So I came across an article in a magazine (can’t remember which, sorry!) and it basically said “Korean cult brand The Skin Lounge brings their sheet masks to the UK”. My first thought was “sheet masksss!!!!” quickly followed by “… huh? Don’t think I’ve ever heard of the Skin Lounge before”.

Brand: The Skin Lounge

Product Type: Sheet Mask

Skin Type: All

Capacity: 25ml each

Retail Price: £18 + £7.50 (Purchased for €30) Sheet MaskAll25ml each£18 + £7.50 (Purchased for €30)

About the Brand

After some quick research it turns out that The Skin Lounge is a recently founded independent brand that focuses solely on sheet masks. The unique point is that it’s actually based in Madrid though production seems to be in Korea where they are said to have a store in Seoul - which seems to be the smart thing to do if they’re targeting the sheet masks industry - but I couldn’t actually find it through Google.

Another twenty minutes on the internet and I’ve basically come to the conclusion that The Skin Lounge is a Spanish brand, targeting the European market and is using Korean sheet mask technology and production to help them as a selling point.

As it’s targeted towards the European market, they were super easy to find and were easily accessible to me through BeautyMart (London). Their current range offers four different sheet masks; three cellulose ones and a hydrogel one. A pack of three cellulose ones (called the Seoul Trio) is priced at £18 and the single hydrogel is £7.50. To me, that seemed a little overpriced. Though you do have to take into consideration, these are made in Korea and they are not the normal paper/cotton type sheets but rather part of the newer generation of hydrogels and cellulose.

But there was no way I was going spend over £20 for 4 sheet masks, from a brand I knew nothing about.

So… I got them at a store in Madrid instead. It just so happened I was attending a wedding and went to do a little shopping. I ended up with a set of 8 (2 of each) for €30 (which equals roughly £20) which seems much more reasonable at just over £2 each. Plus the packaging was so pretty, I couldn’t resist.

About The Products

The Cellulose Masks (Seoul Trio)

The Skin Lounge offers an exclusive set of facial masks for a complete skin care programme. Fitting perfectly to the face contour, Deep Hydrating Mask recharges moisture to dry and rough skin, Pearl Brightening Mask softens and brightens up dull and fatigued skin, and Firming Lift Mask smoothes fine lines, slowing down the ageing process of the skin. No need to rinse off. DEEP HYDRATING restores moisture to dry and rough skin. Formulated with hyaluronic acid, trehalose and natural extracts of aloe vera and hamamelis virginiana, this mask acts as a powerful antioxidant and water retainer, hydrating the skin and protecting it from the exposure to harsh and changing environments. Your skin will look smoother and hydrated. FIRMING LIFT restores firmness and vitality to dull and fatigued skin. Formulated with hyaluronic acid, trehalose and natural extracts of purslane and granada, this mask strengthens the skin’s elasticity and suppleness, helping to reduce the appearance of fine lines and signs of aging. Skin immediately appears more firm, toned and sculpted. PEARL BRIGHTENING effectively softens, nourishes and brightens dull and tired skins. Formulated with hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and natural extracts of green tea and lowbush blueberry, this mask reduces signs of dryness, irritation and redness, restoring radiance to skin damaged by fatigue, acne or age. Skin immediately appears brighter, natural and youthful. PEARL BRIGHTENING effectively softens, nourishes and brightens dull and tired skins. Formulated with hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and natural extracts of green tea and lowbush blueberry, this mask reduces signs of dryness, irritation and redness, restoring radiance to skin damaged by fatigue, acne or age. Skin immediately appears brighter, natural and youthful.

The Hydrogel Mask

HYDROGEL MASK restores hydration, elasticity and bounce to skin. Its unique hydrogel material allows the rapid absorption of all active nutrients. Formulated with hyaluronic acid and natural extracts of rosa rugosa and centella asiatica, this mask reduces trans-epidermal moisture loss, protects the skin against free radicals and improves blood circulation, rejuvenating the skin and removing all signs of stress and fatigue.

