Skin
The Best Budget Sheet Mask
04 • 30 • 2016
If you go to an event and haven’t sheet masked first, you are missing a big opportunity to look AMAZING. Every time I use my favorite sheet mask before I apply makeup, I am floored by how much better I look. Younger, no fine lines, no pores, less puffy…just BETTER. I have tried a million sheet masks and found a cheapo one that I like *almost* as well as the gold standard SK-II sheet mask. Without further ado, the best budget sheet mask is…
My Beauty Diary Arbutin Brightening Mask is the best budget sheet mask I have tried, available only on Amazon here. Now, I can’t claim to have worn every single sheet mask out there. But darned if I’m not going to try.
I sport sheet masks so frequently that my kids don’t even blink when I come downstairs in one.
After diligently working on an Ultimate Comparison of Sheet Masks post for over six months now, I’m up to about 20 brands of sheet masks. Then a friend sends me a photo like this (from Ricky’s in NYC) and I realize that a thorough blogger’s work is never done:
Sigh. This nerd-perfectionist cannot in good conscience publish an Ultimate Comparison of Sheet Masks post until I’ve tried them all. On the flipside, I also cannot let another day go by without telling you about the amazing My Beauty Diary sheet mask. It’s the budget sheet mask option that I keep coming back to (I’m on my second box), and I haven’t yet encountered a sheet mask that is better (aside from the near-magical SK-II).
Now, any sheet mask is better than nothing. Did you know that most of the moisturizer you put on your skin evaporates into thin air before it can penetrate your skin and have any beneficial effects? The occlusive nature of a sheet mask makes a physical barrier to lock in moisture, letting the sheet mask goo and your other products better penetrate into your skin. But for some reason, the My Beauty Diary produces a more visible difference for me than other brands.
The details: My Beauty Diary Arbutin Brightening Mask is a cotton sheet mask, soaked with (among other hydrating ingredients) arbutin (to lighten dark spots) and hyaluronic acid. It is very wet, and seems to adhere better to my skin (with fewer bunches and wrinkles) than others. I also like the My Beauty Diary Hyaluronic Moisture Mask almost as well, but the cut out shape of the Arbutin Mask fits my small face and features better. I don’t know why these two sheet mask varieties from the same brand are cut on a different pattern, but the Arbutin one definitely fits me better. Also it is worth noting that I do not notice the Arbutin one lightens more than the Hyaluronic version– they seem to have the exact same effect, the Arbutin just fits my face better.
Other highlights of the My Beauty Diary Arbutin Lightening Mask: (1) Amazon Prime can have these at your doorstep in 2 days flat; (2) at $15 per 10 masks, they are the best bang for your buck! And you can wear them TWICE! Wear for 20 minutes, and then bunch the mask back up, stick it in the original packet, soaking in the leftover goo, and seal up in a plastic baggie; (3) the cheap price point makes the sheet mask not so precious, so you are more likely to use them more frequently, leading to increased hydration benefits over time. And more times that you look awesome.
Also note: the company has changed their packaging since I purchased my box in March. The box is still pink but slightly different, and they now call it the “Arbutin Whitening Mask” instead of the “Arbutin Brightening Mask.” Don’t worry, they are the same.
So, like 75 cents to look about 75% better than you currently do. Don’t laugh when you see me driving carpool in a sheet mask!
Quick question, how long do you keep the Arbutun Whitening Mask on? Thanks!o