Review #2: My Beauty Diary Black Pearl Mask

Here's my second mask review! This is on the Mask. A favorite among the r/asianbeauty crowd, I put this mask to the test to see if it lives up to its claims. This mask costs between $10-$14 for a 10 pack depending on the seller. MBD is great because it's so readily available outside of Asia. I see it all the time in Chinatown, New York and you can also get it via Amazon Prime. I've seen it mostly go for around $13 though, which isn't a bad deal.

Benefits & Ingredients: (3/4) The Black Pearl Mask claims to have whitening and nourishing benefits, which comes from the black pearls. It is recommended for normal to dry skin types, that are dull or lackluster. Now my skin type is combination, but it can get dull sometimes when the weather is bleh. Taking a look at the cosDNA, I see that the top ingredients are generic moisture binding ingredients found in many sheet masks like Butylene Glycol. I do see Aloe Vera Juice and hyaluronic acid further down on the list. Take note that some ingredients may be irritation triggers, like Triethanolamine. Overall, I did see some glowing effect after I took off the mask, and some brightening. However, it wasn't enough to wow me. 

Mask Fit: (4/4) I think this is the new MBD mask from 2015, and I quite like the fit of the new masks! The texture is paper-thin and clings well to my skin, and I like the fact that there are no eye flaps. The overall shape and length are very good. The nose area is a bit shorter than I would like but it does not take away from the perfect rating.

Scent: (3/4) I found the scent to be pleasant, and mildly fragrant. I couldn't quite pinpoint what the smell was like, but it wasn't very memorable. 

Serum Level: (3/4) I managed to squeeze enough excess serum to fill a 7ml jar, which is enough for me to use for quite a while! The serum is very liquidy too, so it made it easy to transfer into the jar.

Overall, I give this mask a score of 3.3 out of 4, which places it good, but would only buy if on sale category.

Review #1: Tosowoong Pure Blueberry Mask

Hello everyone! This is my first sheet mask review. Today, I will be reviewing the Tosowoong Pure Blueberry Mask. I have heard positive things about this brand, and one of the more beloved masks is their blueberry one. I used this at night time, after double cleansing and applying a BHA exfoliant (with a 15 min wait time). This mask costs between $13.00-$23.00 on eBay for a 10 pack, which is a pretty good deal.

Benefits & Ingredients: (4/4) This mask claims to have whitening/brightening and anti-wrinkle properties. The main beneficial ingredients are Niacinamide (anti-aging, fade scars/discolorations) and Blueberry (antioxidant, reduce inflammation, improve and strengthen collagen).  Running the ingredients through cosdna reveals a pretty clean list with no major red flags, aside from Butylene Glycol as a potential acne trigger. Upon taking off the mask, my skin felt moisturized and refreshed, with some brightening effects immediately taking place. The effects were still present the next morning, when I woke up.

Mask Fit: (3/4) The material is thick, pulp-like texture and was easy to place on my face. Overall this mask fits pretty well, particularly around the nose and mouth area. The eye cutout is pretty big though, so this may or may not be a good thing depending on the person. For example, if you want more essence coverage around your eyes, you will need to spread the essence around your eye area yourself. Also, I found the width a bit too long, and some essence got onto my hairline from the side, but this wasn't too big of a deal.
















Scent: (4/4) The first thing I noticed about this mask was how nice it smelled! Seriously, it smells refreshing and calming, with a subtle blueberry scent that wasn't too fragrant or overbearing. The smell  kind of reminds me of dragonfruit too. This alone would definitely convince me to re-purchase this sheet mask.

Essence Level: (3/4) This mask packs 23g of essence, or according to the marketing, a "full bottle" of concentrated essence. This is definitely above average in industry standards, and I had enough leftover to apply to my face the next day if needed (I chose to use the leftover as a body serum however. on my arms/legs).

Overall, I give this mask a score of 3.6 out of 4, which places it solidly in the "re-purchase" category.