Sparkled Beauty

I have recently had a chance to try out some Maska masks. They are gel sheet masks, the new generation of facial masks, I would call them.

A quick run-down about Maska gel masks: a squishy, stretchy soft gel sheet, folded in a plastic case, submerged in a good amount of liquid to keep it cool and moist. Smaller masks for specific areas of the face have a lot less liquid.

On your face, the gel mask is slippery and will slide around a bit until you can smooth it over and get it stick to the skin. Quite fun, actually lol.

Each package of full face masks also includes a cleansing and makeup remover cloth. I personally prefer washing my face thoroughly with a cleanser before a mask, so I did not use the cloth.

This is what happens when you pull the plastic case out of the package :)

The liquid drains through a hole near the bottom of the case so that the mask isn't dripping wet when applied to the face. There is enough liquid left there to dab on your neck a few more times.

WARNING: a scary looking masked face is coming up, skip ahead if you don't want to see it. I always find a masked face unattractive to photograph, but it is necessary to show you how the gel mask looks on. It is thicker with a jelly consistency, quite different from a paper sheet mask :)

A few notes I have:
- The mask did not cover my forehead, even with stretching, maybe I have a longer face than average lol. The thin strip above my lips was slippery the most, it kept sliding down to my upper lip.

- Since the gel texture is heavier, I couldn't get the mask tuck in under my jawline, so I just left it hanging.

- The mask might slide off your face if you bend your head while sitting (like I did). You should lie down and relax with the mask on anyway.

- Be gentle with the mask, as you can make a dent on the mask with you nail - see the spot between my eyes :)

It took a bit of getting used to, but I am liking the gel masks. They feel like a step up from paper sheet masks, keeping my face moisturized and pampered. Though the effects are short term, due to the short amount of time the mask is on compared to a skin care product, that might be just the thing we need at the end of a long day.

Now that we get the basics out of the way, let's browse Maska gel mask selections.

Facelift is anti-aging 2 step collagen gel face masks to firm, smooth fine lines and stimulate the skin.

Step 1: exfoliates and nourishes the skin
Ingredients: Water, Glycolic Acid, Vitamin C, Allantoin, Salicylic Acid, Retinol, Imidazolidinyl Urea (I lost the packaging, so this list is stopped short, I apologize).

Step 2: penetrates and repairs damaged skin while calming it
Ingredients: Water, HA, y-PGA, Allantoin, Copper Tri-peptide, Witch Hazel, Egg Oil, Grape Seed Extract, Green Tea, Licorice Root, Fibroblast Growth Factor Acidic Recombinant, Co-Q10, Epidermal Growth Factor, Imidazolidinyl Urea.

Instruction: Remove mask 1 from tray and place it over the clean and dry face. Wait 10 - 15 minutes, remove mask, clean face. Repeat with mask 2. Use remaining excess liquid to further hydrate the skin. I actually used these two masks on two separate occasions, as I liked to enjoy a mask longer than the specified time and I ran out of time for the second mask in one night :) Definitely mask 2 does more work to the skin than mask 1.

The 2 masks are separately packaged inside the bag, 180g, retail $10.69.

Rejuve is a skin rejuvenating collagen gel face mask to hydrate and nourish tired, dull skin with anti-oxidant vitamins and aloe vera.

Similar instruction as with Facelift, but the time suggested is 20 - 30 minutes :)

Ingredients: Water, Shea Butter, Gamma Polyglutamic, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, B Complex Vitamins, Allantoin, Salicylic Acid, Aloe Vera, Pearl Essence, Imidazolidinyl Urea.

This is a Feel Good mask when you don't have serious skin concerns to worry about. The mask is 90g, retails $5.99.

Look is an eye renewal collagen gel mask to soften fine lines and brighten. It locks in moisture and lighten dark circles.

Same instruction, with 20 - 30 minutes under the eyes.

Ingredients: Water, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Co-Q10, Vitamin C, Propylene Glycol, Algae Extract, Amica, Butylene Glycol, DMDM Hydantoin, Glycerin, Salvia Officinalis Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Kojic Acid, Vitamin K, Imidazolidinyl Urea.

This mask calms my tired eyes at the end of the day, it's cooling and soothing. However, like I said, a half hour treatment on occasions would not treat your dark circles and fine lines, unfortunately.

The package includes 2 pairs of masks so you get 2 uses with it, 25g, retails $4.29.

Pout is supposed to be a lip enhancing collagen gel mask to plump and nourish, improve blood circulation to reduce the appearance of wrinkles, exfoliates to smooth fine lines.

Instruction: 20 - 30 minutes on the lips.

Ingredients: Water, Glycerin, Hyaluronic Acid, Co-Q10, Niacin, Acetyl Hexapeptide-3, Zinc, Stearate, Camphor, Egg Oil, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Lactic Acid, Pearl Powder, Imidazolidinyl Urea.

The mask did stimulate my lips with the tingling sensation, making them feel full but again, I can't say it would do much for wrinkles. There are 2 masks in a pack, each is good for both lips, 30g in total, also $4.29.

All masks above are recommended to be used twice a week. I recommend these gel masks for a spa at home experience for your skin, but don't expect them to work as your skin care products. If you grab a few to try, stagger them to grab the full benefits of each :)