Hello Ganic, It’s time for mid week masking

As you know I am trying to whittle down my collection of sheet masks, determining which ones I want to purchase in larger packs and which ones just need to be cleared out before they go bad. At this point I have to admit that a lot of the sheet masks left in my collection are rose infused or rose scented.

While I don’t mind rose, I am picky about the type of rose that I like. You can give me pretty much anything rose scented from the brand Nuxe or even Dior and I am fine with the scent because it is light and tends to smell more like skincare that was placed near something rose scented for a while rather than actually infused with the rose scent.

When I went into the sheet mask box today, I found that because I tend to avoid the rose scented masks, I have a lot of them. I wasn’t feeling rose today so I dug through the box and came up with a non-rose scented sheet mask. And then I saw that it was a pore refining mask and I got happy. A lot of the masks left are also hydrating, and while I like hydrating masks it is nice to have a change so double win today.

Well win if I like the mask.

This is the Helloganic 1 a day Grain mask. Finding information about it was interesting. There were a couple of UK Sites that offered it The only place I could find it for sale in the US was on Amazon so that is where the links and product information are from. If you are reading this outside the US you may have better luck finding it. So according to Amazon…

Vegan Certified : HelloGanic is a 100% vegan green market and lifestyle beauty brand that brings healthy energy to everyone with carefully selected fresh raw materials and refreshing imagination. Eucalyptus sheet : Sheets are made from eucalyptus trees. Since eucalyptus grows well in the tropics and dry plains, we focused on an idea – “Tree that gives life.” We have developed products that provide a feeling of freshness and moisture. Strict quality standards : Each mask is produced according to very strict quality standards and excellent technologies such as a natural preservation system and low-temperature aging method. Full of GREEN ingredients : Just as a daily nutrient is required to maintain our health, Helloganic masks are filled with freshness and nutrients from green food needed for our skin every day.
Amazon

I really like that these are made with eucalyptus sheets. It feels like cotton and to be honest, I thought it was cotton. if they can make wood feel like cotton power to them. It even says eucalyptus sheet on the packet although any UK sites I looked at claimed it was cotton. Since what is on the package says Eucalyptus I will go with that as the mask material.

Don’t you just hate when there is conflicting information?

Regardless, the mask lays across the skin well and adheres to all of the cures of the face without bunching up or sticking out. which is the goal regardless of base material. The scent of the mask is interesting. While the sheet mask lists Adlay Black Bean as the main ingredient it smells vaguely like oatmeal to me. Perhaps it is that I do not know much about the Adlay black bean.

A quick search for the Adlay Black bean netted me information about the ingredent…Adlay traditionally has long been used in China for the treatment of warts, chapped skin, rheumatism, neuralgia, and inflammatory diseases. – National Library of Medicine

All of the other searches listed teas and even black bean burgers.

So it smells a bit like oatmeal and a bit like skincare. Which is fine for a sheet mask. I like both oatmeal and skincare. The mask is juicy when it comes out of the pouch and I did have to wipe a bit of serum off of my hands and neck After that it didn’t seem inclined to drip.

As I wore it I could feel a cool tingling over my skin. It wasn’t unpleasant but it was a noticeable thing. I wore the sheet mask for fifteen minutes while sitting at my desk answering e-mails. After fifteen minutes I returned to the bathroom to remove the mask. The part of the mask under my nose dried down and I could tell it was not cotton. When dry it simply didn’t feel like cotton.

The rest of the sheet mask was still damp but it was clear my skin absorbed most of the serum. What little remained I patted into the skin. My skin felt very chilled. It actually felt as though I had been standing in front of an open fridge peering into the depths for the last fifteen minutes. The coolness remained for a full ten minutes after the mask was removed. It was well after the serum absorbed in and my skin was dry. It still remained cool to the touch.

As often i will use cool things like jade rollers to calm inflammation and irritation down without recourse to actual items from the medicine cabinet, I think if I had been suffering from any irritation this would have significantly reduced it merely through the cooling effect. beyond that my skin felt really soft and smooth. The serum was a little sticky before it dried down and was fully absorbed. That took a few minutes after I removed the mask to fully soak in. If you can put up with the slight stickiness for that length of time then there is a nice pay off of soft nourished skin.

