💕😌 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]

@Mellmars1185 it sounds like they plan to restock in the coming days, I will keep my eyes out for it!

[itsfi]

Going with a citrus theme 🍋, with an A for ascorbic acid, B for brightening, C for citrus and vitamin C, and a sample-turned-purchase!

Sheet Mask:

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I had very high hopes for the Missha Vita C Ascorbic Acid Spot Correcting Ampoule Sheet Mask upon opening the packet and seeing the watered-down emulsion essence. It just got better from there. The material is light, soft, thin, either a microfiber or cupra sheet. Despite its thinness, the sheet held a lot of the L-ascorbic acid vitamin C concentrated essence, which to my nose, had a fleeting, fresh, and very faint citrus scent, which was undetectable almost immediately after I pulled the sheet from the pouch. Adherence was beautiful and fit, wow! At first, it looked and felt like it would be overly large, but after a little tug here and there, it was near perfect - probably just a smidge too wide and while the openings for the eyes and mouth were wide enough, I made minor incisions to the corner to help the material there lie flat against my skin. 

The mask felt refreshing, cooling and hydrating for the entire half hour I had it on. There was zero tackiness or stickiness after removing the sheet and pressing in the essence that remained (fyi - there's plenty more in the packet). My skin looked and felt soft, hydrated and moisturized skin with a bright, fresh-faced glow. I'd say this Missha mask is best suited for those with normal, dry, dehyrated or dull skin looking for some added moisture and brightness. For me, this is a definite repurchase! 💛

Steam Eye Mask:

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Who knew that when I received a sample of the Megrhythm Gentle Steam Eye Mask 4 years ago that it would still be such a big hit?!! I never imagined it but am so pleased that I received that sample. For 4 years, these gentle steam eye masks have been a repeated repurchase, both for regular use by me as well as gifts to numerous relatives, coworkers and friends, including folks on BIC, who themselves have loved it and have paid it forward and introduced it to others. These self-warming steam eye masks come in a variety of scents, and ocassaionally different prints based on collaborations.  I love them - the steam heat that comes from these eye masks can take you back a bit the first time you use it but in general, it wears pretty comfortably and I've found these to be great for unwinding and relaxing after a long day, soothing strained eyes, relieving stress, easing away tension, and helping me fall asleep. This citrus, yuzu scented one in particular is a go to for me when I'm congested, suffering from allergies or dealing with a headache. I keep a stock of these steam eye masks on hand, in almost every scent available, and make sure to leave a few on my nightstand, keeping them within easy reach. Still going strong after 4 years, these are keepers! 💖

Lip Care: 

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With "homemade lemon tea" in its name, it was inevitable that the Innisfree My Lip Balm, Homemade Lemon Tea would make its way into my lip balm collection. I used this balm with my evening routine, but think it is better suited for daytime wear. It has a very faint, nearly imperceptible lemony scent and moisturizes well, and in those regards, it would be fine for use overnight. The finish and look of the balm though makes it more suitable, in my mind, for the day - there's a shine to the balm that has a semi-matte  finish but is not drying, and, although the balm comes out of the tube bearing an extremely pale yellow hue once applied to the lips, it leaves a very light pink tint to them that I think would be very pretty during the day. A couple of the downsides to this balm is that it takes a quite a bit of effort to get the product out of the tube and the price point is a bit high, so it's probably better for a sale haul. I picked up this one when the local Innisfree store on clearance as it was closing permanently.  One other thing to point out is that there's an expiration date listed on the balm - it makes sense that balms would have an expiration date, I guess, but that took me by surprise. This one is said to be good through November of this year, so I better get moving on it 😂 and am adding it to one of the balms I'll keep in my handbag. 👜

[Shosh85]

@itsfi I have had this one sitting an online cart forever now..... it definitely sounds wonderful! Once I take myself off my no-buy, I'll have to remember this one. Which reminds me, was it you that said you've ordered from iHerb(dot)com before?

[itsfi]

@Shosh85, I have ordered from iHerb before, a few times now, and have had a good experience each time.. When it comes to sheet mask purchases, one thing I like about that site is that is tells you the expiration  date. One thing to note though is that with my first purchase, a few years back, pre-pandemic, I received a notice from my credit card company, to confirm whether I had authorized a charge by the site - based on my recollection, it’s a similar notice that I receive on my first purchase from a business that is out of the country. 

