Tag Archives: birchbox

Review: When Travelmate Sheet Mask

Posted in Face Painting by

I had recently reviewed the Dr. Jart+ pore minimalist mask reaching a disappointed conclusion. Imagine my nerves/excitement/dread when the When Travelmate Sheet Mask showed up in my January Birchbox. I had to try it the first night.

from birchbox.com

from birchbox.com

This mask was MUCH messier to open and apply than the last mask. It also had the funny flip open nose. Unlike the open and go Dr. Jart+ mask this one had two sheets to take off. Next time I plan on using my bathroom counter rather than my initial mistake of opening the thing standing in the middle of my bedroom. I maybe shouldn’t have picked such a bitter cold night to do the mask, because at first the serum was FREEZING! And it was thick. Once I warmed up it felt nice. It didn’t tingle, but it felt really clean, like my favorite Nars night cream (the recently discontinued aqua gel hydrator). If I looked like I had on a wooden mask with the Dr. Jart+ one, this was even more disconcerting.

my alien looking face definitely startled me!

my alien looking face definitely startled me!

Voldemort

Voldemort

ODO

ODO

hatchetfish

Hatchettfish

I could see my face but it was covered in goo. All my features were distorted and I looked like an alien. At one point I passed myself in the mirror and jumped. OOPS! This mask stayed on for thirty minutes, and honestly I could have kept it on longer quite comfortably. It didn’t irritate my eyes and it clung to my face almost perfectly (still a few tricky spots along my jaw line, maybe I’m oddly shaped). My only real complaint is that it didn’t get the sides of my nose, a big problem area for me. Another plus is that the sheet mask does not need to be washed off when finished. My face felt incredibly fresh once I took the mask off. It reminded me of that post-facial glow.

I loved this mask so much that (the next day!) I already logged onto Birchbox and bought an entire box of these masks. At $28 for four masks the price is a little steep. I won’t lie, I used some Birchbox points to bring the price down. Regardless, I think the masks are fantastic and will make a nice weekly treat for myself. I may even buy the sampler pack down the road to try out some of When’s other products.

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Review: Dr. Jart+ Pore Minimalist Mask

Posted in Face Painting, Uncategorized by
Dr. Jart+ pore minimalist mask

Dr. Jart+ pore minimalist mask

I received the Dr. Jart+ Pore Minimalist in my November Birchbox. I hadn’t done any research into this product, so this is more or less a blind review. After a whirlwind month of late nights at work, social events, and just plain winter fatigue I hadn’t gotten a chance to treat myself to a mask. My face needed this. Badly. Winter dries me out big time and due to a recent hormone flux I had a small teenage style breakout across my forehead. I was not taking proper care of my skin. Did you know that when your skin is dried out it can become even oilier? True fact.

One of my New Years resolutions was to take better care of my skin. I’ve rushed out of the house without moisturizer a few times. Fallen asleep without taking off my makeup. All the beauty sins I tell all my friends to avoid. Last night I got home and kind of stamped my foot (quietly, I have neighbors downstairs!) and said it’s time to give your face some loving.

Let’s start with the packaging. It appears there is no front or back. The foil pouch has lots of serum in it that the mask must soak in. It was folded up into a little square and was a little messy coming out. Even the nose piece is folded up, and folds out over your nose. It didn’t cover the tip of my nose, though, which I thought kind of needed some extra love as well. I kind of expected the mask to suck onto my face and stick there. While it (mostly) stayed in place, it didn’t cling on. The sides and the chin didn’t stay on at all. I kept pushing it down or holding it in place.

I look like I'm wearing a carved wooden mask.

I look like I’m wearing a carved wooden mask.

The mask didn’t have a particularly fragrant smell, but it still kind of irritated my eyes. Not to the point of allergy, but it wasn’t pleasant either. Maybe I should’ve put little cucumbers on and pretended to be in a spa. I was actually too busy watching Brooklyn Nine-Nine. I took turns laughing at the show and laughing at my reflection in the mirror. I actually looked funnier than when I put on any of my cream face masks. It reminded me of a Jacques Nestlé painting I sit across from at work.

inverse colors of my mask

After 15-20 minutes I removed the mask. I like that you do not have to rinse off your face once finished. Silly as that sounds, it can be a deterrent for doing a nighttime mask. That would mean washing my face again. Meanwhile, I had plenty of time to make silly faces in the mirror before removing the mask. I expected more of a glowing face when the mask was removed. Overall, I was pretty disappointed. I would be open to trying this again if I received another sample, but I would not actively seek this out as a purchase. In the meantime, I can happily say I remembered to moisturize before I left the house this morning!