I enjoyed this mask far more than I expected to. I honestly wasn’t certain what sort of effect beans would have on my skin, but in this mask it works. I will happily repurchase this Helloganic sheet mask.

The Daily: March 14th, 2023

I don’t know why the time change hit me harder today than yesterday but today, even though I got up on time and did my exercises I just feel really draggy. I am sure it will go away, however as I am on my own facing a computer screen for the day, I decided that makeup on an exhausted face was just too much. So I declared it a skincare kind of day.

I know that this is due to the time change, but I also know that as spring progresses there will be a few skincare days due to allergies. I have already restocked my eye masks for the spring onslaught. Once everything arrives I will put up my restocking for spring in case anyone is interested. For today, I turned to 111Skin and the Rose Gold Brightening Facial Treatment mask.

I will admit, it is not the most attractive look, but these masks are fantastic. It has a light skincare scent that has been kissed with rose so it isn’t overpowering. To me it just smells really fresh. It feels cool on the skin and it has enough serum in it to keep it in place without dripping all over the place. There are a few drips when you first put it on but I wipe them off my neck before leaving the bathroom and then have no issues. While the bits around the chin will do a little flopping as I wear this mask, the rest of it stays in place the entire masking time.

My skin feels soft and hydrated after I wear this mask and I actually feel more awake once it has been on my skin a while. I don’t know if it is the cooling element or the skin care bits but I really do feel much more awake and ready to face the world once I have used this 111Skin Mask.

I know this is not the first time I have worn this and it won’t be the last. They are one of those sheet masks that I will always keep in stock. I know I need to branch out and try some of the other sheet masks they make, but every time I reorder I always end up picking up these and calling it a day. I need to make a conscious effort when I am already stocked with these masks to o on their site and pick up a few from different lines.

But I do kind of fall into a habit with brands and cherry pick the ones I know I like. I know I like this mask, so it is the one I always repurchase. I think that might be one of the reasons I really like subscription boxes. Sometimes they end up sending me my favorite from a brand, but other times I’ll end up with something I have never tried simply because it isn’t the one thing I order from the brand.

A little more self introspection than I planned, but there we have it. I am on track with my food and exercise today, and I am taking advantage of a day alone at the computer to do a little extra skincare. That’s kind of my Tuesday. How’s yours going?

It’s Face Mask Friday with MZ Skin

It feels as though I have not managed to get to do a face mask on a Friday for a really long time. For some reason things seem to happen on Friday afternoons. Things like wind storms knocking down powerlines and sending trashcans rolling down the street and emergency projects that people forgot to tell me about. And deadlines.

Seriously, who thinks putting a deadline on a Friday is a good thing? They are best placed on Thursdays so that you can spend Friday doing any clean up work post deadline on projects you had to let slip to meet the deadline. Then after they are cleaned up you can have a restful weekend.

At least that’s how I’d arrange things. Unfortunately the universe declined my offer to be the universal scheduler and so I have missed my fifteen minutes of down time on Friday afternoons.

These packets came to me in a Cohorted box. There are five packets of the same MZ Skin Radiance and Renewal Mask …

A deeply exfoliating face mask that instantly brightens tired, dull skin.

What it does: It’s formulated with an 8.5% concentrate fruit acid complex that helps stimulate cell turnover, refines pores and helps to eliminate pigmentation to brighten and restore luminosity. Your skin is left smooth, revived and glowing.

How to use: Apply generously onto a clean face and décolletage. Leave for 15 minutes, then rinse thoroughly with warm water. For best results, use twice per week.
MZ skin

The full sized mask comes in a tube and is 3.38 oz. It retails for $173. So it is a bit on the pricy side. I don’t know if the packets are ever sold individually. I will say that the mask that came out of the package was exactly the right amount to cover my face, neck and upper chest. The pack contains 0.06 oz (2 mL)so by simple math you would get about 56 uses out of the tube which comes down to $3 per use which isn’t that bad all things considered. It is just the initial cost right there that had me backing up.

