The Beauty Report 12/3: Santa mask mini-review, Missha holidays and new friends

It’s the most wonderful time of the year — in other words, the time when our beloved k-beauty companies launch exclusives like gunfire and you’re left laying there wondering how your credit card managed to actually CATCH ON FIRE.

More of that in a moment, though. First let’s talk about the absolutely insane experience I had last night with The Face Shop Santa Character Mask.

I look ridic, obviously. But we beauty bloggers DGAF about that, as long as we look like glowing pearls extracted from the sea floor afterwards.

This mask was gifted to me by a friend, so I was happy to go home and marinate my face in something holiday-themed. On the whole, I don’t dislike The Face Shop, but being the skincare snob I’m fast turning into, I don’t take novelty products as seriously because I consider them to be more fun than function. They are cute to look at, though, and I do appreciate the presentation of this type of product.

Long story short: I wasn’t preparing to have anything more than a basic mask experience with this, and it proved me totally wrong. Completely. Not only is this mask richly soaked in a lovely, gently scented essence, but it stayed moist for the full half hour I had it on, and it clung to my face SO well. I’m used to cheaper masks drying up and flapping off my face, so this was a terrific upgrade from that.

What’s in it:

Water, Propanediol, Copolymer, Panthenol, Betaine, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, PEG/PPG-17/6 Copolymer, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Potassium Hydroxide, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA, 1,2-Hexanediol, Phaseolus Radiatus Seed Extract, Betula Platyphylla Japonica Bark Extract, Rumex Crispus Root Extract, Dimethicone, Parfum/Fragrance

Why does that feel so good:

This mask is mostly made up of water, humectants, and Panthenol, which is derived from Vitamin B5 and is terrific for helping skin repair itself and boosting barrier function). It’s #4 on the ingredient list too, which means there’s a decent amount in there (Skincare ingredients are typically listed from most to least quantity).

I give it the dry skin stamp of approval, and at the price you can afford a fistful. If you hate Santa Claus for some reason, you can also get these in non-holiday designs at your local Face Shop, such as a fox, a sheep, a tiger, a panda, or a dragon. I’ll def be picking more of these up soon.

Now on to … Missha Holiday Fantasy 2015!

I love me some Missha, and I also love special edition products. So when Missha posted pics of their Holiday Fantasy collection on Facebook a few days ago, I was already dying for it.

WHYYYY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME MISSHA AAAHHGHHHHGHH

I read ingredient lists and research what I buy. I really do. But sometimes I just want it all because it’s pretty. And that’s what is happening here. The collection ranges from $3 for hand cream to $19 for the cushions, so it’ll all super affordable. Maybe I WILL buy it after all.

If I can find it, that is. As of the time of this writing, it’s nowhere to be seen on the MisshaUS site. I reached out to Missha to find out if we can expect it on their site in the future, and sadly the answer was not what I hoped for. Well, time to start looking for places to import….

Help (misshaus) Dec 3, 16:00 Dear Valued Customer, Thank you for your inquiry. At this time we do not have any information for the Fantasy Line as it has not yet been introduced to Missha US. However, whenever we receive a new product, we post it in our website. Thank you.

Making k-beauty friends is the best

One last bit — I love the AsianBeauty sub on Reddit, and I encourage anyone who loves Asian skincare to check it out. It’s a warm and friendly place, and it’s great fun to talk about your nerdy skincare passions with others that speak your language. I made a new friend yesterday there, and I wanted to share her blog Kinseng with you today. Like me, she is a sister in ultra dry, sensitive skin, so of course we had to bond. If you’re reading my blog because you are a dry-skinned lass looking for hope, check hers out too for more reviews and info to help heal you.

I’m out! Don’t forget, extra masks when it’s cold outside, friends. 안녕!

Product Checklist

The Face Shop Character Mask Santa/Rudolph set/$8.98 @Amazon
The Face Shop Character Mask mixed 5pc/$12.66 @Amazon