I found a non-Korean sheet mask I actually liked!

I admit it: I am an Asian beauty snob. I try to stay open minded, but seeing so many American companies try to hop on the K-beauty train these last few years, it’s hard not to sniff like a well-moneyed Englishman and mentally declare, “I knew about this YEARS AGO.” *sips tea*

Anyhow, ego comes for us all, and at least I can laugh at myself. Especially today as I have to come to terms with the fact that Garnier makes a damn good sheet mask, and my skin looks and feels really fantastic after I use it.

Typically when I see US branded sheet masks in stores I skip them. After years of using masks, I can say most of the time they don’t differ widely aside from two major categories: cheap and better. On occasion a really cheap one sometimes blurs the line between the two (Tosowoong is an excellent example), but for the most part as long as the ingredients work for you it’s hard to go super wrong with one.

I was in a drugstore a few weeks ago and saw the Garnier SkinActive masks on sale while I was looking at the line’s Micellar cleansing water (which I also enjoy using after workouts or the morning after I do an intense skincare routine). The masks come in several varieties: Anti-Fatigue, Glow Boosting, and several types of The Super Hydrating Mask (Regular, Mattifying and Soothing). All the masks contain Hyaluronic Acid, one of my all time fave ingredients. You can also look for extracts of Goji Berry, Green Tea, Chamomile, Sakura Flowers and Lavender Essential Oil.

I typically grab masks for dry skin first so I went with the Super Hydrating regular. The mask itself comes with a liner to make placement easier, so when you take it out you place it on your face and then peel off the liner. I could do without this step but I suppose it’s good for mask noobs. The mask is well cut and a pretty good fit on the face without being too wide or long, and there’s adequate room to make sure it settles around the nose. The smell on the one I tried is extremely gentle and I stopped noticing it as soon as I took it out of the package.

Like most masks, it’s a 15 minute wear time but I enjoy wearing them longer to see just how much moisture they really have to give. Garnier’s tagline on this mask is “Half a bottle of serum in one mask” (based on the volume of a 30ml serum), which I admit is very appealing sales copy! I wore this one for about 30 minutes before I peeled it off and it was still completely wet when I removed it, which leads me to believe I could get an hour or more out of it if I had the time.

The effects are great: that oh-so-yummy Hyaluronic glow, skin has that feeling of skin relief that I so crave, and super soft texture afterwards. My barometer for a good mask experience is “do I feel like I could go without makeup” after using it. The answer to this one is absolutely yes (and no filter was used on these two photos).

By the way, if you do try these I highly recommend Amazon over the drugstore. Even with the sale price ($2.50 each) buying in a pack online is still cheaper. There are also listings there for what Garnier calls “Post-Party Mask Sets” for $9.99 plus you get a 30% off coupon in the cart. Other 6-count packs range between $12.59 to $14.94 and the same coupon is available.

I guess my “Asian beauty is best” snobbery just got a swift kick to the pants. Although a look at the back of the mask does indicate it was made in China. Heh.

xo,

Colette

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