So I had a small stash of hydrogel masks that I just haven't tried at all. I decided to try them after I fell in love with my SNP hydrogel eye patches. Boyyyy did that lead to some crazy hydrogel shopping spree.. Hehe...
Memebox Mememask
I got the Mememask in one of my boxes, back when they still shipped internationally, as an apology gift for delaying shipping or something. Anyways, if you are in the States, Korea or China you will be able to get one from the respective Memebox website. Unfortunately for us internationals, I have no idea where to get them. Maybe request them from TesterKorea?
Anyways, I held off on using the Mememask as Memebox and I did not part ways on a friendly note. But once I started on hydrogels I had to give it a go.
Ingredients: As per the package.
Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Cprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Ceratonia Siliqua Gum, Chondrus Crispus (Carrageenan), Polyacrylate-13, Polyisobutene, Polysorbate 20, Phenyl Trimethicone, Cellulose Gum, Phenoxyethnaol, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Polyacrylate, Adenosine, Disodium EDTA, Fragrance, Polglutamic Acid, 1,2-Hexanediol, Chamomilia Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Adanosonia Digitata Seed Extract, Potassium Hydroxide.
As soon as I opened the package, I get a big punch of ginger and then a light floral smell. Thankfully it wasn't too bothersome and I can continue to use it.
This mask, like most hydrogels, comes in two parts. Each piece is sandwiched between two sheets of pearl paper to prevent it from sticking together and making it easier for the user to remove and apply the mask. Though I think it just causes so much excess garbage and is ineffective. My mask slipped in the packaging so when I took it out, it was already half way out. I ended up just taking off both backings and applied it using a mirror.
The mask felt thin and wet to the touch but it wasn't dripping in essence. There wasn't much left in the package once I took out the mask.
There was no clear instruction as to which side of the mask I am supposed to apply against my skin. Though I can tel there was a smooth side and a mesh side. So I just put the smooth side side against my face, since it's most likely where all the essence is.
The mask fits my face well, there was slight overlapping around the cheek area and there could be more for the jawline. But once I smoothed it out, the mask stayed put. It didn't budge at all. That I am impressed with.
After about 20 minutes, the mask felt thinner to the touch. I took it off after 45 minutes as it started to feel dry in the upper lip and jawline area. I can tell it was time to take it off by the touch of the mask. It is no longer wet and soft to touch, but rather plasticky. Once I took it off, there wasn't much extra essence on my face except for the forehead. Guess that area needs more time to absorb it all in. My face doesn't feel sticky to the touch which is a plus. My face felt tighter and my skin tone looked brighter.
I liked how the Mememask stayed on my face and it does make my skin feel moisturized. But it takes too much effort to buy one unless you are in China, Korea or United States. So I probably won't buy this in the future.
Sally's Box Delight Ceramide Hydrogel Mask
I believe I got this hydrogel mask in a pack of 3 from one of the Thanksgiving boxes from Memebox. It includes Ceramide, Panthenol and Collagen. I have linked it to SokoGlam! above as TK has it listed as $6 for a single mask, whereas its official website only has it listed as $3.50. Yikes, that mark up.. I wonder if it's a $2.50 domestic shipping fee that they included in the price. *This is where I have a problem with TK, they often include domestic shipping fee in the list price. So if you were to buy enough products from the same brand to get free domestic shipping, TK would still charge you that domestic shipping fee on each product.. Those shipping fee on each item are then pure profit to them... That's why it may be better in those instances to go with a buying service instead. *
Ingredients: As per the package.
Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglycerides, Citrus Paradisi (Grapefruit) Fruit Extract, Ceratonia Siliqua Gum, Chondrus crispus (Carrageenan), Cellulose Gum, Sodium Polyacrylate, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Polysorbate 20, Mannan, Octyldodecanol, Trideceth-6, Portulaca Grandiflora Extract, Rosemarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Leaf Extract, Lavendula Angustifolia (Lavender) Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Metricaria) FLower Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Paeonia Albiflora Root Extract, Jasminum Officinate (Jasmine) Extract, Mentha Viridis (Spearmint) Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Allantoin, Ceramide 3 (1.25mg), Sodium Hyaluronate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance, CI 19140, CL 15985
Um dos the last two ingredients mean they are colours???????
My skin was feeling crappy that day and I didn't want to use something hydrating but rather something to calm it down. Since this one is supposed to turn my exhausted skin into healthy skin, I thought I would give it a try.