If you want to try it for a little less, Dermstore has a 20 mL tube for sale for $30.59.

And yes this is how i convince myself to puirchase expensive skin care which should give you a little ppoiler about how I feel about this mask.

The mask in my hand was white with a little bit of pearlessence to it. I don’t know if that came across in the picture but it kind of shimmered in my hand. It actually made me think of the old infomercials you used to get on late at night for Pearl Cream. (Which it you remember the infomercials it is the secret of the orient and why Asian women never age. I don’t know if anyone else remembers them but I watched a lot of Up All Night with Gilbert Gottfried and that was an oft repeated ad. Here is the link to the version with Nancy Kwan in case you want to see that ad for yourself and journey into my insomniac childhoond.)

So I was thinking Pearl Cream as I was applying it. The pearl essence really just made my face very shiny once it was on the skin. No pearly skin for me. It just looked wet. And actually it looked wet even after fifteen minutes. It didn’t feel wet. It felt as though it dried to a hard shell, almost as if I shellacked my face.

While I was wearing it there was a bit of a tingling sensation. The sensation was mild and kind of pleasant. It was also only there for the first five minutes of wear. After fifteen minutes I rinsed it off and then patted my skin dry. When my skin was dry my skin felt soft and fresh. I don’t know if there is much physical difference. However about ten minutes after I dried my face, I found that ii had a few clogged pores that were kind of driving me a little crazy rise closer to the surface. they are actually so close to the surface now that i think a good facial scrub tonight will actually help clear them away completely.

I really enjoyed this face mask and will happily use it again. The mask can only be used about twice or three times a week. I expect with repeated use there would be a lot more visible signs of improvement. For now I have the relieve of a couple of clogged pores ready to move out and really soft skin. The price of the full size is a bit high, but the 20mL sized bottle is more affordable and will give me a full ten uses so I suspect that is where I would purchase first. Whatever the size, This MZ Skin Radiance and Renewal Mask is a winner and certainly something I will love to use again.

Up to 65% savings on the Best of Dermstore!

Mid Week Masking Glam up with Revitalizing Japanese Sake

Don’t worry I haven’t taking up drinking at first light. I am still working through my accumulated sheet masks and today it is time for the Revitalizing Japanese Sake Sheet mask from Glam up. For some reason the only place I could find these for sale was Amazon. They do sell a ten pack for $11.48 should you be interested. Amazon also has a variety of products from Glam up even though I can find the brand no where else either.

The details are pretty bare bones. It is a revitalizing mask in the shade Japanese Sake and the scent Cherry. According to the listing. The mask itself lists it as being Japanese sake and to be fair there is a slight floral scent to it that dissipates pretty much as I put the mask on. It has that slight cherry blossom scent with a back note of something that I think smelled fermented.

It is oddly a very clean skin care scent.

This mask is very juicy. There was a lot of extra serum that came out with the mask and unfortunately I do mean came out with the mask. I pulled the mask out of the foil packet and it was as though I released a gusher. I did open it over the sink though so it was less of a mess than it could have been. The sheet mask itself is of that thin cotton cloth like material.

I personally really love the masks that are made of this because I find that it is easier to get them to adhere to the skin. Plus they sort of seem to dry as my skin absorbs the serum so it makes me feel like I can see it working. I know a lot of it is just the make being released into the air, but it makes me feel good.

This mask however wouldn’t dry off If I wore it for a few hours. It is well saturated. I wiped a few drips off of my neck when I first applied it but after that I didn’t really have any issues with it dripping down my neck. To be honest, I was a little surprised by this as it is quite juicy. But the serum didn’t run. The mask adhered well.

While the initial scent, whether cherry blossom or sake, didn’t stick around long, by the time my timer went off and it was time to remove the mask, I sort of got a put of a soapy sort of scent from the bit of the mask that was under my nose. I don’t mind that, I just thought it interesting as I thought all the scent dissipated.

while I am scent oriented, it isn’t the most important thing. The way my skin feels after this mask is. So I niffed the soap scent until the timer dinged and then went to remove the mask.

