💕😌 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💗

[itsfi]

W is for work week masking   

Here are the other masks I used this past work week, some yielding better results than others - isn't that always the way?!  😏  

tl;dr: 

Wellage Real Clear Cica 1-Day Kit left my skin feeling very hydrated and with a bright, dewy glow that works beautifully under makeup. Adding the 10-pack to my list.

Laneige Cica Sleeping Mask - I love how this pale green tinted gel hydrates, moisturizes, and soothes my dehydrated, sensitive skin overnight.

Pacifica Stress Rehab Coconut & Caffeine Facial Mask may work better for others. I wanted to like it but the uncomfortable warmth and tingling from the product and then the resulting red flush it leaves all over my face makes it a pretty huge miss for me.  

23 years old Cocoon Willow Silky Mask has its pros and cons; it's a mask I would use if I had another one, but it's not one I would run out to buy. The thick, blanket like material coupled with the rich creamy serum makes for a comforting wear. I'm not a fan of it having no opening for the mouth and that it covers my entire neck - both those are more inconveniences than deal breakers and can be fixed with a pair of mini scissors. 

Barulab 7 in 1 Total Solution Blue Aqua Mask - Well, hello hydration!!! 🌊🚰 What a lovely treat for my dehydrated dry skin. I hit "pause" on my "sheet mask no buy June" to pick up a 10-pack of this one. 

More detailed reviews, starting clockwise with the cica based products.

W is for Wellage

Mood (on this masking night) = no nonsense 

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Cica was the ingredient focus for my Friday masking, which was broken up into two parts, both of which suited my quick, easy, no-nonsense mood at the time I happened to reach for them.

Wellage Real Clear Cica 1-Day Kit is a 2-piece concentrated treatment consisting of a freeze dried cica-and-hyaluronic-acid capsule and a light green-tinted watery essence solution said to contain 9,000 ppm centella asiatica. The idea of this kit is that you pour the solution onto the capsule that is conveniently stored in a container deep enough to hold that solution. The concept behind the interactive Wellage Real Clear Cica 1-Day Kit is not a new one to me. I used the hyaluronic acid version earlier this year, which I'll link here -  https://community.sephora.com/t5/Skincare-Aware/Mask-of-the-Week-Challenge/m-p/5771309/highlight/tru...

Since I was short on time, I poured the entire mixture into the cupped palm of my hand, patted it into my other palm before applying the entire solution onto my face and neck, pressing and patting it all over to help with absorption. An aside, if I had more time, I probably would have used the solution similar to the 7-skin method, pressing and patting layers of it (instead of all at once). I think both methods will work; I would liken it to choosing to either sip your whiskey or take it in one shot. Okay, maybe it wouldn't be like that exactly, but you get the point. My skin felt very hydrated and had a bright, dewy glow, which made for a perfect radiant base for the quick slathering of moisturizer, SPF, and BB cream that followed. I was impressed with this cica kit and can see myself picking up and testing the 10-day set later in the year. 

@haleyvvvv, you mentioned being interested in the cica version of the hyaluronic kit. Between the two, I prefer this cica version. Also, thank you again for intro'ing combining sheet mask photos into a collage. It's been helpful when posting.

Laneige Cica Sleeping Mask is no stranger to this thread; there are a few of us who use (and love this sleeping mask), a beautifully pale green tinted gel that hydrates, moisturizes and soothes sensitive skin overnight. 

W is for woman founded (and I think all three brands are woman owned as well) brands, with the sheet mask earning another W, for womp, womp. 😞  There's a W for wellness for just the photo of the masking trio - the blues are nice to look at; calming.

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Wash Off Mask: 

This is the second time I've used the Tula Skincare Detox in a Jar | Exfoliating Treatment Mask and like the first time I used it, it's not bad. This go round, I applied the mask just to my nose and it did a good job of clearing out some gunk without stripping my face of the oils it needs. 

Sheet Mask:

The Pacifica Stress Rehab Coconut & Caffeine Facial Mask is meant to de-stress and rejuvenate the skin -  on the face of the packet, the marketing tagline is "party then, rehab now." I wouldn't say I've been partying so much as working a lot; a little rehab for my skin, some rejuvenation sounded good. It started off well enough, but within what felt like the first minute, there was a warmth that slowly started to make its presence known all over my face, with a slight tingling coming into play as well. Ack!! 😧 I waited to see if it would go away but after another minute passed, I started feeling warming right under my brows and with that, I took it off and quickly made my way to the bathroom, washcloth in hand to rinse off and remove the serum from my face. My face looked flush, especially my cheeks, forehead and slightly under my eyebrows. This may work out well for others, but it was a huge miss for me. I will need to look for another way to de-stress. I think I'll go with sleep. 🛌💤

Lip Mask:

Charlotte Cho, co-founder of Soko Glam started her own line, Then I Met You, in 2018, with a cleansing balm as her first product, and introduced new products following that launch. Fast forward to early 2020 (I think it may have been before states started their shelter in place orders) and she released her Honey Dew Lip Mask, which has a balmy texture and imparts a glossy shine to the lips, all with a subtle scent of sweetened melon. In addition to the honey dew melon extract, ingredients worth noting include lactic acid for some gentle exfoliation, and squalane, honey, olive oil and avocado oil for hydration and nourishment. 

