Have you tried a sheet mask yet? Thye’re the ones that make you look like Hannibal Lecter and frighten your children. But they do have many advantages, as luxury facialist and skincare expert Cherry Woods explains: “They don’t rely on faffing around with pots of cream, won’t mess up your hair and won’t irritate or dry your skin when removed, unlike some conventional clay masks can. Because the sheet is so close to the skin’s surface for a relatively short but intense period of time, the ingredients permeate the skin for a deep treatment”.
“And the real plus point”, she continues, “is the convenience factor as you won’t need to wash the residue off. Simple massage in any excess, moisturise and you’re ready to apply your cosmetics… or go make-up free if your newly glowing skin has given you the confidence.” I couldn’t have put it better myself. Here are my current favourites.
First up is Artistry Hydra V Moisture Mask (£29.80 for 5). This is the fabric style rather than the gel sheet and it’s got a lot of the product on it so as Cherry advises, don’t rinse off. These are my favourite to keep in the fridge and slap on when I have a hangover, for cooling hydration. Lovely.
Gold Collagen Hydrogel Mask (£19.99 for 4) is my go-to when I need to feel a bit more youthful around the chops. It’s awesome – after feeling cool to begin with, it kind of melts into the skin and delivers an instantly plumping and boosting effect.
I am loving Maskeraide at M&S. Choose from Pre Party Prep, All Nighter, Weather Warrior… each one-use mask is £5 but that’s a lot cheaper than a facial and it’s a perfect prep for a special occasion. I like Detox Diva, which cleanses, exfoliates and detoxifies.
Timeless Truth have got an amazing range of sheet masks but my pick is the Bio Cellulose Apple Stem Cell Collagen Facial Beauty Mask (£7.90–£38.50). This is hi-tech stuff: bio cellulose is a ‘nano scoptic fibre’ that is apparently highly compatible with the human body and allows even coverage of the active serum. Will we ever go back to using normal face masks, I wonder?
Finally, my luxe pick this week is from skincare doyenne Eve Lom. Her Brightening Face Mask (£125 for 8) is great post ski trip or summer holidays when you need to even out sun damaged skin.