First off, the packaging of the Seoul Trio reminded of My Beauty Diary, even the size of them are the same (slightly smaller packaging compared to the normal mask). It’s simple, sophisticated branding - the pretty pastel colours and how they all match look great - which I think is smart as the European market tends to sheer away from cutesy looking brands. The whole thing came in a box, nicely wrapped and would actually make perfect gifts. All ingredients and instructions can be found in English and Spanish, and there’s not even a word of Korean in sight - apart from the brand name.

One of the things they mention frequently in the descriptions and on their site, is the Fit-Pro technology. Most of the time, sheet masks never fit well for my face (the eye holes are too small, the mouth area is too big) so I’m super interested in seeing how these fit, and will they be any better.

Ingredients

Deep Hydrating Mask

Aqua, Glycerin, PEG/PPG-17/6 Copolymer, Xanthan Gum, Phenoxyethanol, Trehalose, Hamamelis Viginiana (Witch Hazel) Bark/Leaf/Twig Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Erythritol, Caprylyl Glycol, Carbomer, Triethanolamine, Hydroxyethelcellulose, 1,2-Hexanediol, Propanediol, Disodium EDTA, PEG-14M, Parfum, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Beta-Glucan, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Illicium Verum (Anise) Fruit Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract, Bambusa Vulgaris Leaf/Stem Extract, Adansonia Digitata Seed Extract, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Callus Culture Extract, Allantoin

Potential Irritation/Acne Triggers

Carbomer (Irritant:1)

Triethanolamine (Acne: 2)

Key Ingredients

Sodium Hyaluronate (moisturising)

Trehalose (antioxidant & moisturising)

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract (soothing & hydrating)

Hamamelis Virginiana Extract (astringent)

Firming Lift Mask

Aqua, Glycerin, PEG/PPG-17/6 Copolymer, Xanthan Gum, Phenoxyethanol, Trehalose, Hamamelis Viginiana (Witch Hazel) Bark/Leaf/Twig Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Erythritol, Caprylyl Glycol, Carbomer, Triethanolamine, Hydroxyethelcellulose, 1,2-Hexanediol, Propanediol, Disodium EDTA, Parfum, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Punica Granatum Fruit Extract, Opuntia Coccinellifera Fruit Extract, Illicium Verum Fruit Extract, Mel Extract, Vaccinium Angustifolium Fruit Extract, Cordyceps Sinensis Extract, Allantoin, Limonene, Hexyl Cinnamaldehidet

Saftey/Potential Irritation/Acne Triggers

Carbomer (Irritant:1)

Triethanolamine (Acne: 2)

Key Ingredients

Sodium Hyaluronate (moisturising)

Trehalose (antioxidant & moisturising)

Hydrolyzed Collagen (revitalizing & firming)

Punica Granatum Fruit Extract (antioxidant)

Portulaca Oleracea Extract (soothing)

Pearl Brightening Mask

Aqua, Glycerin, Niacinamide, PEG/PPG-17/6 Copolymer, Xanthan Gum, Phenoxyethanol, Trehalose, Hamamelis Viginiana (Witch Hazel) Bark/Leaf/Twig Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Erythritol, Caprylyl Glycol, Carbomer, Triethanolamine, Hydroxyethelcellulose, 1,2-Hexanediol, Propanediol, Disodium EDTA, PEG-14M, Parfum, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Rubus Idaeus Fruit Extract, Vaccinium Angustifolium Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Illicium Verum Fruit Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Solanum Lycopersicum (Tomato) Fruit Extract, Morus Alba Bark Extract, Allantoin

Saftey/Potential Irritation/Acne Triggers

Carbomer (Irritant:1)

Triethanolamine (Acne: 2)

Key Ingredients

Niacinamide (skin smoother/brightening)

Sodium Hyaluronate (moisturising)

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract (antioxidant)

Vaccinium Angustifolium Extract (astringent)

Hyaluronic Hydrogel Mask

Aqua, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Ceratonia Siliqua Gum, Chrondrus Crispus (Carrageean), Dimethicone, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glyceryl Stearate, Cellulose Gum, Sodium Polyacrylate, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Trideceth-6, Sodium Hyaluronate, Centella Asiatica Extract, Rosa Rugosa Flower Extract, Cathamus Tinctorious Flower Extract, Paeonia Albiflora Extract, Silk Amino Acids, Ethylhexylycerin, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum

