💕😌 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💗

[eshoe]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge, @WinglessOne - I always learn so much from you! Speaking of, I didn’t even realize the YTTP has l-ascorbic acid. It’s been quite awhile since I’ve read the ingredients.

A pump would be great, you are right. There are glass pumps out there, Guessing the costs might be slightly higher because of the pump? You should share your thoughts with the brand, would be a good change to see.

[WinglessOne]

Thanks @eshoe ! 😊 I think I did ask YTTP about their packaging decision, but I don't remember if they responded. I might ask again. 

And now I wonder if anyone makes a glass airless vacuum pump jar or bottle... the exterior could certainly be made of glass, but the insides of all airless pumps/bottles I've seen are plastic. At a minimum, the interior platform thingy would probably have to be plastic; I wouldn't want that to be glass and break inside the jar. And either the interior container or exterior jar would have to be opaque or anti-UV for best ascorbic acid protection, so they'd have to use some kind of tinted or opaquely colored glass. But it's possible. 

[eshoe]

I’ve had facial oil containers like that, @WinglessOne. Glass bottle, with plastic pump. I definitely don’t see a glass pump as sustainable in my household, the diamond nail file I bought (you recommended it; it was amazing) broke the exact same day I bought it🙄 no one’s fault but my own. Just broke the gray glass straw from the SEPHORA COLLECTION Hydrate! Reusable Glass Straw Set this morning. It’s OOS now, I had it added to my cart immediately and when it went OOS thought to myself, what am I buying? Because I know I am just going to break them all at some point. 

Sidetracked for a moment, but yes...I would take a glass bottle with plastic pump over a glass jar with screw on lid.

[haleyvvvv]

Oh gosh, I am very behind on my masking posts. Time to catch up!

Blind Pick Your Mask (F&U) 

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Ugh this mask is Forgettable 

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I think I've posted about this I Dew Care mask before. It is just alright. It doesn't fit well, it doesn't brighten, it stings a little bit, it just isn't my jam. I grabbed it from the pile of you need to use these up ASAP mask pile.

Sheet Mask Focus (G&T) 

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I love hydroGel sheet masks Farmacy Coconut Gel Sheet Mask - Brightening 0.78 oz/ 23 mL 

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Although I love hydrogel masks, and Farmacy hydrogel masks in particular, this one wasn't my favourite, but still very good.

Fit:

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A little loose on the bottom, which tugged down a little. I fiddled a little bit around with it more after taking this picture and it fit a bit better. I do like the heaviness of the gels, which for the most part feel like they stay in place. No sheet mask has ever fit my nose well though.

Serum: TONS of serum. I applied all over my neck and arms (I'm a lazy masker, there's no way I am saving any in another container, lol). A bit of a fruit/citrus scent probably from the oils. Not too bad.

Claims: Brightening. Yep, check there! My skin was a fair bit brighter after.

Ingredients: Niacinamide is the hero here.

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Wear time: 15-20 minutes suggested, I wore for maybe closer to 30-40? Left my skin a little tacky, which I rubbed in and it quickly absorbed.

Overall grade: B/B+. I definitely prefer the Mediheal A:PE Soothing mask, as in addition to being nourishing and soothing, is also very brightening. But, if I saw this on sale or got some more, I would definitely use. 

Drugstore & Grocery Brands Week (H&S)

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So, I thought this brand was at Shoppers, then realized it wasn't a Boscia mask, but a Dr. Jart one 😅

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Older mask from Boscia Dr. Jart that I don't think is made anymore, but that's okay with me!

Fit:

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Surprisingly good? 

Serum: Not a lot. Definitely enough on the sheet, but not enough on the packet for anywhere else really.

Claims: Pore Clearing. Failure on this. Clear acne. Failure on this.

Ingredients:

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The charcoal and clay should've helped clean out my pores, but did nada. Although fragrance is lower on the list, there's a lot of scent in this mask.

Wear time: 15-20 minutes. I try to leave on sheet masks until they are just about dry, but this one was too tingly, and I took it off in 15 minutes.

Grade: D-/F. So, while it was one the best fitting sheet masks I have ever used, but wow, it was irritating, overly fragranced and worse, had no effect on my pores!