W is for willow, weird, and without words

Mood: quiet, speechless (I literally can't speak with the mask on for fear of getting the serum in my mouth. Thank goodness my mini scissors are nearby!)

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The renown of the 23 Years Old Cocoon Willow Silky Mask is that it does not have an opening for the mouth. I find that weird and a little worrisome. I'm already a little nervous to begin with about the serum from sheet masks running into my eyes and mouth; this mask sorta ups that anxiety with it not having an opening for the mouth. Which means I need to be quiet the entire time I have on the mask. 

The thick-leaning, blanket like, microfiber tension material coupled with the rich creamy serum makes for a comforting wear.  Adherence was good and with it being a tension sheet mask, the mask itself has some bounce and elasticity to it, making it easy to manipulate and adjust. Fit is weird. There's no opening for the mouth. On the one hand, it means the lips will get some TLC with the sheet mask. On the other hand, this can feel a little claustrophobic and just plain weird. I tried to keep the mask over my mouth the entire time but at some point, I just couldn't and I create my own mouth slit / opening. Ahhhh....better.  In addition to the no mouth opening, this mask is also very long - it can be applied down my neck. On a personal level, I wouldn't mind if they made the mask 2 pieces - separating the neck part from the face mask; or, at the very least, perforating it enough to allow the user to separate those sections should they desire. 

Will I Repurchase?: Probably not. While I think the thickness of the mask and the creamy serum would make a beautiful combination for my face in the winter months, but I'm just not a fan of the mouthless feature or of the extra material for the neck.

W is for water

Skin mood = before this mask, parched. After 20 minutes with the mask, happily hydrated! 👍

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The packaging on this Barulab 7 in 1 Total Solution Blue Aqua Mask is fairly nondescript. Compared to sheet masks with cute illustrations or pretty designs, this one doesn't stand out too much and you might pass it over. I almost did when I first set my eyes on it. That would have been a shame too, as this is one amazing mask, especially for those whose parched skin could do with a refreshing dose of hydration!

The technical specs of the mask are superb - soft, ultra thin 100% natural celulose fiber material that feels like second skin, and looks it too. This feels an awful lot like one of the softest and thinnest forms of Tencel sheets I've used. Fit was fabulous! I rarely say that about sheet masks; there's probably only been one or two other masks in all my years of using a sheet mask that have fit so beautifully. The only adjustments I made were to snip 1/8" of material from the nose tip and add that strip to the exceedingly small strip of material covering the philtrum. That was it. Everything else was wonderful - the material clung gently and perfectly against my skin and the contours of my face. 

The clear, ever so slightly viscous serum saturating the sheet has that clean, fresh "signature sheet mask scent" that many of us have come to pick up and appreciate. There's extra in the packet to apply to neck, shoulder, decolletage and arms, or, to layer atop the sheet mask to extend the suggested 15-20 minutes - that's a good wear time for this mask; wear can be longer for those with normal or combo skin; and for those with dry or dehydrated skin by layering more of the extra serum onto the mask part way through. 

The serum consists of 6 forms of hyaluronic acid. It's been said that having different sizes of hyaluronic acid helps to penetrate different layers of the skin with hydration. I can't speak to that from a scientific point of view but from someone whose skin is dehydrated year round and who has used sheet masks a lot, my skin certainly felt hydrated throughout - I could feel my thirsty skin being quenched with hydration even as I was wearing the mask. After removing it, there's a slight tack to the touch as I press and pat the serum into my skin; it's barely noticeable once the serum has been absorbed. 

In addition to its hydrating properties, this mask also claims to make "skin glow." My take is that while there's a certain fresh faced brightness to my complexion after using this mask, it's really just to a degree that I've come to expect of many sheet masks. The beauty of this sheet mask is in the dose of hydration your skin receives in the 20 minutes of wear! This is a definite repurchase and one I might contemplate pausing my sheet mask no buy June to pick up.

LANEIGE Cica Sleeping Mask 

[lmaster]

@itsfi ohh I love the laneige mask too!! Love the sound of hydration right about now 😆

[itsfi]

Right @lmaster?!! I don’t think my skin ever tires of hydrating masks. 😆 It’s felt like a cooler, drier spring over here; don’t know about for you. Hydrating, moisturizing, soothing - my skin needs it all! Toss in some dewy glowy skin while we’re at it. 😉 

[Samtian]

@itsfi Huh that cica mask sounds pretty cool!

