💕😌 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💗

[QueenMarceline]

@heartsmyface Wow this looks like a fantastic mask, I tend to really lean in favor towards that bio-cellulose and/or jelly mask texture. 

[itsfi]

@heartsmyface , oh that does have a great set of ingredients. And yes, I’ll take those claims. 😃 That’s great you got those results with limited wear time. 👍🏼 

It just occurred to me that this is the brand that makes the popular wash offs in the black jars for pore care - I had no idea they also made sheet masks, though I should not be surprised they do. 

[tsavorite]

@heartsmyface ,

Today!

Like your mask!  😉  Grey eyes are so rare, you are so lucky! 

Except when you wear green and your eyes are green.  Then you are so lucky, because green eyes are so rare!

Either way, you are so lucky, @heartsmyface !  🍀  Your eyes are the best color!

[heartsmyface]

I’ve had good sheet masking intentions the past two days.  I opened one two nights ago and it’s still sitting there.  🙃. 

^this is me shaming myself into commiting and putting it on my face.  If it’s not dried out. 😂

[QueenMarceline]

@heartsmyface Haha, hey! It happens to the best of us 😝

[itsfi]

Birch juice (aka birch sap, birch water, Betula Platyphylla Japonica Juice) is great for infusing hydration into the skin and since my skin is very much on the dehydrated side, I knew I needed to slot this sheet mask somewhere in this week's masking routine. 💙

tl;dr: Well, hello there, hydration! The soft, thin sheet of the make p:rem Comfort me. Birch aqua mask makes for a comfortable wear. Those with dehydrated or dry skin will drink up the clear, fresh and clean scented, slightly viscous essence. After half an hour with this mask, skin is left looking and feeling supple, bouncy and hydrated, without tack or stickiness.  

Review:

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MASK: make p:rem Comfort me. Birch aqua mask

CLAIM(S): Moisture intensive, cooling

KEY INGREDIENT(S): birch sap from Finland (this is said to make up 89% of all ingredients in this mask)

MATERIAL: Soft, thin, "water-jelly-like" sheet

ADHERENCE: Good

FIT: Good, just a little too long at the chin / jawline

ESSENCE: Clear, slightly viscous liquidy essence

SCENT: Fresh, clean

VISCOSITY: Slight, enough to keep essence from running down my neck

TINGLING / STINGING:  None

TACK / STICKINESS: None

PERFORMANCE & RESULTS (after 30 minutes of wear): I'm reminded of how hydrating birch sap / birch juice is whenever I use a product with that as a main ingredient and here, it comprises a whopping 89% of all ingredients in the mask. There's a lot of essence here, in the mask and extra in the packet. It absorbed quickly and smoothly after removing the mask, leaving my skin looking and feeling refreshed, well hydrated, moisturized and with a lovely bounciness to it.

BEST SUITED FOR:  Those with parched / dehydrated skin.

REPURCHASE?: Oh yes, absolutely! 

COCKTAIL PARTY / WATER COOLER TALKING POINTS: It seems that you can drink birch sap / birch juice. Straight from the tree, apparently. So now my question is, has anyone here ever consumed birch sap? Either fresh from the tree or in another form. FYI: I read that adults should limit consumption of birch sap to 3 or less servings per day, and that people with or with a propensity for liver disease should consult their doctors before consuming because birch sap contains a high level of manganese.

Ingredients List:

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from stylevana(dot)com

Themes:

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I've not been great with the themes this week, or month actually. In addition to checking off a lot of boxes with its performance and results, this mask can touch upon all the letters of the month and if I take some liberties with the July weekly themes, can get to about 3 of them if we really stretch, which we would be doing here since I'm going back to a couple of themes from earlier in the month as well. 😂

A for vitamin A, amino acids, anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antioxidant

B for birch or Betula Platyphylla Japonica Juice (859,502 ppm), vitamins B1, B2, and B3 (niacinamide)

C for clean, comfort, cooling and vitamin C

D for dreamy for dry or dehydrated skin

E for vitamin E

@heartsmyface's  masks good enough to eat (or drink, maybe?) theme - this is such a hydrating mask, I would drink it just to get the hydration to my dehydrated skin that much more quickly. lol. Seriously though, knowing that birch sap can actually be consumed, if someone has tasted birch juice, I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts.

@missy94612's summer / fall mask routine theme - I typically have a different skincare and mask routine in the summer and fall as my skin type varies a bit between those two seasons but dehydration is a year-round concern for me so this super hydrating sheet mask is one that would easily slot into my mask routine all year round.

Even though it's not the softest or thinnest mask I've ever used, it could probably fit into @PrettyPaint's theme of the best fitting mask ... of the week. Or, at least, one of them. I may use another mask this weekend. 

[lmaster]

@itsfi I'm loving the sounds of the hydration goodness!

