Mini-Review of Lovemore sheet masks + Beautius Shop

Beautius is a newish shop based in Hong Kong selling (mainly) Japanese, Korean and Taiwanese sheet masks. I like the option to buy them individually instead of boxes because some brands have so many varieties to try!

 

The prices seem reasonable and shipping is free on orders over $45

Here are a few of the Lovemore masks I ordered. (These are all of the types available on Beautius, except Aloe & Loofah because wtf is a sponge doing in skincare??)

 
The Rhodiola and Red Barley masks were actually freebies. Rhodiola has the best reviews among Lovemore varieties but is always out of stock (literally everywhere). After placing an order, I e-mailed on the off-chance that Beautius would be re-stocking soon. Turns out theres a supply problem (possibly a case of being discontinued) but there happened to be one leftover which Tracey included in my order. So sweet! TT.TT

And here is a pic of the free masks received so far :3

I was accidentally sent the five My Scheming black pearl masks instead of five Lovemore black pearl masks. Rather than have me send them back or offer them at a discounted price, Tracey simply told me to keep them as a gift and sent a replacement the next day!

Oh and also: orders come with handwritten thank-you notes and sweets!

** Mini-Review **

 

I’ve tried the Cubilose, Black Pearl, Snow Lotus, Pearl Barley & Milk, Wine Yeast and Rhodiola mask so far.

I don’t think theres much difference between them TBH because they all leave my skin feeling really soft and hydrated. If I had to pick a fave it’d probably be Pearl Barley & Milk because it feels more hydrating and smells so yummy.

Fit: the masks are a bit too big for me but stay in place when folded. The material is thin and comfortable.

One thing I have noticed is that the masks are really drippy out the packet but start to dry out after around 20 minutes. (You’re supposed to keep them on for 10-15 but I don’t follow instructions meh) It’s always the nose bit and under-eyes that dry first while the rest of the sheet is ok, so I just peel those bits off, pat in the leftover essence and keep it on for another 20 minutes.

Review : Leaders Mediu Amino Clearing Mask

This is the first brand of 'anti-acne' masks I used in my 25 Sheet Masks Challenge: Leaders MEDIU AMINO Clearing Masks (아미노클리어링마스크). They're formulated with an amino acid complex, cysteine, lotus extract and Vitamin C to help clear the skin and are suitable for all skin types.

Ingredients:
Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Acer Saccharum (Sugar Maple) Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Lysine, Histidine, Arginine, Aspartic Acid, Threonine, Serine, Glutamic Acid, Proline, Glycine, Alanine, Valine, Methionine, Isoleucine, Leucine, Tyrosine, Phenylaline, Cysteine, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Arnica Montana Flower Extract, Gentiana Lutea Root Extract, Achillea Millefolium Extract, Artemisa Absinthium Extract, Betaine, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acrylodimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ledum Palustre Extract, Ecklonia Cava Extract, Artemisa Capillaris Flower Extract, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Saururus Chinensis Extract, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Tocopheryl Acetate, Triethanolamine, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Fragrance.

Fit:
The fit is almost perfect, with only a bit of overlap into my hair and under my chin. (Compared to most masks which have enough excess for a scarf and headband). The eye cutouts follow the curve of my eyes like it was tailor made. The mask doesn't fit so well on my nose bridge but thats nothing that a pair of scissors doesn't fix.

The masks are 25ml and very saturated (like MBD). I feel sad wasting leftover essence so I use it to saturate a couple of Muji pads and do a 10-15 minute mask the next day.

Smell:
The smell is slightly floral and quite strong on opening but dissipates quickly.

Material:
The mask feels like a translucent mesh. It feels like silk but it's probably cotton.

Initial Thoughts:
The instructions say to leave it on for 15-20 minutes. I used it for around 45 and could have left it for longer but I wanted to sleep
My skin looked brighter and the areas where I had spots appeared less red. The mask left a sticky residue (even after patting it in) so this isn't one to use in the morning before heading out! The next morning, my skin looked clearer and less red and felt so soft and smooth even after washing my face. My whole face felt 'flat' - no spots brewing, none of those annoying bumps that I don't have a name for - just smooth skin.

Overall Impression:
I jotted down my thoughts after every use, and my thoughts were the same every time. Skin looks fresh, radiant and noticeably less inflamed and red. And I wouldn't even say I have redness, it just looks so much clearer! They even reduced a bunch of angry pus-y spots to almost flat red bumps. Magick.

The verdict: amazing. These masks defy logic with a rating of 11/10

Where to Buy:
Rose Rose Shop: $6.79 for a box of 10
Testerkorea: KRW12,000 (~$10) for a box of 10
Lotte: These are currently sold at KRW20,000 (~$17) for 10 but frequently pop up in Lotte's Free EMS shipping events for $20 for 20 masks. I'm keeping my eye out for the next offer!

#25 Day Sheet Mask Challenge

I had high hopes of joining the daily sheet mask club, doing the #30daysheetmaskchallenge with a different mask each day but I realised that (a) I’m five short and (b) ain’t nobody got time for that.

Just three more and I could do a February #28daysheetmaskchallenge..! Screw it, 2016 is a leap year.

Truth be told, I’m not very fond of sheet masks. I hate that feeling of cold wet seaweed slapped on my face and I just can’t seem to make time for them! I also question how much one can benefit from a bog-standard formula of butylene glycol, aloe, fragrance, preservatives and 1% Albanian Rose extract (patent pending). 

So partly for science but really to whittle down my skincare hoard I set myself the target of using three masks per week. The aim: to determine whether sheet masks should become a staple or whether I’m better off investing in something super fancy like that $200 Ginseng cream from Sulwhasoo.

Unlike the blogging ‘schedule’, I’ve actually managed to keep this up for three weeks, alternating between two brands of “anti-acne” masks: the Leaders Mediu Amino Clearing Masks and LJH Tea Tree masks. (I’ll have a first impressions post up soon, once I finish translating the ingredients.) I’ve been using three of the same mask each week and will keep doing that where possible since almost all of my masks come in packs of 5-10. I’m also trying to keep things consistent by sticking to a “theme” each month. So once I’ve used the anti-acne masks for a month, I’ll move on to the bee masks, then brightening masks, hydrating masks, etc.

Stay Tuned! :)