ARCHIVE - 2020 Mask of the Week Challenge! - PART 1

[eshoe]

Please join us on Part II of this year’s challenge:

https://community.sephora.com/t5/Skincare-Aware/2020-Mask-of-the-Week-Challenge-PART-II/m-p/5433327/...

Welcome to a new year of masking adventures! ***The second half of the year thread will be up June 28th (or earlier), thank you for the suggestion @heartsmyface, @Kim888 & @quspork!***  

Thank you @Aaliaa for starting this thread and giving us a place to share our love for masks💗 Below is the 2020 schedule. Post as frequently or infrequently as you would like, with or without following the challenge. We love hearing about every masking experience, and suggestions are always welcome. Looking forward to sharing some new masking 💖 with you all this year!

This Week’s Theme: Masking Duel - Dare to compare 2 (or more!) masks in one session

Letters of the Week: “Z” and “A”

Spoiler

Jan 1 - Jan 5	A & Z	Mask Stash Clean-Out! Finish those masks before they expire.	l8totheparty/ShortErica
Jan 6 - 12	B & Y	Masks that Make you Hungry	itsfi
Jan 13 - 19	C & X	Favourite Mask in your regular routine - What do you buy in bulk, so you always have it on hand in case of masking emergency?	itsfi
Jan 20 - 26	D & W	Clean Week - Masks that give your skin a boost without the guilt	eshoe
Jan 27 - Feb 2	E & V	Transportation Masking	@lmaster/@ShortErica/@missjeanie
Feb 3 - 9	F & U	Best fitting mask - Mask that best fits your facial features	PrettyPaint
Feb 10 - 16	G & T	Special Occasion Masks - the mask(s) you use to pamper yourself	itsfi
Feb 17 - 23	H & S	Gross Masks - whether it's the scent or results, share the details please!	Aaliaa
Feb 24 - Mar 1	I & R	Snubbed It: Masks you don't want to use & are continually passed over	ShortErica
Mar 2 - 8	J & Q	Female Owned Brands - In honour of Women's Day March 8th	Aaliaa
Mar 9 - 15	K & P	Masks Good Enough to Eat	heartsmyface
Mar 16 - 22	L & O	Sample that made you buy the FS - You tried it, and decided to buy it!	itsfi
Mar 23 - 29	M & N	Favourite Smelling Masks - Watermelon, Kale, Spa??
Mar 30 - Apr 5	N & M	Mask While You Task	l8totheparty
Apr 6 - 12	O & L	Most Outrageous Mask Claims	ShortErica
Apr 13 - 19	P & K	Hi-Lo Week: Mix or duel of $$$$ and $ masks
Apr 20 - 26	Q & J	Sample Dive - I know we have them!	Aaliaa
Apr 27 - May 3	R & I	Targeted Skin Concern - Mask to address a current skin issue	PrettyPaint
May 4 -10	S & H	Overnight Masks - Sleeping miracles in a jar
May 11 - 17	T & G	Mask with a Partner	Alphaboo
May 18 - 24	U & F	Vitamins Week - masks that nourish your skin with vitamins and minerals	kim888
May 25 - 31	V & E	Best/Cutest Printed Mask	Shosh85
Jun 1 - 7	W & D	Mask that best describes your personality or mood	PrettyPaint
Jun 8 - 14	X & C	Fruits & Veggies Week - masks that use natural goodness to nourish your skin	Keana1
Jun 15 - 21	Y & B	Forgotten Wonders - Shop your stash for an unloved mask	missjeannie
Jun 22 - 28	Z & A	Masking Duel - Dare to compare 2 (or more!) masks in one session	eshoe
Jun 29 - Jul 5	A & Z	Masking Pet Peeves - use a mask that has some component that drives you crazy!	ShortErica
Jul 6 - 12	B & Y	Masking Hacks - share your masking secrets that make your life easier and your skin happy	eshoe
Jul13 - 19	C & X	Lip, Hand or Foot Masks to help that summer skin
Jul 20 - 26	D & W	’Weird Mask' Bubbling, Peeling, Colour changing other worldly wonders!	Aalia
Jul 27 - Aug 2	E & V	Multi-Masking How many masks can you use at one time or in One Day??
Aug 3 - 9	F & U	Blind Pick Your Mask - Let's make it fun to use the masks in our stash!	veronika23
Aug 10 - 16	G & T	Sheet Mask Focus - from cotton to cupra, coconut gel to bio cellulose, what are your favorites and why?
Aug 17 - 23	H & S	Drugstore & Grocery Brands Week	eshoe
Aug 24 - 30	I & R	3-Step Masks/Multi-Step Masks	heartsmyface
Aug 31 - Sep 6	J & Q	Rainbow Week - Bring out the colorful masks in every hue	Sonnydee
Sep 7 - 13	K & P	Autumn Masks - Fall goodness in a mask
Sep 14 - 20	L & O	When you are getting GLAM for a night out and want that inner GLOW
Sep 21 - 27	M & N	BIC Made you do it! Masks recommended/inspired by other BIC members
Sep 28 - Oct 4	N & M	Sephora Collections Week - House Brand Goodness
Oct 5 - 11	O & L	Masks that Make you Hungry - Fall/Winter Edition	itsfi
Oct 12 - 18	P & K	Forgotten Wonders - Shop your stash for an unloved mask
Oct 19 - 25	Q & J	Overnight Masks - Sleeping miracles in a jar
Oct 26 - Nov 1	R & I	Masking Duel Week II
Nov 2 - 8	S & H	Buddy Up! Dare to compare the same mask with another BIC-er	eshoe
Nov 9 - 15	T & G	Gross/Odd/Unusual Ingredients - Spirulina, donkey milk, bee venom, snail mucous - what masks have you used that have strange ingredients?	Aaliaa
Nov 16 - 22	U & F	Flash Masks - masks that do doubly duty in half the time	eshoe
Nov 23 - 29	V & E	Morning Masking - Masks that help give a pep to your step
Nov 30 - Dec 6	W & D	Mask that would make a good band name (kinda silly, I know)	PrettyPaint
Dec 7 - 13	X & C	Holiday Party Prep Mask
Dec 14 - 20	Y & B	Most Artistic Sheet Mask	Kim888
Dec 21 - 27	Z & A	Favourite Masks of All-Time	itsfi
Dec 28 - 31	123	Masks you discovered this year