Depending on when your no buy ends, you might also want to check out Missha direct for this mask. I picked this one up during a year end close out and ended getting it for less than $1 per mask. I only picked up a few but checked the expiration date when they arrived and there’s plenty of time to use them up. 

[Shosh85]

@itsfi  Yeah, I really like that iHerb tells you expirations dates - there's been way too many times I've ordered online and got masks that were a couple months away from being expired. It'd be nice to know what I'm getting.

 I also like that the shipping minimum is only $20 and takes less than a week to arrive.

It is hard to resist a good sale though, so I guess it just depends on the best deal I can find when it comes time to place an order 😉

[itsfi]

It’s very helpful to know the expiration date before purchasing @Shosh85. I wish more businesses would provide that information up front, without a request to do so. Or, I’ve also seen some retailers identify the expiration date if a product is marked down or the expiration is 12-18 months from the purchase date. I assume if it’s significantly marked down that the expiry date is coming up, but it matters to me to know whether that date is 2 months away versus 4 or 6+.

[missy94612]

@itsfi 

That Vitamin C mask sounds divine. I will need to hunt that down. 

Yes about that steam eye masks. Thank you for introducing them to me. My husband and I loved the ones you sent and have since stocked up ourselves - my husband packs a few for work travel and has paid it forward as you say, including getting some of his team members hooked on them. They are wonderful.

[itsfi]

@missy94612, I think you'd like the Missha Vitamin C mask - it feels very nice and comforting, and the results are great. I wanted to use another one today, but I was able to exercise some restraint. 😂 Ahhhh, I love it! That's awesome that your husband has steered others to the steam eye masks - they are sooooo good! Can't be without them. Love that your husband is so invested in masking with you; that's fantastic, and really sweet. Do you both have a particular version / scent of the steam eye masks that you like?

[missy94612]

@itsfi 

Sometimes I think he's into the masking more than I am. The lavender is my favorite - very relaxing and calming. My husband likes the lavender one and the lemon one.

[elleb810]

@itsfi  

Those steam eye masks are amazing! I've only tried the lavender and citrus ones but they are superb.

[itsfi]

@elleb810, they are amazing, aren't they? 💞 It's been some time since I've used the lavender scented ones. I usually have a box of the unscented and the yuzu version in the house, and then whichever of other scents I find on sale. 😁 

[missjeanie]

@itsfi That Missha mask sound like a dream!  I'm also going to need to check my Innisfree balms now... the ones I haven't used in a good 6 months lol... here's hoping they're still good!

[itsfi]

A dream is right, @missjeanie! 🥰 I really enjoyed this one; it’s one of the best vitamin C masks I’ve used. 💛

[missjeanie]

@itsfi I finally just tried a Missha cc/bb/foundation this summer and loved it.  I'm curious to explore more of the brand.  I may or may not have a few masks in the cart thanks to your review!

[itsfi]

Ooooh, which BB/CC cream of theirs did you love @missjeanie?

Missha has some great skincare products. I've only used a couple of their sheet masks. I have tried several of the sheet masks from its sister company, A'Pieu and those have been good too. 

[missjeanie]

@itsfi I'm a fan of lighter coverage bases in general but I find with this one I can really build up or leave it quite sheer depending on what I want that day.  I won't even front.... I have WAYYYY too many bases open right now, I feel like I'd like to use some up to get below 15 by the end of the year, but if I do happen to finish this one, I'll be re-ordering.  Great price, great shade match, great coverage, great SPF.  It's been a great intro to the brand.  I did't even realize they were owned by the same company as Apieu.  Good to know!

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[elleb810]

@missjeanie @itsfi 

I had no idea either. I saw a set of Apieu masks - the packaging was adorable - it looked like flavored milk cartons. 😍 Have either of you tried any of those?

[missjeanie]

@elleb810 I have!  I think I've tried, regular milk, strawberry and chocolate?  I might have a banana in my stash as well!  I honestly don't even remember what I thought of them, it has to have been at least two years ago now that I tried them.  @itsfi Keeps waaaaay better records than I do... because I don't lol.  @Shosh85 I feel like I've seen you use the milk carton masks?  

[Shosh85]

Great memory @missjeanie! I have actually tried all of them! The banana one is my most favorite 🍌😋  @elleb810 

[itsfi]

Agree @Shosh85, the banana milk version was / is the best of the bunch for me too. Love the scent on it and the results (moisturized skin) too. 🍌 @missjeanie @elleb810 

[missjeanie]

@Shosh85 I was 95% sure you did a run down of which ones were favourites.  Do you remember if they had a scent to them?