I've been taking more of an interest in skincare lately, and I've been trying lots of new stuff. One thing I've gotten really into recently are masks, so I was excited when I saw this single-use try me kit of the new Bliss No 'Zit' Sherlock rubberizing mask at Sephora. I've never seen a rubberizing mask before... Sounds odd and maybe even a little fetishy, doesn't it? It is pretty odd, actually. But fun!
The kit comes with a 0.5oz packet of mask powder that must be mixed with water. Luckily they give you a measuring cup for the water and a sterile tongue depressor/spatula for mixing it.
At first, I poured the whole packet of mask into my mixing bowl as directed. Based on other powdered masks I've used, that seemed like way too much powder, so I put half away and was left with this much. It still seemed like a lot.
Since I only used half the packet of powder, I only used half a measuring cup of water. Really glad I only used half since this was still more than enough to cover my whole face in a thick layer of masque.
You can tell a little from this picture how it has a thick, rubbery, bouncy texture. I've never used a mask like this, ever!So, what was it like?
The mixing part was straightforward enough, but the texture of the mask seemed lumpy no matter how much I stirred it. The lumpiness didn't make much of a difference once it was on my face.
The mask has a bit of a tea tree oil scent to it, but doesn't seem to smell like much else. It feels cool when you apply it to your skin, but not necessarily tingly. As it dries, it retains a wet coolness, partially enhanced by the menthol in the formula.
I left my mask on for maybe 20-30 minutes (I didn't time it), until it felt rubbery enough to peel off. The package warns you not to rinse the pieces down the sink, so I peeled mine off over the mixing bowl and threw the pieces in the trash. Removal doesn't hurt or peel like other peel-off masks. It just comes off in big, slightly damp chunks, no effort required. The places where it was applied thinner tend to dry completely and must be rinsed off. My skin didn't feel dry or tight after removal.
The big question... did it make my skin look better? Nope. Not at all. Actually, it made it look worse. I had more visible redness after using this, and I started to break out shortly after. I should have probably known this would happen because it contains willow extract (aka salicylic acid) and my skin hates salicylic acid. It didn't clear my pores, it didn't make my skin soft, it didn't make it look better.
Would I buy it again? Nope. It was a fun thing to try, though. I'll stick with my new-found holy grail, Boscia Black Mask!
