CHY Skincare Diaries | Mask Jars

I've had this post sitting in my drafts since the end of last year (yikes) - so I thought it was about time that I finally finished drafting this up and hit 'post.'

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I've seen posts of mask collections going round the Internet and I thought it would be fun to see just how many masks I had and what purpose(s) they served. I actually surprised myself with just how many I had as I thought I had much less than this. For the most part I keep my masks stored in my cabinet in their categorized "mask" unit. I do keep a select few in my medicine cabinet as they're the ones I reach for the most / am working on using up. I tried to separate them by different categories and the different skin concerns that I reach for them.

For Clogged Skin that Needs a Detox

Glossier Mega Greens Galaxy Pack Detoxifying Face Mask | Of the two masks I have from Glossier, this one is my favorite. It’s a great alternative to the Aesop Parsley Seed Masque/Caudalie Instant Detox Mask and really helps suck all the gunk out of your face and leaves your skin feeling less oily and feeling fresh. It has little beads in it too so when you wash it off it also gives a little exfoliating action.
Omorovicza Deep Cleansing Mask (9 mo.) | This one was a luxury purchase off of Cult Beauty as it came as a steal. I got it for a pretty high % off and the order came with a GWP that gave me a bunch of minis from the brand to try too. This one is a luxe treat but I thought it was definitely worth it. This is one of those masks that brings to surface all the little pore oil dots on your face - what's left? A nice silky smooth complexion. I recently finished this one up and probably won't be repurchasing it for a while, but if the opportunity arose - I would definitely snag it again.
Complex Beauty Co Ocean Potion * | This one is an interesting whipped texture that leaves your skin calm and clear after. My skin is significantly less red when I use this one and super smooth too. Then my skin is angry and red, you can bet that I reach for this one.
Innisfree Super Volcanic Pore Clay Mask | I picked this one up while in Asia last year and and while I haven’t used it too much, I do like how it’s a heavy clay mask for when my skin is feeling extra oily and just 'ugh.' I do find that this one is a tad too strong and can feel like it's burning my skin so I usually don't spread this on my entire face, but just the areas that need it. Namely my t-zone, nose, and chin. I also find that this one dries out pretty fast so while I'm trying my best to finish it up, I have a feeling I'll need to toss it before I can use it all.
Alma Botanicals Luminous Glow Botanical and Clay Mask * | This one is interesting because it’s a clay powder - you need to play scientist and mix your mask. My favorite is mixing this with Son & Park Beauty Water with a few drops of a rich facial oil for a nice relaxing spa night at home. Clay masks in general are so nice as they help detox your skin while rinsing off easily. (There's nothing worse than dealing with a mask that you need to rub vigorously to get off your skin.)
Sand&Sky Australian Pink Clay Mask * | I got this one from Urban Outfitters Beauty and I was quite excited for another clay mask. I heard some mixed reviews with some singing high praises and claiming it as HG status, with others saying it was the biggest scam. Serious opposite sides of the spectrum. I'd say I fall somewhere in the middle as similar to the Innisfree mask, this one did slightly burn. Although it was a good kind of burn that left my skin feeling tight (but not overly dry) afterwards. This is also one of the easiest masks ever to wash off and it would leave my pores nice and small with my skin looking low-key face lifted. I've had this for about 3 months and I've noticed that it has significantly dried out. It was a bit of a hefty price and as something a bit more powerful than I'd like to use on a weekly basis, I'm not sure it's one I'd shell out $$$ for again.
Alya Skin Australian Pink Clay Mask * | Yes, another Australian pink clay mask. As opposed to the Sand & Sky mask, this one did not sting or leave me feeling scared I'd remove the mask to reveal tomato red skin underneath. This is one of those products quite hyped up on the inter webs and while it may seem like it's just good marketing, I'd say the product holds up on its own as well. It's a nice light texture that is easy to spread over the skin. The only annoying thing is if I open my mouth I'll be left with a powder of dried mask product flaking off onto my lap or the floor beneath me. Meh. I do think this one leaves my skin feeling nice and refreshed afterwards with zero oil. Although priced higher than the above mask, they often offer sales so it doesn't break the bank. In addition, they offer free worldwide shipping so win-win! Plus they gave me my own code ('CHYISM') so you can score 10% off your order :)

