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 

[Kim888]

@l8totheparty I never know what to do about that either! If it fits the theme of the week I sometimes include it or else I leave it off

[eshoe]

Really good question @l8totheparty - and you aren’t the only one! over time I’ve found that some masks just work better for my skin/give me comfort, and so I use them more than 1x a week. I  often thought the same thing...”oh, there’s eshoe with her (fill in the blank) mask again😂.”

I love seeing daily posts, I think it gives a good overall picture of what works for your skin and might be of benefit to others. That being said, I have been posting only once a week for kind of the same reason (I feel like all my wash-off masks are redundant at the moment) but I want to stay in the challenge and make it one full year. Plus it’s been difficult to find the time to write meaningful notes on new-to-me sheet masks so while I have a good stash, I’ve been using up tried and true ones for the time being.

Hope that helps, hang in there, only 8 weeks left to go!

[l8totheparty]

@eshoe 

I will have to mask daily for the next 2+ years to get through my masks.  8 weeks is funny! Lol

[eshoe]

Hey that’s ok @l8totheparty, I am just looking at the finish line for this year, not gonna get distracted by the 2 year backlog most of us have😉😂

[itsfi]

This AP mask is such a good one @l8totheparty - nice formula and great results. So happy that it's a fave of yours! Seeing this mask always reminds (and motivates) me to keep working through my masks so I can open my FS of this beauty. 😉 

Good question. When I was daily sheet masking for a month, I would do an update or check in every 7-10 days or so. I tried to either combine the post with a post of another mask or a mask I used on another day of the same week to try to avoid making it a a repeat of another posting. I try to use DE Babyfacial once a week; when I post, sometimes I include it in the pic and only mention it in passing in my post; other times, I may not even include it in a photo. Another option I've been considering is to post a couple of times during the week about certain masks and then have one post during week where it's a recap of the other masks I used during the week. I haven't fine tuned that approach, but have been kicking that idea around in my head since I'm finding myself having to catch up more frequently than before and catching up for more than just a day or two at a time.

[l8totheparty]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, @itsfi .  So many great ideas on how to present masking multiple times.

[missjeanie]

Great question @l8totheparty , I’m curious to hear what others think! 
petsonally when I was posting daily if I reused a mask within days a week, I’ll mention it, but not review thoroughly. If I haven’t used it in a month or so I’ll give an overview. Basically the reviews get shorter the more often I use it. I think. Lol

[missjeanie]

Last week's duels!

The PTR Pumpkin mask and the Summer Fridays Overtime masks were both done on separate nights back to back, I like the extra scrubbiness of the SF, but both of these masks gave me lovely results.  I think the scent winner is the SF by a small margin and I reserve the right to change my mind the next time I use these!  I am repurchasing the SF's in the trio set this sale, so it's a big winner for me.  I'll hold off on the PTR unless I happen to see one at Winner's prices.  Most of the hold off is due to the size of the individual jars.  

The second masking of the week was Thursday night.  I busted out the BAT MASK!  Not gonna lie... I've been waiting to bust this one out for a while.  After the trick or treaters had calmed down I showered and tossed this one for the mask meet up.  Love this mask.  This one I received from @lmaster in a gorgeous unicorn mailing.  Thank You so so much!  I really enjoyed how much of my face this mask covered.  I think I have a sweet spot for undereye/cheek masks.  This one was in line with the spirit of the day which made me smile.  The serum was soaked into the mask nicely with no memorable scent and just enough left over to give my decollate a layer.  I left the mask on for about 20/25 minutes and my under eye area felt great after with minimal tackiness.  I'm pretty excited that I have another from another generous BIC lady to use!

The second dual of the week was the PTR Peeling Gel versus the Holika Holika Egg Gel.  The PTR was much thicker coming out of the tube, while the Egg is really cute, I'm not sure how to store this with my other skincare. I think the tube is much more practical.  Each serum spent 3 minutes on either side of my face before I started to 'rub' it in/away.  The PTR balled up quite a bit more in bigger balls.  The HH barely balled up at all.  I washed both off in the shower and post shower inspection, I couldn't see a difference at all.  I'm skeptical of these types of peels, I mean, how much skin are they actually balling up, versus just the product balling up on itself?  That said, I see no problems with using them, and maybe if I use them more often I'll see some result?  At this point neither are a repurchase. 