First impression was HOLY COW THIS THING STINKS! It's a very chemical smell that penetrated my nose as soon as I opened it. It is less strong after you take it out but it lingers. In fact, it lingered on my skin after I took it off. I would say it smells like cheap perfume that uses a lot of alcohol, like this Playboy perfume my friend got from Walmart. Just yuck.
The mask comes in two pieces, similar to the Mememask, it has two plastic backings. I followed the instruction, removed the thicker plastic first. Placed the mask on my face using the thinner piece as a guidance on where the mask is sitting. Though, that's dependent on if your mask slipped out of its backings. I would just remove them both and use a mirror. So much easier. Especially when dealing with hydrogels with a mesh to hold its shape.
The mask didn't fit my face properly. I moved it a few times but it just won't sit properly. I tried to move the jaw area as far down as I can but then the chin area pops up. The mask didn't reach my forehead, leaving about a finger's width of skin exposed. As well as my jawline, there was about two fingers' width of exposed skin. BUT.. there was SO much on the nose.. It seriously folded over and covered my nose so I couldn't even breathe without the flap covering my nostrils. It looked like I had snots coming out of my nose. Yuck. I had to flip it up just so I can breathe.
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| Excuse the close up of my face, but this is how ridiculously long the nose piece was. |
I took it off after 45 minutes. I just couldn't handle it anymore. The essence sunk is slowly, taking about another 30 minutes to fully sink in and stop feeling sticky. That smell was STILL on my skin. Yuck.
My skin was noticeably bouncier after everything sunk in. The next morning, my skin looked plumper, pores looked smaller and my skin appeared to be more even. I was impressed with the results! However, due to its smell, CRAZY long nose piece, and the fact that it's hard to find, I will not be repurchase it.
Innisfree Berry Hydro Gel Mask
So I got this mask during my whole "I NEED more hydrogels in my life!" purchase from TK. I decided to try it the night I got it home from the post office as Innisfree was having a half off shipping event that week. I wanted to see if I liked it enough to warrant a haul from Innisfree. *spoiler alert* I didn't.
Ingredients: As per the package.
Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglycerides, Citrus Paradisi (Grapefruit) Fruit Extract, Ceratonia Siliqua Gum, Chondrus crispus (Carrageenan), Cellulose Gum, Sodium Polyacrylate, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Polysorbate 20, Mannan, Octyldodecanol, Trideceth-6, Portulaca Grandiflora Extract, Rosemarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Leaf Extract, Lavendula Angustifolia (Lavender) Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Metricaria) FLower Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Paeonia Albiflora Root Extract, Jasminum Officinate (Jasmine) Extract, Mentha Viridis (Spearmint) Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Allantoin, Ceramide 3 (1.25mg), Sodium Hyaluronate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance, CI 19140, CL 15985
The mask has a very light floral smell, kind of a generic skincare smell. I don't know how to describe it besides generic. It was not dripping in essence or anything but enough to keep the mask moist.
I found the mask to be kind of stiff, it doesn't hug my face as well as the others. I think that was the general consensus online as well regarding how stiff it was. The fit wasn't the best, my jawline was pretty exposed.
I had this big angry bump on my face and the essence actually stung it when I put it on. It took a few minutes before it stopped stinging. I can't remember exactly how long I had it on because it was kind of late and I just wanted to sleep. But I know it was over 30 minutes. I took it off after the edges started to dry and I can feel the mesh on the surface. There was no excess essence on my skin but my skin feels a little sticky.
As for results, I honestly cannot remember. It moisturized my skin as any masks will do. But I most likely didn't see any results or else I would have written it down or it's stuck in my mind. All that I can remember is that it didn't impress me at all and put me off from buying any hydrogels during Innisfree's sale.
Skinfood Marine Food Gel Mask in Oyster
I got these from TK but I think it's cheaper if you get it from Jolse as you only pay $1.40 more for shipping. They just released this line of hydrogel masks a few months ago, and there are few flavours in this line. However, there is no discernible difference between each flavour's purpose. All of them has the same blurb on the back. I know, I compared all five flavours together.
Ingredients: Unfortunately it's all in Korean and Google Translate didn't help :(
When I opened the package, no smell wafted out of it. I stuck my nose right in there and took a big whiff. It has a faint perfume smell that I would say it's something I smelled quite often in skincare. But since it was light it wasn't too bothersome.
This mask came with a stiff pearl paper and a thinner softer pearl paper. So it's a similar deal withe the other hydrogels and Lovemore silk masks. Just take off the stiffer one and use the softer one as a guide to where the hydrogel is sitting on your face. Or if you are like me, it's may be easier to just remove all the backings and use a mirror to put it on. These are mesh too so they won't tear that easily if you move them around on your face.