As you can see it was still quite juicy when I took it off (I had it on for 20 minutes, mostly because as my timer went off an e-mail came in that I had to answer. I did and then took off the mask.). There is quite a lot of serum left on my skin. I patted it in and let it absorb. I was surprised that it wasn’t sticky. Usually the remaining serum is sticky until it dries. This was not, it just felt like water and after it absorbed in my skin felt extra hydrated.

I will also say that I do feel refreshed. My skin feels hydrated, but I feel more awake and ready to go on with my day than I was before. To be honest that is one of the reasons I love revitalizing or energizing sheet masks. I don’t sleep well, and while nothing is really a good substitute for sleep, a sheet mask like this in the morning before I get on with the rest of my day really does help me wake up and feel brighter and more ready to face the day.

Also I do notice that after a session with a sheet mask, my makeup does apply a lot more smoothly. even the foundations that tend to settle take longer to settle than usual because things are temporarily plumped.

While I couldn’t find much information on Glam Up as a brand, I think I will certainly put this Revitalizing Sake mask on my repurchase list. It is inexpensive and a great morning pick me up for mornings when I am feeling a little draggy. it is like a shot of caffeine for my skin, without actually having to brew the pot. Over all two thumbs up.

Mid week Masking with 111Skin

This is not the first time that I have used the 111Skin Rose Gold Brightening Facial Treatment Masks and it probably won’t be the last. Partially because I have four more from this box in my collection but mostly because I really love them.

I will admit that while it is an expensive brand and I usually feel very fancy using their products, there is no way to look cute wearing this mask. At least not for me. In general when i wear any masks I look I am either up to something nefarious or had an unfortunate accident. I think this one might lean towards the unfortunate accident look. So at least I don’t look like I was planning to rob a bank and decided charcoal infused mud would work since i mislaid my balaclava.

So there is that.

Unfortunate or not, i love these masks. There is a slight whisper of rose skincare scent but it is really light. The entire masks feels as though it is an under eye mask that you wear for your entire face. Personally I try to make sure the mask is well smoothed out under my eyes as it really does reduce the puffiness.

While there is some brightness that I get from the mask, mostly I feel really refreshed after wearing it. Like my skin absorbed an espresso when I wasn’t looking. It actually makes it great for an afternoon mask. If you are looking for a quick pick me up without adding more caffeine to your body, this is not a bad way to do it.

While this mask does stick fairly well to the skin I will find it hanging a bit around my chin. while most masks I can wear at the desk and ignore them, this one I will find myself occasionally running my fingers over, so I keep a dry wash cloth at the desk with me when i wear it so I can dab my fingers before i touch the keyboard again. The chin looseness doesn’t bother me, but it does cause me to want to check to see that it is in fact still on the skin under my eyes.

It always is but I think it is the looseness that makes me want to double check.

the mask feels cool on the skin. I think this might be why it feels refreshing. well that and the actual skincare elements. There is Niacinamide, grapefruit extract (which I’m guessing is part of the brightening), red algae and rose oil. All of which my skin really loves.

It is one of my favorite mid afternoon treats, no matter what day of the week it is, simply because after I wear this mask for fifteen minutes I feel energized and fresh, like I had a power nap. I know it is touted as a pre event preparation for your skin and I could see where that would work, but for me, it is a great skincare pick me up. After fifteen minutes I am refreshed and ready to face the rest of the day. Which for me involves all the paperwork I didn’t get around to yesterday. And with that in mind it is time to remove the mask and get back to work. But rest assured, the 111Skin Rose Gold Brightening Facial Treatment sheet mask and all it’s wiggly glory will be returning.

Mid-week Mask in a flash with Borghese

Normally I stick to sheet masks for my mid week masking moments but as i skipped last week’s face mask Friday, I felt that a little something extra was called for. And then i remembered that I set aside a couple of 3-5 minute masks Somehow they don’t tend to feel right for my moment of Friday relaxation. Perhaps because they take only 3-5 minutes instead of giving me the full fifteen to take a breather and regroup before the final push to end the work week and stat the weekend.

