Review: Karuna Brightening Mask

I have a review to share with you all. Recently, I got a free sample pack of Karuna's Brightening and Clarifying masks--for the awesome shipping price of $1!! How Asian of me...I couldn't resist!

Today, I'll be sharing about the brightening mask!

Here's some product details directly from the website!

SKIN TYPE: Sun Damaged, Discolored Skin, Not Suitable for Sensitive Skin

MISSION: Revealing & Enlightening

SOLUTION:
- Grapefruit Seed Extract helps deflect environmental toxins
- Rare Asian plant extracts promote brighter skin tone
- Salicylic Acid gently exfoliates dead skin cells

DELIVERY: Made from biodegradable wood pulp natural cloth that retains 50% more moisture than synthetic material, Karuna sheet masks force pores to fully absorb nourishing ingredients that help create instant results—much more than a serum would alone.

PRICE: $28 for 4 masks

 PACKAGING

The packaging was quite typical--nothing very unique. I believe, however, that that actual product's packaging is a bit different. Since I got a sample mask, the exterior appears quite plain. 

The mask is wrapped around a plastic structure--probably meant to make opening the mask easier. However, for me, it was still pretty difficult. Sadly, when I unfolded my mask, it was ripped!! 

REVIEW

The mask was very difficult to use. It was soaked with product/serum (which is pretty nice), but that also made applying the mask difficult since the mask was very easy to rip. When I was trying to apply the already ripped mask, I ripped it more trying to fit it on my face...

Here's a close up -- can you see the rip right under my eye? 

When the mask was finally applied, my face stung. After a couple minutes, the stinging stopped, and my face had a nice minty feel to it. I left the mask on for 20 minutes and then rubbed the remaining product into my face (no need to wash it off!) Sadly, my face was a bit red afterwards, and the stinging started again as the serum began to dry. 

The next day, the redness was completely gone. I believe my face looked a little bit righter, but the difference wasn't quite noticeable... My sister, who tried the mask as well, felt the same way. 

I know lots of people think this mask works quite well, but I believe I just discovered that I have sensitive skin...and since this mask is not for sensitive skin, my face became irritated, red, and stingy. >___< Whoops, at least I know now :)

FINAL THOUGHTS

This mask didn't work well for my skin type. The results also were quite clear. 

Pros

• sticks to the face well

Cons

• pricey ($7/mask)
• stings a little
• easily broken/ripped
• unpleasant smell - smells a bit like chemicals
• serum is a little sticky

Overall rating:     

Repurchase? No, but I'm willing to try a different mask from the brand.

Review: Holika Holika Red Wine Therapy Sleeping Mask

Hi all! I have a review for you all! This is my first time trying a Korean product, so I'm pretty excited! The product is called Wine Therapy Sleeping Mask by Holika Holika. I purchased this product from Ebay by Makozzang, who has a 99.5% positive rating. S/he sells many samples, which is perfect for testing whether I would want to purchase the real thing. It's always good to try a sample first before purchasing a huge bottle/container of the product. 

This is shipment. It came quite fast, considering that it was shipped overseas. The package was well packed--it came with lots of bubble wrap, so I felt assured that the items I ordered were nice and safe!

The package came with 8 samples of 5ml sleeping mask, costing me a total of $3.86 with free shipping. While this is more expensive than the whole 120ml in terms of dollars/ml, I didn't have to try the product for a $17. I'd rather spend almost four dollars to test a product~ Call me stingy :P

With the purchase, I received a free sample! I haven't tried it yet, but it seems fun :) Every purchase from Mokzzang comes with free sample(s) depending on how much is purchased--how exciting! Since I fell in the 0-$10.00, I received one free sample. Of course, the more you spend, the more samples and/or masks you receive!

PACKAGING. So, this is what the container of the sample looks like! It has a wood-grain look to it, which is pretty cute. Sadly, since this is only a sample, there's no way to really preserve it for multiple uses until you have a small container to store it in.

DETAILS. So here's what the product claims!

• Contains red wine extract, adenosine, and organic herb water 
• Enhances skin elasticity while sleeping
• Effective against wrinkles
• Makes skin smooth and moisturizes

TEXTURE. After opening, you see that this product is pink and jelly-like! It's pretty cool to touch! After removing a little of it, it actually smooths back to its original texture (see last photo). 

REVIEW. This product is pretty nice and is soothing on my skin. I know other reviews have stated that the product becomes a little sticky as it dries, however, for me, it didn't feel sticky at all. It absorbs very nicely into my skin, and by the next morning, my skin feels very smooth and elastic-y! I can't really say much about the anti-wrinkles aspect, as I'm (probably) too young to be experiencing such phenomenon. 

However, there is one down side to this product...the smell is extremely strong. Rather than smelling like (red) wine, it smells strongly of artificial grapes. This smell lasts a long time, as I remember falling asleep to the scent. Of course, by morning it's gone, but I don't quite enjoy trying to sleep with such an overpowering smell!

PROS.

- Makes skin feel smoother and firmer

- Fun texture

- Small amount goes a long way (used one sample, 5ml, for a couple days)

- Washes off easily

CONS.

- Strong smell of artificial grapes

- Price

Overall rating:     

Purchase the real deal? Sadly not. I can't stand the smell. 

Repurchase from seller? Yes! S/he ships fast (considering it ships from Korea), and I can get some pretty good deals from the samples.