Asian Skincare Reviews: 5 My Beauty Diary Sheet Masks

I think of My Beauty Diary masks as the grand daddy of the sheet mask trend, especially for us in the Western hemisphere. Sure, there may be newer and better things out on the market these days, but it's still fun to try some of the classics. I have a selection of five different masks to review for you today: Apple Polyphenol, Bird's Nest, Mixed Berry, Bulgarian White Rose and Earl Grey Tea & Macaron.

Obviously, My Beauty Diary makes more varieties than just these 5, and you can either buy them individually or in a pack of 10, which is the more cost-effective option. The prices differ depending on where you purchase and range from just over $1 to $3 per mask. I find that eBay offers the best deals on these Taiwanese masks, but they're also available on Amazon, Sasa.com and I've even found them at Walmart online.

The Apple Polyphenol Mask claims to be brightening, clarifying as well as pore-tightening, and contains aloe vera and lemon, apple & sugar cane extracts. This one came with enough essence for two uses for me personally, so that's always a plus; what I do if I have enough essence left over for second use is I just fold the mask and put it back in the packet, secure the open top with a clip and pop it in the fridge between uses so that it doesn't dry out.

I don't have much to report about this particular variety: it moisturized a little, it brightened a little, it wasn't particularly soothing, which is possibly my favorite result I usually get from these sheet masks. The mask had a pleasant green apple scent, so if you like that, it feels quite refreshing. It was alright, but I wouldn't go out of my way for this variety.

Here's a little trivia for you, if you're quite confused about why you would want some bird's nest on your face. I assume that 'the bird's nest complex' that's supposed to be in this Bird's Nest Sheet Mask is in fact the key ingredient in a popular Chinese delicacy, bird's nest soup. The edible nests used to make the soup are built by little birds called swiftlets, which weave strands of their own saliva to form the nest. I know, you're welcome.

Apart from bird spit, the mask also contains glycerin, a hefty dose of hyaluronic acid, red and brown algae, gotu kola extract, rice and soy protein as well as aloe vera juice. The mask is completely saturated in a runny essence, so much so that I found some of the liquid dripping of my face while the mask is on; there's definitely enough product to be able to use this mask twice. I loved the effect of this one: my skin was noticeably plumper, brighter and more hydrated, and the scent was faintly soapy and pleasant. Big thumbs up!

The Mixed Berry Mask contains extracts of blueberries, raspberries, strawberries and other fruit, as well as brightening arbutin, hyaluronic acid, green tea and squalane. It's aimed at all skintypes but particularly dry. I don't have much to say about this mask - it was just okay. It had that artifical fruity candy scent to it, which I didn't enjoy, and I found that it didn't soothe or moisturize as well as some other varieties. I'd skip this one in the future.

The Bulgarian White Rose Mask claims to be whitening/ brightening as well as soothing and contains Bulgarian rose hydrosol (flower water), licorice and kiwi to help diminish hyperpigmentation, and cucumber and aloe to hydrate the skin. In theory, it sounds ideal for my dehydrated skin with post-inflammatory marks and scars, but in reality, I thought it was just okay. It had a subtle floral scent and less essence than the Bird's Nest variety. It did make my skin feel more hydrated and look more even, but I saw more noticeable results after using the Bird's Nest Mask.

The Earl Grey Tea and Macaron Sheet Mask does not, in fact, smell of macarons, which was somewhat disappointing - but it does have a subtle Earl Grey Tea scent with its refreshing bergamot note; as an avid black tea drinker, this scent was my absolute favorite. This mask is supposed to have an illuminating and clarifying effect, and contains black tea ferment, bergamot essential oil, sugar cane and fruit extracts, and sweet almond protein. The fiber mask is nicely soaked in essence (but drips a bit from the chin) and feels very cooling on the skin.

I left this one on for a bit longer (30 minutes versus 20) and used my fingertips to lightly tap the surface of the mask while it sat on my skin, and I have to say nearly all of the essence absorbed into my skin. When I removed the mask, my face was so much more even in tone that I thought it looked whiter, as weird as this sounds. My pores also seemed a bit tighter. At first, the remaining layer of the essence felt a bit tacky, but it absorbed into a velvety smooth finish in a couple minutes. I really really liked this one! Maybe it wasn't as hydrating as the Bird's Nest, but the brightening effect was amazing.

I hope this review was even remotely helpful for you; My Beauty Diary sheet masks are definitely a good place to start if you're new to Asian masks, and choosing from all the different varieties (Black Pearl! Broccoli! Luffa! Sake Yeast!) is at least half the fun. Have you tried any masks from My Beauty Diary? Which ones are your favorite?