Happy Sunday, folks! We’ve finally come to the end of my Skincare Favourites Week series. I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed the series and hopefully I’ll be able to do another one next year too. I’ve had such fun sharing all of my favourite skincare with you.
For the final day of Skincare Favourites Week, I’d love to share my top 10 facial masks with you. I love masks and even on lazy days when I can’t be arsed to wait 20 minutes for a mask to dry, there are even 5-minute ones that work just as well. They give the skin an instant oomph too.
Whenever I have a facial sheet mask on, Tim will want one too. It’s no wonder my supply of masks, especially the sheet masks, dwindle so quickly! 😛
Let’s get started, shall we?
My Beauty Diary Facial Sheet Masks
My Beauty Diary facial sheet masks are extremely popular in Asia. You can even get them at ridiculously inflated prices in Asian shops all over Australia. Their range of scents and types of masks is phenomenal and it’s always difficult to know which one works better unless you’ve tried a lot of different ones. MBD masks are quite thick and holds a great amount of juice. Recommended leave-on time is usually about 15-20 minutes but I can go past the 30-minute mark without the mask drying out. My favourites are the Collagen Firming Masks and the Birdsnest Masks. The leave the skin feeling incredibly boing-boing after use. Try using them every other day during winter and you’ll have the softest skin ever. (review here)
L’Herboflore Facial Sheet Masks
I adore L’Herboflore facial sheet masks. I’ll even go to say that it’s better than the very popular My Beauty Diary ones. The paper masks are not as thick as the MBD’s but they fit my face very well. Each foil packet always has plenty of “juice” leftover that you can massage on your neck and decolletage. More often than not, there’s even enough to go on your arms and legs. Waste not, want not, right? I know, I know; these are exceedingly difficult to get if you’re not based in Taiwan or China and that stinks. However, if you’re interested in getting them, let my purveyor of all things L’Herboflore, Tina, know. She can get your L’Herboflore needs sorted. I don’t particularly have a favourite; I just go with whatever smells good because they all work the same for me. Super boing-boing skin FTW! (review here)
SK-II Facial Treatment Masks
This is my #1 facial sheet mask and of course, it bloody had to be the most expensive. Before I started using anything from SK-II, my mum used to tell me that each mask gives you the effect of one whole facial. She’s right! My skin is very soft, smooth and looks downright perky after use. As each mask is close to $30, I only save this for special occasions. I’ll use this the night before a big event and the next day, I’ll have good-looking skin. If you haven’t tried it before, I highly recommend it. Again, just save it for special occasions. Each foil packet also comes with a lot of “juice” so what I like to do is pour the rest of it into a small jar and use it as serum (there’s enough serum for one week’s use). Since each packet is so expensive, every drop must not be wasted!
Skinvitals Facial Sheet Masks
I stumbled upon these facial sheet masks at Priceline when I first moved to Australia in 2008. I find them to be on par with the My Beauty Diary masks, which means these masks are pretty damn good. They fit my face well and the results are exactly what I’d expect. My favourite is the CoQ10 mask (couldn’t find a good picture of that one but the Vitamin C one works just as well too!).
Dermalogica Multivitamin Power Recovery Masque
Stepping away from the facial sheet masks, this is one of my favourite cream masks. This came highly recommended by Lisa Eldridge (terribly good enabler!) so I thought I too had to check it out. Turns out, she’s right! This is great on tired and dull skin. I use this particularly on my dehydrated cheeks and chin for a lift. Skin feels more refreshed and perky after use.
Sanctuary Deep Cleanse Facial 5 Minute Thermal Detox Mask
I like to use this together with the Dermalogica Power Recovery Masque. This goes on warm and feels slightly grainy on the skin. I apply a generous layer of this on my T-zone and concentrate more product on my nose. When I wash it off, I’m left with smooth and less congested looking skin. Personally, I think this kicks the overpriced Glamglow Youthmud mask’s bum and at a much lower price too. Plus it doesn’t feel abrasive on the skin at all whereas the Glamglow Youthmud one does.
Peter Thomas Roth Cucumber Gel Mask
This looks like hair gel, doesn’t it? It was a recent discovery and even though this would have been absolutely fantastic in summer, it’s also great in winter. When my skin feels very flushed from overpowering heaters, this calms my skin right down. I keep this in my bathroom and boy, does it feel very cold on my skin! I simply cannot wait to use more of this in summer especially when I get to leave this in the fridge.
Kose Seikisho Mask White
This was a gift from a dear friend. I’ve never tried any of the products in the Seikisho range before this. It looks quite scary in the tube as it comes out black and goes on grey on the skin. It does have quite a strong Chinese medicinal scent to it. Some may be turned off by it but I’m oddly comforted by the familiar smell. Reminds me of home, I guess. It helps with congested skin especially if you have a lot of blackheads. This didn’t remove my blackheads but as a skin detox sort of mask, it works swell.
