Sheet mask is one of my quintessential skincare products for smooth, bright, glowing skin. Personally, I feel it’s a waste of time and money to just use sheet masks on the rare occasion as skin care products need to be used regularly to see full potential results. If you use a facial serum (or any treatment-type product) sporadically and a random one every time, it’s not going to do much for your skin aside from temporary results that last a few hours at best — same for sheet masks. Japanese sheet masks are fantastic, but the ones I love are too expensive to use regularly — and I use sheet masks about 3 (sometimes even 4) times a week.
I dare say Taiwan surpass Japan went it comes to sheet masks. There are myriad of Taiwanese skincare brands solely devoted to sheet masks. They have ridiculously cute package design and quality is on par with many Japanese mass-market brands (in some cases, even better), and for a fraction of the price. Most have an extensive line-up to satisfy every whim and fancy — My Beauty Diary (the most well-known brand) currently offers 46 varieties of sheet masks in Taiwan, not including limited-edition releases!
My Beauty Diary introduced the “5 continents 2-step mask” line earlier this year in May which contain 5 varieties, each featuring ingredients that are best associated with the continent while addressing specific skin concerns. I really like the entire lineup but the 2-Step Asia Brightening Pack and the 2-Step Europe Clarifying Pack are my favourites.
The 2-Step Asia Brightening Pack is designed to brighten, even, smooth, nourish, and hydrate the skin. It delivers its blend of natural high-potency ingredients via step one, Job’s Tears Brightening Pack, and step 2, Wild Yam Hydra Cream. Their formulas are very impressive, especially for the price. The sheet mask features job’s tears seed and liquorice extracts; vitamin C derivative; and a blend of 5 water-binding ingredients — and it is free of alcohol, silicones, oils, parabens. Not to be outdone, the complementary cream features moisturising wild yam root extract, skin-soothing allantoin, niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, and collagen.
The sheet is saturated in about a litre of liquid-y serum. It slipped around all over the place but once I got it in position, it stuck firmly to the skin without dripping. Ideally, sheet mask should stick to face with no gaping (area between the mask and your skin). I feel Taiwanese sheet masks are designed for flatter faces than the Japanese. Most of the Taiwanese ones I’ve tried don’t fit my face right — the nose area is always way too small, leaving the sides and tip of the nose exposed with gaping around the whole area (as the nose “lifts” everything up). I’m quite happy to see that the nose area is cut slightly more generously than the brand’s regular (1-step) sheet masks — although it’s still too small. So Asians with a higher than average nose bridge…. or non-Asians take note.
I swear I could feel my skin drinking up the moisture — perhaps it’s because the mask is so saturated with serum. I always squeeze the serum out after I’m done and use it on my neck, décolletage, and the rest of the body. (Am I the only one who does this?) It would be a crime just to chuck it into the bin with 23ml of serum soaked into every mask! I think it would even be fine if you save the excess in a little jar and use it as a serum next day, after all, face is clean and there are preservatives to kill bacteria.
Before the mask is completely absorbed into the skin, I smooth on the Wild Yam Hydra Cream. Its texture is quite light and it complements the mask quite well. You get 2ml, which is more than plenty to slather generously on the face and neck. Together they do a wonderful job at giving skin an all-round boost. The effects are even more visible next day — skin looks more even-toned and bright; feels and looks much smoother; dry, flaky patches completely gone.
You get 8 sets in a box and the box costs 250 TWD, so less than 9 USD. Outside of Taiwan, My Beauty Diary is officially distributed in USA, Canada (by T&T), Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Korea (you see the list of global distributors, here) so do check your local supermarkets or shops if you live in one of these places.
You can also find My Beauty Diary 2-Step Asia Brightening Pack for US$14.95+ at eBay (HERE
), or US$13.21 at Amazon.com (HERE).