[itsfi]

@Samtian, it is! 😃 I like that I can get both hyaluronic acid and centella asiatica in one product. The interactive “chemistry” part of it with pouring the solution onto the freeze dried hyaluronic acid ball is fun too! 😉 

[Samtian]

@itsfi That sounds fun!

[itsfi]

Gotta try to have a little fun with masking, right @Samtian? 😃 It’s the closest I’ll come to being a chemist - that’s a good thing for everyone. 😂 

[Kim888]

So much masking @itsfi - the cica sleeping mask so so calming and hydrating for summer !

[itsfi]

@Kim888, cica is such a great skincare ingredient, isn't it? Great for soothing and hydrating the skin! I think it just looks like a lot of masking since it's all in one post. It was one mask a day for Mon - Fri, with one day including the sleeping mask at night, which isn't that far off from my usual routine for the past couple of years for fall to most of spring. 

[PrettyPaint]

@itsfi  Ahhhh!!! I think I have that 23 years old mask. I am so glad I read this so I know about the no mouth hole. I've never experienced that before. Yikes. 

[itsfi]

@PrettyPaint, get out your pair of mini scissors!!! You may be giving that sheet mask a bit of a face lift! 😂 It's no joke how there's not an opening for the mouth. Not even a slit. 😶 ⬅️ literally that!! 

Oh my, @Shosh85, there's an actual emoji for the 23 Years Old mask 😶😶😶 

😂🤣😂

[Shosh85]

@itsfi @PrettyPaint  Right?! 😶 It's perfect! 😂

[PrettyPaint]

@Shosh85  @itsfi   Haha that's hilarious. 

[itsfi]

@Shosh85 @PrettyPaint, who knew the 23 Years Old mouthless mask was or would be so popular?!! 😲 To have an emoji just for it! 😶😂 Well, it could be said that the maskers knew, right?! 😉😆

[Shosh85]

@itsfi  What a fun variety of masks! Love all the W's!
 I've never seen that Wellage Kit either, but it definitely sounds like something I'd love - can't argue with those results!

Oh my goodness, the 23 Years Old mask brings back some memories! I got one in a subscription box before I ever got into masking. It was the first mask I ever tried and I had no idea it was something unique - I remember thinking, "how in the world can people do this on a daily basis?!" 😂

[itsfi]

Oh my goodness @Shosh85, I wondered it if was you who first posted about the mouthless 23 Years Old masks! 🤔 I thought so but when I went to the OG mask thread, I got tired of going page by page and, well, I also kept getting distracted reading about masks folks were using then and their thoughts. Nostalgia. All I remember was reading in your post that it's designed to not have a mouth opening, because I think I saw a photo and thought "oh my word, she got a defective mask. It's smothered her entire face!!" I thought they just forgot to cut out a hole for the mouth. 

There are some 23 Years Old masks that are more like traditional sheet masks, right?! Or maybe one? I feel like there's at least one mask the brand puts out that has an opening for the mouth. Or, maybe that's the defective one as far as their brand goes. Hahaha!

The Wellage Kit (the cica version) is one I think I will incorporate into my skincare routine when it really warms up here, which will be more like fall for everyone else. I tend to do less daily masking in the summertime and use more essences then and I can see my skin liking this Wellage cica as a substitute for the essence step. We shall see. I say this now. The weather and my skin have acted out much differently since the whole stay at home so it may just be better to play it by ear. lol. Besides, that's a good 4 or 5 months away - I can get distracted by so many other sheet masks or skincare products between now and then. 

[Shosh85]

@itsfi Im not positive how many there are, but I do know there's more than one mask from this brand that do have mouth holes. 

Ready for this?😅

This was the first time I wore it: 😶

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...and this was the second time - I wanted to demonstrate how long it was: 😂

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[itsfi]

Hahaha! 🤪 Loooove!!! These are a trip down masking memory lane @Shosh85! Awww!! Nice job readying us for the big reveals! 

I think this mask will be my backup Halloween costume. Or at least one of the strongest contenders; Charlotte Tilbury Instant Magic Facial Dry Sheet Mask is also in the running. One of those masks and my hoodie sweatshirt ... scary just thinking about it. 😱 The 23 Years Old mask is more moisturizing so it has a slight lead. 

[Shosh85]

@itsfi  Haha! I've thought about answering the door to the trick-or-treaters with it on, but I think I'd probably give them some serious nightmares 😂 The CT would be a great one! 

[Hyramlover]

I have a unicorn mask and I think that pretty much describes my personality lol.

[Shosh85]

@Hyramlover  Fun! Unicorn masks are the best! 🦄😃