Lovemore - Loofah & Aloe Vera Hydrating Mask Sheet

I been a bit hesitant to use my Lovemore masks since I found out there's a bunch with parabens in it. But I read a post on Instagram where it is pointed out that parabens are in a lot of products we use every day and that it is just mostly a preservative. Like most things in life, use in moderation and you should be fine. So. I decided to give my stash of Lovemore masks another try. The one to try today is the Loofah & Aloe Vera Hydrating Mask Sheet.

I picked this mask primarily because I love eating loofah/sigua 😅. I know, there I go again. Picking a mask based on the "flavour" instead of its purpose... But I mean, it's supposed to be hydrating, which is great for my dehydrated skin. So it's a win win right?

My Scheming - Rose Dew Moisturizing Mask

If you read this blog or my IG regularly, first of all, thank you! 😍💓Second of all, you probably noticed I love flowers. My favourite is roses and basically anything roses gets my attention. 😊 It should comes to no one's surprise that I hoard rose products. I have been hoarding the My Scheming Rose Dew Moisturizing Mask as a result of it. But it is expiring in 2018 and I think I heard they either discontinued this mask or it have been repackaged. So I thought.. Might as well use this up and match my rose themed skincare routine!

[JOLSE] TIAM Aura Milk Face Peeling Toner

Hey peeps~ I am back with another Jolse sponsored review. By sponsored, I mean I got selected for reviewing the TIAM Aura Milk Face Peeling Toner. 😆If you have a blog or a public social media account, watch out for Jolse's product event events! They tend to have one every couple of weeks and it is a great opportunity to try out new products and connect with everyone!

Now, I was quite interested in the toner as I have never used a chemical exfoliant on a regular basis. I have tried COSRX BHA liquid before but it was very on and off. (I believe the two brands are sister brands😄) Since it is winter time, and past experience tells me I will have a lot of flaky skin. This is the perfect product to try out and I am so glad I got picked for it.

Annie's Way - Bubble Tea Mask in Strawberry

Skinvestment held event in November called Beauty Date MTL. I was lucky enough to receive a few of the products to try at home and the Annie's Way Bubble Tea Mask in Strawberry was one of them. Don't worry, even though I received this for free, I'll always post my honest opinion about the product. Let's begin shall we?

Illi - Camellia Intensive Moisture Mask

Funny story time. I got the Illi Camellia Intensive Moisture Mask from TesterKorea as I seen some good reviews on the brand. Flash forward to a few months ago, I was getting the 23 Years Old modelling mask and TK said it's out of stock. I was given the choice of finding something to replace it or to have the funds refunded to me. Given how that mask took a large chunk of the shipping fee, and I wouldn't receive that shipping cost back. I decided to look for something to replace it. And guess what I picked?! 😂 I picked a 10 pack of the Illi Camellia Intensive Moisture Mask! Let's hope I like this mask for the sake of my stash. 😆

Illi - Lotus Moisture Mask

I purchased the Illi Lotus Moisture Mask from TesterKorea a while back as it was around $1 each and I heard some good reviews on it. But I shoved it somewhere in my stash and forgotten about it. I finally decided to give it a try as I am no longer chasing expiration dates! (YAY!)

Etude House - I Need You, Korean Strawberry Mask Sheet

This is one of the new "flavours" that Etude House released in their I Need You mask line just prior to discontinuing the whole line. They have since replaced the line with the 0.2 Therapy Air Mask line. Which I have but need to try. 😅 Anyways, this was definitely purchased for the "flavour" instead of its function. As I don't purposely purchase anything that is targeted for brightening unless the "flavour" intrigues me.

Etude House - I Need You, Damask Rose! Mask Sheet

Etude came out with some new flavours for their I Need You mask line prior to discontinuing it. I decided to grab it as I love roses! I held it until the last moment as I just don't want to be disappointed if I end up loving it and cannot find any more of it.

Holika Holika Real Rose Hydrogel Mask

I have been hoarding this mask for a while now. I think if you read my blog or Instagram for a while, you would know why. 😂 In case if you don't, it is because I love rose skincare items. ESPECIALLY if there are real flowers in the mix. This Holika Holika Real Rose Hydrogel mask advertises that it has rose extracts as well as rose petals in the mask. How could I resist?!

Sexylook - Pure White Radiance Duo Lifting Mask

I got this Sexylook mask from MaskGenie (now defunct) as part of a mystery mask bag I purchased. I been holding off from using it for a while now. It's close to expiration and I thought hey, why not give it a try.