I do like these sorts of masks, but they are more suited to the work day trial. And now that I have whittled down my sheet mask collection to something more manageable, I feel that the time is right. And so today we have the Borghese Roma Advanced Fango Active Mud Mask for Face and Body. I opted for just the face today. i did test it on my arm though (on Monday) just to make sure there was no adverse reaction.

I always think of Flash masks as being a little stronger because they require so little time on the skin, so they are ones i will always test on my inner arm before using on my face. I also left it on my arm for ten minutes (well past the time of the mask). I’d like to say that part of that was to really make sure it wouldn’t cause problems but in all honesty the phone rang and by the time I dealt with the call it was ten minutes. So, not really intentional but because there was no adverse reaction I felt it would be okay.

Let’s look at our 3-5 minute wear time flash mask from Borghese…

Everything you love about our Italian spa inspired Classic Fango Active Mud, with added advanced benefits! This detoxifying mud mask helps counteract environmental pollution with a blend of powerful survivalist plant extracts. Exfoliates skin and helps minimize the appearance of pores and fine lines.

I have a sample size that came in a subscription box (either Look Fantastic or Glossy Box, I can’t remember.) It is 0.5 ounces. On the website there is a 2.7 oz version sold for $20 and there is also a 7.5 ounce jar of the mask offered for $50. The largest one is in a glass jar with a mason jar like lid on it. I think if I were getting it to use as a body mask that would appeal to me. The 2.7 ounce mask is in a container that looks like a larger version of the sample size. Personally I like the look of this jar. I don’t know why but the jars with the slightly pinched in sides so it is a little more hourglass shaped always just look a little classier to me. I have no idea why. Perhaps i just like the shape.

Regardless of how I feel about the jar, it is what is inside that counts.

In the other flash masks I have tried, they were either a gel like consistency or they were charcoal based. I don’t know why but the fact that this one was bright green sort of surprised me. In the ingredients there is ginseng root and avocado listed which is where I think the green comes from. The bentonite clay is sort of a grayish color as would be the mushrooms in the mix I would think. There is also almond oil in the blend. I say that because you can sort of smell the almond in the mix. The scent has almond and ginseng as the forward notes with a sort of back note of avocado. It is a very fresh and clean scent.

clean again and the pic I will use for comparison after I’ve used the jar of mask up completely.

I did notice that when I first opened it the mask was a brighter green and it turned a little bit darker by the time I finished applying it. While I don’t think it will go bad as fast as an avocado as there are stabilizers in it, the slight change makes me think this isn’t a mask I want to let sit around too long. It does have a 12 month shelf life listed on the bottom of the jar though. So we will see.

Applying it on the face was quick and easy. It smoothed on well. There are no solid particulates and it is a smooth and creamy mask. I was very impressed not only by how easy it was to apply but by how little I actually needed to use in order to cover my face. Usually with sample sized masks I can get one or two uses out of them and that’s it. This one I think I will be able to get significantly more from.

The three minute wear time also makes it really good for mid day masking. I applied the mask and set the timer, then I actually made the bed and took out the trash. By then the timer was going off so i was able to take the mask off. It doesn’t really dry down all that much. I think that between the almond oil and the avocado there is enough oily fats to keep it from drying down. It stays in place while moving around with the mask on and then wipes off with a damp wash cloth. This made it easy to wear while doing things and quick and easy to remove.

When I took it off, my skin felt fresh and clean. It was a very good first use. While it didn’t magically erase the lines that time is starting to etch into my skin, it did make my skin look and feel really good. Certainly good enough that i will have no problem using this mask again. In fact I might continue using this mask (as recommended) until the container is empty just to see if there are any longer term results. As it is just the way my face feels will have me coming back to this mask. Over all the Borghese Advanced Fango Active Mud Mask is a hit, even if i still don’t know why there is Fango in the name. If anyone knows could you let me know in the comments, I looked all over the website and can’t find a single clue. And that will bug me. the mask however was very nice for a mid-week masking moment. Since I plan to continue using the mask to see if there are longer results, we’ll also call this a first review post. we’ll talk again when I have reached the bottom of the jar. Hopefully by then I will have uncovered the Fango mystery as well. Stay tuned my darlings.

