, will stay put allowing me to continue on with my business. I suspect that my dry skin is probably better suited to sticking to the gels as well.
Additionally, I also don’t really like sheetmasks that are sopping wet with essence. These are usually fiber masks, cotton, silk etc. Some do conform better than others, but I don’t like spending so much down time and I find that my skin doesn’t absorb all the extra essence. This leaves my skin tacky, even when I apply the essence elsewhere. This is probably why I tend to be quite picky about which non-gel masks I use since I like a thinner less gel like essence.

Laven at Berries in the Snow

I chose a Missha Pure Source cell sheet mask with Aloe mainly because of the key ingredient Aloe Vera. Aloe Vera is one of my favourite ingredients for not only moisturizing but also calming and soothing the skin. In summer my favorite is a cooled aloe sheet mask which I placed in the fridge before using it.

Julie at PDXBeautiful

The Innisfree It’s Real Squeeze Mask in Shea Butter. This mask hydrates my skin like nobody’s business. The thick, milky essence not only hydrates but plumps and soothes. This does leave a slightly oily finish behind but that is one thing I love about this mask because it helps eliminate dehydration. I find I don’t need to apply a ton of moisturizer after using this mask. No matter what stress I put my skin through (yes, actives I’m looking at you) this always puts my skin back into proper balance. It also has a light but yummy creamy, nutty and buttery scent that I just adore. This mask is inexpensive and widely available as Innisfree is a very popular Korean cosmetic brand. The fit is great, lasts for about 30 minutes and as a bit of left over essence for extra hydration. I have not had any reaction, no sensitivity or irritation and no breakouts from this mask. Main ingredients include shea butter, hyaluronate and green tea.

Yours Truly (I really hate taking selfies ~ this has to be an allergy day as my eyes are so puffy!)

Benton Snail 🐌 Bee 🐝 High Content Mask Pack (Korea) This is one of my favorite masks for when my face feels really oily or has blemishes. I find it to be very soothing and helps reduce redness, while controlling oil and hydrating my skin. This mask is on the drier side as far as essence goes, but I find that the mask benefits outweigh that this is a bit drier. My face feels refreshed and if I have blemishes, they are less red and sore after I use this. Snail mucin will help moisturize and heal your skin and bee venom helps prevent blemishes. This mask is also good for sensitive skin as well. I really love this mask and I try to keep 5 to 10 on hand, as I am known just to slap this on in the morning as a quick pick-my-skin-up! 

I am going to pass on a tip that is quite popular ~ ever wonder what to do with those serums, oils and ampoules that are collecting dust?  Before you toss them out, make sure that they are still good and if they are, try using them to boost your mask’s performance.  I do this quite a bit with masks, except when I am planning on reviewing one, of course.    These items aren’t necessarily bad and they didn’t cause any issues with my skin ~ I just have “moved” on to another lover.   You may also have a lackluster sheet mask too, and this will help enhance it as well.   For moisturizing, I like to use oils, propolis and honey products.  If you use eye masks, use oils first around your eye area and then apply your eye mask ~ any fine lines or wrinkles will be softened!  For blemish or redness, I drag out all of my ampoules and serums that are AC control type products and for brightening, I look for ampoules that are designed to brighten.  I put these products on my face first and then the facial sheet mask over it.  The mask just locks in those other ingredients and it pushes it into your skin.   This technique also allows you to keep your mask on longer, as the additional products will keep the mask moist longer. 

I have a small box with these “leftover” bottles of potions and use them freely when I want to boost up the performance of my masking experience!   Do you have any fun skincare tips while masking?  Let me know in the comments below!