💕😌 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💗

[Samtian]

@itsfi Haha good luck!!

[PrettyPaint]

Mask that best describes my mood this weekend (lazy egg) and W (for egg whites):

The Creme Shop Gudetama Tighter and Brighter. 
-Overall, I liked this mask. The fit wasn't wonderful, but it was quite refreshing and my skin felt nice and clean after wearing it. It smelled mostly like lemon to me, and I think this one is so cute. 

[nuinui933]

@PrettyPaint - love your little props; so fun!

[PrettyPaint]

@nuinui933  Thank you so very much!

[eshoe]

@PrettyPaint I did this mask Saturday in your honor, too! I haven't posted it (yet). Love the little figurine, too. Glad to know someone else has been feeling the 'meh's' lately 😉

[PrettyPaint]

@eshoe  Awww how cool. I need to catch up to see if you've posted about it yet. I hope you enjoyed it! 🙂

[eshoe]

It just makes me smile that we were both in a Gudetama mood, @PrettyPaint 😘

[quspork]

This does sound refreshing, @PrettyPaint and Gudetama is just so darn cute!

[PrettyPaint]

The cutest! 🙂 @quspork 

[lmaster]

@PrettyPaint definitely my mood too!! So cute

[Samtian]

@PrettyPaint That is so cute! I love your props too!

[PrettyPaint]

Thanks so much @Samtian 

[Kim888]

Lol I feel that theme @PrettyPaint - sounds like a decent option 

[PrettyPaint]

@Kim888  Haha. Yeah, I need to get out of lazy mode. 

[itsfi]

Yay! 🙌🏼 It’s Gudetama! And yay for being a lazy egg this weekend @PrettyPaint! 😍 Sometimes we just need to chill, to be a little “meh.” 😆 This mask smelled more lemony to me too. Love the Gudetama toys! ♥️

[PrettyPaint]

@itsfi  Thanks so much! It's so much fun when I can find a fun prop (you are the best at this). 

[itsfi]

@PrettyPaint, that's very sweet of you to say. We all have the best props!! 😍 I think I sometimes have more fun picking out the props than the mask - haha! When my stash was more ... robust, the props, usually the food ones, would influence the mask choice, and if I needed to, I'd get creative with how it fit into a weekly theme. Hahaha! 😂 Everyone's props, backgrounds and layout of their masking session are always fun to see - and to  draw inspiration from! Now I want a Stormtropper mask based on your most recent post. ⬆️ I remember seeing a sheet mask with a Stormtrooper or Stormtrooper-like design on the mask. Maybe I'll need to track that sheet mask down ... along with a Stormtrooper mask. 😉

[PrettyPaint]

@itsfi  Somewhere in my house is a Chewbacca mask. It makes very loud sounds. I don't think I've come across any star wars sheet masks - how fun! 

[Shosh85]

@PrettyPaint  The Creme Shop may not have the best fitting masks, but they sure do have some pretty cute ones! 😊🥚🍳 Glad this one turned out nice for you! I liked this one too 😉

[PrettyPaint]

@Shosh85  Thanks so much - I really love printed masks! They always make me smile. 

[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