Saftey/Potential Irritation/Acne Triggers

Butylene Glycol (Acne:1)

Dimethicone (Acne:1)

Key Ingredients

Sodium Hyaluronate (moisturising)

Centella Asiatica Extract (antioxidant/tonifying)

Rosa Rugosa Flower Extract (antioxidant)

Silk Amino Acids (nourishing)

For the cellulose masks, the COSDNA analysis comes back pretty clean with only triethanolamine (pH adjuster) and carbomer (emulsifier) flagged - both of which are commonly seen in sheet masks. The hydrogel mask has two potential acne triggers, both flagged with a 1: butylene glycol and dimethicone. You may have noticed butylene glycol is not present in any other masks, so if that’s an ingredient you steer clear of normally, these might work for you.

With the ingredient list, they also make a point about being paraben free (it’s bolded and in capitals) but that does not mean preservative free as they use phenoxyethanol.

Potential spoiler alert but my favourite mask is the one with niacinamide in the top three ingredients.

P.S. I’ve added all of these to the COSDNA database, here, here, here and here.

USAGE & PERFORMANCE

Let’s start with the Hyaluronic Hydrogel Mask first. Me and a friend did this one together on the flight back (I didn’t want to seem like the only weird one!). We have… conflicting opinions. The only thing we both definitely agree on, is that hydrogels will always be a pain to put on and no one likes doing it.

I tried to get a clearer picture of the texture but this hydrogel is slightly thicker than the ones I’m used to (Whamisa, Innisfree, Banila Co). It has a white-ish tint and rather than being smooth, it’s patterned/ribbed. However, it doesn’t feel any heavier when placed on the face.

So this is where my friend and I have a difference of opinion. I thought it fit pretty well. Not fantastic, but the eye area was nice and big and there was no slipping/sliding around. She on the other hand, had difficultly keeping it in place as every time she spoke the mouth piece would start moving and she couldn’t get it to fit around her mouth properly to start with - the space between the mouth and nose was too small so her bottom lip was also covered by the mask.

We also had different visible effects, and even though hers didn’t fit, you could see a noticeable brighter complexion after using it. I personally didn’t really see any differences but could feel there was definite hydration, my skin was super baby soft with a slight tighter pull.

The Seoul Trio set has lots of essence in the pack but when you take them out, it’s not exactly heavy or weighing down much. The fit was great. I don’t think I’ve ever put a sheet mask on as fast or as comfortably. I don’t know if it’s really because of the Fit Pro technology or maybe it’s just sized differently as it’s made with the European market in mind.

The mask itself is very thin and feels comfortable on the skin so I had no problem keeping them on for around 40 minutes. I have tried this with and without the Daiso Silicone Mask, and both times I was able to speak and move comfortably.

I wouldn’t say they were outstanding but all three types of masks gave hydration and softer skin that lasted all through the night. I couldn’t really see or feel any difference between the Firming and Hydrating masks, not that I would have expected anything from a single use firming mask but my personal favourite was the Pearl Brightening. Maybe it’s because the niacinamide is higher up the ingredient list, but almost immediately my skin had a brighter complexion and it only got better the next morning. I woke up with no redness in the cheek area like I normally do, and my skin has this sort plumpness to it. I would say the results are nearly comparable to the BANILA CO Miss Flower & Mr Honey Hydrogels.

To Buy, Or Not To Buy

Based on the price in the UK, no way would I repurchase. The Seoul Trio was nice but the hydrogel was a disappointment for me. I do like that they are easily accessible but again, not worth the price.

The only one I would repurchase is the Pearl Brightening, and even then I’ll probably wait until my next trip to Spain (or other European country selling them).

Deep Hydrating Mask: 3/5

Firiming Lift Mask: 3/5

Pearl Brightening Mask: 4/5

Hyaluronic Hydrogel Mask: 2/5

Where To Buy

The official website has a list of stockists, both online and actual brick and mortar stores. But like I said, the prices do differ depending on location; Euro-wise it’s generally €33 for a set of 8, €4 for an individual cellulose one and €7 for the hydrogel. In the UK BeautyMart has the Seoul Trio set for £18 and the hydrogel at £7.50.