💕😌 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]

W = winter, presented by one of my favorite mask brands. Last night I used the LuLuLun Premium 2019 Snow Mask. This is one of their seasonal limited edition masks that come 7 sheets to a resealable pouch. Nothing like a little wintery inspiration to help me through summer's heat! 

Last night was my first time ever using the Snow mask.

Notes: 

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Claims: Protects skin from environmental stress; replenishes essential vitamins and minerals; tones skin’s oil balance; hydrates skin for a bouncy, smooth, and super soft feel. “The beauty essence of powerful plants [that] survived in winter weather [leads to] crystal clear skin.” 

Ingredients: I bought this mask partly because I like to try all LuLuLun masks that seem safe for my skin (I can’t/won’t use the citrus masks, though I bet the Premium Setouchi Lemon mask smells divine). But also because of hydrating ingredients in this one: trehalose, glyceryl glucoside, sodium PCA, and a form of hyaluronic acid. Narcissus bulb is supposed to act as an astringent here, helping balance oil production and reduce the appearance of pores. Saxifraga sarmentosa is also thought to be an oil-controlling astringent, as well as a skin brightener. 

3 other ingredients (coenochloris signiensis extract, maltodextrin, and lecithin) + water = Snow Algae Powder, which Mibelle Biochemistry (the company behind it) says “stimulates the longevity gene Klotho and activates AMPK, a master switch in the cellular defense and energy system. Snow Algae Powder clearly improves skin structure, slows down aging process of skin cells and increases production of collagen.” They have a mini site dedicated to Snow Algae Powder where you can read all about it, if you’re curious. 

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Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Glycosyl Trehalose, Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate, Glyceryl Glucoside, Sodium PCA, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Narcissus Tazetta Bulb Extract, Saxifraga Sarmentosa Extract, Coenochloris Signiensis Extract, Maltodextrin, Lecithin, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Fragrance 

Performance: First, I need to warn anyone sensitive to vanilla amber fragrances that this mask is full of that scent. It was almost too much for my nose to handle, but didn’t cause a sneezing fit or trigger a headache. It’s not super strong but you’ll get a full whiff each time you turn your head. If your skin is sensitive to added fragrances in general, this probably isn’t your mask. 

Since I use a lot of LuLuLun masks, I can (and often do) cut these sheets to best fit me before I apply them to my face. This one’s no exception: as soon as I unfolded this sheet, I snipped the eye and mouth holes wider. I also know LLL’s sheets usually don’t cover enough of my jaw, so that was no surprise last night. 

As hot as it’s been lately, my skin happily welcomed this mask’s cooling effect—so much so, I lost track of time. Most LLL masks are meant to be worn for just 5-10 minutes. I tend to go 20-30 instead. Last night was an “oops, look at the time" 40 minute session. The sheet was just lightly damp by then, perfect for folding up and patting residual serum into my skin. After a few seconds of that, I switched to my hands to massage and press in any remaining serum; took 2-3 minutes and left a very mild tackiness, with no pilling. 

Results: Well hydrated and slightly brighter skin with a soft natural glow. The vanilla fragrance still clung to my face, but not strong enough to smell with each head turn. I wouldn’t have even noticed had I not pressed the back of one unscented hand against my cheek to check for residual perfume. The fragrance disappeared at some point overnight: I couldn’t detect it at all this morning. 

Also, my oily zone was under control when I woke up. (“Under control” = not a shiny overproducing grease pit.) Even more impressive: all my dry zones felt like my controlled oily zone, as if moisturization fairies worked tirelessly through the night, carrying oil from my nose area to the rest of my face to bring everything into balance. I’m glad this was achieved with astringents my skin clearly likes, instead of bad-for-me stuff like citrus oils or witch hazel. 

This mask’s ingredients were inspired by winter, but the results seem perfect (for me) for summer—the time my face struggles most for this kind of balance without being overmoisturized. I only have one pouch of this mask… I might need to buy another one and reserve it for the next time I travel to someplace hot (when it’s cold here), whenever that may be. 

