Welcome to Capsule Considers, where we try out and review the latest products on the market and offer our honest, unbiased opinions, free from any obligation or expectation because if you’re parting with your hard-earned money based on any of our recommendations, we’re gonna make sure it’s damn well worth it. This week, Alice, Emma & Kelly try a selection of face masks...
Trilogy Mineral Radiance Mask RRP $37.99
Emma: This is the kind of mask where I have to warn my flatmates “Careful, I’m wearing a face mask,” lest they get spooked by my appearance, where it looks like I have dipped my face in a volcanic mud pool. It’s worth it. This mask is a mud mask but manages to never, ever dry out your skin, but still gives your face an almighty glow. This is because it’s got a whole host of nourishing oils to balance out the natural clay. It also smells divine. I like to double mask when possible – starting with this clay number and then following up with…
Antipodes Aura Manuka Honey Mask RRP$50
…this divine mask. Oh boy – firstly, I basically feel like I’m smothered in Aotearoa-goodness, considering the active ingredients of both masks are native wonders. This mask has Manuka honey in it, so it’s like a very classy step up from the honey-from-a-jar I used to smear over my face as a teenager. It’s super creamy and hydrating and as someone who has very sensitive, very rosacea-prone skin, I feel like it makes my skin less dry and less reactive to the whole host of things that make my pink cheeks angry. – Emma
Pure Fiji Glycolic Overnight Renewal Peel (RRP$85 for 30ml)
Alice: I love a product that does its job while I’m sleeping. This little beauty works its magic (you can feel it tingling when it first goes on) and smells like you’re falling asleep under a palm tree, a frangipani behind your ear, and a pina colada by your side. Bliss.
It targets fine lines, wrinkles, pigmentation, acne scars and enlarged pores, and I was pleasantly surprised by how well it works. The first night I used it, I woke up to smoother skin (it’s a powerful exfoliator) and over four weeks, I’ve seen an improvement in pigmentation.
For me, I love that Pure Fiji uses pure plant extracts and I understand what all the ingredients are on the side of the box – they’re also non-GMO, paraben-, gluten-, phthalate- and sulfate-free, as well as being cruelty-free. It’s pricey, but it goes a long way. Would buy again!
Go-to Transformazing Sheet Mask ($10 each or 6 for $50)
Alice: If you’re looking for a pampering on Self-care Sunday, this might not be your best bet – this is the mask I like to have up my sleeve if I have a big event on, or have had one of those nights when you get zero sleep but need to trick everyone into thinking you’re feeling great.
You just slap on the sheet mask for 10-15 mins (I watched a great tip from creator Zoe Foster-Blake where she explained that although we sometimes have the urge to leave things on for longer – surely it’s just sinking in better? – in actual fact after 15 mins the sheet starts sucking back in the serum, so don’t go over time!) and your skin comes away plump, hydrated and the perfect base to apply your make-up on, so you look all glowy and happy and like you’ve been sleeping really well.
And again, this is a mask you can trust to be kind to your skin, as like all Go-To products this one is without Parabens, PEGs, sulfates (SLS/SLES), GMOs, mineral oils, petrolatum or synthetic colours.
Available at Mecca
Dermalogica Multi Vitamin Power Recovery Masque RRP $109.00
KELLY: This is masque for serious, serious business – and from the second I slapped it on my skin, I was sold. It’s designed for when your skin is in a bit of a state, a la after a weekend on the razz, and contains a super-concentrated dose of all the good stuff like antioxidants, vitamins, minerals.
Even when I haven’t been out indulging in bubbles and beers, my skin is prone to a little bit of redness, which irritates me to no end because I generally don’t like wearing foundation all that much, but I do to cover up the little spots on my cheeks that make me look like Noddy (Jesus how’s that for a peak millennial kids TV throwback). This masque helps to settle it down, as well as generally leaving my skin feeling hydrated, tight (in a good way) and nourished. It also has a luxe, thick consistency and a pleasant smell.
Syrene Aqua Hydrating Masque RRP $119.00
KELLY: I really like a masque when it feels it’s doing something, if you know what I mean – like those ones you have to peel off or when it tingles on your skin. To me, it feels like confirmation that the stuff you’ve just put on your skin is doing something helpful.
Syrene’s masque doesn’t have anything quite like that, but what it does offer is an oddly cold temperature, no matter where you store it, and my Lord, is it refreshing. If you need a pick-me-up – for your skin and for your body – this is the masque to turn to.
Apply just a touch with the chic little brush that comes with the jar, and wait for a few minutes before rinsing off. It left my skin silky soft and hydrated instantly, and when I looked in the mirror I swear it was like my face had a couple of espresso shots, my skin had perked up that much.
