💕😌 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💗

[ShortErica]

Sounds very wonderful @lmaster!

[lmaster]

This one was amazing @ShortErica if only it was a little wider

[itsfi]

I'm so intrigued by this mask @lmaster! The results sound fantastic! I do wonder if the scent was kombucha. Hmmm, how to describe that .. kombucha has a bit of a tart, sharp, almost like vinegar scent, though I think it's less pungent than what I associate with vinegar. Is that similar to the scent you picked up from the mask?

[lmaster]

Yes @itsfi it wasn't exactly like vinegar, maybe a touch sweeter, but the rest of the description is spot on

[itsfi]

That’s kombucha @lmaster!

[lmaster]

I had a feeling @itsfi but wasn't sure 😊 thank you 🙌

[itsfi]

Last bit of catch up from last week, with an apple theme. 🍏 Sunday's V and E was for Vitamin E and as for multi-masking, I'm exercising some creative license here as I check off the multi-masking box with this one since it's technically a two-fer - it's a sheet mask and wash off mask in one! Woo-hoo! 🙌 Thank you to the lovely @l8totheparty for sending this one my way! 🤗

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Mask:	by nature from New Zealand Apple Stem Cells + Vitamin E Rejuvenating Face Mask
Scent:	Fresh, fruity, slightly tart green apples. Delicious!!! 🍏
Intended Purpose:	Rejuvenating and nourishing
Key Ingredients Marketed:	* Apple Stem Cells are said to improve skin's appearance, texture and elasticity * Vitamin E is an antioxidant that helps to prevent skin damage and premature skin aging.
Other Notable Ingredients:	* Aloe juice, hyaluronic acid, and lactic acid * Added fragrance (last ingredient listed)
Performance & Results:	Bright, glowy skin that puts a smile on my face!
Best Suited For:	Any skin type, provided no allergies to any of the ingredients
Would I Repurchase?:	Very likely, which is a big deal as this is a sheet mask that you wash off and I'm not typically fond of those types of masks. However, I really enjoy apple or apple stem cell-based sheet masks. They're not as prominent a skincare ingredient in sheet masks as others, but my experience has been that my skin really likes the results I get from them. I'm close to getting through my stash of masks from pre-2020 purchases so I likely won't be repurchasing any masks anytime soon as I want to get through those masks and also make my way through the ones I picked up this year (so that the volume doesn't get too out of hand).

Ingredients: from bynatureskincare (dot) com

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Aqua (Water), Glycerin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Tilia Cordata (Linden) Flower Water, Malus Domestica (Apple) Fruit Cell Culture Extract, Isomalt, Xanthan Gum, Polysorbate 20, PVP, Bisabolol, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Glyceryl Caprylate, Lactic Acid, Carbomer, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Parfum (Fragrance), Tetrasodium EDTA

[l8totheparty]

@itsfi I'm so glad you liked this one! It is a favourite of mine for bright refreshed skin. 🙂 Cute photo, as always.

[itsfi]

Thank you so much for sending this one my way @l8totheparty! ♥️ Apple stem cell masks are fantastic! 🍏 

[WinglessOne]

@itsfi I think By Nature recommends water-rinsing after all their sheet masks, which is kinda odd and makes me think that step's unnecessary. I looked up this specific mask's full ingredients list and don't see anything that requires a rinse. Sure, it contains lactic acid, but that's near the end of the list so I doubt there's anywhere near a high enough percentage to warrant neutralization with water. (Lactic acid's probably included for hydration, not exfoliation.) Huh. 

Now that I've seen the full list of what's in this mask, I know it's one I can safely try. My skin also likes a good apple extract or apple stem cell mask, so I'll add it to my list! 

[itsfi]

@WinglessOne, most sheet masks I’ve seen or used that are made in Nee Zealand have included directions to wash off the serum. There was one sheet mask, I forget the brand, I don’t recall it being this by nature one that I used and did not wash off (I didn’t read the instructions beforehand 🤦🏻‍♀️) and I ended up breaking out. Since that one, I don’t experiment with not washing off the ones that call for it. That particular incident also motivated me to read the instructions first! Ha!

[WinglessOne]

@itsfi Interesting... I can see needing to rinse after sheet masking if the mask contains a surfactant, or contains a high amount of a particular ingredient you know your skin's not fond of. I've got some New Zealand masks (including some By Nature masks) and now I'm curious enough to cross-reference their ingredients and maybe look for any relevant NZ cosmetics laws. Might also ask By Nature directly about the wash-off step and why it's necessary. What the heck is in NZ masks that requires washing off—and do I even wanna be pressing it into my face for 20+ minutes in the first place?This'll be a fun research topic for later. 