[Shosh85]

@WinglessOne  Definitely sounds like I'd be great on a hot day! The packaging for these are always super cute too!

[lmaster]

This pack looks so refreshing @WinglessOne I'm starting to appreciate cooler months more now 😆

[ather]

@WinglessOne  Wow. Can it be an almost perfect mask for combo skin? Not sure about the scent. Sounds a little strong but I’m amazed it was good for your oily and dry skin!

[eshoe]

@WinglessOne everyone of the Lululun masks have intrigued me. Your scent descriptions especially! I’ve finally tried one and have another yet, below. If the mask is good, seven days of it would be welcome. That being said, I wonder how sensitivity to scent throughout the week might come into play. Seems like some days my nose can tolerate anything and others, I’m hunting for a mask that comes up blank in that area.

I’m glad you’ve reviewed a few of these, helped me feel confident enough to try something I usually wouldn’t!

 

[WinglessOne]

@eshoe  Glad I could enable—err, pique your curiosity! 😈 

I can see how scent sensitivity might make you space out usage of a 7-sheet mask pouch. I don't use the same mask by any brand for 7 consecutive days, so I have several opened LuLuLun 7-sheet pouches. As long as I use all 7 masks in a pouch within 80 days of opening, they'll be fine. I write the "opened on" date on the back of each pouch with a Sharpie. 

[faeriegirl]

C is for Celebeau black rose aqua mask.

 Sorry the pic is sideways, I don’t know why but it won’t let me fix it🤷‍♀️ The mask was ok. It had a lot of lovely rose scented serum. The fit was pretty good. I left it on for 20 minutes and there was just enough serum to massage in. It didn’t feel very tacky and my face did feel hydrated. A few minutes later my face started to feel a little bit irritated. I love rose but it does not love me. So it’s not one I would use again.

[quspork]

Oh, no! It's a shame this one was irritating, @faeriegirl.

[tjffc]

@faeriegirl Sorry this one did not work for you.  

[ShortErica]

BIC seems weird with photos lately. I appreciate seeing the package cause it helps me remember if I tried it or have it so sideways is great. Sorry the mask wasn't for you @faeriegirl. Hopefully the next one you pick treats your skin better.

[faeriegirl]

Thank you @ShortErica! I hope they get the picture issues fixed soon🤞

[eshoe]

Oh what a bummer, @faeriegirl - sorry this one didn't agree with your skin. Hope it returned to normal quickly!

[faeriegirl]

Thankfully it wasn’t irritated for very long  @eshoe. 

[Shosh85]

@faeriegirl  Awe what a bummer! Sorry there was irritation with this one! I'm not a fan of floral/rose so this wasn't my favorite either. 

[faeriegirl]

I love floral scents @Shosh85  but rose and lavender definitely do not love me😂

[ather]

@faeriegirl  Oh no I’m sorry to hear it irritated your skin. Hopefully it’s not to bad!

[faeriegirl]

It wasn’t too bad @ather, it went away after about 20 minutes.

[lmaster]

Awwww that's sad to hear @faeriegirl 

[faeriegirl]

It always makes me sad @lmaster  because I love rose scent☹️

[Shosh85]

Going with the foot mask theme because I've been excited to try these ever since @eshoe gifted them to me.

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Dr. Jart Dermask Foot Smoothing Mask

These are foil booties lined with a layer of meshy cotton inside. They had a light coating of a thick, creamy serum and a citrusy/shea butter kind of smell - the scent was super light though, and I could really only smell it by sticking my nose right in the bootie. They had a nice warming effect, that is, if you're sitting/lying down - if I started walking the warming effect disappeared. I guess it's not so bad it forces you relax 😂The directions say to leave them on for 15-20 minutes-  I left them on for more like an hour, because it seemed the warming effect would never go away and I was enjoying how it felt. 😊When I did remove them, my feet felt so soft and smooth and nicely moisturized.

I'm normally not too big on foot/hand masks because I feel like moisturizer can do just as good of a job, but these had the added bonus of warmth, which definitely makes them a repurchase for me. 😃

[quspork]

Warming booties would definitely be nice once the cold weather hits, @Shosh85!