Sheet Masks (for the face): Japanese brands Part 1

Sheet masks are an essential step in my beauty routine for some time now. I just love the extra kick of moisture and find sheet masks generally much more comfortable than wash-off masks.
I have no idea why noone in Europe offers sheet masks, but getting those cute Japanese and Korean ones is cooler anyways =P

For some odd reason the washable masks are often irritating my skin but regarding sheet masks so far only the My Beauty Diary Masks have caused my skin to react really negatively.

I have dozens of sheet masks at home, in different price ranges, from different brands (Japanese or Korean) and with varying ingredients. I just love browsing my masks and deciding what to use today.

I have discovered some points that make sheet masks good in my opinion:

-Thick soft fabric is always better
-I prefer the masks wet, with at least 18ml of essence... anything below dries up too quickly, especially around my chin so the mask doesn't stick well after 5 minutes
-However more than 25ml make the mask too heavy so it has the tendency to slide off my face which means I have to lay down if I want to use very drenched masks.
-I prefer gel-like essence over pure liquid
-The cut of the sheet matters a lot! Some masks just smooth on and others look like a wrinkly mess so I constantly feel I have to adjust the mask =P
-I don't like to wear the masks when I am in the bath tub as this leads to more sweating and the mask starts to slide off no matter how much lotion/essence it contains.

Generally you apply the sheet mask after cleansing and toning, leave it on for 15-20 minutes and don't wash the rest off. Follow with moisturizer.

-Kanebo Kracie Hadabisei Hikishime masks:


You know why I wanted this mask? It's BLACK! Yep, a deep black sheet mask! How cool is that, he? I scared out the crap of my kids when wearing this last time though lol (they said that I look like a bank robber hehe)
Besides being black this is a darn good mask. I believe this is supposed to be rich in minerals and is very moisturizing for dry skin.

The sheet mask is made of a very thick material and cut in a good shape which stays on well and covers all my face.
The essence it's drenched with is slightly slippery, like a very thin gel and leaves my skin buttery soft. It's not leaving sticky residues either so this is just a great mask.


Each individually sealed mask contains 18ml of liquid and the box contains 4 packs (however I got a package with a free 5th mask attached).
These are some of the more expensive masks in my beauty arsenal (bought for US$16 incl. shipping from ichibankao)
I can't detect any fragrance.
I also used the red packaged masks from the Hadabisei range and it's really nice, very thick sheet and very moisturizing!

-Dariya Black Soy Milk Face Essence Masks:


I somehow like the packaging of these (black & pink)... I just think they should have made the masks black, too hehe!
Anyways, this is a heavily saturated mask (30ml per mask!) so it doesn't stay in place well (hence I have to lay down while wearing this). The cut of the mask is ok for my round face, not the best I found (I think some of the best cut ones are from Skin Food and the Hadabisei mask above). The fabric is rather thick and the moisture essence is a light milky gel.


My skin gets super soft just like with most other masks.
This doesn't contain mineral oil and fragrance.
I paid approx. US$14 incl. shipping from eBay seller alphabeautyuk for 4 masks.

-Utena Puresa Soy Milk masks:
There are 5 masks in the Puresa range: Soy Milk (the ones I got), Collagen, Hyaluronic Acid, Aloe and Q10.
I have to say this is one of the worse masks I tried. It's somehow quite dry (one mask carries only 15ml of essence) and doesn't do anything for my skin.
I also don't like the cut of the sheets as they have those annoying covers you can use on your closed eyes. I however prefer clean cut holes for the eyes.
The essence has a light milky color and is rather liquid with a very light gel quality.
I paid about US$10 for 5 masks incl. shipping from eBay seller alphabeautyuk.

-Mandom Beauty Barrier Repair Masks Hyaluronic Acid (blue box) & Royal Jelly (pink box):


The Mandom masks contain a really nice light gel and feel very moisturizing and wet. The mask fits but it is somehow cut in the middle and just attached lightly so the 2 parts tear apart really easily. That sort of annoys me but once I stick the mask on my face it stays on.


I honestly can't tell much of a difference between the 2 masks I got as both feel really nice on my skin.
The Royal Jelly contains 25ml whereas the Hyaluronic Acid masks come with 22ml.


They don't contain preservatives and are dermatologically tested.
I paid US$11/5-piece pack
There is also a Collagen version available.

-Kose Cosmeport Clear Turn Essence Moisture Mask Hyaluronic Acid dispenser box (22 pieces):


My very first sheet masks were a box of the Clear Turn masks Collagen about 4 years ago. I didn't really like them much so I was turned off from sheet masks for like 3 years (but as you finally fell in love with the concept and now it's a vital skin treatment for me). Recently I decided to give a try to the Hyaluronic Acid version of the masks so I ordered them.

The masks come in a yellow plastic dispenser box so they're very practical and more eco-friendly than the individually sealed ones.
The box contains 260ml of essence for the 22 masks. Not that bad but the masks are made of super thin material and feel a little dry so they don't stick too well to my face. Also the masks have a weird shape, They're very wide at the forehead so they reach beyond my hairline where it doesn't stick.
My skin however feels super soft when using these as the lotion (it's a liquid, no gel) really leaves my skin moisturized.


The big problem for me is that these masks lightly irritate my skin though. I feel a bit itchiness and a light redness for some minutes along my eyebrows/forehead where I shave off the fuzzies so I am guessing the lotion creeps into any micro cuts and irritates a bit (a problem I don't have with the gel-type masks). I am not sure if I will use these masks again as I don't wanna sensitize my skin.
These are really nice masks for daily use and they're very friendly to your wallet at US$15/shipped on adambeauty.
There are also Collagen (pink box), Q10 (orange) and Whitening masks (blue) available.
Free of alcohol, perfume and colorants.

Next time I'll review some of the Hisamitsu and Bihada Ichizoku masks
I'll also start reviewing some of my Korean sheet masks.