Foodaholic 4D Skinny Fit Cactus Essence Mask

I have a love and hate relationship with the Foodaholic masks I tried. Actually, it's more of a hate relationship. =__= I have an issue with how strongly scented they are and was hesitant to try this mask. However, I still had the 4D Skinny Fit Cactus Essence mask in my stash. So I decided to give it a try and see if it can change my mind on the brand.

A'Pieu Sweet Melon Sheet Mask

I have been feeling meh about reviewing masks lately so I have been grabbing ones that I have reviewed before. However, last night, I decided I wanted to try something different instead of the same old mask. I decided to grab the A'pieu Sweet Melon Sheet Mask. I have tried this mask before and I remember liking it. But I figure, it's been a while, it is technically a new mask right?

Cosmetea Black Tea Nourishing Moisture Mask

I walked in to Winners the other day and found it is STOCKED with lots of masks from Leaders and other Asian brands. Unfortunately the Leaders masks were expiring either by the end of 2017 or January 2018 so I had to look for other options. There was a shelf full of Cosmetea masks and cleansers and my lack of success with the other masks got me to take a look at this brand and I am happy I did!

Leaders Insolution - Carribbean Coconut Calming Mask

I love Leaders masks and I was really sad when i never picked up steam and closed up. BUT when I saw boxes of Leaders masks in Winners, you bet I picked up all that I can! The one I am reviewing today is the Caribbean Coconut Calming Mask, which is a part of their 7 Wonders series that I haven't tried before. 

As you can tell from the name of the mask, it is a calming mask. So it is to calm red and irritated skin and leaves the skin soothed and refreshed. And it is advertised to be suitable for most skin types, including sensitive skin.

L'Herboflore - Lychee Translucent Hydromask

I am back with a review on another Taiwanese mask~~ It's not Lovemore this time! It's L'Herboflore and the Lychee Translucent Hydromask. Which is also a mask I picked up from my BGO haul from a few years ago along with the Lovemore masks. I tried it before but was meh about it so I thought I give a few shots before I completely write it off.

Lovemore - Wine Yeast Whitening Mask Sheet

It's another installment of the Lovemore masks. This time it's the Wine Yeast Whitening Mask Sheet.. This is the From Taiwan series. Geez, for someone who's not into brightening, I sure have A LOT of whitening masks from Lovemore. Thankfully, this one doesn't have methylparaben in the ingredients list. *phew*

The mask has deep ocean water, which is what I smelt when I opened the mask, along with other plant extracts to deliver nutrition to the skin. It is supposed to brighten your skin and leave it feeling finer.

Lovemore - Yurong Scattered Amazing White Mask Sheet

Continuing on with my Oriental series from Lovemore, it is the Yurong Scattered Amazing White Mask Sheet. Don't ask me why they named it this way. XD I think it's a literal translation. This is supposed to revitalize the skin and obviously brighten it. This will be a short review as there is not much new to report.

The mask is similar to the two other Lovemore masks I reviewed from the Oriental series. It comes between a white stiff backing and a softer blue backing. It is a very thin silk sheet mask that is drenched in essence. The essence has a very faint smell that reminds me of the shampoo and conditioner that I used when growing up. It was just these cheap ones where the conditioner is just a thick yellow cream that reminds me of pudding. The fit is good as the others, with just a little bit too much on the forehead.

Lovemore - Rhodiola Antioxidant & Brightening Mask Sheet

Following my previous post, the mask today is also from Lovemore's Oriental series. It's the Rhodiola Antioxidant & Brightening Mask Sheet. It's supposed to revitalize the skin with Cubilose and Kampo ingredients. 

Lovemore - Black Pearl True White Mask Sheet

I have a whole bunch of Lovemore masks that are set to expire at the end of the year so I am trying to finish using them up before it is too late. I bought every flavour that BGO had available on their site a few years ago when Lovemore was all the hype and haven't used most of them. This is what I get for hoarding. 😅😅

The first one I tried is the Lovemore Black Pearls True White Mask Sheet. This is advertised to revitalize, as well as moisturize and brighten your skin. 

The mask was soaked in a clear serum like essence, and dripped a little bit. Thankfully, it wasn't letting out a stream of essence like the My Scheming masks. The essence has a light artificially sweet scent to it. I am not a big fan of it and I am thankful that it is not overpowering and only occasionally waft into my nose.

