💕😌 2024 Masking Challenge 😌💖

[eshoe]

Welcome to the 2024 Masking Challenge! 

This year is going to be a little different - simplified. Easy. Every month will have a new theme, and that's it. Feel free to join in whenever and wherever. Most importantly - have fun!

Spring Fling - Baskets and bouquets, showers of much-anticipated rain...this month's focus is herbal and floral sensory delights 💮

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January	Fresh Starts - Time for a re-set, or morning masking? However you see it, this month is all about new beginnings.
February	Winter Love - Whether it's a mask you adore, or something extra-special to care for dry winter skin, this month is for some soothing TLC.
March	March Madness - Competition is in the air! Find a $ dupe of a $$$ mask that is share-worthy? Or find a dupe that works even better than the original? Details, please!
April	Spring Fling - Baskets and bouquets, showers of much-anticipated rain...this month's focus is herbal and floral sensory delights.
May	Dew Drops - May Day lore says to wash your face in the dew you collect in the morning of the first day of May for radiant skin. This month is for absorbing all of that good-for-you H2O.
June	Summer Sunshine - Ice cream, sunglasses, SPF, check! Once the sun is down (or before it's up), extra care is most necessary. How do you give your skin cooling repair?

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

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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, fit, adherence, mask type (hydrating, brightening, exfoliating, detox, sleeping, etc.) as well as your overall experience.

Most importantly: Would you repurchase it? 

Second most important: Have fun and merry masking!

2023 Mask of the Week Challenge

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2022 Mask of the Week Challenge

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2021 Mask of the Week Challenge

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2020 Mask of the Week Challenge:

https://community.sephora.com/t5/Skincare-Aware/2020-Mask-of-the-Week-Challenge-PART-1/m-p/4995162/h...

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   

Thank you @Aaliaa for starting this thread, and giving us a place to share our love for masks💗

[WinglessOne]

Multi-masking was the perfect theme to follow last night. Over the last 3 or 4 days, I was very lazy about skincare. Within that timeframe, I went 48 hours without washing my face at all, except for a quick wipe-down with a Koh Gen Do wipe one morning. 😬 I hadn’t exfoliated in at least 4 days and I’d skipped 2 retinol nights. So, last night I was in full maintenance mode: 

4 of the 5 masks I used last night (yes, the lip scrub counts as a mask, at least the way I use it).

Quick notes on everything but the sheet mask: 

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• SEPHORA COLLECTION Clean Lip Balm & Scrub Dragonfruit - applied it as a moisturizing + antioxidant lip mask, left it on during the oat mask (see next bullet), and rinse-wiped it off along with that mask. This new “clean" version feels less waxy than the old "dirty" version, but also less scrubby. Not sure I like that tradeoff. I'll have to use this new version a few more times before deciding. 
• The INKEY List Oat Makeup Removing Cleansing Balm 5 oz/ 150 mL as an oat mask - I’ve reviewed this balm in this thread before. I used it last night to cut through all the oil on my face and help calm my skin, then left it on my face. 10 minutes later, I rubbed my usual PM cleanser (Paula’s Choice Hydralight) over this mask and rinsed everything off for happily soft and clean skin. 
• The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Exfoliating Peeling Solution 1 oz/ 30 mL - this was my first time using it, though I had the unopened bottle in my Try It box for months. I went the full 10 minutes before rinsing it off. Thankfully, it didn’t burn my face off like I feared it would. In fact, I think I heard my face say “aaaah thank you, I so needed this peel” after I rinsed it off. Will definitely keep this peel in once-a-week (or once every other week) rotation. It doesn't scare me anymore! 
• A sheet mask - details on that in a bit. 
• Drunk Elephant F-Balm™ Electrolyte Waterfacial Mask 1.69 oz/ 50 mL (received as gratis from Sephora) - okay, technically I don't use this as a sleep mask. I occasionally use it as a moisturizer, and only during warm weather because it fails miserably in colder temps. Last night I figured it'd be a good fairly lightweight hydrating + moisturizing layer after my humectant sheet mask. 

The sheet mask was LuLuLun Hokkaido Premium Mask - Honey. Since I must limit my topical use of honey, this will likely be my only honey product for the week. 

I might need to hunt down more boxes of this mask.

Sheet mask notes: 

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Claims: Hydrates, nourishes, and smooths skin; provides a fresh glow. 

Ingredients: Bees in Hokkaido made this mask’s honey from linden flowers. Linden flower extract is full of antioxidants (specifically, flavonoids) and has water-binding properties. I don’t know how much (if any) antioxidant goodness is lost during the conversion from nectar to bee spit, but we all know the skincare benefits of honey so, one way or another, this has to be a good thing. 

