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 

[Weetart]

Hah! I know right? @ShortErica

[itsfi]

Last night’s V is for Vanilla bean and Veronika23

I went with a vanilla theme for my masking sesh last night. The Sara Happ Vanilla bean Lip Scrub is one near and dear to my heart – it was my introduction to Sara Happ lip scrubs. This is the old packaging. I’m not sure if the formulation has changed – I mean, one way for me to know is to purchase this lip scrub in the new packaging. Hmmmm…. I mean, twist my arm folks. For research, I’ll do it! 😉 I mean, it’s all in the name of science, right?! Lol.  Love the scrubbiness on this one. Lip scrubs are great all year round but I aim to use a lip scrub at least once a week in the wintertime to keep my lips soft and smooth. The Hurraw Vanilla Bean Lip Balm is an all-natural lip balm that applies smoothly and works nicely to prep my lips before lipstick. I even saw a teeny tiny vanilla bean seed in the balm! The Crème Shop x Hello Kitty Confection Perfection wasn’t perfect fit-wise, but it was perfect where it counted – in its performance! I’m loving the results this morning and it’s one I’d use again (see spoiler for a more detailed review).

Spoiler

I’ve been very pleased with the sheet masks I’ve tried from The Crème Shop and Hello Kitty and Friends collaboration and was so happy to be gifted The Crème Shop x Hello Kitty Confection Perfection Sheet Mask  from the amazing @veronika23 - thank you! The star ingredients in this mask are vanilla, dark chocolate and coconut oil. Are you thinking what I’m thinking? I need to find some dark chocolate to complete this masking sesh! 🙂

This particular sheet mask had been lying flat in my sheet mask bin for some time so before opening the packet, I decided to massage it a little to work the essence/serum in the packet. This is like my version of rotating wine bottles every so often. Hahaha!  Anyhow, I imagine that the essence/serum may pool in one area after a while so my aim in doing this is to try to evenly distribute the essence / serum throughout the mask. 

Form and Function

This adorably packaged sheet mask claims to detoxify pores, reduce the appearance of acne, and moisturize the skin. That sounds like a tall order but if anyone can do it, it’s got to be Hello Kitty, right?! 😉 I was about to find out. The mask itself is what I would consider your standard cotton sheet mask in terms of thickness and weight. There’s not really a discernible scent to this one other than fresh-clean and it was very subtle at that. Unlike some of the sheet masks from this collaboration, there’s no design or illustration on the mask itself. Adherence was fine and fit was … let’s just say that my face was not the fit model for this one – the nose bridge in particular… Oh my! To say it was extra wide is an understatement so my pair of mini scissors was put to good use there, as well as at the chin/jawline area – I snipped off about 1-1/2” of extra material. Other than that, I only needed to make minor snips to the corners of the mouth area and ta da!!! Perfect fit. Lol.

Performance

I’m of the mindset that fit can more often than not be adjusted and the real test is in a mask’s performance. So how did it fare? I’m not sure about the pore detoxifying claims but as far as reducing the appearance of acne – the angriest of my blemishes looked less angry after half an hour of wear time so that’s a plus, and my skin looked fresh faced and hydrated overall. The result I really enjoyed was that this morning my skin looked nourished – it felt soft, clear and nourished – well hydrated and moisturized. There was a nice bounciness to it too. Looks like The Crème Shop and Hello Kitty did it again – I hope that relationship never ends. Thank you again for this mask, @veronika23! 🙂 My skin loooved it. <333

[Shosh85]

@itsfi Can't go wrong with a vanilla theme! Vanilla bean is my favorite! ..... especially the ice cream 😉 

The lippies and mask sound wonderful.. and yummy! Hello Kitty is hard to beat! 😃

[itsfi]

@Shosh85, I love vanilla bean ice cream! 🍨 So tasty! The collab between TCS and HK has been great! The sheet mask say they’re limited edition, but I’d be fine if the collab never ended. Ha! 😆 

[lmaster]

yaaaaaaaay for hello Kitty never letting you down!! @itsfi happy Thanksgiving sweet friend!!

[itsfi]

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family @lmaster! 😘  

[veronika23]

Ohhhh love vanilla!!! Glad you liked it @itsfi  🙂

[itsfi]

Me too @veronika23! Between the vanilla scents and the illustration on the packaging, I feel like baking. lol. Or, maybe I just feel like having the house smell like baked goods and me eating baked goods. Hahaha! Thanks again for sending this my way; my skin thanks you as well! 🙂

[veronika23]

Hahahaha I like all those things! 😄 Oh you are most welcome 🙂 @itsfi 

[Weetart]

Mmm @itsfi vanilla is a good theme.

