Prior to COVID-19, the term face mask usually meant a mask that you put on for beauty purposes, whether that be a paper mask or a mud mask. Now when people say face mask, people usually think of the medical masks we use to protect ourselves from disease and sickness.

I have started using face masks (the beauty ones) a lot recently. I never used to, because I didn’t have many, but for Christmas, I got a lot of face masks, so I have been trying them out.

I got three different packs, and they are all slightly different. One pack is the Sephora Clean Face Mask Collection. Another is the Say Yes To face masks, and the last one is Eunyul Clean and Fresh. I was excited to use the masks mostly just to relax and do them with my friends, but also to compare the different brands I received. I didn’t realize how different face masks are until I tested each one.

Sephora Clean Face Mask Collection – Matcha Tea

This is the mask I chose to test from the Sephora pack originally because it didn’t seem that interesting. I have no connection to matcha tea, so I figured it would probably be sitting in my cabinet for a while, and I might as well use it.

The thing that first drew me to the Sephora pack was the shape of their packaging. The masks come in a semicircle type of package, and I thought that was cool. The Matcha Tea mask comes in a green package with tea leaves decorating the front. I like the color green, admittedly not that much, but dark green is one of my favorite colors, so I quickly grew to appreciate this package.

When I first took the mask out of the package, I immediately took notice of the large amount of liquid that was still in the casing. I’m not sure exactly what to call the liquid residue that is on facemasks, but I think it is probably some sort of solution. This solution was all over my fingers and dripping on the counter. I know that not all of the solution can stay on the face mask, but there was a lot leftover.

When I first put the mask on, it was freezing. It felt like I was rubbing ice cubes all over my face, and I did not appreciate it. However, once I got over the frigid temperature, I enjoyed it a lot. At first, I thought that the mask had no smell, but after having it on my face for a short amount of time, I realized that it did in fact smell like tea, which I appreciated since I enjoy tea.

I had the face mask on for fifteen minutes, and four minutes in my face started to tingle. I’m not sure if that is supposed to happen, but it is actually a rather uncomfortable feeling. I eventually got used to it, and I enjoyed the rest of the time I spent laying on my bed reading while the mask was on.

When I took the mask off, it was one of the most satisfying things I have ever done. The cold, wet mask coming off might have been the best part of the whole experience because it left me so fulfilled and satisfied. Once the mask was fully removed, I rinsed my face off to rid the residue. Overall, this mask was quite nice and relaxing despite the coolness of it all.

Say Yes To Brightening Bubbling Paper Mask – Grapefruit

I love grapefruit. The food, the smell, the color, and apparently face masks. I had two of these bubbling masks left, and between grapefruit and charcoal, I decided I would enjoy the grapefruit more. The packaging was a gorgeous pink color and had a grapefruit front and center. When I took the mask out, I was surprised to find that it too was pink.

Delighted by my findings on the color of the mask, I put it on happily. Like the first one, this mask was also quite chilly, and it took me a while to get it on with all the cringing I did. Once it was on, I started my timer and quickly cleaned up the mess the mask made on the counter. This mask had dripped when it was taken out as well.

Also similar to the first mask, the bubbling one started to make my face tingle about four minutes into the fifteen; I still did not enjoy the sensation.

I had tried bubbling masks before, and I was not a fan. I thought that I might have changed my stance on that since the last time I did one, but unfortunately, I have not. The mask makes a popping noise every time a new bubble appears, and it drove me insane. It was so frustrating to hear a constant pop, pop, pop.

I did like the fact that I could smell the grapefruit the entire time. It made the experience slightly more bearable. The solution kept getting on the collar of my sweatshirt, but that might have been my fault. My head kept leaning to the side, but I tried to minimize that once I realized I was making a mess.

Taking off the mask was as, if not more, satisfying as the first one. I finally got to have my skin warm, and it stopped tingling. I stood for a second and enjoyed the silence that came with no bubbles popping in my ear anymore.

No matter how much I like grapefruit, a bubbling mask is not my thing, and I will not be using one again.

Eunyul Clean and Fresh – Purify and Hydrate

This pack of masks is pretty boring. The packages are all different colors, but they don’t have any images, and they aren’t in a semicircle package, so they didn’t make me super happy. Each one of these masks says a different thing on it, and I think it is what the mask is meant to do. I chose the one that said purify and hydrate for no reason other than it is blue.

When the mask came out of the package, it made an even bigger mess than the other two. The solution was all over my hands, counter, and sink. The mask was huge, too. It was like they thought it was going to be used on a head double the size of a normal one. The mask had no smell, and no color, adding to the boringness of it.

Like the others, it made my face freeze as soon as it went on, but it was worse. My face felt numb from the cold, but also it was tingling as soon as I put the mask on.

There wasn’t anything that happened while I was wearing the mask, except that I got it on my collar again. When I tried to pull it off, the solution got all over my hair and my headband. It took a lot longer for my face to stop tingling compared to the other two masks.

I’m pretty sure I will not be purchasing these masks again once I run out of my existing pack. It was so cold, it made my face numb and tingly, and it had no character to it.

Overall, I still like face masks, and I will still use them, but now I have an idea of what the better ones are.