Hey. Hi. Hello!
It’s Monday. I don’t know if I’m supposed to be excited about that or not. This past week was probably one of the worst weeks of my life because I just truly feel like I was cursed by some butt-hurt Yankees fans or something since nothing went right last week. So, let’s all say a collective prayer that maybe one thing will go my way this week? Gotta start small!
Recently, I’ve been on a quest for beautiful skin. Like the kind of skin that means I can roll out of bed, fill in my eyebrows, and walk out the door. Skin so good I look like I’ve been airbrushed, but it’s in real life. During this quest, I’ve invested a lot of TIME and MONEY to gather a plethora of products. While I’ll be covering my entire skincare routine in great detail sometime this year, today we’re gonna talk about the unsung hero. The quick fixes. That’s right my dudes, it’s face mask szn.
Well, technically every season is face mask szn, but up here in NYC we’re getting into the colder weather, which, I don’t know about ya’ll, but my skin boycotts everything in the Fall and Winter. So, I’m out here slatering my face in products for some good ole self care action.
Now, obviously I’m only one person. I have normal, acne-prone skin. That means that I can really only speak from experience for face masks for acne-prone skin. HOWEVER, I spent 17 years in the American Education System learning about research techniques to bring you this comprehensive list of products. For every skin concern that I couldn’t speak on, I selected products with at least 100 reviews and higher than 4 stars. If you try these masks and don’t like them, take it up with the reviews NOT ME.
I also tried to be considerate with the prices. I know not everyone is going to be able to invest hecka money into these masks, but if I may speak a little here, I think your skin is worth the investment. Sure, you basically get new skin every couple of months, but don’t you also want to have skin that looks airbrushed in person? So, I think your skin deserves a little TLC once a week. Anyway, if you don’t feel the same there are some affordable masks as well. Now, LFG and talk about some masks.
For Dryness
Summer Friday’s JetLag Mask
Rating: 4/5 with 696 Reviews
Price: $48.00
“I used Summer Fridays Jet Lag Mask for the first time as an over night mask and I woke up with my skin feeling so soft, smooth, hydrated and brighten. The best part is there’s no break out or small bumps on my face which I usually get from using thick creams since I have oily skin. Overall I’m really happy with the result; really liking it so far and I’ll be trying different uses for this mask.” – Sephora Review
Lane Says: I LOVE this mask. I got it to test out what all the hype was about, and fell in love. When Hurricane Lane remembers to put this on after a night out, Sober Lane thanks her in the morning. More recently I’ve started using it after my Aztec clay masks to add some hydration back, and my skin just looks 1000 times better in the morning.
For Acne-Prone Skin
Dermalogica Sebum Clearing Masque
Rating: 4.5/5 with 194 Reviews
Price: $49.00
“I have notice that adding this to my face prep three times a week has now done wonders. I suffer from PCOS so acne will forever haunt me, but I have incorporated this with the daily microfoliant and special cleansing wash along with touch spots of the overnight clearing gel on acne prone areas near the chin and upper t-zone. I have seen vast improvements on acne appearing less. I have gotten to the point where if I find what works I cannot miss a day of regimen or the work starts all over again. I do highly recommend this for my acne suffers.” – Ulta Review
Lane Says: I’ve been a Dermalogica stan for years, and this is the product that did it for me. When I have some breakouts and apply this, I can feel a slight tingly sensation around the spots. It doesn’t work miracles and draw the spot out completely, but it does seriously reduce the size and redness, and then in the morning it’s like the spot was never there. It’s definitely helped keep future breakouts at bay, too.