[heartsmyface]

@itsfi   Curiosity peaked!! I found birch water on Amazon but I think I ought to check out T&T and see if they have it.  

 

[itsfi]

@heartsmyface, ah, smart! My Amazon options are a 12 pack variety set or 32 oz of birch sap. I’m going with your plan and will have to check out the Korean market or maybe one of the supermarkets to see if they carry something similar. Good call. If you find it and try it, let us know how it tastes. 

[Shosh85]

@itsfi  Birch sap is such a great ingredient - I'd love to hunt down more masks/skincare with birch sap! Glad this one turned out wonderful! 😃

[itsfi]

@Shosh85, I know what you mean. It's just so good; my skin slurps up the serum. I just saw a 10-pack of this one on amazon for $9.99. Yay! Round Lab has a skincare collection centered on birch sap that has received raves by many in the KBeauty space. @lmaster used the sheet mask a few weeks (?) ago and loved it. I tried to find it to link to it here but am having a hard time locating it; I'll keep looking. 

P.S. Really good to see you! Huuuuugggs!!!

[Shosh85]

@itsfi  Oh my goodness, that GIF is just too adorable! 😊

[QueenMarceline]

@itsfi Wow this one sounds like an absolute winner! I'd love to try this out since I haven't yet used a mask with birch sap (at least that I'm aware of). As for your question, I actually have consumed birch sap on a trip to Europe when I was a child at a forest resort type of place, I don't remember the taste since it was so long ago but what I do remember is not particularly liking it very much. I'd be willing to give it another shot though with my more ~mature~ taste buds. 🤣

[itsfi]

@QueenMarceline, it would be interesting to see if your taste buds for birch sap has changed over the years. Maybe it's one of those things that folks say is "an acquired taste." Ha!

[Kim888]

Oh wow that sounds amazing @itsfi !!! I haven’t really heard much about birch as an ingredient but it sounds like a great hydration option 

[itsfi]

@Kim888, I've seen 3 sheet masks with birch sap as the main ingredient, and have tried 2 - this one and one from the Dewytree 100 line. There's a Round Lab one I have that I'll try soon - looking forward to giving that one a go since @lmaster had good things to say about it. Round Lab has an entire skincare collection centered around birch sap that has gotten really good feedback. I'm testing out some skincare right now and have some others I want to work through but it has been on my list; maybe something I look into more in the cooler seasons.

[CookieGirl1]

@itsfi huh, I was aware that Birch was very hydrating but I don't think I ever thought about it being incorporated into a sheet mask.

[itsfi]

@CookieGirl1, given all the, ummmm, interesting things I've seen in sheet masks, including on this thread, it seems like practically anything, and everything, can be incorporated into a sheet mask. 😂🤣😂

[ather]

@itsfi  Omg so I first started reading Birch juice and my imagination was running wild until I read birch sap and I was thinking yea that makes way more sense. I love that it is so hydrating and it seems to work so good with your skin! Yay for ingredients that work well!!! 

[itsfi]

@ather, I don't know why my skin is so parched lately, but it is (okay, I probably have an idea), and it just loves birch sap. It's like Audrey II from Little Shop of Horrors - "FEED ME!!!" 😜

[QueenMarceline]

Letters of the Month: A - E

Week’s Theme: Best Fitting Mask

ULTA Beauty Banana Sheet Mask

My Thoughts: 

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This was the first time I have tried this mask (despite it's higher popularity rate) but I am so glad I did! I bought this a few months back during one of my ULTA splurges and I popped it in my beauty fridge a while back, so what more of a perfect time to try a new on theme mask out could I ask for? The first thing I noticed was the scent on this mask, it smells like banana cream pie and truly nails the perfect banana scent. This scent is strong, pleasant and noticeable without being overbearing. The level of saturation was medium, with a little bit of serum leftover in the packaging pouch which is always nice for using on other areas. The fit of this mask was quite good, but not perfect: slightly big on the nose area and too small on the sides of my cheeks. Other than those specifics which will be unique to each face shape, I genuinely enjoyed the feel of the sheet mask. best described as an ultra-soft cotton sheet mask with the perfect thickness. I find that many masks I try can either be too thick or saturated (giving more of an excessive soppy-feeling on the face) or too thin (hard to maneuver and easily breakable), this mask was just the right consistency for absorbing and transferring the serum to the face. Due to this "feature", the wear time on this mask was a solid 35 minutes. I was really surprised by just how much I enjoyed this mask from the scent, to the feel and also the effects. I felt like after wearing this mask my skin felt hydrated (without being oily), radiant and more "awake" (this was a morning time mask). This was my first time trying this mask, however I will definitely be repurchasing this face to use in the future in order to truly see how consistent the good results are on a regular basis. So glad I got to try this one out, highly recommend! 🙂