**Edit** This mask has methylparaben, which could react with UVB and enhance the aging process. So I wouldn't recommend the usage of the mask. However, I should disclose that I have purchased this a while back, so they may have changed the ingredients list. So you have been warned if you are going to give this mask a try

The mask is wedged between a stiff white backing and a thin blue backing. The idea is to remove the white backing and use the blue backing as a guide to put the thin mask on your face. That haven't really worked well for me, so I just take off both and put them on my face while looking in the mirror.

The silk mask is very thin so adheres well and looks like I have nothing on my face. The fit is pretty good, with a little extra flap on the forehead. The nose portion is meh but I kind of screwed that part up when I put it on so I can't fault the mask for that. 

The recommended time is between 10 to 15 minutes. I had it on for about 25 minutes, at which point the mask has become more opaque. The extra essence on the skin sunk in relatively quickly. It kind of made my skin tingle as it was sinking in. I can tell it had fully sunk in once it stopped becoming sticky. 

My skin felt moisturized, and I didn't really notice much brightening effect. But in comparing my before and after pictures, my skin did get a little bit brighter. 

Would I repurchase it again? The answer is no. Even though it is readily available at the Chinese supermarket, the masks just did not impress me. If I want a hydrating mask, I have so many different options to consider at a cheaper price. And I don't often want a brightening mask so that aspect is lost on me. I am looking forward to finishing up the box and never buying these again.

Edit : I have come to the conclusion that I have been too harsh on the Taiwanese masks. They are formulated for use within Taiwan, which is a very humid environment. So, even though it is hydrating, it may include ingredients that is best for dehydrated skin in a humid environment. So when I am using it in my super dry environment and on my dehydrated skin, it is just destined to not work well. Should I use the mask in my bathroom during or after a hot bath, the environment will be quite humid and will produce a much better effect.

Therefore, I have to change my opinion on the Lovemore masks. They are quite good, but unfortunately, they are not designed for my environment, which has very dry air. It is best designed for those living in humid environments or those who doesn't have dehydrated skin. 

23 Years Old - Aqua Bab Modelling Mask

Skylake - Mask Pack

Hi all~~ I decided I am gonna try and do reviews of the masks on both IG and here as I have more time now 😄 Let's see how it goes~

This is a catch up post as I posted the review of the Skylake mask pack last week but didn't have time to transcribe over here. My apologies~

I had grab this Skylake mask from TesterKorea a while ago, but I totally forgot what flavour it is as they are the same packaging for all of the different flavours. Good ole' Google Translate told me this is to clean and revitalize dull skin.

[JOLSE] nada SODA THE PORE CARE PACK

I received another product from Jolse! I am surprised I won again! This time it is the Nada Soda The Pore Care Pack, which is a clay mask. I was excited to receive it as I thought it was a bubbling mask.

Look at how cute the packaging is! Cute packaging always get to me and it was one of the reasons why I applied for this product! That aside, I wasn't paying too much attention when I applied for it so I was surprised to see how tiny the product was. Then I read the description, and realized I screwed up. Hahaha Oops. 😅😆 It's only 50g so of course it's going to be small. Hahaha.

Even though Jolse sent this to me for free to review, all opinions in this post are my honest opinion and by no ways was influenced by the company.

Unfortunately, the ingredients list is all in Korean so I have no idea what is in it. 😅

The mask itself looks quite fluffy! Not like the standard clay packs which tend to be in a tube and a bit more on the cream side. Whereas this is like a whipped cream. It also includes a plastic spoon to easily scoop out the clay mask.

The good thing about this is that it expires in 2019, meaning this is a fresh product!!!

Onto the product testing. I must say, this whipped cream texture make it so easy to spread!! I just use the back of the provided spoon and it spreads like a dream.

Now, I mentioned I thought this a bubbling mask. I had a little brain fart moment with this. I first had a test patch on the back of my hand. For some reason it didn't bubble so I thought. Oh I must have remembered wrong. So when I put it on my face and it started to bubble.. OMG WHAT THE HECK!! 😆😆

The mask smells like those Naive face washes and feels cool against my skin. It forms a bubble but it's quite big bubbles. If you wan to see them.. Get ready to become close and personal with my face!!!!

Ready???
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Here are the pictures!

This is when I first applied the mask and it started to slowly bubble up. As you can see, I have applied quite a thick layer of mask. Which is wrong by the way. I learned later on and will explain down below.

