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Thursday, April 24, 2014

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!

25 comments:

  1. I'm taking notes. I've only ever tried My Beauty Diary (hyuralonic acid and red wine ~flavours~) and a brightening one from My Scheming. Loved them all but the idea of a fancy sheet mask is very exciting.

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    1. I'm looking forward to trying the My Beauty Diary masks I have stashed away! I've read that the My Scheming ones are popular too. I think the TATCHA one is a bit different than most of them because it's gel, not paper.

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  2. I buy cotton sheet masks on eBay, they are dry, folded and look like a dime. Then you soak them with your favorite alcohol-free toner, and you put it on your face for 3 mins. Great int he morning to wake you up and plump the skin, or at night to relax :)

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    1. I've read about the dry paper masks on Amazon actually - I'd definitely like to try them at some point, so thanks for the reminder, dear! <3

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  3. Hahaha I love that photo of you!

    I don't use sheet masks much. I don't really use masks much (blasphemy, I know). The only mask I use more or less regularly is the Omorovicza Deep Cleansing Mask, because it's the best mud mask ever! I need to lay my hands on Tatcha at some point! Such a luxurious line!

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    1. Thank you m'dear! Well, maybe if I had your gorgeous skin, Sunny, I wouldn't feel the need to use face masks that much either :) Yes, everything I've tried from Tatcha so far has been amazing and the packaging is so, so beautiful and luxe!

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  4. Too bad about the Freeman not working out - such a great deal on it! I've tried a few...some I really liked and some I didn't notice much difference except for maybe a bit more moisture? Overall, I love the idea though and would really like to try more. Lipstick boulevards gets hers from sasa.com - she loves the silk whitia ones! Anyway they have a really big selection if you want to explore some more :-)

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    1. Oooh, thanks for the tip about Sasa, Gummy! Hahah, put the word 'silk' in skincare and I'm all about it :) I think most of these masks are mostly designed for intense moisture, but I also like how calming they are to my face.

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  5. Lovely reviews! I adore sheet masks and use them at least once a week -- daily if my skin needs the extra TLC. My favourites for my very dry, sensitive skin and the unscented, frag-free Mandom Beauty Barrier Repair EXTRA ones -- lots of essence, soft fabric, and because the mask tears down the middle, so I can get a reasonable fit (most Asian masks and cut way too wide in the face and low/short on the nose for me, so I end up with flaky dry nose and messed up hair, lol). It doesn't have the actives in the masks you've reviewed today, but minimal ingredients tend to be better for me :)

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    1. Aaah, the Mandom Barrier Repair sounds great right now - I've just sensitized the crap out of my face with too much of the Mario Badescu Glycolic Acid Toner. I think I do need the help of some active ingredients, but if the formulation isn't quite right, it doesn't end well for my skin either. Luckily, neither Sesha or Tatcha caused any reaction at all; in fact, they helped to calm my skin down!

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  6. I tried the Indeed Labs Hydraluron one. Quite like the product but the mask felt a bit cold on my face and uncomfortable - I think that's just me being a coldphobe though and not the mask!

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    1. I think I know what you mean - I may not be as much a coldphobe myself, but the feeling of a mask fitting tight across your face and limiting any movement is a bit challenging at times...

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  7. When we explore Flushing I can bring you to all the stores that sell sheet masks :) Sheet masks in Asia are much more inexpensive than Western ones and some are actually really good! Tatcha is so intriguing but the price is so high.... I can't justify it yet :/

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    1. Yes please, I can't wait to have a good look at the Asian beauty stores! Yes, TATCHA is more of a splurge - I too would probably reserve for big events. Not that I have very many to go to these days, ha!

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  8. Something tagged as a possible pre-weddingday mask? Must be superb!
    I'm starting to feel really enamorated with Tatcha's Indigo Renewal and that's the kind of blue that actually works! I can imagine the rest of the line being excellent too

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    1. I've heard lots of raves about the Indigo line but haven't tried it yet - and I have to say that the color itself is enough to get me interested :)

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  9. My, what a timely post! I just went to Uwajimaya today and bought 3 masks all from Hada Labo to try out -- I'll let you know how it goes/if I can recommend any to you. They are affordably priced, of course, compared to Tacha. Fantastic review, def. intrigued with the Tatcha (albeit the price).

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    1. I remember shopping at Uwajimaya in Bellevue, and how intriguing their beauty section looked to me! I haven't tried anything from Hada Labo yet, but the TATCHA mask is definitely amazing!

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  10. I rarely do masks but would love to try TATCHA but at that price might like it too much! Love the picture! :)

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  11. Ghah, love the full face shot at the end :-) I actually stopped using masks. I noticed that they seemed to have the opposite effect a lot of the time and made me break out and just seemed to 'confuse' my skin.

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    1. Hahah, thank you! I think maybe for some skin types, certain masks can be a bit too intense. The nice thing about these sheet ones is that they're mostly hydrating, and very few people these days can't benefit from some extra hydration!

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  12. Never tried a sheet mask before. Sesha and Tatcha sound very interesting! Where did you purchase the Sesha mask from? Based on one of your reviews, i treated myself to the Jurlique serum (the one with rose essence)-such a lovely serum! It calms my skin down.

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    1. I actually got it in a Glossybox, but I know you can also purchase directly from Sesha's website. Yes, the Jurlique serum is so lovely - I'm glad that you're enjoying it! And that rose scent!

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  13. Hmmmm...interesting. I have never tried a sheet mask but upon seeing this, it seems like a great one to try out. I am kinda impressed with the results. I will check on this...

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