Something Smells Yummy…It’s Face Mask Friday with Yensa

As far as physical exfoliation masks go, this Pumpkin Tumeric 2-in-1 Radiance Polishing Mask from Yensa is one of my favorites. it is a mask I will always come back to.

First there is the fact that I just plain like physical exfoliators. There is something deeply satisfying about them to me. Don’t get me wrong I love the chemical exfoliators too, (let’s face it I enjoy most skincare) but there is kjust something about physical exfoliators.

This is one that feels like very fine grain sand suspended in a gel. It smooths on fairly easily but you can tell there is some exfoliation that this mask is going to provide. According to the Yensa website…

Yensa

The gel that the particles are suspended in soothes and brightens while you let it sit. It is actually quite a good brightening mask even though I do reach for it mostly for the exfoliation. This is a mask that sits on the skin for fifteen to twenty minutes. Sitting with the mask is like sitting in a bakery during the autumn. the scent is so reminiscent of my favorite pumpkin muffins that it actually makes me hungry wearing it.

After about the first five minutes with this mask on my face I am starting to wonder if we have the ingredients in the house to make the muffins. It is by far the most delicious smelling mask I have ever used. Just don’t try and taste it. Inhale the fragrance, don’t eat the mask.

After 15 minutes of contemplating muffins and the possibility of making them tonight, I went to the bathroom to wash off the mask. Before rinsing off, massage the mask in circles a little bit to get the full effect of the exfoliation. I tend to massage a bit first and then when I am rinsing I rub the mask off in circles as I use water to splash it off. It gives me a little extra exfoliation and rinses the mask away at the same time.

Once removed I pat my skin dry and enjoy the freshly scrubbed feeling.

The mask claims that it can be used 2-3 times a week. While it is a gentle enough scrub that you could use it that many times, I generally only use physical exfoliators about once a week. i find that gives me the best scrub without over doing it. I find this is also perfect for when I have clogged pores that I have just managed to coax to the surface. This really helps clear the bumps away before they have a change to become full on brake outs, thus helping to keep my skin clear.

This is a mask I return to often and always keep on hand. In fact this tube has only a few more uses in it and already, there is a replacement waiting in the wings. If you are looking for a delicious smelling, fantastically exfoliating face mask, The Yensa Pumpkin Turmeric is definitely one to look into.

Midweek Masking with ID.AZ Water-Fit Mask

While I have been going through my single sheet mask packets trying to whittle them down so that I can reorder the ones I like and say good bye to the ones not worth the repurchase, I couldn’t resist opening this pack of five Water-Fit Sheet Masks from ID.AZ Private Doctor Line that came in the January Boxycharm Premium box.

It isn’t just that it is a set of five so I could try them repeatedly and see how they perform over time that drew me. It was the name. I am certain that I have tried something from this brand before but I simply can not remember what it was. I have a vaguely positive impression of the brand. i also remember rolling my eyes at the name. I know ID.AZ is a play on Ideas. It is cute and possibly clever but I will still roll my eyes every time I see it. It is an automatic reaction. If it makes anyone feel better I have the same reaction to Will.I.Am even though I love the Black Eyed Peas.

(I also get twitchy when people don’t conjugate verbs and leave out apostrophes, just so you know. I won’t call anyone on it, but it will always make me twitchy)

So I decided to try out this sheet mask for my midweek masking and try to recall what it was from the brand that i tried before. i still can’t recall even though I have searched the brand page up and down. It is not the easiest website to find things on. There are several familiar things, I just can’t remember if I tried them.

But to this sheet mask!

Each mask is individually packaged and because the masks are very fine rice paper like sheets, they come with a net like backing that you peel off. I actually like this better than some of the paper backings that are used for the same thing. It comes off very easily, sliding away from the mask. It is nice when you don’t have to wrestle the backing and risk folding the mask in on itself. This was nice and easy to separate and the mask went on well.

