Review: Etude House Hydro Wrapping mask (Refreshing)

Item Reviewed: Etude House Hydro Wrapping Mask (Refreshing)

Price/pack size: S$2.90/piece

Available at: Etude House

Description: Mask sheet’s special hydro coating essence contains botanical extracts to effectively nourish complexion. (Active ingredients: Bamboo extracts & Phytoncide).

Usage: Apply mask sheet to cleansed face and leave on for 10-15 minutes. Remove mask and massage remaining solution into your skin with hands. Recommended interval for mask application is every 2-3 days for maximum efficiency. *Hold and apply according to diagram*. (I remembered to take a picture of the entire back of the mask packaging so you can see it now! The extra tab should be on the right side of your face)

Review: The entire range of Hydro Wrapping masks feature the same unique special coating on top of the mask sheet. It definitely helps lock in the moisture essence so that your skin will absorb all of it, and none of the essence will evaporate into the air. The scent is very soothing and green, probably to suit the bamboo extract. It’s not strong and did not irritate my sensitive nose. After 20 minutes, the mask was still very wet with essence and I followed instructions to massage the remaining solution into my skin. The essence took only less than a minute to absorb into my skin and I applied moisturizer after that. Initially it was a little sticky as my face was overloaded with moisture goodness but it soon became matte and smooth after 10 minutes.

I used the mask last night, and this morning, my skin was smooth and bouncy even after I washed my face. It would usually be a little dry! 2 thumbs up! The mask sheet did not really fit very well around my jaw, with a lot of excess. I did what I usually do with extra large mask sheets: tear the mask in 2 around the mouth area to make it fit nicely.

Rating: 5/5

Would I buy again: Yup, I love the unique mask coating! So interesting.

Review: Baviphat Woori Gokmul Oatmeal mask sheet

Item Reviewed: Baviphat Woori Gokmul Oatmeal mask sheet

Price/pack size: S$2.90/piece

Available at: Baviphat at Gmarket Korea

Description: Moisture & Nourishing

Usage: Apply mask sheet to cleansed face and leave on for 10-15 minutes. Remove mask and massage remaining solution into your skin with hands.

Review: To be honest, I had no idea what this mask is for as there is no English description. I only bought it because the packaging looks so cute! LOL It was relatively cheap too. I gathered that it should be for sensitive skin since oatmeal skincare products were for sensitive skin in general. The mask fits pretty well, but I guess that was the only thing that I liked about the mask. The essence took long to absorb into the skin, and it made my skin sticky. I had to rinse off after a while because I just couldn’t stand it. Perhaps the other masks in the range would be better.

Rating: 1/5

Would I buy again: No.

Review: Etude House Hydro Wrapping Mask (Nourishing)

Item Reviewed: Etude House Hydro Wrapping Mask (Nourishing)

Price/pack size: S$2.90/piece

Available at: Etude House

Description: Mask sheet’s special hydro coating essence contains botanical extracts to effectively nourish complexion. (Active ingredients: Honey & Caviar Extracts).

Usage: Apply mask sheet to cleansed face and leave on for 10-15 minutes. Remove mask and massage remaining solution into your skin with hands. Recommended interval for mask application is every 2-3 days for maximum efficiency. *Hold and apply according to diagram*. (I didn’t take a picture of the said diagram, but there is an extra tab on the right side of the mask. Place mask on face with the tab on the right side. The mask is made from a special material to contain the special moisturizing essence, so it is important that you don’t use the mask on the wrong side!)

Review: It is no secret in the office that I’m obsessed about skincare and cosmetics, so it was very apt that my boss gave me a pack of 5 Etude House Hydro Wrapping masks as a Christmas present last year. The pack consists of 1 firming mask, 2 refreshing masks, and 2 nourishing masks. The nourishing mask has honey and caviar extracts, which sounded like a real treat for tired skin. The fragrance of the mask was very strong, almost to the point of hurting my sensitive nose but I managed to persevere for that 20 minutes. It didn’t smell bad, but it was just too strong for me… almost like an old lady’s perfume!