For Fine Lines and Wrinkles
Drunk Elephant T.L.C Sukari BabyFacial
Rating: 4.5/5 with 1,000 Reviews
Price: $80.00
“I was skeptical about spurlging on such an EXPENSIVE brand, but I found that this was worth every penny I paid. I’ve recently had some persistent acne marks (brown in color) that weren’t going away, and my pores have always been enlarged (I have combination skin with an oily t-zone). This faded my marks within a few weeks! I only use it once or twice a week and spread a thin, even layer all over my face. I only use about a quarter-sized amount per application. It stings very slightly, but for me, AHA/BHA has never really bothered me. If you want baby soft skin that is smooth and even in color I highly recommend!” – Sephora Review
For Sensitive Skin
REN Evercalm Ultra Comforting Rescue Mask
Rating: 4.5/5 with 265 Reviews
Price: $38.00
“This product is my holy grail. I’ve been through 2 full size bottles in ~8 months. I use it as a leave on treatment overnight and it calms down my skin. I have pretty bad acne sometimes and it reduces the redness and prevents excessive drying from all the acne treatments I use (retinols, SA, and some spot treatments). I highly recommend this if your skin is ever tight, itchy, or just plain irritated.” – Sephora Review
For Uneven Texture
OLEHENRIKSON Moment of Truth
Rating: 4.5/5 with 286 Reviews
Price: $42.00
“Received this as a sample and I will definitely be buying the full-sized product. The perfect polishing mask, the honey/citrus smell is so pleasant while it sets for 5-10mins, almost don’t want to wash it off. Massaging it around my face after the 5-10 minutes then washing off leaves my skin feeling baby soft. Found the look of my skin had improved after only a few uses.” – Sephora Review
For Combination Skin
Biossance Squalane +Glycolic Renewal Facial
Rating: 5/5 with 13 Reviews*
Price: $68.00
“Always love a good mask. Haven’t gone in for a facial in a few years, so I found myself with a buildup of dead skin that was accumulating over the years, leaving my skin looking pretty dull. Left this on for less than 5 minutes (felt the tingle) before rinsing off, and I was amazed at how clean and soft my skin felt. Also had some dry patches on my forehead and the sides of my nose – this seems to have gotten rid of them. Adding this to my self-care Sunday routine!” – Sephora Review
*Biossance is a brand that’s truly on the rise and I really don’t have enough good things to say about them as a company, which is why, although it only had 13 reviews, I had to include them in this round-up because you literally won’t regret them*
For Tighter Pores
Herbivore Blue Tansy Clay Mask
Rating: 4.5/5 with 907 Reviews
Price: $48.00
“Hands down this is the best mask I’ve ever had the pleasure of using. My skin can be pretty picky when it comes to masks (I.e. congestion and breakout-proned), but the combination of AHAs, BHAs and Blue Tansy is just perfect. I find that it is gentle enough to use multiple times during the week. My skin’s tone and texture has vastly improved making “no makeup days” a more frequent and less terrifying thing. I’m honestly not sure what I did before I came across this product. Believe the hype and scoop it up when you can!” – Sephora Review
For Uneven Skintone
Tatcha Violet-C Radiance Mask
Rating: 4/5 with 314 Reviews
Price: $68.00
“I have never used a Tatcha product before I tried a sample of their water cream and was completely sold. I picked this up (I won’t lie) because of the packaging, it was so pretty I couldn’t say no. After using this mask, I can tell you that it was a solid impulse purchase. My skin felt so soft, and the redness I had around a breakout was calmed. I didn’t feel dried out, and my normal oily skin was even and matte. You also get a lot of product in this jar, because a little goes a long way. Even my boyfriend noticed a difference when he brushed his hand on my cheek, and that’s saying something. If you’re looking for a splurge, feel good mask, this is your best bet. – Sephora Review
For Oily Skin
Mario Badescu Drying Mask
Rating: 4/5 with 201 Reviews
Price: $18.00
“When I first smelled this stuff, I was like “no way is this going on my face” but after I used it, I seriously fell in love.. lol. It works AMAZING and actually gets stuff done unlike most masks. I have oily and acne prone skin and just by using this mask once every 2 weeks my skin is near perfect. You also get used to the smell, trust me. I will never use another mask again” – Ulta Review
For Everyone
Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay
Rating: 4.5/5 with 18,726 Reviews
Price: $10.50
“I was truly concerned about this product since I have terribly sensitive skin, but I thought I would go ahead and try it since it was so cheap! Let me tell you- this is awesome. I have not had any of the reactions that many of the others have- my skin didn’t break out at all, even after three or four uses. I am using it sporadically- around twice a week- and I am following the directions well. I am not using metal at all- a glass bowl works great- and I use a makeup brush or wooden spoon to stir and apply it. I am also using water instead of the apple cider vinegar which may play a part. Overall it has helped with the dryness of my skin and clearing up and minimizing my pores! I am very pleased.” – Amazon Review
Lane Says: Yeah. This mask is as good as everyone says it is. It’s literally perfect for all skin types. The perfect man may not exist, but the perfect mask sure as hell does. I use Apple Cider Vinegar as my liquid, and leave it on for about 25 minutes, but I just love that deep clean feel. If you have more sensitive skin, water will do, and probably no more than 10 minutes on your skin. Your face will definitely look red after, but when you wake up the next morning you will literally feel reborn, that’s how amazing this thing is.
Until Next Time!
XOXO,
LHC
3 comments
I’ve been thinking about using the ‘Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay’ for a while- as I’ve seen it around. This has given me the push & shove to try it. I also stand by REN the brand, works wonders!
The Aztec Healing Clay is hands down the best product I’ve ever purchased! Takes a bit of playing around to find what works best for your skin, but it’s a great product for an incredible price
omg I love the summer time jet jlag mask. I bought it about a month ago, and I am so happy with it. Like you said it adds all the hydration needed back into my skin. Great post, I’m definitely going to look into the Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay! xxx
Melina | http://www.melinaelisa.com