It is a juicy mask. the material adheres well to the skin because of it. There is also plenty of serum left in the foil packet. it is a well, even over saturated mask. When I first put it on, there were drips running down my neck. And while i will concede my neck needs serum too, this was not the way to get it. I dabbed it with a wash cloth and then all was well. I was able to sit at my desk and work while wearing the mask for the fifteen minutes.

There is no scent to the mask and while it feels wet, there is no slimy feeling to it that sometimes serums get. There were no real ingredients lists on the site, but I will say the mask certainly felt hydrating and maybe a little cool on the skin. After 20 minutes I did remove it. The mask was still wet, and given the amount of serum saturating it, that was not a surprise. There was however not too much serum left on my skin. There was a little and I did pat it in and let my skin dry. I was worried there would be too much serum and i would have to wipe it off. This proved not to be the case. My skin absorbed what was left and felt soft and very hydrated.

Over all this Water Fit Mask was a very hydrating mask. While I think that each time I used it my skin would receive additional hydration, I don’t think this is a mask I need to use every couple of days. My skin is in the normal/combo range. In the summer I lean towards oily without being fully oily and in the winter I lean towards dry without being fully dry. For me I think that a once a month burst of hydration or whenever I feel like my skin is too dry would be the right time to use this. I think it is an excellent mask for those times, but I don’t think my skin needs the level of moisture it provides on a consistent basis. This is ‘check your skin before applying’ mask for me. I am however happy to have it around for those times as it performed beautifully. I will keep the rest of these Water Fit Masks on hand for when I need them and consider repurchasing when I run out.

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Aceology for Face Mask Friday!

That’s right folks. It is Friday and I am actually getting to do my Friday Face Mask on Friday! why does that feel like such an accomplishment? I think it is because the last two Fridays have been maskus inturuptus. I also thought that with everything that was going on, I might have to skip this week’s as well. But no, it’s masking time.

Each Friday I like to give myself a little bit of a masking break. It is sort of the fifteen minute self care reward for staying on top of things and making sure life runs smoothly both in work at on the home front. It is just me in the house and I can take those fifteen minutes and lay back, clear my head and breathe. On an ideal Friday I will apply the face mask, light a candle and put on some music.

But no radio, Truest me, go radio free music for this because nothing interrupts your fifteen minutes of calm more than a breaking news cast announcement. It is never going to be a good breaking announcement. No one is going to interrupt your music to tell you that something good happened. Good announcements wait for a regularly scheduled broadcast. Personally I would love a good interruption.

‘Good afternoon folks, sorry to interrupt your music, but we just took a survey and at this very moment, no one is doing anything bad to anyone else anywhere! That’s right, we have a lull in all ongoing battlefields and all serial killers and despotic dictators are taking a lunch break, We’ll have follow up news of this spontaneous peace invasion at eleven along with a basket full of puppies. Don’t worry, no one abused them and they all have good homes, we just brought them in to celebrate.’

Wouldn’t that be lovely for a Friday afternoon when you are feeling good about getting your e-mails and files out as well as making sure the laundry was done? So we dare to dream, but until then, no radio for the calm making fifteen.

Today while I did manage to get the laundry done and I am catching up on everything that was slaw this week for one thing or another, i am wearing a mask while answering e-mails today. It is one of the perks of working from home and not having any video calls scheduled.

Today I went with the Aceology Brightening Treatment mask. As you can see from the tube, I have used this before. Quite a few times before. In general I am not a huge fan of peel off masks, but I will say the pain with this one is minimum and my skin always feels good about this. I just make sure I don’t put it too close to my eyes. while I like to avoid pulling at the delicate skin around the eye area, the part that always makes me cry is the part over my upper lip. It always peels off really quickly but somehow the part right under my nostrils, no matter how quickly it removes, it always brings a little tear to my eye.

The mask itself smells fresh and clean and smooths on well. While a lot of time I will review masks when i use them for the first time (and I did do a first use post of this when I first used it), I really like reviewing the same mask when it is at the end of it’s life. This tube probably has one to two more uses out of it, but it has been opened a while. The container is like a paint tube and that has kept the mask from drying out. There is a little dried crispy bit at the edge of the lid where I didn’t clean it off as well as I should have in my last use, but otherwise the mask is the same as when I first opened it. It hasn’t dried in the tube or gone bad. And if you look at the frist use post, you will see it is dated for February, 2022. I will finish this mask sometime this month, so it lasted for me about a year.