And, just because I messed up this week, I'll talk about an actual Boscia mask boscia Charcoal Pore Pudding Intensive Wash-Off Treatment , which is a brand actually sold at Shoppers, lol.

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Love this mask! It is one of my favourites. I like that it deeply cleans without really drying down on the skin.

3-Step Masks/Multi-Step Masks (I&R)

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I cheated a bit here, technically a multi-step, multi-mask night with this "Invigorating" Dr. Jart+ mask and this Relaxing Gogo mask

Dr. Jart

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I like a good peel and was hoping this would be a nice peel + soothing mask. Always read the claims first. It is a peeling mask, but it is a two-step peeling mask, so then I added the Gogo mask. It was the closet I was getting to a three step mask in my collection.

Fit:

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Step 1: Obviously fit okay, because it is the granule step, lol. I will say, these were a bit abrasive and didn't spread easily. You can see some liquid pooling in this pack, so I mixed everything around first.

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Step 2: Ooof, a very ill-fitting sheet mask that I had to use my new mask holder for. Bonus, now I know that the one from Pink Blossam fits my wide face better than the one from Sephora, and it was much cheaper, definitely recommend if the Sephora one pulls on your ears. (honestly, why are these one size fits all though???). I regretfully didn't get a picture without the helper, but the chin was terrible, it was like on top of my mouth, just all around not a good fit, much better with the helper.

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Serum: There was enough of the exfoliant to do my face and my chest. It was rough and a bit hard to break down. There was more than enough serum to coat the mask and my chest. The serum was goopy but alright.

Claims: Peeling/Exfoliating. Definitely, but not any better than any other exfoliating mask. It is also supposed to "bubble" and "fizz" or pop when the two components merged. There was maybe two small pops.

Ingredients:

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Wear Time: I mean, it says, "For a While." I think I wore for about 7-10 minutes? I was waiting for the "popping" to occur, and while doing that looked up a bunch of reviews to indicate how long. Since I was worried about maybe over-exfoliating, I decided to err on the side of caution.

Overall Grade: C-. This mask was a pain. It didn't fit well, and while it did exfoliate, it didn't do so in a better or more pleasant experience than other physical/chemical exfoliators. My skin was definitely nice and smooth, but not more so than usual. Plus, hardly any cool popping sensation!

Gogo

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I like to follow my exfoliating masks with a hydrating/calming mask, to help settle my skin.

Fit:

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Cotton/Tencel. Surprisingly okay around the eyes, but look at that dangle on the chin.

Serum: A fair bit of watery serum. Spread it over my chest and arms as well.

Claims: Moisturizing and Relaxing. Definitely a fair bit hydrated after, but since it was slipping, I wasn't relaxed about it, lol.

Ingredients:

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Definitely a lot of forms of HA, but all fairly close to the bottom.

Wear Time: Suggested 10-20 minutes. I wore closer to 30-40.

Overall Grade: C. Would be a grade lower if I didn't get a pack of 10 for $5. It was fine. An okay filler mask, but not any intense hydration.

Rainbow Week (J&Q)

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Every week is rainbow week in this house.

Magenta: GLAMGLOW BERRYGLOW™  Probiotic Recovery Face Mask 

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I've only used this once. It is yogurt-y, smells like berries, and is a nice, cooling mask. It dries down thick, which is fine, since I prefer to wipe off these masks anyway and not rub in the excess.

Red: Cheating a bit here with the Origins Original Skin™ Retexturizing Mask with Rose Clay 2.5 oz/ 75 mL which is a "pinky" red (heavy on the pink)

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This is one of my all time faves. I love how it calms my redness and irritation and resets my skin. It can be a little harsh, so I try to put it on quickly and wipe it off with a very damp MakeUp Eraser.

Orange: Peter Thomas Roth Pumpkin Enzyme Mask Enzymatic Dermal Resurfacer 5 oz and Tata Harper Resurfacing BHA Mask for Brightening and Dark Spots 1 oz/ 30 mL 

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I alternate these weekly. I like the PTR, but the scent is overpowering. I really like the Tata Harper for focusing on getting into pores using BHAs, and it is super gentle, I can keep on for 20+ minutes; but it is very expensive.

