The Glow Guide: which face masks work (and which don’t)

In the pursuit of glowing, acne free, Beyonce-esque skin, I’m always ready to experiment with new products ranging from toner made with algae to tea promising better skin. Each day, I’ll be trying popular face masks to see which ones banish my blemishes and which ones belong in the bin.

I’m no newbie when it comes to face masks, in fact, I probably do a mask treatment twice a week. I know what to expect in a good mask, and my two main skin focuses are battling dullness and getting rid of dead skin. However, I could use any help I can get to get rid of pimples and blackheads.

CVS Blue Mineral Mask

This mask makes me anything but blue, and after using it, my skin felt noticeably replenished. It’s a great mask for when you don’t want to spend too much money, and is beneficial for both acne and brightening. Its effects aren’t too intense, and I didn’t notice much of a stinging sensation like I do in most clay masks. However, the smell is a bit much, and it’s obvious that it’s there to try to “mask” chemicals and other not-so-pleasant components. The ingredients aren’t as natural as I’d like, but for the price, It’s one of the best available at the drugstore.

L’oreal Pure Clay Masks

Ever since seeing an ad for the Loral Mask in a Seventeen magazine, I’ve been wanting to try one (or all) of them out. While they offer clay masks with benefits ranging from mattifying to exfoliating. I chose the “detoxifying and brightening” option because I’m trying to combat the dull effects of winter-to-spring weather. After twisting open the glass pot, a strong, cologne-like, chemical scent floated through the room. I didn’t mind the strong scent since my skin is pretty tough, but the fragrance could become a problem with more sensitive skin. While the mask worked its magic, my skin felt a light tingling, but nothing too heavy. The mask took about 15 minutes to fully dry, and went from a dark grey, to a light charcoal. It came off easily with a damp washcloth and didn’t take much effort. After admiring my face in the mirror for a minute, I noticed that my skin looked more even.

Dr. Jart Shake and Shot Brightening Mask

I did not like this mask. I could have just spread cottage cheese on my face, and saved 12 bucks while I was at it. I’d seen posts about the fun looking mask, and thought it would be a twist on the basic peel off mask. Almost directly after opening the packaging, it took a turn for the worst. The packaging looked exactly like a slushy I would grab on my weekly QuickTrip reward, and I couldn’t help but stare at the Sephora display. After settling on the orange brightening “shake” I went home and immediately followed the instructions. As directed to on the packaging, I mixed the goop in packet one with the citrus-scented liquid in packet two and shook it for about 30 seconds. While spreading the mask on my face, it started dripping into my eyes and nose. I told myself to persevere — Instagram influencers love this stuff— but it was a feat just to apply this to my face. After sitting through the recommended yet painstaking 20 minutes of waiting for the mask to set, I began to peel it off. Somehow, this was the worst part. It took three Beyonce songs (the only thing getting me through the Squidward-feeling-face)  to completely remove the mask. Parts of it were falling on my dresser, the floor, and even my rug. It didn’t peel off in one part, as advertised, and I didn’t notice any immediate results unless you include the 20 “does Sephora accept returns” tabs that popped up in my Safari.

Sephora Yellow Clay Mask

I didn’t think a mask could get much worse than the Shake and Shot, but I was wrong. While there was nothing horribly wrong with this, It did nothing. I applied a thin layer on my face, and within five minutes, i noticed a slight tingle. The tingle usually means the mask is working and pulling gunk out of my skin. However, this feeling stopped after a few minutes, and I started noticing an almost industrial smell. After waiting the 20 minutes for the mask to “set up” I realized it had almost started melting off of my face, and it hadn’t dried up like most clay masks do. Upon removal, my face felt so oily, and definitely not “renewed” as promised.

Boscia Blackhead Peel Mask

I had seen people all over instagram using this strange, glossy black mask and I had to find out if it was truly worth it. After applying it on my face, I was shocked. Usually, masks like these either smell horrible or have a super strong smell trying to cover up chemicals. This mask had almost no scent and washed easily off of my hands. The mask firmed and tingled, which led me to believe it was working. After thirty minutes, it was time to peel it off. I’d seen horror story youtube videos about how much it hurt, but the classic “beauty hurts” mantra radiated through me as I slowly peeled away. The pain wasn’t bad at all, and my face looked very vibrant and fresh. I will definitely be back to sephora to buy more of this mask.

The Takeaway

The only masks I would recommend would be the Boscia peel mask, the l’oreal mask, and the CVS mask. Otherwise, save your money and slap some cucumbers over your eyes.