La Mer Lifting and Firming Mask
Along with my SK-II Facial Treatment Masks, this gives my skin a double whammy of awesomeness. It not only hydrates but leaves my skin feeling soft and supple too. As this is also another crazy expensive product, I only use this once a week and the night before a special occasion. What I like to do is use the SK-II mask first, remove it, massage leftover juice on the skin, let it sink in, apply the La Mer mask, let that sink in and then top it up with a thin layer of moisturiser. It’s a terrific arsenal for fantastic-looking skin the next day, I tell ya. (review here)
Uriage AquaPrecis Moisturising Express Mask
Excluding the Comfort Cream, I’ve pretty much included the entire range of the AquaPrecis in my Skincare Favourites Week. That’s how amazing I find it. The Express Mask is a good and quick pick-me-up whenever you need a boost of hydration and oomph on the skin. Even though it’s meant to be left on for just 5 minutes, I like to leave it on for about 10-15 minutes. The gentle marine scent is, again, a huge plus in my books. (review here)
There you have it, my favourite facial masks. Hopefully there’s something in there that you haven’t tried before and would love to. I have more masks in my wishlist so you never know, the new ones might kick some of these off the pedestal. 😉
This concludes Skincare Favourites Week. Stay tuned to next month for some time then, there’ll be one for makeup too!
What’s your favourite go-to mask that gives you great boing-boing skin?
Catch up on Skincare Favourites Week!
- My Top 10 Cleansers
- My Top 10 Toners and Lotions
- My Top 10 Serums
- My Top 10 Moisturisers
- My Top 10 Eye Creams
- My Top 10 Exfoliators
- My Top 10 Facial Masks
Shop the post!
This series is possibly one of my favourite ever. Keep doing series like this!
I alternate between MBD as well as the SKII. Harsh winter weather requires me to use a mask every other day to keep my skin happy and hydrated. SKII is pricey but I stock up at duty free each time I travel. In between these, I also use SKinVitals (getting hard to find at Priceline!) because they are so affordable! I love theone with an ear hook because it doesn’t slip off my face! In between, I use the SKII Skin rebooster which is slightly more affordable than the masks. It leaves my skin ultra bright and calm. Instead of wipe off (I find the action tugs the skin a fair bit) so I damp a face cloth with warm water onto my skin to re-moisten the solution and massage the remnants in. This is followed by my regular night routine.
Haha glad you enjoyed it! This month will be makeup favourites. Hope to do this again next year. Maybe will have discovered even better products by then.
I’m such a miser when it comes to the SKII masks. They’re so bloody expensive and I try not to use them often and only when I really need it. Only about a few months ago did I finally finish up the box of masks I bought over 2 years ago! I’m surprised my skin hasn’t burned off.
Hahaha I can’t stand masks that hook behind the ears! The juice drips on my shoulders and it’s just icky. But I get what you mean, they really do stick on the face longer, don’t they? Is the Skin Rebooster a serum or a mask?
Hi Tine! Loved this series. You have some products in you top ten that I have been waiting to try and now I have good reason too 🙂 Any excuse! I really like the Sanctuary Spa Detox mask also. I think it is because it doesn’t dry hard like so many clay type ones. Looking forward to the makeup series 🙂
Thanks Kellee, so glad you enjoyed it. Hahaha I’d take any excuse too. 😉
I agree, the detox mask from Sanctuary Spa doesn’t dry hard on the skin. The Glamglow one dries really hard and I had to be very careful in removing the mask because I’ve actually scratched my skin with some of the bigger bits in the clay mask when I was removing them with a cloth. I don’t know why that mask is so popular. I had to check it out since almost every YouTuber and her mother are raving about the mask. Ridiculously overpriced for clay that I find very harsh on the skin. >.<
SK-II mask first, and then the La Mer mask next?! OMG, I want to be you, Tine! All kidding aside, that sounds divine 🙂 Actually, all of the masks you describe sound fabulous. I haven’t tried any of the masks on your list, but I’d like to. The photo of the packaging of the L’Herboflore look gorgeous, but I am not sure if they are available in these here parts. Probably the Peter Roth would be my best bet My favorite mask is Radical Skincare Instant Energizing Mask that goes on white, pops like Pop Rocks, and then disappears, plus it has the most gorgeous citrus scent. I still haven’t tried any of the sheet masks, though I have one that I purchased at H-Mart, the Korean supermarket a couple of months ago in my stash someplace. I must find it. I enjoyed your skincare series, and have to catch up on a couple that I missed.
Allison recently posted..City Lips Lip Plumper
Oh I know Allison! I’m just incredibly lucky to be able to try out the La Mer mask for free. Even though it’s a really good product, I highly doubt I’ll be able to splash that much money on a mask, really. Which is why I use the La Mer mask so sparingly because once that’s finished, that’s it. 😛
OMG that Radical Skincare mask you mentioned sounds divine! I just wrote it down in my shopping list; I must check it out when I’m at Mecca Cosmetica (our version of Sephora) next! Do give facial sheet masks a go. They’re so easy to use and leaves the skin feeling incredibly soft and smooth afterwards. 🙂
Hi Tine. Love your new series as well. And love your updates on upcoming Priceline promos. 🙂
As for the masks, I have tried the Kose Seikisho (my housemate left me the remaining tube after she has to move back to Thailand from Melbourne). Like you, I was a bit skeptical about it. But I love how it brightens my face (and lightens the scars of the pimples I’ve popped. Ooopsie!). And it does unclog my pores and helps with whiteheads and blackheads.
