In my Glossybox this month I received this very long named face mask called After Party Brightening Bio-Cellulose Second Skin Mask by Starskin. It is a sheet mask designed to brighten up the skin, smooth the skin complexion, correct dark spots and even skintone. That is quite a few claims! It is made out of femented coconut juice and is thoroughly soaked in serum.
The instructions tell you to first rub some of the serum into the skin. I wasn't sure exactly how to do this so when I opened the product I massaged any serum that was on the actual packet into my skin. Then, you have to peel the protective layer off of the mask and stick it evenly on to your face whilst trying to smooth out any bubbles. I had never used a sheet mask before so I was quite excited- I thought it would be much easier than using a mask that you apply straight to the skin! However, it wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. Because it was so slippery and slimey in serum it was really difficult to peel apart and then apply without it slipping in my fingers. Then, because the mask was bigger than my face I found it really hard to get the holes of the eyes, nose and mouth over the correct areas of my face. This meant that I had to fold parts of the mask to get it to fit which caused air bubbles that I couldn't control.
The instructions also say to keep the mask on for about 25 minutes. The mask feels cooling on the face so this wasn't hard for me to do. Some masks can feel so uncomfortable that you can't persevere that long! Despite this, the areas on my cheeks and around my T-Zone kept peeling back a bit so I had to keep pressing them down. The mask also slid down a little bit from my forehead so I think if I were to do this again I would lie down instead of sitting up to stop it from sliding down. Trial and error is key!
After the time was up I, with ease, peeled off the mask. I was left with a really and oily face which was really soaked in serum. I then proceeded to get some more serum out of the left over packet and massaged it into the areas of my skin where the mask didn't fit or peeled away from. Because it was so oily I kept my hair tied back for an hour so the serum had a chance to fully absorb into my skin without getting my hair in it. I then thought it would be a good time to use my eye gel and lip balm for a full moisturising experience.
I did this at night time and when I woke up the following morning I had extremely moisturised skin. It was also probably the softest my skin had ever felt after using a mask before. My face did seem brighter, however I am unsure if it evened out my skin tone or not. Because I have quite a lot of red scarring on my face I find it hard to tell whether something has contributed to evening out my skintone or not because either way I will have redness on my face.
So what do I think overall? Well, it is a mixed review. On one hand it was really tricky to apply, peeled off in areas and it is £8.50 for one mask whereas you could probably spend that much on a tub of face mask that would last for longer. On the other hand my face felt extremely moisturised and I can see this being fantastic for people with dry skin and great for the winter months. As the name suggests I can also see it being good for after a party where you have a hangover and just feel dull and lazy. Laying there with a face mask on would be nice and it would give your skin some brightening afterwards. Although it is messy it feels good to completely hydrate your skin in tonnes of serum!
I wouldn't mind trying other masks by Starskin out and I would like to recieve this as a present or give to others as a present, however I think I would prefer to spend my own money on a mask that can be used more than once. If this was cheaper maybe I would be more inclined to repetitively buy it. But if I was having a time where my skin was particularly dry then I know what product I would come to so I could remedy this. Also just to note, I have sensitive skin and this did not aggravate my skin at all so there is the heads up for all you sensitive skin owners!
You can buy this mask from ASOS and Selfridges.
What is your favourite face mask?