Reading instructions first is definitely a good lesson, though! Sorry it was hard learned. 😞 Once upon a long time ago, I left a product in my hair longer than called for in the instructions I didn't bother reading. I'm not sure my hair ever forgave me for that. Whenever I want it to do something it clearly doesn't want to, it's probably yelling "remember that one time you nearly killed me with [misused product]?!" 🤣

[itsfi]

Oooh, I’ll be interested in your research findings @WinglessOne. I’m not sure if my reaction was due to the essence in the mask and another product I might have used on my face before or after the mask, or if my skin was just extra sensitive that particular day. 🤷🏻‍♀️ My skin generally takes to most essences in sheet masks so I was surprised that it reacted as aggressively as it did. 

Ack, sorry about the hairtastrophe! 😬 I try  to not learn lessons the hard way but it inevitably happens and like you said, they’re the ones that are definitely engrained in my brain! 😂  9 out of 10 times now, I’ll flip the packaging over in the store to see first if I need to wash off the essence (which is how I discovered that many New Zealand made brands have that particular detail) and if it does, I just skip the ingredients list altogether, place the mask back on the shelf and move on to another mask. 😆 

[WinglessOne]

@itsfi Heh, the wash-off step is the main reason I haven't used any of my By Nature masks yet. I seem to have collected a few via GWP or friends. They're sitting around unused because my brain refuses to accept that wash-off requirement. Kinda wanna ask By Nature (and other New Zealand skincare brands) why they bothered going the sheet mask route anyway; why not just sell the mask serum in a bottle, tube, or packet like every other wash-off mask? Then I could apply just the serum, wear it in the shower, and rinse it off before I get out? Sure, I could try wearing a sheet mask in the shower but that's just wrong! 🤣 (I realize one needn't take a shower to use a wash-off mask, but that's usually how I use them.) 

Now that I'm thinking about it again, I'll treat the By Nature masks like typical wash-off masks. I'll squeeze the serum out of the sheet and apply just the serum to my face. And I'll let you know what (if anything) I learn after I start down this NZ mask rabbit hole! 

[itsfi]

@WinglessOne, I feel like me + sheet masking in the shower would be an accident waiting to happen. I can just imagine at some point shampoo running close into my eyes and then me trying to fix that only to have shampoo and the sheet mask all over my face. 😫 😂 

Brilliant idea 💡 to just make use of the serum. 👍🏼 

[l8totheparty]

@WinglessOne @itsfi I must say I've used this mask many times without washing it off, without consequences. I keep forgetting to wash it off! But I love the results. I don't recommend pairing this with another acid on the same day though- too much exfoliation! I learned that one the hard way. 

[Shosh85]

@itsfi Happy to hear this turned out nice for you! I think this has been my most favorite wash off sheet mask, but like you, they're just not something I purposely seek out. 🍏

[itsfi]

Yeah @Shosh85, it’s not intuitive for me to remember to wash off the serum from a sheet mask (bubble sheet masks are different) and history has proved that leads to breakouts when I forget to do so. 

[tjffc]

@itsfi Nice masks.  Multipurpose!

[itsfi]

Thank you @tjffc! It's truly a rarity that I like sheet masks that you are supposed to wash off, but this is one of them. The results from this mask are great! 🍏

[Shosh85]

U is for Unicorn 🦄 

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The Creme Shop Clear Up, Skin! Unicorn Face Mask

This is a medium thickness cotton sheet mask with an animated unicorn face on it. It was saturated with plenty of serum and had a sweet, imitation strawberry milk kind of scent. 🍓🥛 It had a good fit and was just a little too long at the chin. I kept it on for about a half hour. It didn't have the greatest adherence and the chin just didn't want to stay stuck. There was only the slightest bit of tack after removing the mask that only took a few minutes to absorb. My face looked a little brighter/less dull and my skin felt so soft and smooth and comfortably hydrated.

As far as the Creme Shop character masks go, this is probably my 2nd favorite out of the ones I've tried. I'm not sure there's any Creme Shop mask I'd pay full price for, but I'd repurchase these if I happened to see them at TJ Maxx again! 🦄🍓

Ingredients:

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The mask:

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 My face:

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