This isn’t a mask I reach for a lot or use on a regular basis. Partially because it is a peel off, and partially because I tend to prefer anti-aging or pore clearing masks to brightening ones. But every time I have reached for this it has been good. You may also notice when flicking through my past posts that around the same time that I picked up this Aceology Mask I picked up the Aceology Lifting Mask, Detoxifying Mask, and Firming Treatment Mask. All of those were peel off masks and all were used up within two months of opening. So it is more about me not reaching for brightening masks as often than the fact that it is a peel off mask. I will say I did try a sample of the Rose Petal Mask (not a peel off mask) and it was phenomenal. Let my skin feeling like a rose petal. So in general Aceology just makes good face masks, peel off or other wise (and yes their Green tea Mask is on my list to try this year. Rose Petal and the Detoxifying mask are also on the repurchase list.)

One thing I like about this mask is that I don’t have to set a timer. Which I like when working at my desk. I can just reach up and see if it is dry, if not, I continue to work. In general it is still worn for about 15 minutes, but the trick with all peeling masks is that you have to let them dry so you can peel them off. any parts that are still damp, simply won’t peel off and you will end up with a mess. It is both a lesson in patience and in restraint as you really can’t put the mask on too thickly and thus waste product because you will just have to sit forever trying to wait for it to dry, Because of the dampness in the air today it took closer to twenty minutes for dry time and there were a couple of tiny spots that were still wet as you can see in the photo.

when peeling there is always a moment when the mask comes off and your skin reacts to having the mask peeled off of your face. It will get red and feel hot. Or at least mine does. I tend to look a little sunburned post peel off mask. The color doesn’t last. it is mostly my skin’s reaction to having all of the baby fine hairs on my face being yanked at once. When I removed the Aceology Brightening Treatment Mask it was no different. Then, the redness faded my skin felt smooth, clean, nourished and yes, just a little bit brighter.

Look at Me for the Midweek Masking

This Look At Me Aqua Moisture Racoon Face Mask is one that I have used before. I picked it up from Facetory in one of their subscriptions initially and it is one I keep going back to order. I actually really like Facetory subscriptions because it lets you try a whole bunch of different face masks. There are some non-sheet masks depending on the category of subscription you choose. They also have some brand new Hair masks out. I haven’t tried them yet (I think they have only been out a few weeks) but I am so looking forward to giving them a try soon.

There are so many sheet masks out there that are just okay that I often have trouble deciding which one to actually get. I find that the subscription lets me try a bunch for a lower cost than buying them individually. Then I can mark down the ones I actually liked well enough to order again as opposed to the ones that were just okay. And then I can go and order the ones I like. Also they have a lot of sales, so when they put some of their sheet masks on sale i can check my list and know which ones to stock up on. It is also a subscription I pause a lot because it takes me a while to work through the sheet masks.

However, this is one that i tend to re order, mostly for winter use. This mask is a moisture bomb. Whenever my skin is feeling really winter dry, I can use this mask to really help provide some much needed moisture. The mask itself is a clothlike material so it clings well to all of the curves of my face. I find that while it is well saturated, it is not drippy. For me this means I can wear it at my desk while typing in e-mails and getting some work done. Today I am wearing it during editing and that works fantastically well. It stays in place and doesn’t drip.

There is a slight perfume-y scent to the serum, but it is on the lighter side. I find it most noticeable when I first unfold the mask and less so as it airs out and dries.

As the weather here is cold enough that the central heat has been clicking on both at night and in the day, a midweek masking moment to add moisture to the skin is a really good thing. And this Racoon Face mask From Look at Me really does the trick. I just have to remember to turn the package upside down because that racoon always looks like he is staring at me. I swear those eyes follow me. This Aqua Moisture Racoon Face Mask gets two dry winter skin thumbs up from me.

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