Since I went and used the Santa and Candy Cane Masks for My mid week masking moment i decided to round it out with the third holiday mask I picked up, the Hot Cocoa Revitalizing Mud Mask from Que Bella. You know I love mud masks and I figured this was a self contained one that would have one, maybe two uses and then I could move on to my using up the open masks of my masking drawer plan. Actually I have been using those periodically on days other than Friday to clear them out, so I feel less badly about dipping into a holiday mask.
According to the brand this is…
Perfect stocking stuffer, Contains nourishing cocoa butter, Dermatologically approved, and New for 2022 & exclusive to Target
Yeah not the best description, I know. There is also no ingredients list which I didn’t realize until after I applied it. I was so excited about the holiday theme I got ahead of myself and didn’t check things out like i usually do. This mask retails for $2 in case you are wondering. And I picked it up because of the holiday theme and because I love mud masks.
Normally i am pretty easy going with masks. Some I like better than others clearly, but over all I am generally willing to think of one time use masks as a moment of relaxation. if I use them more than just once it is because they have skincare benefits I like, but the one time use products are more a mental health break or designed to target a specific issue I only need temporary assistance with.
Having said that, I did not like this mask. I cut the pouch open and there was only enough product for one use. I did apply it in a thicker layer than most people but still, if I thinned it out there were maybe two uses. After using it once the bit of mask left behind I had no interest in saving. But I am getting ahead of myself.
First, the scent. It smelled vaguely of cocoa but also vaguely of something slightly industrial. It actually smelled a bit like an unscented candle. but not a soy or beeswax version, something not entirely natural. That kind of waxy candle scent. It reminds me of the red tapered candles that my parents used to get when I was a kid. The kind that were unscented but smelled like red dye and industrial wax when burned. Which is why I went to the website to look at the ingredients. Which they didn’t have on the site.
My skin didn’t react to the test patch so I went ahead and applied it to my face, waited the fifteen minutes and then rinsed it off. There was no tingling or reaction of any kind while wearing it and the mask didn’t really dry down at all in the fifteen minutes which is not typical for mud masks. Still there are a couple of mud masks that I love that don’t dry down so this wasn’t that big an issue.
When I washed it off there was an odd waxy layer left on my skin. It didn’t feel hydrated or really like anything had been done to my skin other than a waxy layer added. It was like the waxy layer was put under the mask and the mask was just for show. To remove it I ended up using a physical facial exfoliant. The one I currently have on hand is the Elemis Skin Buff (I highly recommend it as it is fantastic). It did a lot more for my skin than the mask did.
In addition once the mask was removed I had to clean upo the sink. Not only was there mask residue but my skink had a waxy layer on it where the water was beading up on top of it. So I had to get an exfoliant for my sink as well. (let’s hear it for old fashioned Comet). Over all, I did not enjoy this face mask and quite honestly $2 is far more than this mask was worth. If you are inclined to add small face mask packets to your shopping cart while in Target (which I am inclined to do) give this one a pass. It really isn’t worth it.
Ms. Mimsy Reviews 