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 

[Shosh85]

@eshoe  I haven't gotten around to trying that Mushroom mask, but at least I know not to expect anything amazing. 😉🍄

I've been meaning to try out some products with Bakuchiol and the sleeping mask sounds interesting! Thanks for your thoughts on it 👌

[eshoe]

@Shosh85 I did not take notes while I was masking with this one and I really wish I had. It might be much better than I’m giving it credit for🤷🏻‍♀️ Nothing really stood out as amazing or terrible, so that’s always good at least!

My skin doesn’t like retinol and responds very favorably to bakuchiol, so I am hoping for good things from this one, too;)

[Kim888]

@eshoe thanks for sharing your thoughts on the alpyn ! how do you feel like it compares to the herbivore bakuchiol serum?

[eshoe]

Not sure yet, @Kim888. It definitely isn’t as noticeable of a difference as the HERBIVORE - Bakuchiol Retinol Alternative Smoothing Serum, though. My skin looks plumper the morning after using the Herbivore, where I don’t see that with the Alpyn. The bakuchiol is fourth on the list for Herbivore, so I’m not surprised (it is tenth in the Alpyn).

It might make more of a difference over the long term, though🤷🏻‍♀️

[lmaster]

I almost used that mushroom mask @eshoe the packaging is pretty cool

[eshoe]

The layout is so striking, @lmaster!

[WinglessOne]

@eshoe  The Alpyn Beauty sleep mask sounds interesting. Kinda weird that bakuchiol is listed higher in the mask’s ingredients than in the moisturizer’s, yet it’s called out only in the moisturizer branding. Hmm. I’ve noticed eye cream is the only Alpyn Beauty product that doesn’t contain both lavender oil and either bergamot oil or orange peel oil; any combo of 2 or more of those essential oils would anger my skin—if not immediately visibly, then certainly over time—so I’ve stayed away from the brand. (That’s also why I had to stop using Origins products on my face, except the charcoal mask which contains no bad-for-me stuff.) That’s too bad because I’d love to try the sleep mask. But I hope it’s an overall success for you! 

Also, I’m glad you had a good Prism experience. 🙂 

[eshoe]

The Prism was good, @WinglessOne - credited to other BIC-ers because I would have let it marinate in my skin much too long if not for others here. Next time I will try 4 minutes. Maybe 5.

I wanted to try the Alpyn bc I like natural ingredients but after a few nights now (used again tonight) feel like the scent/use of extracts may be too much for some. I can’t figure out what this tightening is due to; my skin is definitely reacting but there is no visible indicator of it.

[WinglessOne]

@eshoe  Is it a bad tightening, like a “my skin feels tightly dry” reaction? Or is it more like your skin feels hydrating and moisturized, just unusually tightened up? Now I wonder which ingredient(s) in the mask could cause that second scenario. 

Extracts are usually okay but essential oils, not so much. Rosemary extract is good for my face; rosemary oil, nope. (Lavender is an exception: both the oil and extract irritate my face.) I mean some folks have no problems—well, no immediately visible problems—with essential oils, though they’re generally not good for skin. I just noticed this mask also contains cica, which isn’t a bad thing unless you’re sensitive to it. There are so many extracts in that mask, narrowing down the ones causing a reaction might be hard without doing a cross check of extracts from other products that cause no reaction. Hmm. 

[eshoe]

I need to hone in on what is causing the tightening because I’m perplexed @WinglessOne. Both products caused it.

I notice the tightening a few minutes after applying; the first time, I felt my cheeks because that is where it is always most obvious. They felt soft and damp to the touch, totally not what I was expecting. It’s a little confusing for me. I’ve noticed two very small blemishes over the past couple of nights, tiny and what I suspect are due to the Prism based on my experience with chemical exfoliation. 

I’ve also learned my skin does not tolerate extracts from the fruit as well as that from the stem. Maybe they are less potent in the later, just something I am learning along the way. For someone with sensitive skin, this might be a guessing game that goes on and on.

[skcfan]

Heimish Low pH Hydrating Mask Sheet

@eshoe was very kind and sent me a bunch of face masks, including notes on each one! Thank you so so much! I would also like to thank all the people who gave me good advice and words of encouragement last week.

Spoiler

I decided to try this one first. To apply it, there was a film that you took off after the mask was in the right spot, and I had a little bit of trouble with the film. But, other than that I really loved this mask! @eshoe ’s comments were 100% on the nose for me. It didn’t slid off at all, and my skin feels very hydrated afterwards.

[quspork]

Glad to hear this one worked out well for you @skcfan!

[ShortErica]

I love the @eshoe notes and try to copy that nice touch when I send masks. She's the best! Glad you enjoyed the mask @skcfan!

[Kim888]

yay glad that was great for you @skcfan !

[lmaster]

Oh this is an excellent mask!! @skcfan @eshoe picked a perfect one to send

[eshoe]

@skcfan well the good and the bad news is that this may be the best of the bunch😊 Very happy to hear this brought some love to your skin. Thank you for sharing, too!

[skcfan]

@eshoe That’s good news! I’m glad I tried it first when I need it the most. Thank you so so much.

[Shosh85]

@skcfan  Her note is perfect 👌 So happy to hear you enjoyed this one! It's definitely one of my favorites 😃

[quspork]

A couple of S masks to wrap up this week: the Skinfood Vege-garden Basil sheet mask and the Skinfood Snail sheet mask.

First the Basil:

So this was a very thin cotton mask- so thin that I had just a bit of trouble unwrapping it and getting it on. It was very saturated and a little drippy, so best applied over a sink. It had an earthy scent, but not one that specifically reminded me of basil. The essence was watery and soaked in nicely. After removal, I didn't notice much in the way of tackiness and my skin felt pretty hydrated. Basil is supposed to help with purifying/cleansing. My skin felt hydrated but it's hard to tell if much purifying is going on from one mask. I'd be interested to see how routine use of this mask would go. This was the first from this line that I've tried and I have another in Mugwort that I can't wait to try out. I'm certainly interested in trying a few others from this line in the future!

And the snail:

To be honest, this one for me was a very nondescript mask. It didn't have the best adherence but the rest of the fit was ok. There wasn't really any sort of memorable scent. It was slightly hydrating but not great- no other noticeable benefits. In short, it was OK but nothing special. It was nice but I wouldn't go out of my way to use this one again. 

[lmaster]

Basil is a great seasoning!! @quspork I'm thinking I may have a basil,, or had one 🤔

[quspork]

I do love a little fresh basil in so many things. It's a shame the mask didn't have a more basil-y scent, @lmaster!