[itsfi]

@Weetart, I was in B&BW testing out the seasonal goodies and inspiration for the masking theme struck when I tested the vanilla bean scent. 🙂 I do love vanilla bean.

[PrettyPaint]

BIC has been letting post again, hallelujah! And while I can still post, this is a question rather than a review, but hopefully nobody minds if I post it here. Does anyone have an organization system that works well for their sheet masks that they wouldn't mind sharing? It doesn't need to be anything fancy, but I am just hoping for some tips. I am debating if I should organize them by brand name, skin benefit/type, alphabetical, expiration date, etc. For some reason, I can't decide which would work best. Does anyone have any methods that they happen to prefer? Or storage containers even that they would recommend? I really need to do some organizing because it's taking me too long to find what I need. Thanks in advance! 🙂

[veronika23]

@PrettyPaint  good question! Mine aren't really organized... more just all dumped in one plastic bin. 😄  Ok well they are in there by brand...  I usually pull out the ones that will expire soonest and put them in a basket in view so I can reach for those before the rest. So even though I might have masks I wanna try more I'm trying to make sure none go bad first... Not sure if this is helpful or not. 😄

[PrettyPaint]

@veronika23  Totally helpful, thank you! And a good motivation to go through mine and make sure to get the ones closest to expiration out in the front. I think I will continue to store in the plastic bins but maybe use a small basket for masks I plan to use for the week or month. 🙂

[veronika23]

That's a great idea @PrettyPaint! I usually pick out of my basket what I feel my skin needs at the time or if I'm too tired to write some notes about the mask I pick one I've used before. 😄

[itsfi]

@PrettyPaint, this is a great question and, in my mind, perfect to include in this thread. Here’s how I currently organize my sheet masks (though it should be noted that I’m thinking about switching things up a bit but haven’t come up with what I want to do next so I’m also interested in hearing what folks do as well):

I keep my masks in a bin, organized by purpose – I have a section for hydrating masks, brightening masks, moisturizing masks and other masks (i.e., anti-aging, acne and everything else that doesn’t fit into one of the other categories). I then organize the masks within the various categories by size.

In addition to that, I have a separate bag (usually a shopping bag) in the bin where I keep all of the sheet masks that expire in 2019, organized by expiration date.  I pull out the ones that are expire in that month (if I have any and the next one) and put those in a makeup bag that I keep next to the bath towels in my hallway closet or I’ll pull several masks  that I want to use that month and put those in my mini fridge.  If I’ve been diligent about it, I will only have one, sometimes two, masks that expire in the month that I use them.  This weekend I need to go through my masks to pull masks that expire in 2020.

[l8totheparty]

I hadn't even thought to organize by purpose. I've been trying to get through some that expire first.  It's so boring though!  But necessary.  I don't have a system besides singles in a separate basket. I should de-box and organize by purpose and by expiration dates.  @itsfi 

[PrettyPaint]

@itsfi Thank you so much. That's extremely helpful. I agree that it seems to make the most sense to first categorize by purpose.

I keep mine in bins as well, but I wasn't sure what others do. At one point I was stacking them in bins, but then I decided to put them on their sides instead (I noticed an ampoule seemed to have opened up on its own, presumably from the pressure of stacking them). 

I love your idea about pulling out masks that will expire within the year. I will definitely make an effort to do this soon, as I imagine I have must have some that have a 2020 expiration date. 

Thanks again - this was very helpful. If I only had more space, I feel like I could almost think of enough categories to store them in a filing cabinet with folders, labels, etc., though that's probably a bit extreme! 🙂

[itsfi]

@PrettyPaint, I thought about sorting by star ingredient but that can get complicated the more masks you have unless you used broad categories - Fruits; veggies; flowers; aloe; tea; honey; snail - because with my stash, it would get a separate category 😉; and then I would have a category for “unique” ingredients. Hahaha! 😝

[l8totheparty]

Could also sort alphabetically for the sake of the masking thread 😉😉 😊 May encourage masking by theme more (in my case, anyways). @itsfi 

[itsfi]

I think that would work for some @l8totheparty; not sure how it would work with my masks - do I put my apple masks in the A category or with their brands? What about my A’Pieu masks - do they go in the A section or by main ingredient. I could see myself getting confused 🤷🏻‍♀️😆😂