Mask of the Week Misc. Info & Previous Year's Links:

Spoiler

To Post:
Each week features a different theme, as well as a letter of the alphabet for coming up with new masking ideas. 

Please include the brand and name of the mask you are trying out, as well as a photo if possible. Any other details are greatly appreciated, including scent, if it's an exfoliating mask (include acid info if known), your overall experience, and whether or not you would repurchase. Don't forget to include a grade (thanks to @ShortErica for the idea) to help others along the way.

Most importantly, have fun and merry masking!

Mask Hacks - Here are a few to get started thanks to our lovely BIC-ers, a big thank you for these fabulous ideas!

Spoiler

Trim off long chin and add to forehead for sheet masks	itsfi
Squeeze tube lip balms (like Bite) into pans and place in magnetic palette	sonnydee
Layer lip sleeping mask (such as Laneige) over regular balm	cianni
Derma plane prior to a peel-off mask to ease the pain of removal	heartsmyface
Warm water helps remove clay masks quicker than cold	cianni
Lay sheet masks flat prior to use so the serum is more evenly distributed	eshoe
Remove clay/difficult masks in the shower to keep towel clean and removal easy	itsfi/BIC
Use an HA serum prior to trying a mask with alcohol high on the ingredients list	keana1
Use a Makeup Eraser to remove wash-off masks	lmaster
With a detox mask, apply a thicker layer where pores are	Ather
Use a resurfacing exfoliating spray (such as Kate Somerville’s Liquid ExfoliKate) before a detox mask to better clear out your pores	Miamia27
Re-use a large sample jar for a blank sheet mask pellet and fill it with essence/toner	Itsfi
Use a nail clippers to trip a mask if scissors are not on hand	ShortErica

2019 Mask of the Week Challenge:
https://community.sephora.com/t5/Skincare-Aware/2019-Mask-of-the-Week-Challenge/m-p/4497678/highligh...
2018 Mask of the Week Challenge:

https://community.sephora.com/t5/Skincare-Aware/Mask-of-the-Week-Challenge/td-p/3615125 

NEW!!! Got an idea for next year's challenge? Let me know! Was there a challenge you'd rather not repeat? Share below, so we can start building the 2021 schedule:

Spoiler

https://forms.gle/JYfmPU7YXR4k6Sb19 

[itsfi]

That's awesome (and motivational) that your mask stash is at a good place @faeriegirl! The sales are hard because there's such good ones out there. I keep reminding myself that when it comes to sheet masks (and skincare in general), there's always new products, with new, more innovative technology and good-for-the-skin ingredients coming out, so there'll always be something amazing. It's fun to shop your stash during sheet mask no-buys. 