The back of this sleeve is written in Japanese, so I had to translate this ingredients list. It’s a refined mix of the Google Translate app (via photo scan on my iPhone), Chrome’s translator (via LuLuLun’s Japanese site), a bit of searching/checking to figure out a couple of obviously mistranslated words, and a fun bit of “how much Japanese do I even remember from 20 years ago?” (Once upon a long time ago, I had conversant/advanced beginner proficiency in Japanese language.) Anyway, that’s why this list says “tea leaf extract” instead of a specific type of tea. 😄 I assume it’s green tea but I’ll leave it generic. 

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Water, glycerin, propanediol, honey, gentian root extract, tea leaf extract, perilla leaf extract, glycyrrhizic acid 2K, xanthan gum, sodium citrate, citric acid, PEG-40 hydrogenated castor oil, methylparaben, phenoxyethanol, fragrance, BG* 
*Included as additives for plant extracts. 

Performance: This mask uses LuLuLun’s old style of sheet, with eyehole inner corner notches and tall nose slits. I can usually stretch this type of sheet enough to cover my whole jaw, and that worked great for this honey mask. The eyeholes were a bit smaller than I’d like but, thanks to the notches, no material overlapped my eyes so I did no trimming. 

The sheet was full of clear watery serum. I got a handful of extra serum from the sleeve, which I pressed over the sheet on my face and applied to my neck and chest. This mask has a light scent that’s surprisingly not the honey bomb I expected. It smells much more like linden flowers than honey. Since linden’s one of my favorite scents, I didn’t mind it at all. My skin tingled a bit in a couple places under this mask, probably thanks to that 30% AHA peel I used earlier. 

I went 30 minutes with this mask and spent 4 minutes massaging and pressing residual serum. Then I wrung the still-wet sheet and got nearly a handful of additional serum. I patted and pressed 3 layers of that into my oily zone (on and around my nose), undereyes, and cheeks—the places my skin’s been very dehydrated lately, due to my skincare laziness. That took another 5-10 minutes. After all that, my dry finger test caused no pilling. I did have a lot of tack though, even in areas that’d only gotten one layer of serum. That’s unsurprising since this is a honey mask. 

Results: Calm, plump, hydrated, and glowy skin. Seriously, this mask is a glow maker. My surface redness was greatly reduced, though not completely gone. All my forehead fine lines were nearly plumped away: I needed a 10x mirror to see them at all. My undereye lines were softened. Best of all, the angry flaky dry patches in my oily zone were gone and my nose actually looked hydrated instead of greasy-yet-dry. (Anyone with dehydrated oily skin knows what I mean.) 

I didn’t rush for moisturizer, as I could feel my skin drawing moisture from the air. This is now the second honey mask that’s had the desired humectant effect on my skin, rather than let the air leach moisture from my skin. (The other one is the Abib Mild Acidic pH Sheet Mask - Honey Fit.) After a few minutes, I misted my face, neck, and chest with cica water toner and then applied Drunk Elephant F-Balm as a moisturizer. 

This mask comes one to a sleeve, 5 sleeves to a box. I don’t think it’s available anymore but LLL might bring it back again, I dunno. Meanwhile, I wish I’d bought more than one box whenever I ordered these… I’m not sure how long ago that was. I’ll have to save a couple to use this fall, and at least one for winter. 

[haleyvvvv]

Oooh, I hope this mask is brought back, @WinglessOne!! It sounds amazing!! 

[eshoe]

I’m very curious how well the lip scrub will do over time, @WinglessOne. I have the ‘dirty’ version and it seemed like it went rancid after only a few months. 

Besides just how good the mask sounds, I love the compact packaging. It just seems mindful🤷🏻‍♀️

[Shosh85]

@WinglessOne Oh darn! It's a bummer these aren't available because it sounds wonderful! I always love the packaging on these. 😃

[WinglessOne]

@Shosh85  I just checked YesStyle and they have them! Hooray! They still have a few other LLL travel series varieties, too. 

LuLuLun released a cherry (sakura) premium mask this spring and I can't find it anywhere—well, for a reasonable price—and I need to stop searching for it, because that only leads to buying all the other masks I find during my search. 🤣

[l8totheparty]

That LuLuLun mask sounds absolutely delightful, @WinglessOne ! Enjoy the rest of them 😊

[sonnydee]

E for Expensive & Extreme measure Omorovicza UltraMoor mud mask Fit? it's a mud mask Smell?strong, herbal. You don't really smell it on Consistency? grey clay, but creamy. Easily spreadable with a brush Ease of use? it does dry & tighten. Not GG tight but it's noticeable.. Would I  purchase/try again?yes, I have a couple of DS & would buy a FS if I had to, when I'm out. Around the holidays they usually put out mask/products sets, this mask is expensive & a set makes the price a bit easier to swallow. A DS size would give you multiple applications. I only use it when my face is really acting up {Extreme measure} & its lasted me. 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤 that price though😣

[eshoe]

I suppose it’s time to start thinking about holiday sets, @sonnydee - this is a good reminder! The smaller jars are better for this brand, it seems-less chance they will expire before you can make it through the entire jar:)

[Shosh85]

@sonnydee  Definitely a hefty price tag, but I'm happy to hear this helps your skin!