The texture of the mask was very intriguing and unique… the top layer reminded me of those foam net packing that fruit sellers use to wrap the apples in, whilst the bottom layer (the layer that touches your skin) is tightly woven together and very fine. I guess this helps to lock in the essence to be absorbed into the skin and not get evaporated into the air.

After 20 minutes, the mask was still very wet with essence and I followed instructions to massage the remaining solution into my skin. However, this is where the pleasure of masking stops. The solution took forever to absorb into my skin and was EXTREMELY sticky. I mean, it was like “my face is a piece of scotch tape” sticky. I thought I had to let the solution slowly absorb and it would be better, but 30 minutes after removal of mask, it was still sticky like before. I guess, the nourishing part was really true to its name. But the aftermath of the mask was that my skin was a little plumper with moisture. It might be better for dry skin types.

Rating: 2/5

Would I buy again: No, it’s too rich for my combi-oily skin.

Review: My Beauty Diary Strawberry Yogurt Mask

Item Reviewed: My Beauty Diary Strawberry Yogurt Mask

Price/pack size: S$1.50/piece

Available at: MadAboutSprees

Description: For whitening, pore refining & oil control. Suitable for normal to combi-oily skins.

Usage: Place mask on skin after toner, for 20-30 minutes. Excess essence can be gently massaged into skin – no need to rinse off. Follow with usual moisturizer to lock in the nutrients.

Review: I was doing some clearance sale and found that I still have a couple of pieces of this mask so I decided to give my skin a treat. I have always liked MBD masks as they smell really nice and I don’t have any adverse reaction to their masks. This was no different from the other masks I’ve tried from MBD.

The scent of this strawberry yogurt mask is distinctively strawberry milk, very yummy! I was craving for strawberry milk the whole time I had the mask on. The mask was well soaked with the essence but yet not too wet and drippy. I could sit upright and watch TV comfortably while using the mask. Despite being in an aircon room, the mask sheet was still slightly wet with essence after 20 minutes.

I removed the mask and quickly massaged my face to let it absorb the remaining essence. There was no need to rinse my face, unlike other masks I’ve used, as the essence absorbed into my skin quickly and wasn’t sticky at all. In fact, my skin was matte and bouncy with moisture! The next day, the pores on the sides of my nose were slightly smaller. There wasn’t a glow or brightening effect though – I usually get that effect with MBD’s White Rose & Pearl Powder masks.

Rating: 3/5

Would I buy again: Hmm… I’m on the fence with this product. Like the scent but not much WOW effects.

Review: The Body Shop Blue Corn Mask

Item Reviewed: The Body Shop Blue Corn 3-in-1 Deep Cleansing Scrub Mask

Price/pack size: S$29.90 / 100ml

Available at: All TBS retail outlets

Description: A 3-in-1 mask that deeply cleanses, exfoliates and moisturises the skin in one easy step. It leaves the skin feeling clean, smooth and balanced.

Usage: Cleanse skin and pat dry before applying a generous layer of the mask to the face, avoiding the eye and lip areas. Leave on for 10 to 15 minutes before rinsing with warm water (mask will not dry).  Use one to two times per week after cleansing.

Review: This is hardcore stuff! TBS’s Blue Corn Mask reminds me of wall putty, dry and pasty. It doesn’t take much to get an even layer on skin and it dries fairly fast, taking about 6-7 minutes for the mask to be ready to be washed off. It did sting a little when I first put it on, especially around the corners of my nose where the skin is thinner. However, once you get used to it, the sting goes away. I like to wet my hands a little and scrub my face before rinsing it off. However, those with sensitive skin and/or those who didn’t like St Ives apricot scrub might want to skip this as I find that the Blue Corn mask is even harsher than St Ives.

The mask rinses off cleanly and my skin always looks fresher and more even-toned after using the mask. I usually alternate this mask and Innisfree volcanic clay mask as I’m afraid the intensive scrubbing action of the Blue Corn mask may be too much for me.

Rating: 3/5

Would I buy again: Hmm… I’m on the fence with this product.

