I've been Skin18'ed! - My first experience with Skin18, + Mask Reviews


It's no secret that I love sheet masks. I use them almost daily, often twice a day, to achieve smooth, hydrated, glowing skin. If you follow me on Instagram, you'll know that I have an obsession with them - I love using them, reviewing them, sending them to friends as gifts. They're just so versatile, easy to use, and my skin has been looking phenomenal since I took up masking 1-2 times a day. So when Kbeauty company Skin18 contacted me and offered to send me some masks to review, I of course gave an emphatic 'yes'. Who doesn't need more sheet masks, am I right? :D

Skin18 is a Kbeauty company based out of Hong Kong, with warehouses located in both China and the United States. They focus on high quality skincare that doesn't have to break the bank. One of the things I love about Korean and Japanese skincare is the fact that I don't need to shell out $70 for a good moisturizer, or pay an arm and a leg just to keep my skin in good health. Korean skincare and cosmetics have truly changed the way I approach skincare and how I feel about myself in general, so I'm happy to have stumbled across a company that truly believes that good skin can be achieved without spending tons of money - an idea that can sometimes be lost on many members of the Asian beauty community. Expensive does not always mean quality!

Skin18 sent me a small package of masks, including a 3D Synake mask from the brand SOC, an AC Dressing Skin Renewal Mask from L'Affair, a Fresh Fruit Green Tea mask from Mirum, and some cute lil' eye patches from the brand Luke.


SOC 3D Beauty Serum Mask in "Syn-ake" (Price: $1.25 USD) - 3D masks. We have a love/hate relationship. Some 3D masks fit beautifully and do what they're supposed to (which is cover more face area so my skin can benefit moar from all that sweet essence), and sometimes, they end up like this. This mask really interested me because it contains Syn-ake (pronounced "snake" by me, and "sin-ahkay" by the rest of the logical world"), which is a topical anti-aging treatment that's marketed as an alternative to Botox injections, and is supposed to get rid of wrinkles, diminish the appearance of expression lines, and reduce the appearance of other signs of aging. I think it's important to use preventative measures when it comes to aging, which is why you'll often see me slapping anti-aging stuff on to my 23-year-old face. After all, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!

This mask was made of a stiff, thicker papery-cotton material with the common 3D mask shape, meaning it goes under the chin, and has extra material in the forehead area to completely cover every inch of skin. The fit was unfortunately less than stellar - it was pretty darn bad. I actually had to cut the areas round the chin and forehead with scissors, because the mask was too big for my face and wouldn't adhere properly to my skin. :( As you can probably infer from the photo above, I kept getting poked in the eyes, and the nose and mouth parts made for a pretty uncomfortable experience, making me take he mask off after only 15 minutes. However, the results were actually pretty nice! My face did feel soothes and very soft, although I didn't notice much firming or reduction of fine lines. Not the best masks I've tried, but it was definitely an interesting experience!

Ingredients:
Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Sodium Hyaluronate, Aloe Barbidensis Leaf Extract, Lactobacillus/Panax Ginseng Root Ferment Filtrate, Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Bensylamide Diacetate, Folic Acide, Human Oligopeptide-1, Lecithin, PEG/PPG-18/4 Copolymer, Polysorbate 20, Propylene Glycol, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Carbomer, PVM/MA Copolymer, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol. Triethanolamine, Allantoin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Methylparaben, Perfume. 

Mirum Fresh Fruit Green Tea Real Natural Mask Pack (Price: $1.40 USD) - This mask was actually a winner! It's made of a crosel material (read: thick cotton) and is soaked with green tea extract, an ingredient known for being naturally rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents, which help to protect the cells of your skin from harmful free radicals, preventing signs of aging. It was moderately soaked with essence, and it smelled very much like the Innisfree Green Tea Seed Serum (so a bit fragrant, but not unpleasant). It lasted around 25 minutes in my AC-ed room with a fan blowing (so not bad), and my skin looked surprisingly soft and hydrated. I didn't expect much from such an inexpensive mask (this went for about $1 on Skin18.com when I received it), but I was pleasantly surprised by the results! I'll definitely be getting more of these for every day masking purposes (let's be real - not every day can be a Mediheal or Papa Recipe day!). You can actually get this mask for free from Skin18, just pay shipping!

