Mask Maven December 2015 Review

A new sub! Well, new to me.  If you've been reading here for a while, you know that I'm a sucker for sheet masks.  I love them and I use them 2-3 times a week, usually.  Enter Beauteque.  Beauteque is an American beauty shop specializing in Asian beauty and skincare products and they offer two monthly subs:  a BB Bag which includes 6-8 full-sized products in a cosmetics bag, and Mask Maven which is a variety pack of 9-11 masks.  While the BB Bag also sounds awesome, I know I'll get the most out of Mask Maven.  It costs $15 per month plus $6.95 shipping, in US funds, but you can get it for less if you purchase longer subscriptions.  I picked up a full year of this subscription when they were having a 30% off sale for a total of $264.06 Canadian, including shipping - that's about $22 Canadian per month.  If you would like to check out either of these subs, you can do that right here :)

The "theme" for December's Mask Maven was "Bit of Everything" which is, well, not the most exciting theme as themes go but I'm in this for the masks not the theme! Let's check those out, shall we?  I'll include the "value" of each mask from Beauteque, without shipping or exchange.  Many can be purchased cheaper elsewhere though so this is really just a ballpark of value.

Tony Moly I'm Real Sheet Masks - Lemon and Rice (approx. $4 value)

These are nice masks. . . not very exciting perhaps as Tony Moly is a pretty popular brand.  I've never tried them though.  I received two varieties:  lemon for brightening and rice for clear skin.  I tried the rice version and found it to be a decent mask, although not my favourite.  It had a pleasant scent and my skin liked it okay but I found it dried out a little quicker than I'm used to.  I haven't tried the lemon yet, though, so maybe it was just that particular type.

Urban Dollkiss 3-GO Mask Sheet - Hyaluronic Acid (approx. $2 value - but not at Beauteque)

I had never heard of this brand but in my researching, a lot of sites were referring to it as "Baviphat Urban Dollkiss" and I have heard of Baviphat.  It's not quite as popular as some brands and I have never tried any of their products before.  I still haven't as my skin hasn't quite needed the moisture bomb of hyaluronic acid yet (it will. . . but I need a little more winter in my weather first).  If you want to know why HA is an HG ingredient for dry skin, I addressed that in this post :)

SNP Animal Mask - Tiger ($3.25 value)

The new thing in sheet masks is sheet masks that look like, well, mask-masks! And this month's Mask Maven includes two of them.  The first is one I have already tried, SNP's Tiger mask.  This is an anti-aging mask that makes your face look like a tiger's while you wear it.  Super cute! Also a decent mask in terms of quality :)

Mediheal Dress Code Mask - Violet (about $2.50 value - but not at Beauteque)

Another new-to-me brand and another mask-mask! This one is a full face mask even though it look like just a mask for the eye area and makes you look like you're attending a glamorous masquerade ball.  It is moisturizing for tired, stressed skin and again, really fun :)

Scinic My Juicy Bottle Mask - Aqua (about $2 value - but not at Beauteque)

I love the packaging on some of these masks! This one is like a tall drink of water for your face - both in packaging and in practice.  It contains bamboo and cucumber extract but I found it had very little scent going on which was disappointing because I love those fresh scents! It was quite moisturizing though and is part of the reason why I haven't needed the HA one yet, I think.

My Beauty Diary Imperial Bird's Nest Mask ($2 value)

My Beauty Diary is a company from Taiwan, well-known for their excellent sheet masks.  Actually there are a lot of companies out of Taiwan who are doing great things with sheet masks these days.  This was a real treat to use:  nice thin material on a pearl paper backing to allow you to get it in place without damaging the delicate mask, lots (lots!) of essence and a subtle scent, not at all like you would expect a bird's nest to smell.  I would definitely purchase more masks from MBD in the future :)

Dr. Morita Snail Hydrating Mask ($3 value)

Dr. Morita is another Taiwanese brand and this was another huge hit.  I love snail products as they are excellent for acne-prone and scarred skin as well as fighting aging - basically everything I need.  The fit and scent of this one were also pleasant and again, there was soooo much essence!  Some subscribers received Dr. Morita Youth Renewal Repair Essence Mask instead but I'm really glad I got this one :)

Holika Holika Baby Silky Hand Mask ($4 value)

And a mask that isn't for the face:  Holika Holika's Baby Silky Hand Mask, which I have used before.  This is like wearing gloves full of moisturizer - a strange feeling but definitely good for my hands.  I like that there was a different type of mask included this month instead of just sheet masks.

Overall Verdict

For about $22 Canadian, I received about $22.75 US in masks which is, I think, excellent.  Without the 30% off deal, the products received would not have covered the costs which isn't as awful as it sounds considering this sub introduced me to some great masks that I had never heard of before and shipped them to my door.  I do think there's value in that.  But I also like that I received more value than I paid since I signed up at the right time :)  I love the variety of masks and brands offered and am looking forward to next month!

Interested in checking out Mask Maven, the BB Bag or Beauteque's online shop (where you can purchase many of these masks unless otherwise indicated)? Here's the link.  Enjoy!