[itsfi]

Love your E’s for this mask @sonnydee! 🖤 The scent on Omorovicza products are stronger than I usually care for, but I will try to push through it most of the time for their masks!  😂 The holiday sets they put out are some of the best bang for your buck sets out there! Expensive but effective!! ♥️

[itsfi]

Meant to use this trio during one of the “B” weeks (bubbles, bear & boscia) 😉 but got busy with other things, so I decided to give ‘em a go for last week’s bubbling theme  (fun theme idea @Aaliaa! Hope you and your loved ones are well. Miss you!)

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Bubbling masks are not ones I usually reach for, but I have found a few favorites, in both the wash-off version and the sheet mask/wash-off format.  The GlamGlow InstaMud @sonnydee used last week is my second favorite mask when it comes to the bubbling/foaming mask category. NO:HJ produces some nice sheet masks in pretty packaging. This NO:HJ Black Intracell Boosting Mask was from a subscription box and we’re coming up on the due date (2 other D's for D week!). 

The NO:HJ Black Intracell Boosting Mask is a black charcoal rayon sheet mask saturated in a soft, grapefruit scented essence that begins to foam up very quickly once the mask is removed from the packet and exposed to air. The mask claims to remove dead skin cells, excess sebum and blackheads, as well as balance and moisturize the skin. That seems like a tall order, but also something that might be well suited for my currently dehydrated-combo (oily T-zone, dry elsewhere) skin. After the bubbles have formed, instructions call for removing the sheet mask, massaging the bubbles into the skin and then washing off the essence. 

I didn't experience any tingling or stinging from the essence, but as is the case with many bubbling masks, some foam came very close to my eye and nose during the 10 minutes I had on the mask. Interestingly, the bubbles that remain on my face transform into a soft cream of sorts as I massage it into my skin. It does take some effort to wash off the mask and I suggest doing so in the shower or having a wash cloth on hand to help with any film that remains after the initial efforts to rinse off the mask by splashing water on your face. Results are mixed for me. On the one hand, my face does feel cleansed after using this mask; that I find is common for bubble masks of this type. Also, the oilier parts of my face look and feel less oily. A plus in my book. On the other hand, the drier parts of my face as well as some of the less oilier parts feel tight, and dry. Sigh. 😔 This seems better  suited for oilier skin types. 

The Miniso x Cartoon Network We Bare Bears Deep Hydrating Eyes Mask helped to add a little bit of hydration back, and I ended up going with a more hydrating/moisturizing skincare routine for the next few days afterwards to help keep my skin nourished. Thank you @keana1, the eye mask came in handy. In addition to the hydration boost, I love how thin the eye mask is and how soft it feels against the skin. 💗💕 Before the stay-at-home, I was able to find a box of these at the local Miniso. 👍🏼 

[lmaster]

@itsfi I never had issues with bubble masks being too drying until recently,, now I'm going to try to use a hydrating serum before applying the mask to see if that helps any

[eshoe]

This is such a good tip, I need to remember it as well next time I use a bubble mask @lmaster @itsfi!

[lmaster]

Yep @eshoe @itsfi I think that might help, @itsfi do you use a toner or mist before a bubble mask?

[itsfi]

@lmaster, spritzing a mist on your face might help too. Instructions for most sheet masks usually say to apply toner or essence first. I normally apply my mask after my serums but with bubbling masks since I need to wash it off after, I use them right after cleansing. Keep us posted on if it helps to use a hydrating serum beforehand.

[lmaster]

@itsfi ok just answered my question lol 

[lmaster]

@itsfi yep! And I usually do, when I seen this was a wash off mask, I didn't even bother, now seeing what happened, I definitely will even with a bubble mask

[itsfi]

Same here @lmaster! Though I also wonder if it would help if I cut down on the time I have on a bubble sheet mask? I'm sure I have another bubble sheet mask in my bin. I may try that next time, but maybe just keep it on until the foam covers most of my face? Hmmm... 

[lmaster]

@itsfi I know the one I just used said 20 minutes, I think 10 would be more than sufficient

[Shosh85]

@itsfi  Love the triple B's!
All the bubble masks I've ever tried makes my skin feel tight and dry - too bad this one had the same results!

The We Bare Bears line is so cute! Glad to hear the eye patches performed well!

[itsfi]

The We Bare Bears eye masks have been a lovely find @Shosh85. The materials is so thin that it clings to the skin, in a good way. Sad that the company is closing down.