Beauty Friends - Collagen Mask

Beauty Friends - Collagen Mask
Price: Free (free gift, usually 1000won)
Beauty Friends masks are super cheap. In fact I got them as freebies from Beautiplex. A store here in Korea that sells Korean, Japanese and Western brands.
I hate beautiplex, it looks like a discount store with Department store prices. Blech.

Anyways, my experience with freebie masks is medicore. They generally aren't terrible, but they are at best barely moisturizing.

With the Beauty friends mask, I was first pleasntly surprised with teh mask size, it wasn't too big, ro two small, and though it doesn't fit my face perfectly (really odd eye holes), it fits really well.
Also, when on the mask feels thicker than many others. Which is nice, and kind of warming. Like wearing a blanket....(odd I know)
But since this helps the absorption of the essence, I really like the thicker mask!

The essence itself was nice, moisturizing, but pretty generic. On the plus side, no irritation. On the negative, no significant moisturizing.

All in all it was a great value, considering it was free :)

Nature republic - hand me love hand mask

Nature republic - Hand me love hand mask
Price: 2000won ($2)
If you have any interest in Asian skin care, you’re probably mask crazy like me.
The Asian sheet mask craze has been slow to transition of to North America, but there are lots of people obsessed with them!
Here in Korea, sheet masks have moved on from being just for the face. Sure there are more specialized ones, for the eyes, for laugh lines, fore head lines, chin sagging, etc. If there is a face concern, then there is a mask for it.
But the masks have moved on to other parts of the body, including the hands and feet.
This seems bizarre to me.
So of course, I had to buy some to try them out.

They generally come in a long packet, divided into two sections. The first contains the actual sheet mask, in a glove shape. You put on the mask, then apply the second section, the plastic glove. Which is supposed to cover the sheet mask, and keep moisture in. It’s basically the same idea as saran wrap.
So I open up the Nature republic Mask, put on the gloves. They are not huge, but are definitely big enough to fit a wide range of hands. They are moist, like a sheet mask for the face, but unlike them, the excess essence is like hand lotion,  this is white and creamy.

I open up the second half, which is an ordeal, since I wasn’t smart enough to open both sides at once, and now my hands are too slick to rip open the other side of the package.
Finally I open up part two.
I pull out two clear piece of pink, hand shaped plastic.
And stare at them in confusion.

They aren’t plastic gloves, they are hand shaped pieces of plastic, ie, you cannot open them because there is only two half gloves…
So you can’t put them on over the gloves at all.

… WTF?
So I wait 20 minutes, then remove the sheet gloves.
I rub in the excess.
My hands feel moist, but not super well moisturized.
The next day, no difference.
Nothing. My hands feel softer after using regular old hand cream!
I admit though, the whole thing might have been improved if there had been actual plastic gloves.
Has any one else experience this? Are there supposed to be actual gloves????

VOV Daily Fresh - Mineral water and Pumpkin

VOV Daily Fresh

Mineral water soothing

Price: 2000won / $2

Cool mask pack for rich moisture skin. Clean and cool moisture relief by immediate moisture and mineral support on dry skin.

The Mineral water soothing mask was pretty basic as you might imagine. In no way was it remarkable.  With that said though, the whole Daily fresh line is about the best line of sheet masks I’ve run across, for the size and shape of the mask, the variety, and the super gentleness.

So even though this mask didn’t do anything beyond what the Daily fresh masks usually do, it’s a good basic everyday sort of mask.
If you buy a mask for a once a week, or special occasion use, go for a more dramatic one.
But for me, it’s a good weeknight neutral mask.

Pumpkin cooling smoothing

Yammy mask pack for slim v line face. Pumpkin’s extract helps to bring swelling down and to show a sharp face line. And it’s fresh cooling textrue provides a soothing effect and elasticity to your skin.

Ahhh…. How I wish a sheet mask could give me a v line face…. But honestly….. No matter what they put in a mask, there is no way it’s going to give anyone a slimmer face.
With that said, I am not against trying lol.
The pumpkin mask though is a bit of a disaster. It starts out well, with almost no smell, and what there is, is just vaguely skin care producty. The mask applies without being too runny (like that stupid black raspberry one) And it’s slightly cooling on the face.
My first impression is good.
Then after about five minutes my forehead starts to itch a little.
The itching slowly turns to a mild burning.
After well less than 15minutes I peel of the mask, to find my face red and splotchy.
The burning wasn’t awful (not like the etude house O2 white mask), but it was definitely uncomfortable enough that I wanted it off.
I have to admit that I’m amazed that some of the VOV Daily fresh masks are reacting in this way, especially when most of them are really good….
Ah well.

