Drugstore Skincare: Freeman Feeling Beautiful Facial Masks Review

Admittedly, beauty bloggers are a bit crazy about their facial masks; we love hoarding different ones in our 'mask wardrobes', and we love all the luxe offerings from high-end brands. But at the end of the day, some masks don't need to be expensive to be effective; for example, the main ingredient of a staple oil-absorbing clay mask is, after all, just pure clay - a very cheap ingredient. Which is why I was excited to try five different drugstore facial masks from Freeman Feeling Beautiful* ($1.37 each for a 15ml sachet at Walmart, $3.25 - $4.29 for a 6 fl. oz/ 150ml full size tube).

Let's start with the basic Avocado & Oatmeal Clay Mask*, which is aimed at normal and combination skin and claims to deep clean and purify the pores. I use a clay mask at least once a week to help with excessive sebum production and enlarged pores on my T-zone, and I haven't quite found my favorite yet, so I was excited to try the Freeman version.

This is a very smooth and creamy clay mask in a fun mint green color (perfect for scaring the husband) with a distinct clean scent, I can't quite put my finger on what it is exactly. It's incredibly easy to spread on the skin, and to my surprise, rinsed clean with no effort whatsoever - which is something I find to be a problem with most clay masks. It does tighten a little as it dries, but not nearly as bad as something like the Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay. As for the results, I did notice that my skin was mattified and the pores appeared slightly smaller after usage, but unfortunately I had a bit redness here and there; not bad, but maybe one of the ingredients doesn't quite agree with my sensitive skin.

Going with the purifying theme, let's talk about the Charcoal & Black Sugar Polishing Mask*. I was expecting this one to be similar to the Origins Clear Improvement Charcoal mask but with more exfoliating action, however I found the Freeman mask to be more of a sugar scrub with a bit of added charcoal. The sugar crystals are quite large, which makes getting the mask out of the sachet and spreading it on the face a bit difficult, but in the end, I was pleased with the results. As per instructions, I first let it sit for about 10 minutes, and then very gently massaged it on the skin in circular motions. After rinsing, my skin looked refreshed, smoother and a bit brighter, and actually felt nicely hydrated. In also really liked the scent of this mask; a fresh, sweet citrus.

I really enjoy observing how Korean beauty trends make their way to the Western markets, and this Facial Sleeping Mask with Honeydew and Chamomile* is a prime example of such process. The popular Korean 'sleeping packs' are basically overnight masks, and are most often meant to soothe and hydrate the skin while you're sleeping - like a supercharged night moisturizer. The Freeman Sleeping Mask did exactly that; I was skeptical to put it on as it contains some heavy/comedogenic ingredients like shea butter and coconut oil, but I woke up with a clear, even and hydrated complexion. I also really enjoyed the light texture; much thinner and more readily absorbed than most overnight masks I've tried so far. My only gripe was the strong melon scent - I quite dislike fruity scents and heavily fragranced skincare in general, and I felt like this one really lingered on my skin.

Another Korean-inspired find is this Coffee & Chai Energizing Paper Eye Mask*; soothing eye patches are very common among Korean skincare brands. This sheet mask looks more like Zorro's disguise when you put it on, which Tracy so keenly observed when I posted a photo of me wearing it on Instagram a couple days ago (here!). I was fighting a stubborn migraine that day (April showers are definitely not my friend), and this mask felt like heaven around my eyes: cooling, soothing and hydrating. It wasn't as satured in essence as the Asian sheet masks I've been using, which is something I also found with another paper mask from Freeman, the Hydrating Paper Mask with Blue Agave, reviewed here. The Energizing Eye Mask didn't give me any noticeable results after I removed it, but I really enjoyed the experience of wearing it on my achy face.

Last but not least, we have the Cucumber Peel-Off Mask*. I'm pretty sure any girl who grew up in the 90s and early 00s must have used a cucumber-scented peel-off mask at some point; I remember mine was from Avon and I used it to death, hoping it would help with my teen acne (it didn't really). However, I generally no longer like peel-off masks, and the Freeman Cucumber mask was unfortunately no exception. The main ingredients are Polyvinyl Alcohol and SD Alcohol - not exactly fantastic for your skin, and the fumes sting the eyes a bit. On the plus side, it didn't actually irritate my skin, and it was very easy to peel-off, unlike a Boscia mask I've tried recently. If you're a fan of peel-off masks, this definitely gives you the satisfaction similar to picking peeling, sunburnt skin *shudders*.

Let's recap: my favorites were the Facial Sleeping Mask and the Charcoal and Black Sugar Mask Scrub, with the Cucumber Peel-Off being my least favorite. Overall, I was impressed with the quality of these masks for the price; the ingredients lists on these are pretty clean, with lots of active compounds and soothing botanicals. For me, the amount in the one-use sachets is actually enough for 2-3 applications (I store mine in the fridge after opening, sealed with a clip).  I wish the Avocado & Oatmeal Clay mask worked a bit better on my skin, but the brand has more clay masks in the range, so I may try a different one to see if it's any better on me.

Have you tried any of these Freeman Feeling Beautiful masks? Or have you found any other masks at the drugstore that rock your socks off?

Disclaimer:  The items marked with an asterix (*) are press samples I received in an Influenster VoxBox. All links are non-affiliate. All opinions are 100% honest and unbiased, no matter if the products featured were purchased with my own monies or provided as free press samples. Thank you for reading!