Can you see them bubbles? It kind of forms a layer of bubble on top of the mask itself. So it's almost like I have a thin layer of spider webs on top of the clay mask. And when the bubbles are popping, those particles you see that's laying on top of the bubbles? They pop off, so it ends up sending dried clay particles into the air. It kind of makes for a semi dirty experience.

 You ca see what I am talking about a little bit more clearly here. See the separation of the layers?

Here too. It made me wonder if I am maybe not applying it correctly and that's why it's separating into two layers. So I went on Jolse's product page and it showed that the users all used a thin layer of the clay mask. Which made sense since it's only 50g of product, if I continued to use the amount of product I was using, this little tub would be done within 5 uses.

So I decided to try it again but use a much thinner layer. Because this is a whipped mousse texture, the mask is easily spreadable and it was quit easy to spread a thin layer on my face.

This is with a thin layer. The same separate layers, bubbles and mask, occurred. And because it is a thinner layer, the bubbling started way quicker. So yes, I had a brain far the first time around and used WAY too much product. One big scoop with the spoon is more than enough for the face.

Here I intentionally took a swipe so you can see the difference between the bubbling layer and the clay layer underneath. It had the same issue as the thick layer, where when the bubbles explode, the clay parts on the bubble burst into the air and kind of make it a little dirty.

Here is what the swipe looks like once it is dried.

I do feel like it declogged my pores a little bit and it is a fun experience. But I wouldn't repurchase this as I am not a big fan of the clay particles bursting into the air as the bubbles explode. It was a fun experience though and I am thankful for being able to try this.

Masks #17 - Even more Roundups of masks I tried

This is a collection of masks I have reviewed on my Instagram account.  I am still in the consideration of how I want to post the reviews, whether if I want to post the reviews on the blog and IG at the same time, or if I should post it on the blog as a roundup post. Any suggestions you have would be greatly appreciated!

Blossom Jeju - Pink Camellia Soombi

This mask has been on my wishlist for a while now, just purely based on its reported jasmine scent. I bit the bullet and bought it and could not wait to use it.

This is a 2 step mask where the first step is 100% pure camellia oil that is to be spread all over the face before putting step 2, the sheet mask, on top of it. The sheet mask is a thin cupro mask that was a great fit for my face and looked almost invisible. It definitely smelled like jasmine heaven. In fact, I call this the jasmine heaven mask. 😍 That's how much I love the scent.

The mask was on for 30 minutes as I wanted to have it on for as long as possible. The extra essence sunk in quickly and was not sticky at all. The result was immediate. My skin looked and felt chok chok. It was so soft and moist to the touch and the enlarged pores appeared to be smaller. I didn't continue with the rest of my routine and I still woke up with really moisturized skin the next morning.

I am definitely buying this mask again as soon as there's another sale. In fact, I am still kicking myself for not realizing Urban Outfitters ship to Canada when they had the masks on sale for $2. So by the time I realized it, the only masks left were the red ones.. 😢😢Speaking of which.. That's the next review!

Blossom Jeju - Red Camellia Soombi 

This is the red version, which is supposed to be nurture and nourish the skin. Similar to the pink version, the mask is a 2 step mask with step 1 being the camellia oil and step 2 being the sheet mask. However, the sheet mask has a different scent. It has a lighter, less sweet and a fresher floral scent. My brain says it is the night blooming jasmine scent.

The mask stayed on for 40 minutes and that's when the upper lip area started to feel dry. It took forever for the extra essence to sink in and my skin felt tacky. My skin felt dewy to the touch and it remained till the next day. I like this mask quite a lot as well. But if I have the choice, I would do the pink version.

That being said, I did pick up 10 of these when Urban Outfitters had a sale on it and I religiously checked the tracking for it until it was delivered. Hahaha.

Yadah - Soothing Jelly Pack

This was a new find I found at Winners. I was aware of the brand Yadah but I was confused as to what kind of mask it was. I decided to give it a try as it was $6 for 5 masks, which is not bad for sheet masks.

This is turned out to be a natural cotton sheet mask that is covered in TONS of jelly essence that smells faintly of plants. I was surprised to see large chunks of jelly essence in the package! There was so much that I was able to cover the face in a thick layer and then my neck and arms.

I had the mask on for 25 minutes and that is when the upper lip area was starting to dry out and I can feel the thick layer of jelly essence has been absorbed. The extra essence sunk in quickly and was not tacky, which was surprising since there was so much essence to sink in. My skin felt moisturized but it definitely still needed the rest of the routine to feel that softness of a well moisturized skin.