The fit was...... I honestly think my face isn't suited for hydrogel masks. It's pretty good with sheet masks, but with hydrogels I keep on having problems. The upper portion's fit was okay but it didn't reach all the way to my hairline. So a part of my forehead was exposed. The lower portion... I have so much problem with lower portion of hydrogels. It barely reached my jawline. I tried to move it around and push it down so it would cover it, but that just caused it to tent up. The upper lip area also falls off nonstop. I ended up busting out the silicone mask cover from Daiso in an attempt to help keep it in. That didn't help at all, the upper area kept on falling out of the mask cover and just want to part ways with my face.
Because I had the silicone mask cover on, I had the mask on for a REALLY long time. I had it on for an hour with the silicone cover. The mask was still super moist despite being on the thin side. So I left it on for another hour without cover and it was still super moist to the touch! Wow.. But by that time it was almost 2AM and I had to sleep. So I took it off and just went to bed with a sticky face.
By next morning and I was pleasantly surprised when I looked in my mirror. My skin was bright and I had nice even skin tone. The little breakouts on my forehead was much calmer. My skin felt super bouncy to the touch. I couldn't stop playing with my cheeks.
I don't like the fit of these masks but I quite like the result! I will have to save these for when I have 3 to 4 hours to spare so all of the essence can sink into my skin. Or when my skin is just really need that extra punch of moisture. Will definitely repurchase these.
*side note* Using the silicone cover made me wonder how much of the essence on masks does our skin really absorb and how much is be evaporated???
Tonymoly Intense Care Fugu Collagen Hydro Gel Mask
So I got this from a H Mart in Vancouver when I was there on vacation. I just really wanted a hydrogel mask so my lovely friend took me to H Mart and waited patiently while I picked out a mask. I was deciding between the Aquaporin which cost about $4 or the Fugu Collagen one. But I knew I had the Aquaporin one coming from TK so I decided to go with the more expensive Fugu Collagen one. It was hella expensive!! $9 after GST + PST. Just wow.. Thankfully RRS has it cheaper but once you factor in shipping and currency exchange it is not much difference.
Ingredients: As per the package.
Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Chondrus Crispus (Carrageenan), Ceratonia, Siliqua Gum, Disodium EDTA, Betaine, Cellulose Gum, Polysorbate 20, Polyacrylate-14, Olive Oil Glycereth-8 Esters, Mineral Oil, Dimethicone, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Paeonia Suffruticosa Root Extract, Methylparaben, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Soluble Collagen (100ppm), Sodium Polyacrylate, Pearl Extract, Laminara Japonica Extract, Laminarla Digitata Extract, Sea Water, Squalene, Fragrance, Cl 42090
Uh oh, it's got mineral oil in the ingredient list. It's halfway down the list but if your skin doesn't like having mineral oil I would probably avoid this mask. :( I like that it's got two types of collagen and three types of seaweed in there.. But my main question is.. WHERE IS THE FUGU?! I can't see it in the ingredient list. The ones with scientific names that look like it may be fugu turns out to be seaweed.... T__T **I know it's fugu collagen and there are two kinds of collagen in the ingredient list. But that doesn't tell me specifically it came from fugu you know.. :(**
The mask is a two piece gel mask that is sitting in a really thick essence and has no discernible smell to it. Yay for no smell. But I think because of the thick essence, it kept on slipping off my face so I couldn't do much besides laying down.
The mask has two different textures/sides. One side is slightly rough and you can see the grid pattern while the other side is soft and squishy. I assumed the rough side is the outside and placed the squishy side to my face.
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| Excuse the quality. I had to take it on my friend's bathroom counter. :P |
The mask was really short around my chin and jawline. After 30 minutes or so as it was starting to dry out above the lips. But there was still quite a bit of essence on my cheeks and the mask itself. So I just took off the bottom part and left the top mask on for another 30 minutes. Even then there was still a lot of essence on the mask itself so I just put it on my decolletage
The mask left my face feeling super sticky that wouldn't go away for a while. Though my face does look brighter and my pores appear to be smaller. The next day my face felt like there was a layer of moisture sitting on top of it. Such that when I try to pinch my skin, I can feel that layer of moister/something against my fingertips instead of my skin. It was weird but nice.
I wouldn't buy this mask again. Not at $9CAD and gotta admit, I am kind of sad it doesn't have any fugu extracts in there... :(
That's all the hydrogels I have tried in the last couple of months. I got quite a few more to try so I will post them sporadically. :P