Vov Daily Fresh -Seaweed Collagen

Vov Daily Fresh -Seaweed Collagen
Sweet mask making the tired skin relaxed. Natural seaweed ingredients containing vitality of the blue sea make the tired and rough skin soothed and relaxed, and create smooth moisturized skin.

The variations between the VOV daily fresh masks are small. Some are better, so are a bit irritating, and some smell.
The seaweed collagen wasn’t overly remarkable.
It didn’t smell strongly, either good or bad, possibly, vaguely like aloe. It didn’t burn or irritate the skin, and it didn’t moisturize any more than any other sheet mask.
With that said, this is one I will buy again.
Why? It’s neutral, and non-irritating. I checked the ingredients, and it actually contains aloe.
And after one use, my skin was a little bit brighter.

Daily Fresh - Black raspberry Collagen

Vov Masks

Daily Fresh - Black Raspberry Collagen

Price 2000 won (less than $2 US)
for all skin types

Cool mask pack for  elastic and animated look. Black raspberry extract provides rich nutrition and extra moisture on skin. Collagen revitalizes skin rhythm to create healthy and soft look.
This was one of the VOV Daily fresh masks I was most eager to try.  I adore raspberries, and it’s rare to find raspberry theme items. Usually it’s strawberry or Cherry.
When I opened the package, this horrible smell wafted up. I looked around my room for a moment before realizing it was the mask that stunk. It’s smells sort of like moldy books…. Definitely like mold.
Ugh.
This is the first, and only VOV Daily fresh mask to drip.
When you open the individual mask package there is generally a clear gel inside. It’s wet, and it’s easy to drip some on yourself.
But once the mask is applied and smoothed against the skin, there is no running or dripping with the rest of the line.
But the Black raspberry collagen trailed in long drips down my neck. The composition seems more liquid, not as though there is more product.

Daily Fresh- Coenzyme Q10 original

Daily Fresh- Coenzyme Q10 original

Price 2000 won (less than $2 US)
-for all skin types

Essence mask pack for your best skin condition. Coenzyme Q10 for elastic skin and botanical collagen for vital skin provide a nutrition and moisture for your skin.
The Q10 mask is one of my favorite Daily fresh sheet masks. First it smells amazing, kinda like vanilla. The scent isn’t powerful or overwhelming.
The mask itself was not at all irritation on my skin. Which is wonderful because I sometimes find products with Q10 to be irritating.
The mask also did a good job of moisturizing my skin. Certainly one of the better ones.
In the morning my skin was fresh and plump.
I really think this would be a good one for dry or older skin. It seems to add the youthful plumpness that’s needed.

skin food - white chocolate mask

Skin food - white chocolate mask

Cost 1500won ($1.50)
Time on - 10 to 15min
Mask with cocoa extracts which provide elasticity to the skin


The size of the sheet mask was really wide. It streched all the way to my ears, but too short to go under my chin. Asian faces do tend to be shorter and broader, but this was a bit ridiculous, and my ears really shouldn’t be half covered by the mask. The size, shape and placement of the eye, nose and mouth holes were normal and reasonable. Therefore the mask shape is not unusable, just a little irritating.


The one thing I really expected from this mask, was a nice scent. I mean It’s choloate, white or not it should be yummy. But…. The smell was gross. Really really gross, not at all like chocolate kind of like cherry medicine and old lady perfume The scent was also stronger than I would like, even if it was attractive. Yuck.


After - My skin was left very sticky, even after rubbing the excess of product. My forehead though was slightly tight and noticeably smoother. A surprising result from an inexpensive sheet mask.

Daily Fresh Sake Noki

Vov Masks

Daily Fresh - Sake Noki

Price 2000 won (less than $2 US)

On the Package:  sakenoki clear strained rice wine- High-condensed spa mask for smooth and moist skin texture. Thermal waters help to care skin to be moist and glossy. Rice wine extract, good effect of eliminating waste, helps to care skin to be clean and bright.

This is the first in the daily fresh line that I’ve encountered with a noticeable odor.

I can’t exactly say what the smell is… Something like bath products, soap and sake….

It’s not unpleasant, but it’s not a nice smell either….

Made my face feel very tight, and after removing the mask my face was somewhat red.

But felt very very moist.

The day after my skin felt plump and healthy.  Since I used very basic lotion (not heavy duty) the night before, I can definitely see atribute some of the quality of my skin to the mask.

I am going to repurchase, I think with continued use this will be a good one!