Quick reviews are first impressions, opinions on products I’ve tried once, and other scenarios that don’t merit the whole dog and pony show of a full review.

I got a couple My Beauty Diary black masks as part of a sheet mask sampler I bought off /r/AsianBeautyExchange (which, hot tip, is a great way to find bargains, decants, and individual masks when you don’t want to gamble your wallet on a full-size, full-price product you’ve never tried). I’ve been saving these masks for a special occasion, since I’ve heard their brightening effects are off the charts. Then, tonight, I was drinking wine and watching Mad Men with my dog, and I realized, every occasion is a special occasion and this moment is a gift and THAT’S WHY THEY CALL IT THE PRESENT. (Actually, I realized I don’t go out often enough to merit “special occasion masks”.)

Ingredients: Water, butylene glycol, glycerin, aloe barbadensis leaf juice, citrus grandis (grapefruit) fruit extract, sodium hyaluronate, cucumis sativus (cucumber) fruit extract, morius alba leaf extract, ananas sativus (pineapple) fruit extract, laminaria digitata extract, hydrolized pearl, triethanolamine, phenoxyethanol, chlorphenesin, sodium lactate, panax ginseng root extract, pyrus malus (apple) fruit extract, citric acid, zostera marina extract, hydroxyethyl urea, palmitoyl tetrapeptide 7, polysorbate 20, niacinamide, codum tomentosum extract, dipotassium glycyrrhizate, fomes officianlis (mushroom) extract, panthenol, lecithin, vaccinum myrtillus fruit extract, saccharum officinarum (sugar cane) extract, acer saccharum (sugar maple) extract, citrus aurantium dulcis (orange) fruit extract, citrus medica limonum (lemon) fruit extract, polysorbate 80, polyglutamic acid, carbomer, sodium hyaluronate crosspolymer, iodopropynyl, butylcarbamate, xanthan gum, hydrolized yeast protein, fragrance, potassium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide, tocopheryl acetate, ammonium glycyrrhizate, zinc gluconate, caffeine, biotin

Scent: It smells like liquid hand soap. It’s not a strong scent, but it’s a little off-putting and not super relaxing.

Fit: I love this fit. It includes pieces that wrap around your chin, and the material is soft and really clings to your face. For those who are wondering, in terms of ability to drink wine while wearing it, I give this mask a 4/5. It doesn’t slip down your face and interfere with the flow of wine, but the mouth hole is a little small. Inquiring minds want to know.

Stare into my soul.

Effects: Woah. After using this mask, my face is several shades lighter than my chest. It’s actually a little unsettling. My skin is also extremely smooth, bouncy, and firm. These are some of the strongest immediate effects I’ve seen after a mask. In fact, I wouldn’t wear this mask right before an event because it makes my face so bright that it’s almost unnatural.

Overall: I give this mask a 4.5/5. Half a point is docked for that soap-dispenser-in-a-Wendys-bathroom scent, but this is overall a fantastic mask. Plus, maybe your boyfriend will come home while you’re wearing it, and you jump out to scare him, but turns out he also brought a friend over. Maybe that will happen. LIFE IS FOR THE LIVING.

Where you can buy it: A 5-pack is $9 on Amazon Prime. The Obsidian flavor is $10.90 for 5 on YesStyle.com.

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