[Shosh85]

@missjeanie  Great duels!
Love those pumpkin masks! They both definitely smell fantastic! 😋 Happy you enjoy them both as well! 😃👍

I haven't tried the PTR peel yet, but I have tried the Holika Holika one and really like it. When I first used it though, it didn't really seem to do anything except ball up on my skin. Then I tried using it when my skin got dry and flaky and it removed the flaky skin without causing irritation. So maybe this is the kind of product that just works better in certain situations 🤔 I definitely feel like I need to do more experimenting with these 😉

[Kim888]

@missjeanie interesting! It's always good to see those two compared. I have a giant jar of the PTR but I sometimes thing about whether I'll make a switch to the SF when I finish it up!

[lmaster]

That was funny!! You reserve the right to change your mind 😂 @missjeanie 

[itsfi]

Fun masks this past week @missjeanie! 🥰 Love the pumpkin and peeling gel duels and it’s hard not to love that bat mask.

[CC3616]

@missjeanie I like your dueling masks! And I agree with being skeptical of the peeling gels, I always think it's mostly just the product on itself and have never pulled the trigger on investing in them to see. 

[fatimamummy]

Here I’m again not following the schedule. I want to talk about three masks I used over last two weeks but I wasn’t up to posting.

BOSCIA - Luminizing Black Charcoal Mask

I enjoy this peel off mask. Unlike many others, I don’t find it hard to remove. It cleans pores and leaves skin soft and bright so I use it once in a couple of months. Fun fact I have never purchased it my self but some how I always have one or two travel sizes in my stash. I’m not sure if I will buy it myself if I stop getting it in different promos/GWPs.

Origins Hello Calm™ Relaxing & Hydrating Face Mask with Hemp Seed Oil 2.5 oz/ 75 mL

Like many of you girls I received a lab sample of this mask. At that time my skin was very well hydrated so I didn’t feel any difference after using this mask and it was sitting in my stash unused ever since. Now with cold weather approaching I can see early signs of dehydrated skin so decided to give this mask a second chance. I am glad I tried it again because this time round I loved it. Instead of wiping excess with tissue after recommended time, I wiped it with a cotton pad soaked in rose water. My skin felt very well hydrated and happy. Later I proceeded with my routine skincare and the effect of mask was still there next morning. Now I can see why many of the community members fell in love with it while trying the lab sample.

Third mask I tried was The Creme shop mask. The Creme Shop masks are often used and praised on this thread so when I saw this box of Hello Kitty Ready Set Glow masks at winners, I had to get it.
Fit of this mask was pretty decent comparing to many others which were a challenge to apply. Serum is actually a thin jelly with gold micro dust in it. After keeping it on for almost 15 minutes the GLOW ✨✨was real. My face was actually illuminated and skin felt soft and well hydrated.
I’m definitely going to look for more sheet masks from this brand.

[nuinui933]

@fatimamummy - so cute; love the packaging and it's great that the mask was good too.

[eshoe]

That HK Crème Shop is my favorite of that line @fatimamummy- I know exactly what you mean when you say you noticed a glow! 

I like your method of using a Rosewater soaked cotton pad to swipe off any excess of the Origins, too, thank you for the tip.

[fatimamummy]

@eshoe  Removing non wash off masks with tissue as suggested annoys me as it pulls onto the skin and feels tacky.

[missjeanie]

Oh I forgot how much I like those TCS Hello Kitty masks @fatimamummy .  This is on theme because it's reminding me about the ones I have forgotten in my stash!

[fatimamummy]

Happy to help @missjeanie  😉

[Shosh85]

@fatimamummy The Creme Shop and Origins masks are both favorites of mine! I'm so happy to hear they worked out nice for you too!

The Hello, Calm is definitely great for dry skin! I love that you remove it with rose water dipped cotton - I may have to steal that idea 😉👌

I've really enjoyed the Hello Kitty masks! They seem to all fit pretty large, but the results and cuteness make up for it 😉

[fatimamummy]

@Shosh85  I’m going to keep my eyes out for more of the Creme shop masks.