Would love to try the SKII. I have recently been to Japan (like you 🙂 and thank you for the beauty tips. I should have stocked up more on the Biore Sunscreen). But SKII is a bit too expensive for me. I’m did buy a few skin care ranges like the Shiseido (blue bottle) and Sana Nameraka range (cleanser, toner and moisturiser which I’m using at the moment).
Anyway, I am now liking the cheapo Placenta masks from Japan. $6-10 for a packet of 40. Leaves my skin softer (not much; but I only use it once a week and it is winter). But I’m happy enough wih any product that does not break me out at first use… and hasn’t broken my skin since… I’ve used 4 masks so far. I haven’t had much pimples recently and that is the only thing I have changed in my skincare routine.
Thanks Guia, so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
The Kose Seikisho mask scared me when I first squeezed it out of the tube. Scared my husband even more when I walked out of the bathroom with grey face. Should have done the whole BOO!! thing at him with the mask on. 😛
Japan’s version of drugstore skincare products are awesome. Good quality stuff at such great prices. Too bad we can’t get them at those prices here. The ones in Chinatown are ridiculously overpriced.
I still love the Dermalogica mask, so lovely and calming. I’m addicted to the Lonvitalite C4 masks at the moment, and when I happened to find them on special in a pharmacy while I’ve been home in QLD, I went on a little crazy buying spree… Oops. The SKII and La Mer sound like a face mask match made in heaven!
Angie recently posted..The Eyes Have It
Oooh I have some of the Lonvitalite C4 masks, haven’t used them yet. Will give them a go this weekend. Oh yeah, the SKII and La Mer masks are a match made in heaven all right. Y’know, the kind where you need to sell a kidney and then go to heaven sorta thing? 😛 😛 😛
I LOVE MY BEAUTY DIARY!! Best masks ever! I purchase them from sasa.com and they come in about 2 weeks. They also sell the SK-II 10 pack of masks for $100 😀
I’m sad the SkinVitals masks are discontinued, but I’m glad I could replace them with MBD.
I loved this series Tine!
Marianne recently posted..First Impressions #1
Thanks Marianne, so glad you enjoyed it! My Beauty Diary masks are awesome, aren’t they? To be honest, I can’t tell the difference between each type because all of them give my skin exactly the same results. So I just mix and match and buy whatever sounds and smells the best. 😛
I really love your picks 🙂 You seem to have a lot of Dermalogica products in this series and the mask looks like something I would like to try. You are the second blogger who has been raving about the Peter Thomas and Roth Cucumber Gel mask (the first I know being Paris B, lol). It must be that good huh? I saw it in Sephora the other day and if it was not for the price of RM118 here in Malaysia, I would have bought it. I will probably wait for the Sephora sales in December to purchase it.
I have actually tried the Kose Seikisho Mask White when I was in my twenties and its quite a good mask. Leaves your face so clean and fair. LOL. I found a similar mask in Origins Clear Improvement Active Charcoal mask which is also black in colour and is good for deep cleansing. But its too drying to be used every week so I leave that for once a month usage. I have tried MBD masks and still have some left but I find sheet masks to troublesome so I doubt I will be purchasing anymore of these masks 🙂
Thanks Victoria. Dermalogica has some really good stuff and has definitely made more than one list in this series. I didn’t realise how many times I’d be mentioning Dermalogica until I finished writing the series! Hahaha yeah I remembered Paris B’s review on the Peter Thomas Roth cucumber gel mask. At the moment, it’s still cold here so even though it’s lovely, I bet it will be absolutely swell come summer when it’s hot outside and I’m inside enjoying an icy cool mask on my face. Given the Malaysian weather, I’m sure you’ll love it too!
Thanks for this article, Tine! It’s exactly what I needed. I’m currently in Penang for the first time and I was in Sasa today (in the beautiful new Gurney Paragon mall) and so overwhelmed by all of the sheet masks that I walked out empty handed! I’ll go back and look for the My Beauty Diary ones. 🙂
My absolute favourite mask is Guinot’s Masque Dynamisante. It’s full of stimulating essential oils (but it isn’t irritating) to make skin “wake up” and look glowy and less fatigued! I wish I had it with me now because I look shocking from flying and walking and late nights and shopping! It’s a magic masque I tell you. 🙂
My pleasure! Enjoy Penang! I really miss it. I’ve only been to the Paragon mall once when it was pretty new so there were barely any shops there. I bet it’s buzzing now. I suggest checking out both Watsons and Guardian for the MBD masks. If I remember correctly, Guardian pharmacies have an exclusive multi-pack box that Watsons doesn’t have. There are 10 different masks in a box. MBD masks that come in a box usually only come in one type of masks. The multi-pack is a good way for you to try out different masks. Personally, I think all of them deliver the same results. The only difference is the fragrance! 🙂
Hi,May I know where you buy La Mer Mask..?
You can get it from La Mer counters in major departmental stores. 🙂