Exfoliating Masks

Tula Exfoliating Treatment Mask w/ Probiotic Technology * | This one is a fairly recent addition and I’ve only used it a few times. There are tiny little beads in this that are exfoliating when you rinse off. This one is always nice as it leaves my skin feeling nice, clean, and soft - with all the oil and dirt gone. The great thing is this mask never leaves my skin dried out either and rinses off nicely. Checks all the boxes!
Dr. Roebucks Polish (2-in-1 facial scrub + mask) * | This one is a nice mask for weekend mornings when you have a little more time. Since my skin is already "clean" I just take a scoop and rub the product on my face and let it stay on for 5 minutes while I tidy up my bathroom a little bit.
Lush Cosmetics Mask of Magnaminty | This was more of a recent addition into my skincare collection and mostly because it was such a hyped up product in the beauty community. It has a nice minty scent (duh, name) and feels tingly on the skin. It can be a bit tedious to wash off, but I do feel like it leaves my skin feeling nice and clean (without that stripped feeling). My one comment on this mask is the very short shelf life. Many friends said that they kept theirs longer without any issues, but I've definitely noticed that the mask has dried out significantly from the first month of having it. At least I can return the pot back to Lush later for another mask :)

Brightening Masks

Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Sleeping Mask | An iconic pink mask that is made up of key ingredients like watermelon extract and hyaluronic acid. Combined with some gentle AHAs, this mask leaves your skin soft, bouncy, and bright. It's cooling and one of those perfect masks to apply when the weather gets warmer. It can be a little difficult to apply this as it feels slippery and slimey and can be a tad messy - it does dry down pretty nicely so it makes for a great sleeping mask.
Oskia Renaissance Mask | A mask with almost a thick balm texture with ingredients like natural fruit acids and lactic acids helps exfoliate dead skin off and help increase cell turnover. I'll admit that when I got this mask, I wasn't a huge fan of the texture. It was one of the first masks I ever got and it just felt too heavy on the skin. Sadly this one has gone a bit off so I need to scrape it out and toss it - although I am tempted to keep the jar around cause .. pretty packaging + hoarder = keep.
Dr Lancer Caviar Lime Acid Peel | Oh my goodness do I love this stuff. This was probably the gateway product into my boyfriend and I's addiction into Lancer skincare. We were just perusing around Nordstrom and next thing I knew some lady was holding my boyfriend's hand and slathering product onto it. He looked over at me with the "help me" face and I walked over to save him. But I got my hand taken and this magical product slathered onto my hand too. We politely chatted with the SA and when she wiped off the product from our hands we both could not stop touching the backs of our hands. We looked at each other and we just knew we needed the product. This stuff is such a game changer for our skin and is something we both try to use religiously every week. This stuff should sit on your skin for an hour which actually is a lot longer than you'd think. As we're both night shower-ers, it's a whole thing trying to walk our dog, shower, and apply the mask and lounge around before heading to bed. But it's a treat that's very much worth it. This stuff leaves your skin baby butt smooth and over time really helps reduce the look of pores. I never see anyone feature this product and it's a shame because this stuff is good. If you're a fan of Drunk Elephant Baby Facial, I'd say this one stings less but shows better results. Next time you're at Nordstrom or Sephora, give this one a try or ask for a sample!

Hydrating Masks for Dehydrated Skin

Complex Beauty Co Baby Face * | This one leaves my skin feeling baby soft - as suggested by the name of the mask. Similar to the Glow Recipe sleeping mask, this one has a very thin and runny consistency. This is one of those quick fix masks that dries down in about 10-15 minutes
Glossier Moisturizing Moon Mask | This one is nice and cooling on the skin and can be applied in a nice thin layer that leaves your skin feeling soft - a great little pick me up! This was one of the first products I got from Glossier and when my boyfriend's skin went flaky, I left my jar with him. Since moving in together, I was re-united with this little baby but only to find that it went a bit off. It smelled weird so instead of putting it on my skin, I tossed it. But when Glossier came for a little pop-up in SF, I happily picked myself up a new little tub.
Fresh Beauty Rose Face Mask | This one is one of those quick fix masks that I use when I don't have much time but want a quick little boost of hydration. This leaves my skin feeling super soft and I love the smell of the roses. I can slather this on, spend a few minutes tidying up my bathroom/vanity/home and then rinse this off before continuing on with the rest of my skincare routine. I'm nearing the bottom of this little jar and I'm going to need to get a replacement stat.
Fresh Beauty Black Tea Instant Perfecting Mask | This one has an almost whipped texture that feels very soft and is one I'm pretty much addicted to. In an effort to try more of the masks to give better reviews, I fell in love with this one. I'm almost at the bottom of this jar as well and I'm very sad about it. I also just missed the VIB sale so it's gonna be painful to replace this little baby. This one is perfect for warmer seasons as it's cooling on the skin and just leaves my skin tone looking nice and even - just takes all the redness away! If you try any of the Fresh masks, this is the I recommend the most! (Out of the ones I've tried anyways.)

Whew that was a long post. If you have any questions on any specific masks, feel free to give me a shout!
What are some of your favorite masks? Have you given any of these a try?

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Products marked with (*) were gifted to me, but all opinions remain my own. This post also contains affiliate links.

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