[missjeanie]

Okay @itsfi , I’ve gotta ask.... what is the target range?? I feel like I’d love to have a more curated collection... but I’ve been obsessed with mask purchasing this year lol

[itsfi]

"I’ve been obsessed with mask purchasing this year" - it happens, @missjeanie; ohhhh, it definitely happens. 😉 

Spoiler

Everyone’s target range is different. At the moment, mine is 80 – 100. I say “at the moment” because it has changed. Before my target was 150 - that was when I had a very challenging time of editing and I had major FOMO and felt like I needed to pick up every mask that looked interesting to me.

Ideally, I’d like to get to a place where I can keep a sheet mask library of 50 - 60 masks at any given time. For me, based on my pattern of shopping for masks as well as my masking routine and work schedule, 80 – 100 (over a rolling 3-month period) seems workable at the moment and it allows me to be, if I want to be, more seasonally conscious / selective when it comes to the masks I have on hand, while still having a reserve for the past season and the upcoming one. I’m probably somewhere in the 80-88 range as of yesterday (there are a few mask that I may be handing off to a friend tonight if she wants them), but I did pick up a handful of masks today during small business Saturday.  😉

If we take the high end of my range, 100, my stash is generally made up of the following categories of masks:

*  30 masks – daily masking (whether in a pack or individually wrapped masks that I’ve earmarked as daily masking sheet masks for a particular month) – I am going to aim for daily sheet masking once per quarter in 2020, so this is where the 30 comes in.
*  20 – 30 masks – masks that I most likely would have picked up online and that are masks I’ve used before and know to work well for my skin.

*  25 – 30 masks – these are usually individually wrapped, different masks, often completely new-to-me masks or they are from a brand/line that I’ve tried and like and this is a different varietal in the line/brand.

*  5 – 10 masks – likely from TJ Maxx / Marshalls. I tend to only pick up masks that I’ve used before or am familiar with the brand. These masks sometimes are part of the 20-30 masks in the second category.

My plan is to be on a sheet-mask no buy through mid-January. I may take a break from the no-buy to pick up limited edition sheet masks that come out for the Lunar New Year but I’ll cap it at 10 masks, and then I’m thinking about putting myself on a no-buy as far as sheet masks are concerned until I get down to 30 – 50 sheet masks.

[ShortErica]

That sounds like a great place to be @itsfi! I've toned down my want to stop by Marshalls and hopefully will whittle down my collection in 2020. Go you!

[itsfi]

Yeah @ShortErica, it can help with paring down your collection by knowing (and avoiding) the places from where you primarily source your sheet masks.

[missjeanie]

This is goals @itsfi ! I feel like I go some weeks where I’m masking daily, then others where I’m lucky to get one in. I’d love to be around 150-200 which I think is more realistic for me. However with my binge buying this year... I’ve somehow likely gotten up to 500ish? I’m too scared to count! My biggest problem is that I need to stop buying 10 packs. 
i lové that you’ve got a great concept of how many of different types of masks you need on hand while still having a nice variety. 
I’m going to consider this past year my year of learning, hopefully next year I’ll be able to be better at choosing individual masks that are more suited to my skin. 

[l8totheparty]

@missjeanie it sounds like you and I have similar goals- 2019 was for figuring out what masks we like, and 2020 for working out a comfortable number of masks in a collection for our skin (and as mentioned by @itsfi  ). Cheers! 

I do wonder how to go about using up the masks that are just ok?  Something to ponder. 

