This past summer, I got myself a summer job. Oh my was the extra money so nice. I know my student loans really appreciated it. It was with a company outside of the realm of education and beauty, so it was a nice change of pace. My office, yes I had a desk job, was in the heart of Koreatown. On my crosstown walk I would pass K-beauty store after K-beauty store, on the same street, on the same side.
I was in trouble. I needed to ground myself fast before I stepped foot into any of the stores. My self represcribed limits were that I was only to spend $10 in each store as to not waste the money I just earned. Then that left me with only the coveted, trendy sheet mask. For every store I went into on 32nd street between 5th & 6th Avenues I bought sheet masks (except for one). Each store had a wide variety of masks in every price. At first I wanted quantity over quality, so I stocked up on $2 masks. I left with 5 (I might not teach math, but I can do the basics). Then I realized that I needed to diversify my options by paying different prices.
I went to the following four stores and purchased from three of them. I shopped at L'Ouve, The Face Shop and Kosette. Nature Republic was hard to navigate to find individual masks with no one to assist me, even after I looked for someone. In total, I probably bought over 10 masks for my skins needs: Calming, red, oily skin.
Through my extensive research, I was underwhelmed. Most masks were watery in consistency and made my hands feel dry after I applied. I was nervous what they were doing to my skin. All had the same directions to apply on clean and tones skin for 10-20 minutes.
My top two favorites are a Nature Republic Madecassoside (which I obviously bought elsewhere) one and Goodal's Seaweed Mask Bright Toning mask. The Nature Republic mask had a nice milky consistency, which was cooling to the touch. This was perfect for summer since it was sweltering out. Like most of the masks there was so much excess product I was able to apply it to my neck for added benefits.
The Goodal mask was super luxurious. The pearl on the packaging was a dead giveaway. It also was not false advertising as it was a higher quality consistency like seaweed. Upon application it felt like it was working. When I finished with the mask my face also glowed and it truly worked its magic.
At the end of the day or summer, this was a fun project to embark on. When it comes to sheet masks its trial and error. The price of the mask did not necessarily dictate its effectiveness for my skin type. It is not a steep investment and wearing them are fun and an easy way to partake in a bit of self care.