💕😌 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]

Ok, these are very aesthetically pleasing, @itsfi. Peach-scented, too - bonus! I think these would make great summer treats, they look and sound refreshing.

[itsfi]

@eshoe, these were good hand and foot masks. They’d work for any time of the year but the peach scent probably makes them in season for summer. 

[lmaster]

@itsfi those are sooooo cute!!

[itsfi]

@lmaster, they are. I love peaches though so I may be a bit biased. 😆 

[CookieGirl1]

@itsfi Too bad that the results are short lived but if they smell like peach...🙌

[itsfi]

@CookieGirl1, the results from most, if not all, masks like these don't last very long unless they're being used consistently and often; at least that's been my experience with them, so that's to be expected. It's in the top 3 so that's saying something.

[itsfi]

Doing a little bit of catch up with posting. I don't know if there's a uniform definition of "clean" in the beauty industry, but these masks seem to have in common that they are made of natural, sometimes / often organic and by one definition or another, clean ingredients. 

Wash Off Mask:

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I’ve been interested in trying this Josh Rosebrook Antioxidant Cacao Mask for years but just never got around to picking up a sample. It is a rich, deep, and dark brown hued thick-leaning cream with a mild, but detectable herbaceous, slightly earthy, scent. Not gonna lie, I was disappointed I didn’t pick up a chocolatey scent; I had read that this smelled like chocolate. 🍫 I did not get that, or it’s not like any chocolate I’ve ever smelled. 😔

Except for my nose, chin and jawline, my skin is feeling very dehydrated and dry. 😒 As a result, I limited my usage of this JR mask to just my nose, chin and jawline, and for only 10 minutes (instructions say that it can be worn for up to 45 minutes and that redness may appear and remain for 30-45 minutes afterwards).

Let me just say this stuff is potent. It packs quite the punch as far as detoxifying and purifying pores. Removal was best with a washcloth. My skin felt soft, smooth and clear, though slightly tight (but not really dry-tight, if that makes sense, maybe more firm?). The areas where I applied the product looked brightened and felt moisturized, as a result of the gunk being cleared out and some of the good-for-your-skin ingredients packed in this mask. Given the moisturizing aspect to the mask, I may give it a try on my cheeks once they are less dehydrated.

Overall, this isn’t a bad mask. It’s not what I’d currently consider a favorite mask, but it’s also not one I’m looking to get rid of either. In fact, this is one I’m looking forward to using again, in both the warm and cool seasons. It will be interesting to see how it performs at those times. For now, I’d consider this a likable mask.

Lip Mask:  

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I have a fair amount of lip balms and lip masks. I’d characterize the Alpyn Beauty Willow & Sweet Plumping Lip Mask as fine, not bad. It has a slightly waxy feel as you try to emulsify and pick up the product from the jar. You really need to do some work to break the seal in order to pick up a useful amount of product. It doesn’t have the gel cream look as shown on some adverts, but it does have a nice, balmy feel once applied on the lips. I was hesitant about picking this one up as many of the Alpyn products have been known to have a very pronounced scent, that many love, including some of the maskers here. I didn’t pick up a scent the first few times I used it and only a very faint one this most recent go with it, but it was so faint I couldn't pick up any specific notes or scent. Overall, this lip mask is fine and I will happily work through it but don’t see myself repurchasing it. 

@CookieGirl1, you had asked about my thoughts on this one in the hauls thread; I've used it 3 times this month and if my thoughts change after more use, I'll let you know. If there's something about the lip mask you'd like to know that I didn't get to, let me know.  Tagging @eshoe - I know you've used and like products from the brand; not sure if you've tried this one but if you did, wondering if you picked up a scent on the lip mask.

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100% Pure Green Tea Water Bomb Mask is a hydrogel mask that claims to soothe and intensely hydrate skin. The hydrogel material of this mask is said to be made of 95% aloe juice and 5% plant cellulose. I've used the other two varietals in this mask line early on when I started using sheet masks and, even though I hadn't had tried a lot of masks at that point, I thought they were just 'meh.' Having tried just a few more masks since 🤣, I thought I'd give another bomb mask from the brand another try, this time the green tea version. The verdict? Still "meh." I really wanted this mask to work for so many reasons - local company, natural ingredients - but this one was exceedingly lackluster, seemingly more so than the first time I used it. 

The openings for the eyes and mouth were very small - so much so that my eyes and lips felt smooshed. The mask adheres fairly well to the skin like many hydrogel masks. Also like many hydrogel masks, the essence isn't something you feel while the mask is on. With this one though, I wasn't able to feel any of the essence, even after removing the mask. This I attribute to my skin being very dry and dehydrated because there is extra essence in the packet so I know it's there, my skin just didn't seem to get the benefits of it. Ultimately, this mask isn't one that works well for my skin; it seems better suited for those with normal, combination or oily skin. 

[lmaster]

@itsfi drat!! No chocolate scent 🙄😂

[itsfi]

@lmaster, a chocolate scent would have been great. 

[nuinui933]

@itsfi 

I was excited to see the green tea mask; bummer it didn't do anything for you.

[itsfi]

@nuinui933, yeah, I was bummed. I think the masks from this line are better suited for someone with oily or normal skin. Not a mask for me, but it will work for someone else.

[elleb810]

@itsfi 

Never tried the cocoa one but his hydrating mask is amazing.

[itsfi]

@elleb810, good to know. I'll keep the hydrating mask in mind for the future.

[Samtian]

@itsfi For the Alypn did it sting? Also did it stay on long?

[itsfi]

@Samtian, I didn’t feel any tingling or stinging with the Alpyn. It stayed on for about an hour.

[Samtian]

@itsfi Thank you!

[eshoe]

@itsfi it sounds like both of these were rather ‘ok,’ which is both unfortunate but also kinda good? The lip mask was in a cart that I decided against, only because I have been swept away by perfect lip mask dreams one too many times 😂 I am fully committed at the moment to finish a good portion of my existing stash before buying any more. This was the most tempting ‘just give up now’ little jar, but it appears it can wait. At least for now.

[itsfi]

@eshoe, yep. None of the masks, for lip or face, irritated my skin so that is always a plus. Fortunately, I don’t have a lot of mask that are just fine or okay, and less that are no’s.

[CookieGirl1]

@itsfi thanks for the info on the lip mask!  Based on your description it doesn't sound like a formula that I'd particularly like so I'm glad to know this BEFORE chancing the purchase.

[itsfi]

@CookieGirl1, yeah, it sounded promising and I’m sure there are folks who will enjoy the Alpyn lip mask a lot but to me, it’s not a “need to have” lip mask.

[quspork]

Thank you for your thoughts on the Alpyn lip mask, @itsfi. I had some slight FOMO about not picking that up during the spring sale, but don't feel like I'm missing too much now. Somewhat related, have you picked up the new Cherry Blossom Laneige lip mask?? I have not because I have sooooo many other lip masks, but of course I am curious 😄