Yellow: Farmacy Honey Potion Renewing Antioxidant Hydration Mask 4.1 oz/ 117 g 

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I LOVE this mask, such a great hydrating mask that I keep around for whenever I need a boost of hydration.

Green: Elemis Veggie Mask and Kiehl's Since 1851 Avocado Nourishing Hydration Mask 3.4 oz/ 100 mL 

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Neither of these are my faves. The Elemis mask does brighten a little bit, but it is so weird in texture and claims. The Kiehl's mask is chunky, difficult to spread and while slightly hydrating isn't really worth the effort. I think others have had similar experiences with it.

Blue: The packaging of the Murad Instamatte Mask (I think this no longer exists?)

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I bought this for my oily skinned partner and he did not enjoy it. I wanted to see if I liked it before just decluttering it. I am using it in place of my weekly charcoal mask, and it does nicely clean the pores on my normal skin. But you have to use a ton to spread all over the face (which for me is fine, since I am trying to use up).

Indigo/Violet (just generally purple): GLAMGLOW GRAVITYMUD™ Firming Treatment Mask 3.5 oz/ 100 g (This one actually is purple, whereas the normal one is silver)

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Its a fun mask that I use occasionally on Saturdays when I feel up to masking. I don't know if it actually helps much with firming, but I don't think it is hurting.

Black: boscia Luminizing Black Charcoal Mask 2.8 oz/ 80 g 

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I use this once every 2-3 weeks to once a month, instead of a charcoal clay mask on Sundays. This is my second favourite of this type of mask. It does get down and pullout whiteheads, but I try not to use too many peel off masks too often.

Brown: Peter Thomas Roth Hungarian Thermal Water Mineral-Rich Atomic Heat Mask is brown-ish (taupe?) in the container

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I was using a smaller DS of this in a tube, and that is a MUCH better delivery system for this mask. The tub of this is almost impossible to dig out from and it is more grainy than the tube version.

White: I Dew Care Disco Kitten

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This mask definitely brightens, but this sample size did not last long (2 uses). Plus it is a peel off mask and there are other brightening masks that do equivalently well without having to peel off. This is a fairly gentle one though.

[ShortErica]

Thanks for you catch up @haleyvvvv. Love that every week is rainbow for you. Very interesting but logical about the PTR thermal mask being different based on packaging. Though I wonder why it is more grainy. 🤷‍♀️

[haleyvvvv]

Thank you, @ShortErica!! I think it is maybe less water/liquid (maybe it settles more to the bottom in the tub), or the act of squeezing it out of tube makes it more pliant/removes some of the graininess?

[Shosh85]

@haleyvvvv  I love your weekly rainbow line-up! The PTR Pumpkin mask and the Honey Potion are two of my most favorite wash-offs! 😃

[haleyvvvv]

Yes, @Shosh85!! Love honey potion!! Thank you!!

[lmaster]

@haleyvvvv there's a few new to me in your line up! Thanks for reviewing these

[haleyvvvv]

Thank you, @lmaster!! 

[ladyassassin]

@haleyvvvv very impressive! A lot of great masks and some I have been wanting to try.

[haleyvvvv]

Thank you, @ladyassassin!!

[itsfi]

@haleyvvvv, I’m impressed that you rotate through all those masks regularly. 👏🏼 Nice variety in your masks. 

[haleyvvvv]

Thank you, @itsfi !! I love masking, so this weekly schedule helps me keep a variety while not having *too* many open at once or deal with decision fatigue. Plus, this thread helps me use up some my sheet mask collection which for some reason I've accumulated despite them not being my fave, lol.

[eshoe]

Love your summary, @haleyvvvv. Every week is rainbow week here, too😊 The Dr. Jart mask looks good, charcoal sheet masks are some of the best fitting and most comfy in my mind!

[haleyvvvv]

Thank you, @eshoe!! Rainbow week every week for everyone 🌈🌈🌈!! 

The charcoal mask fit so well, I wished it had worked because I liked wearing it 😞 but maybe it'll inspire me to try more.

