I've been a long-time user of Estee Lauder's Advanced Night Repair Serum (I bought my first bottle in college about 15 years ago) and to this day it is still one of the best "work-horse" antioxidant serums I have ever used.
I am one of those weird people who will use this both at night and also in the day, under sunblock for extra free-radical protection. I even apply it over my arms and decolletage if I know I am going to be out in the sun and I'm worried that sunblock will not be enough. And I believe my skin's better off for it.
When I heard Lauder had come up with a mask that is infused with nearly half a bottle's worth of ChronoluxCB™, Advanced Night Repair Serum's key complex, my first thought was not about whether it was going to be good. I seldom say this of many brands but I have rarely ever been disappointed by Lauder skincare. My first thought was - good lord, how much is it going to cost?
Well it's actually not TOO bad. If you consider the amount you would pay for a single facial session, this is quite reasonable. A 4-pack which will give you a month of once-weekly uses, will cost you SG$120, which is $30 per treatment. The 8 pack is $216 ($27 per treatment). Not your typical drugstore dollar-mask price, but then this mask isn't exactly the typical drugstore mask either.
Besides the concentration of vitamin and anti-inflammatory loaded repair extracts, the delivery mechanism for this mask is also quite different. It is a split-face mask with a bottom and top half, so you can get a better fit, but what's special is (obviously from my top image) the fact that the cotton mask sheet is layered with a piece of special foil which is designed to help lock the moisture in, and help ingredients penetrate 25 times faster than a traditional cotton sheet mask.
The foil also helps the fiber mask to conform and fit to the face a bit better in my experience.
When you open a packet, you will see a translucent plastic separator sheet, and the two halves of the dual-layer mask within. DO NOT REMOVE THE SILVER FOIL FROM THE COTTON!
There is a lot of moisture and product, so if you want to get your money's worth, rub any remaining liquid onto your neck and down your chest as well. The amazing thing for me was the absorption process. I'm not a huge fan of typical sheet masks because they are drippy and messy, and only a fraction of the product gets absorbed. But with these, I know the product is not evaporating or drying up from exposure to air, and after 10 minutes, you can tell from how much drier the cotton sheets are that the liquid has absorbed into your skin.
The best proof is how smooth and plump my skin feels after use. Fine lines (and those pesky beginning nasolabial lines) disappear and there is just a smooth glow to the face.
You're supposed to use these at night before bed so you can just rub the remaining liquid into your skin and leave it to work overnight, but I'm going to be naughty and say you can use this before a special occasion. You need to rinse your face slightly to take away any of the residual tackiness from all the moisture-binding ingredients, but makeup goes on beautifully afterward.
The Lunar New Year period is coming up, and if my skin is going to look bouncy and radiant, I want it to be seen!
Just for your information, the mask smells exactly like the usual Advanced Night Repair serum. And I do recommend trying a sample of the serum on your entire face (if you have never used this range) before investing in a full pack of the mask - just to be sure you are not allergic to any ingredients.
Recommended for: all skin types that need smoothing and radiance, but especially for those with first-signs of aging
 |
| Ingredients list for the PowerFoil masks, for those who are worried about allergies etc. |
