Three Sheet Masks, Three Price Points

Until very recently, I'd never tried a facial sheet mask - I know, I'm pretty late to that particular skincare party. But, since they've been steadily trickling into the mainstream US beauty market, it was much easier to get my hands on a couple to try out, and today I have three different ones to show you, with the prices ranging from dirt cheap to luxuriously spendy.

1. Sesha Skin Therapy Rejuvenating Anti-Wrinkle Mask for Mature Skin* ($9 for a single use packet). 'Packed with nutrients and peptides such as Argireline™, Vitamins B, C, and E, and botanical extracts, this anti-wrinkle mask not only smoothes fine lines and wrinkles, but also calms the skin from environmental stresses to rejuvenate it back to a youthful glow'. I definitely do not have a mature/dry skin type, but I was still curious to see how the mask would perform on my skin. It's a thicker paper sheet mask that turned out a bit large for my small face, but I have no complaints about that. It's nicely satured with the liquid serum/ essence, sticks well to the face and has a faint scent to it that I can't quite put my finger on. I've kept it on for about 20 minutes while in the bathtub, and it still did not dry out on my skin, and peeled off easily. I then patted in the remaining essence, which felt rather sticky for about five minutes, but ultimately absorbed well into the skin, and went to sleep without layering any other skincare products over the top.

I woke up the next morning with a refreshed, even-toned, plump, hydrated face. Sesha's Rejuvenating Mask calmed most of inflammation and redness I had in my skin, and smoothed out fine dehydration lines. My skin felt so, so soft and very bouncy, so I do think it would work exceptionally well for more mature skin types. Definitely recommend.

2. Freeman Blue Agave Facial Hydrating Paper Mask ($1.99 for 15ml/ 0.5 oz). 'Transform skin from dry to dewy! Serum-enriched paper facial mask contains soothing Blue Agave to soften and rehydrate. Ultra-hydrating Hyaluronic Acid and Allantoin help give skin a refreshed look and feel for a smoother finish'. The paper on this sheet mask was definitely thinner than Sesha's, but it was still nicely satured with the essence. Unfortunately, that's where my praise of this mask has to end. I found the shape of the mask did not fit my face very well, and while the sheet didn't dry out on my face, as soon as I removed it, the super thin liquid immediately sunk into my skin, leaving it a bit tight actually! So much so that I had to top it with an overnight oil, and in the morning, didn't see any extra benefits from the mask. One more thing to point out is that this contains artificial fragrance and coloring - the liquid is actually tinted blue (so you can SEE it contains blue agave...?), which I think is absolutely pointless.

3. TATCHA Luminous Deep Hydration Lifting Mask* ($28 for one mask with 20ml of serum or $95 for a set of four). 'This mask combines a proprietary red algae blend with our HADASEI-3™ Bioactive Complex. The silken serum infuses skin with powerful moisture-enriching actives resulting in smoother, more luminous skin in minutes. The unique coconut-derived biocellulose mask, developed originally to speed healing for burn victims, forms an occlusive layer on the skin that enables 53% deeper penetration vs. paper masks'.

You guys, I wish I wasn't married already so I could use this mask before my wedding day - as it is, I used it before a week-long visit from the in-laws. This gel mask was the easiest of the three to use, and fit the most comfortably on my face. Because the mask itself is a gel type, it doesn't exactly seem like it's saturated with serum - maybe more like it's coated, and then the gel mask acts as a sealant to help absorption (I may be totally wrong here but that's how it felt to me).

The TATCHA masks offers the most bizarre sensory experience while it's on your face: the tingling sensation mentioned in the instructions felt like my face was getting warmer, but when I removed the mask, the skin was calm and cool to the touch. And yes, the contours of my face did look a bit tightened, while my skin felt smooth, plump and hydrated. The remnants of the serum absorbed easily in a minute and two, and because I don't have TATCHA's Moisture Rich Silk Cream to layer over the top, I used my usual facial oil. In the morning, my skin was still beautifully hydrated, even and soft. While the TATCHA Deep Hydration Mask is definitely pricey, I would without a doubt recommend it before a big event (or you know, every week if you have the budget for it); I think it's worth the money.

Just 'cause I really, really like you guys. Wearing the Freeman Blue Agave mask.

I really enjoyed dipping my toes into the world of sheet masks, and thanks to my awesome friend Xiao, I have some more paper masks from My Beauty Diary to experiment with in the next couple of weeks (you can expect a review too!). I also got an immense kick out of scaring the crap out my husband by creeping in on him while wearing the mask, ha! Do you like using sheet masks? Which ones are your favorite?

Disclaimer: The products marked with an asterix (*) were press samples I received directly from TATCHA and as a part of a complimentary Glossy Box (SESHA Skin Therapy) for review consideration. All opinions are 100% honest and unbiased, no matter if the products featured were purchased with my own monies or provided as a free press sample. Thank you for reading!