[eshoe]

I hated my first charcoal sheet mask, @haleyvvvv. They grew on me as I realized how soft and comforting they are. There are others out there. Look at Me makes a good one. I will let you know when I think of others. Lapcos has a good one, too, but it’s heavily fragranced. In a good way, as in it is a pleasant scent, but for some people, added perfume is not a welcome addition:)

[haleyvvvv]

I will definitely have to check more out, @eshoe !! Good to know about the Look at Me one, I'll keep an eye out for it. Thank you!!

[eshoe]

You’re welcome, @haleyvvvv ☺️

[itsfi]

The rainbow theme mask challenge is one of my favorites, courtesy of the genius mastermind of the fabulous @sonnydee! 😍🤗 I'm a little behind in getting to all the masks I set aside for this week's challenge theme so some of them will run over to the next week or so, as ROY G. BIV week is undergoing a redesign this year in my house, thanks to the only family member who truly appreciates my love of hauls and all things beauty and fashion related - my niece tells me that there are actually 2 more colors than the Roy G. Biv 7! In addition to red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet, there's . . . wait for it . . . 

pink and sparkle! 🌈 💗❇️✨ 

We'll start off with red and the rest of the rainbow masks this and next week will probably mix in another past challenge theme, with random colors selected as inspiration for my masks.

Starting out the rainbow theme with a couple of red masks.

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I've used both these masks before; in fact, I might have used the Yadah Red Heating Foil Mask for last year's rainbow theme week as well. Heating foil masks are intended to create a sauna-like moisturizing effect, the idea being that the thin foil on the outside of the mask and the soft, likely cotton material on the inside of the mask create a barrier to prevent the essence from evaporating, thus allowing the active ingredients in the essence to penetrate into the skin more effectively. It's not like a sauna in the traditional sense where your skin feels hot; maybe the analogy to the sauna is meant more like the infrared saunas. In any event, a good bit of the unscented essence remains after the recommended 20-minutes; there's also extra of the slightly viscous essence in the packet. I've kept this mask on for up to 40 minutes before without it being fully absorbed by the time I remove the mask. Hard for me to say for certain whether the essence absorbed deeper into my skin. My knee jerk assessment would be not really. Personally, I think an essence absorbs more effectively based more on whether I've exfoliated my skin beforehand than on the foil combination, but I haven't put that to the test (hmmm . . . perhaps a future experiment for me, or someone else here). My skin, however, did look and feel hydrated and nourished afterwards, with a subtle fresh brightness to it. 💖 The mask itself is very pretty (see spoiler for pic).

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Too long at the chin and jawline for my face shape. Also need to make incisions at the outer corner of the mouth.

Ingredients (sheet mask):

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Water, Dipropylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Punica Granatum Fruit Extract, Fragaria Vesca (Strawberry) Fruit Extract, Morus Alba Fruit Extract, Rubus Chingii Fruit Extract, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Fruit Extract, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Schisandra Chinensis Fruit Extract, Panthenol, Allantoin, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Trehalose, Sodium Hyaluronate, Beta-Glucan, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Arginine, 1,2–Hexanediol, Adenosine, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, PVM/MA Copolymer, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronate Acid, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Eclipta Prostrata Extract, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Disodium EDTA, Hydroxyacetophenone, Caprylyl Glycol, Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate, Xanthan Gum, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil  

Wash Off + Lip Balm

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I used the Eminence Organic Skin Care Sour Cherry Masque last month, so I won't spend too long reviewing it here. The scent on this, on all Eminence masks really, is wonderful! Cherry pie filling without the calories. 😍 And my skin is left slightly brightened and moisturized. I'm coming around to the SEPHORA COLLECTION Clean Lip Balm & Scrub Cherry - it's definitely a lip balm and not a scrub, at least the one I have. Maybe that means I need to pick up another one to confirm? 😀 Since I've been reaching for it more frequently, I notice it's become easier to apply, feels more smooth and slightly moisturizing on the lips and I do love the tint it leaves behind. 

Looking forward to seeing everyone's masks for this week's rainbow theme.

Pink and sparkle need to be added to the rainbow colors, per my niece.

[ladyassassin]

@itsfi looking forward to seeing your rainbow of masking. The Yadah masks sounds wonderful.