Hey everyone! Today I'm going to be talking about the SNP Bird's Nest Aqua Ampoule Mask! I got this mask during a recent Memebox sale. I've been on a sheet masking kick lately. Normally, I like to stick to cheap, easily obtainable masks for every day hydration purposes, such as the My Beauty Diary masks or my good ol' trusty Dermal masks, because masking can get expensive if you're spending more than a dollar or so per mask, and ain't nobody got time for that. But I've been buying pricier masks (I guess for novelty purposes) because, what the hell. I like to make my skin care routine fun. And there is an abundance of weirdly cool masks in the Asian Beauty world.
What Memebox has to say:
"This intensive skin care ampoule mask balances the skin’s moisture levels while also supplying an abundant amount of nutrients to the skin. This mainly contains 1000mg extract of swiftlet nest that is known for its rich nutritional content. It moisturizes the skin while also leaving a protection barrier to protect the skin against further damage caused by the environment’s harmful elements. This mask also helps the skin recover from damage faster."
To use:
After washing and toning, gently place the mask onto the face and leave it for 20 to 30 minutes. Carefully remove the mask and dispose properly. Pat gently for better absorption.
This mask is interesting because it has bird's nest as an ingredient! Swiftlet's nest extract, to be precise, and it's their saliva. Apparently, swiftlet saliva has moisturizing and conditioning properties, as well as wound-healing capabilities. The bird's nest extract use in this mask is most likely a dried, sanitized version, and the harvesting of their saliva and whatnot apparently does not endanger the little swiftlets at all, so I feel much better about using this mask!
Bird's nest extract is an age-old ingredient that has been used in Chinese medicine and skincare for centuries to help with wound healing and maintaining youthful skin, while helping improve skin texture and prevent signs of aging. It's even eaten as a soup or put in desserts - in China, bird's nest soup is a delicacy, and is considered one of the most expensive animal products consumed by man, with a small bowl of soup costing anyway from 30-100 USD. The nests, when consumed, are supposed to help with things like collagen production, aiding in digestion, and improving the immune system. That's a lot of claims for some bird spit, but there you have it.
The star ingredient, Swiftlet Nest Extract, is the third ingredient from the top, which isn't bad at all! There's also glycerin, a known humectant that attracts water to the skin and helps keep it moisturized, the Swiflet Nest Extract (1000mg). It also contains betaine, which helps smooth the skin and give it a more youthful appearance without the stickiness typically associated with glycerin-based products, as well as sodium hyaluronate, which is a super-moisturizer, basically, that can attract and hold 1000x its weight in water. There's also botanical extracts, ceramides, and witch hazel, oh my!
Mask Details: This mask was very saturated, there was enough essence inside for two days, at least. It had a light, unoffensive "mask" smell that I associate with all typical sheet masks, and was on the thinner side, which meant it adhered to my face really well and didn't slip and slide err' where. >:D
Mask Fit: This mask fit fairly well. A lot of masks fit me well, except some won't reach all the way to my ears, and this one was one of them.
Bonus maskie! With my iPhone's terrible front camera. I'm disappointed in you, iPhone 6.
Final Thoughts: This mask was a bit heavy for my skin, and the essence didn't absorb right away, so I'm glad I used it at night instead of the morning. When I woke up, my skin felt incredibly soft and looked a lot more hydrated, though! Although, to be fair, I have oily, dehydrated skin, so I'm kind of easy to moisturize. While this was a good mask in terms of hydration, I feel like the effects didn't live up to my expectations. Am I difficult to please? Maybe. But for $2 a mask, I expect a little more.
Repurchase? ...Possibly. It wasn't a bad mask by any means, I actually really enjoyed the soothing, moisturizing effect it had on my skin. Maybe if there's a sale I'll pick some up, but I think I'll continue experimenting with other brands in the meantime! All in all, it was a pretty sweet masking experience.
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