Review: Innisfree Jeju Volcanic Pore Clay Mask

Item Reviewed: Innisfree Jeju Volcanic Pore Clay Mask

Price/pack size: S$? / 100ml jar

Available at: Via Gmarket or check for my selling post

Ingredients: [Active Ingredients] Volcanic Clay

Description: Enriched with Volcanic Clay from Jeju Island. Clean pores and takes care of your skin.

Usage: Apply after washing your face, and leave for 10~15 minutes. Wash off the mask. (1~2 times a week).

Review: Since I did a cleanup in the toiletries cupboard and chucked several expired masks away (bye St Ives Mineral Clay Masks! You expired in 2007!!), I told myself it’s alright to buy some to replace the thrown outs. Hehe. So I threw samples of the Innisfree Jeju Volcanic Pore Clay Mask into my Gmarket basket and paid up. Glad I did. Samples are so much more convenient as I will always have a fresh pack and I can just throw a sachet into my traveling bag!

The clay mask is very creamy, almost like a pudding cream, and it is greyish in colour. Kinda reminds me of a BB cream! A sachet contains 4ml, just the right amount for one application, perhaps slightly more. I just layer it on thick and continue to do my stuff and surf the Internet while the mask is working its magic on my skin, sucking out all the impurities. Volcanic clay sounds very harsh for the skin, but surprisingly, it isn’t! The mask dries pretty quickly and without you knowing as it doesn’t dry to a tight, uncomfortable mask, cracking as you attempt to make funny faces. It’s like a comfortable microfibre cloth, if you wanna know how it feels like on the skin. It washes off easily too, and doesn’t stain the skin. After rinsing off the mask, say hello to a brightened complexion that is finer and smoother to touch.

There isn’t much (English) information on the Web but I gathered from various sources that the PCM is free of several things, namely: artificial flavours, artificial colours, animal ingredients, mineral oil, alcohol and chemical synthesis irritant! Me likey very much! If you’re acne prone, you might get a pimple or two after using the mask as it promises to clear pores (which will bring the nasty gunk up to surface). I say that because I’ve gotten a pimple on my left cheek hours after using the mask, but I managed to get the ‘head’ out and apply pimple gel afterwards, so it’s all good now.

Update 6 Jan: I really like this mask now. Used it for a regular weekly skin ‘detox’ and after rinsing the mud mask off, the pores on the side of my nose were super small and refined! I seriously got a shock because I haven’t been paying attention to them lately. My pores are well-known for being crater-like so I’m really pleased that I now have a chance at having small pores!

Rating: 4.5/5 (don’t like jar packaging for masks – say hi to bacteria!!!)

Would I buy again: Yes!

Review: B.Liv Glow and Shine mask

Item Reviewed: Glow and Shine mask

Price/pack size: US$25 (50ml)

Available at: Online – Sasa and Guardian stores in Singapore.

Ingredients:

Purified Water (Aqua), Zinc Oxide, Glycerin, Koalin, Hexyldecanol, Silica, Polysorbate 20, Cetearyl Alcohol, Lactic Acid, Stearic Acid, Bentonite, Cetyl Alcohol, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate, Diazolidinyl Urea, Menthyl Lactate, Methylparaben, Papaya Enzyme (Papain), Fragrance, Propylparaben.

Description: Glow & Shine deeply exfoliates damaged, scarred or unhealthy skin, to reveal the smooth, flawless complexion lurking within. It also lightens and brightens the dull and uneven-toned face, to make one’s inner glow and shine rise to the surface.

Use Glow and Shine once a week:-

1. Wash your face.

2. Apply a thick layer over your face and neck after cleansing. Leave on for 5-10 minutes. Avoid the lip and eye area

Review:

The mask was a sample from B.Liv’s PR team and I remembered Xiaxue reviewing it before so I was quite pleased to receive it. However, I was soon disappointed by the lack of thought that went into designing the sample packaging.

The mask is a thick paste, almost like wall plaster, so it took all of my strength to squeeze the mask out from the small bottle (made from hard plastic). The first time I used it, I only applied a thin layer since it was difficult getting the mask out. I had to use both hands to squeeze the bottle, then had to quickly ‘catch’ the mask before it drops into the sink.