[missjeanie]

@l8totheparty not gonna lie... I've contemplated using sheet masks as a body masks... I could use a few on my butt and decollate lol.  I know that some masks that weren't the biggest winners for me are great for others though, especially some that aren't specific to moisturizing/brightening which tend to be my go to masks.  I'm planning on giving away a few masks for stockings and little gifts over the holidays so I'll shrink my collection down a bit with a combo of loves and likes.  The 'heck no's' will be trashed at the end of the year in a bit of spring cleaning (at least that's the plan). Once I've done all that I'll likely do some a bit of a donation box for the women shelter in January.  I need to make my 2020 resolution to be more mindful of which masks I'm purchasing and remind myself that if I'm buying boxes of masks, I'm going to be sending more out to friends. 

[l8totheparty]

Smart idea to give some to the shelter! And great idea on masking other body parts. 2020 will be me trying to be more mindful about skincare purchases, since 2019 was all about trying all the things to find what I like. Spoiler: skincare, like blush and eyeshadows, takes a looooooong time to get through. 

@missjeanie 

[itsfi]

Aww thanks @missjeanie! It's taken quite a bit of trial and error to figure out what works best, both for my skin, my schedule and my shopping habits. 😉  

That's a great way to approach it - 2019 is a year of learning about masks and seeing what your skin (and wallet) like and doesn't like. 2020 will be the year of refining your likes / dislikes, a year of fine tuning, if you will. 🙂 

Have you thought about curating your ideal mask count from your current lot and whittling down from there? (I wrote more in the spoiler to keep from taking too much space)

Spoiler

So, if 150-200 is a comfortable number for you, then going through your stash and (1) setting aside all the ones that expire in 2020 and grouping those into ones that expire in the first half of the year vs. the second half of the year; and (2) then pulling out X number that when added with the masks that expire in the first half of the year total 150-200 masks? Put the 150-200 masks somewhere where you can easily see/find/reach for them so that visually seeing them is a reminder to use them. With the other masks, set them aside somewhere else - not completely hidden but not where they would be a distraction from you working through the 150-200 you just curated. The idea (or challenge) would be that you work your way through the 150-200. You can always replenish when you are getting low - or you can restock what you've used up in a month, 2 months, etc. BUT instead of buying new masks, you shop your other stash to replenish / restock what you've already used up?

[missjeanie]

At the beginning of this year I was pulling out a dozen or so masks each week that fit the weekly theme and gave a variety of 'tasks' that they should address. I found that when I did this I had less of an overwhelming pile to choose from nightly.  I'm going to try to get back to that so that I'm sheet masking more often.  Most of my masks are good through 2020 so expiration isn't an issue just yet.  Once January rolls around I'll do an assessment of what I have and see if I can remove some less than great for me masks from my collection. At least that's the plan now lol... we'll see come January. @itsfi 

[itsfi]

Setting aside sheet masks in advance definitely helps @missjeanie. Sometimes you need to take the guess work out of it, right? You can do it! Step by step.

[lmaster]

@itsfi I probably would love this mask, never have I tried a mask that goes down that far either

[itsfi]

Collagen and hyaluronic acid are superstar skincare ingredients in my book. I’ll see if I have notes somewhere of where I purchased this one @lmaster; I think I may have picked it up in a boutique store when I was in Vancouver earlier in the year.

[lmaster]

Well, it sounds marvelous I'm my book too @itsfi 😉

[Shosh85]

@itsfi  I did a no-buy for a few months and while I was proud of myself for sticking to it, I can't say it was easy, but I'm sure you feel the same 😂 Good luck! 🍀 

Soft, smooth, hydrated, plump and bouncy definitely sounds like a mask I need to get my hands on! It m happy it turned out wonderfully for you! 😃👍

[itsfi]

You did great on your no buy @Shosh85! 🙌🏼   Definitely an inspiration. I’m aiming for an initial 6-8 weeks of a sheet mask no buy to start off with and then I’ll see if I’ll extend the no buy or make it a low buy. 😉

[emaisgr8]

FYI

When beauty is having a black friday sale on some bundles.

[eshoe]

I saw that @emaisgr8 still kicking myself for not picking up more when they were on sale at Costco🙄

[Anonymous]

thanks for the tip! also a great deal on the foreo site the ufo is 10$ never hoped for such a discount

[eshoe]

Hope you were able to pick one up, @Anonymous - sounds like a fantastic deal!