I bought Wake Up! Multi Masks from e.l.f. early last year to supplement my all-time favourite, but mouth-wateringly expensive, Shiseido Benefiance WrinkleResist24 Pure Retinol Express Smoothing Eye Masks. I paid £41.50 for a box of 12 from AllBeauty in December 2019 which was a fantastic price because they normally retail for £62.00. Of course, they’re out of stock at the moment, but it’s always worth checking back to see when or if, they restock them.
The Shiseido eye masks cover a generous area around the eye and the milky serum (with magic retinol) really irons out fine lines, plus there’s loads of liquid leftover to ‘treat’ another little area of your face.
I really want to get into the habit of using eye masks regularly, I see a tangible difference when I use eye or face masks on a routine basis. Unfortunately, the eyes are always the ‘first to go’ as you age and I’ve noticed deeper lines appearing whenever I stop using them. I can’t fault them, except for that pesky price.
My idea was to use cheapy e.l.f masks three times a week and WrinklelResist24 once a week, it turns out now that I only use the expensive ones once a month.
E.L.F. WAKE UP! MULTI MASKS
Fight skin fatigue with these energizing multi masks! These power-packed mini sheet masks can be used anywhere on the face for a hydrating, refreshing boost. Use morning or evening for a radiant, rested appearance.
HOW TO USE
- Use included tweezers to pick up individual mini masks and place under the eyes, on smile lines, forehead, or cheeks (Cheeks? No)
- Leave on for 5-10 minutes, then remove and discard
- Contains 60 sheets
REVIEW
There are no bold claims of any long-lasting anti-ageing benefits for these masks but I can say for certain that there’s an immediate smoothing effect that lasts a good least 4-5 hours.
They are paper-thin, even the cute little plastic tweezers won’t be able to separate the teardrop-shaped pieces of saturated cloth. In the summer you could keep them in the fridge for a cooling treat, but I find them cold enough.
The masks aren’t heavily fragranced with lavender, there is a clean ‘skincare’ scent but it’s subtle.
I use them pre skincare. I find they stay wet for around 15-20 minutes (I timed them) before they dry out and need to be removed.
Concealer and foundation glide on like a dream afterwards because skin is shiny smooth.
GOOD TO KNOW
The reason they’re not called ‘eye’ masks is that they can be used anywhere on the face that could do with a little perking up. I use them mainly for around my eyes, but they worked fairly well on those awful ‘marionette’ lines on the corners of my mouth that appear to deepen every day. The smoothing effect doesn’t last half as long so I think they’re best suited to the eyes. However, if e.l.f. ever produced a sheet mask made from the same formula, I’d be first in line.
ONE LITTLE THING
It says on the official e.l.f. site:
Fair enough, but the list of actual ingredients (which I only read about today when I was researching the latest offer) looks a bit scary. I know some people are allergic to Niacinamide – a form of vitamin B3, so it’s worth checking over the list before purchase.
I use an American website called EWG (Environmental Working Group) to check out skincare ingredients if I can’t pronounce them.
INGREDIENTS
Water (Aqua), Hydroxyethyl Urea, Diglycerin, Panthenol, Trehalose, Niacinamide, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Flower Water, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Allantoin, Menthyl Lactate, Propylene Glycol, 1,2- Hexanediol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Pentylene Glycol, Coceth-7, PPG-1-PEG-9 Lauryl Glycol Ether, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Xanthan Gum, Disodium EDTA, Tromethamine. Gosh!
SHOPPING INFO
e.l.f. Wake Up! Multi Masks on offer now (16th April 2020) on the official e.l.f website for £6.00 – half the usual price.
Would I buy them at the full price of £12.00? No, but £6.00 for 60 masks ie 30 pairs, is well worth it for a soothing, smoothing pick me up.