Ingredients:
Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Carbomer, Disodium EDTA, Allantoin, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, PEG-60, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Green Tea Extract (500ppm), Sodium Hyaluronate, Methylparaben, Ceteth-1-20, Steareth-20, Tocopheryl Acetate, Glyceryl Stearate, Celearyl Alcohol, Neopentyl Glycol Dicaprate, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Phenoxyethanol, Triethanolamine, Fragrance. 

L'Affair AC Dressing 3-Step Skin Renewal Mask (Price: $2.20 USD) - This mask was probably my favorite of the pack! It's a 3-step mask that includes a cleanser, ampoule, and sheet mask. Step 1 is the facial cleanser, which is of the creamy, foaming variety. It was a bit drying for my skin, but I'm not too worried about that since it's not like I'll be using it daily, and I'll be following it with a few more moisturizing products. The step 2 ampoule is supposed to be applied before the sheet mask; it has a thick, gel-like consistency (so thicker than your average ampoule) but sinks in quickly and made my skin immediately feel softer. The sheet mask is the real winner here though; it's made of a thin, tencel like material that adheres well and fit my face perfectly. It also comes with a ton of essence, both soaked into the mask and left over in the packet. Enough for my face, neck/chest, and arms! I was able to keep it on for 45 minutes, and my face felt incredibly hydrated and rejuvenated. It contains houttuynia cordata, centella asiatica, licorice root, rice, soybean, and byeongpul extract to soothe, moisturize, and brighten the skin. This is my first experience with a L'Affair mask, and I'm really impressed. I'd definitely purchase some more of these!

Ingredients: 
Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Beta-Glucan, PEG/PPG-17/6 Copolymer, Sodium Hyaluronate, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Adenosine (0.04%), PEG-60, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Carbomer, Triethanolamine, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Citrullus Colocynthis Fruit Extract, Velvet Extract, Castanea Sativa (Chestnut) Seed Extract, Angelica Acutiloba Root Extract, Rheum Palmatum Root Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Betane, Sophora Angustifolia Root Extract, Artemisia Vulgaris Extract, Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Extract, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Oycine Sop (Soybean) Seed Extract, Chlorphenesin, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance, Disodium EDTA. 
Luke Collagen Nutrition Firming Hydrogel Eye Patch (Price: $1.80 USD) - I have been addicted to eye patches lately, of all different kinds! My eye area tends to get dry while simultaneously being oily, and can get itchy if I don't treat them every so often. Hence my excitement to try these eye patches! These are meant to deliver hydrating doses of collagen and nutrients to the eye area and contain green tea extract, pito collagen, and vitamins A, E, and C to reduce puffiness and dark circles. These were different than what I'm used to; they felt dry rather than soaking wet, and stayed put underneath my eyes instead of slipping and sliding around like most hydrogel eye patches do. These had a nice calm, cooling effect, but unfortunately I didn't see a huge difference in my under eye area once they were removed. I also couldn't find an ingredients list for these, so if you're sensitive to certain ingredients/chemicals, use with discretion!

Overall, these were a pretty interesting bunch! Some were a miss, some were totally awesome, and will probably be repurchased. I'm over the moon that I got to try my first 3D mask, as well as my first 3-step mask. It was definitely a fun experience, and I'm actually planning to haul some masks from Skin18 soon! Have you tried any of these masks? Are any on your wish list?

Disclaimer: I received these products free from Skin18 for review purposes. All opinions are my own. All ingredients information was taken from Skin18.com)

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