Second time I used it, I pulled off the squeeze tip with a pair of scissors and used the end of a cotton bud and a clean blackhead extractor to ‘dig’ the mask out. Even then, it took me close to 10 minutes before I was able to cover my face with a thick layer, as instructed. TIRING.

The mask contains tiny beads that helps exfoliate the skin as you apply it and wash it off later. I’m not sure if I was supposed to let the mask dry as it was already pretty dry and remained the same texture close to 15 minutes later. As I rinsed the mask off, I gently scrubbed it over my face and the pores on the sides of my nose were slightly reduced. The scrubby bits didn’t make my acne scars more obvious though I thought they were a little bit too harsh.

You definitely have to use a moisturizer after that as it’s quite drying. I could feel my cheeks getting tight after I dabbed the water off.

I don’t think I’ll get the full-sized product as the dry texture of the mask and lousy packaging were quite a hassle for me.

Rating: 2/5

Would I buy again: No.

* A sample of Off with those Heads was received by me, from b.liv.

Etude House Moistfull mask

Picture credits: Musings of a Muse

Item Reviewed: Etude House Moistfull mask

Price/pack size: S$3.90

Available at: Etude House
Please contact me via email (psawyerbeauty@gmail.com) if you’re interested to buy.

Ingredients:

Description: (it was all in Korean, I couldn’t understand)

Review: After weeks of using acne products (adapalene, PHA lotion, BP and occasionally Retin-A), my skin was peeling slightly. It was difficult to put on makeup. So last night, I decided to put on a sheet mask and chose the Etude House Moistfull mask that I received free when I bought some stuff a few months ago.

Opening the foil packet, the mask was a standard one, folded up neatly, soaking wet with essence. It had a slight fragrance that I didn’t really like, but then I couldn’t avoid it as most skincare brands would have their distinctive fragrance. Anyway, the mask was a little too small for me – the forehead fitted nicely but the jawline wasn’t fully covered. It was weird because most masks that I have used were all too big for me.

I left it on for 20mins or so, then removed it. The remaining essence absorbed into my skin quickly and easily with some patting. I applied some AC Red Spot Balm on the acne scars and ended last night’s skincare regimen. This morning I woke up, my face wasn’t overly oily as it was usually. The flaky patches that I had last night, were also gone this morning. That’s a sign that the mask worked, I tell you.

Rating: 4/5

Would I buy again: No, I couldn’t get past the fragrance.

Review: My Beauty Diary Lavender mask

Price: ~S$1.70/piece from Guardian pharmacies
Please contact me via email (psawyerbeauty@gmail.com) if you’re interested to buy.

Review: I like to use this mask when my skin is feeling particularly blotchy and sensitive, especially when the mask has been in the fridge. The lavender scent is very relaxing (I love lavender!). The essence absorbs into the skin easily and moisturizes the skin.

The main purpose of the lavender mask would be to moisturize and relax the user’s senses. And while it doesn’t have other properties like brightening, or oil control, it is a good basic mask which you can use daily without any problems.

Rating: 5/5

Would I buy again: Yes

Review: My Beauty Diary Mixed Berries Mask

Item Reviewed: My Beauty Diary Mixed Berries Mask

Price: ~S$1.70/piece from Guardian pharmacies
Please contact me via email (psawyerbeauty@gmail.com) if you’re interested to buy.

Ingredients:
Mixed berries extracts and green tea extracts.

Description:
For dull, dehydrated skin. Helps to even skintone, brighten skin and tighten.

Review: I am always excited to use a My Beauty Diary mask because they smells sooooo good! This Mixed Berry mask smells like a berry smoothie/yogurt.

It felt very comfortable to have the mask on for the intended 30 mins, in fact, I think I left it on for almost 50 mins – it was still a little moist with essence even then! Upon removing, my skin was instantly brighter and moisturized (my test area was the sides of my nose which were VERY dry and cracked due to the AHA cleanser and adapalene I was using). The remaining essence on my face absorbed very quickly and wasn’t sticky at all.

I love the mask so much that I have even asked my colleague if his girlfriend had more to spare, I’d gladly buy it from her!!

Rating: 5/5

Would I buy again: Yes