I would repurchase it if I ever run into it again.

Mizon - Enjoy Vital-Upp Time Watery Moisture Mask 

This is a standard sheet mask in a watery serum like essence that smells like the Elizabeth Arden gree tea perfume. It is a nice light and fresh scent.

I had it on for about 20 minutes as the upper lip area started to dry out. The extra essence sunk in quickly and was not sticky. However, it did leave my skin look a bit shiny. It also made my skin look dewy, but also feel like the product is just sitting on top of the skin instead of sinking in. Eventually that feeling went away, and my skin felt a lot less dewy to the touch.

I didn't have high expectation for the mask and it kind of delivered that meh result. It did moisturize my skin but it didn't have that wow factor that makes me want to repurchase it.

Mizon - Enjoy Vital-Up Time Soothing Mask

Following up with the Mizon series, I decided to try the soothing mask to soothe the bumps I found on my face.

This is a similar mask as the hydrating mask reviewed above. Unfortunately, this did not make it to my face s I realized it has lavender. I knew it has lavender as it was right there on the package, but I was hoping for a very faint scent so I can't detect it. But this mask has a strong scent that I do not like at all so this went into the garbage.

Clearly this will not be repurchased by me.

Cremorlab - Aqua Tank Hydro Plus Water-Full Mask

This is a mask that was quite costly but I thought I give it a try as it isn't well reviewed. This is advertised to have the T.E.N water and marine collagen that will provide deep moisture to the skin. This is a two piece hydrogel that comes wedged between a stiff and a softer backing. It has not excess essence but it smells just like a light caramel drink, which is heavenly. 😍 The fit for the hydrogel wasn't bad as they tend to be on the smaller side for me but this one has a similar fit as a sheet mask.

I had this mask on for 25 minutes but I have to admit the upper lip area started to dry out by the 15 minutes mark. It didn't leave much extra essence, and whatever that's left sunk in quickly. It left my skin feeling cool to the touch and was not tacky. It made my skin feel moisturized but it didn't make feel soft or dewy. It just feels more moisturized and it made the application of essence and emulsions feel much smoother. I did feel like this mask evened out my skin a little bit and reduced the redness.

But like I said above, it is pretty pricey at $9 per mask. I wouldn't repurchase it as the result was not so amazing that it warrants that price point.

Banobagi - Vita Genic Hdyrating Jelly Mask 

I been eyeing this mask for a while and when I saw it was on sale for $20 for a box of 10 at the local Asian store, I had to make my friend pick up the last two boxes for me when I couldn't find it at the location near me. I finally decided to give it a try after my friend kept on raving about it to me and wanted me to let her know if there are any more sales on this mask.

This is a thin mask that adheres well to the face and has a good fit with my chubby cheeks. This has a watery gel essence that has a light medical scent to it.

I had it on for 55 minutes as I lost track of time, and it was still relatively moist. My skin did feel tacky after I removed the mask and the extra essence took a bit to sink in. My face felt very moisturized, even till the next day and it made the makeup application so much easier.

This is a definite repurchase item that I am constantly keeping an eye out for a good sale price.

Eau De Femmue - The Botanist Edler Mask: Hydrating/Radiance

I received this as part of friend mail and I decided to give it a try as a pick me up treat after recovering from a bad bout of a virus.

It is a vegetable mask that is made with bamboo extract, which felt quite thick, like thicker than any normal cotton sheet masks. It is drenched in clear essence that has a very faint scent to it and has a very good fit with my chubby cheeks.

I had it on for about 25 minutes and the extra essence sunk in quickly and was not tacky. My skin felt cool to the touch for a while and feels way more hydrated than it had been for the last while. Definitely would repurchase this if it goes on sale again.

23.5N - Rice Soothing Gel Mask 

This is a sample of a gel mask I won from OoeyDewy and it is a thick gel mask that can either be a wash off mask or a leave on mask. If you slap on a thick layer and then you can wash it off after 15 minutes. Or you can choose to put on a thin layer of the mask and it will can be left on like a sleeping mask.

I tried it both as a wash off and a leave on mask but I wasn't too impressed with the results as my skin usually aren't irritated. I ended up using it on my nose and upper lip area when I was sick, as that area became irritated with the constant contact with tissues.

I was impressed with the results as it made the irritation go away after I continued to slap some on each time I blew my nose. I definitely want to try the moisturizing line from 235N.