What is it?
Created by a Korean beauty company (don’t we all love Korean skincare?), this Nature Republic mask sheet claims to do the following for your skin:
- Provide hydration whilst brightening your complexion
So does it do the job? Read on to find out.
What is it like?
My first thought when I first opened this package was that it smelled nice. The serum the mask was soaked in emitted a pleasant, refreshing if artificial scent that I’m not at all opposed to. It was just nice, plainly put. Nothing significant about it.
Now that that is covered, it’s time to get down to the nitty gritty.
The mask itself fit my face pretty well, and there was plenty of serum left in the packet even after I removed the mask from it. I was able to smooth some over my neck, because you know, waste not want not.
As for how the serum itself performed, well. It left a sticky, grimy sensation on my skin, and to be perfectly honest, its absorption rate was disappointing. It was bad enough that the uncomfortable film stayed on my face minutes after I took off the mask and rubbed the formula in, the film lasted well into the next day.
Certainly not something I liked waking up to.
Packaging
As far as packaging goes, Nature Republic’s eye-catching design for the Tomato Real Nature Mask Sheet is both refreshing and youthful. With its clever use of bright colours, lighting and seemingly dewy appearance, it gives one the impression that hidden within this packet is the secret to vitality.
Vibrant aesthetic aside, the packet comes in the standard slim, plastic, rectangular design that mask sheets are commonly found in.
End result
Being cursed blessed with oily skin means that while it’s a damned pain that my face often ends up looking like an oil slick if not taken care of properly, it also means that I am spoiled for choice when it comes to the type of products I can use. Mask sheets? Awesome. Clay masks? Awesome. Liquid foundation? Heck yeah. Solid foundation? Yes. Powder foundation? Damned straight.
You get the picture.
I am often able to use products that other skin types can’t (namely dry and or sensitive skin), and usually receive either positive or no results. Rare it is for me to encounter anything that could make me react too badly to it, yet this is the case with this particular mask.
While it did do what it promises to do, which is to hydrate and lighten my skin, it also did something else.
It triggered an allergic reaction. Something that has never happened to me before. Thankfully enough, while the red rashes and the tiny raised bumps it created were hideous, they weren’t so bad that I wasn’t able to hide them with some BB cream. So while it did manage to make a noticeable difference in lightening the dark marks on my face, I’m not going to repurchase this. Ever.
Here it a quick list of the pros and cons of this product for easy reference:
Pros
- Mask fits face well
- Actually does what it promises: hydrate and lighten
Cons
- Doesn’t absorb completely, even after being left on for hours
- Leaves behind a thick, sticky, uncomfortable film
- Caused a minor breakout
- Caused an allergic reaction
The last point is more of an extremely personal con so it can be disregarded. After all, not everyone is allergic to the same thing.
Where can I find it?
Nature Republic.
Verdict
- Product rating: 2/5
- Packaging rating: 5/5
As mentioned before, despite it succeeding in doing what it promised, I will not repurchase. Adding on, people with dry skin will probably benefit from this mask sheet even more so than other skin types.
Ingredients
Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, PEG/PPG-17/6 Copolymer, Niacinamide, Alcohol, PEG-75, Citrus Paradisi (Grapefruit) Fruit Extract, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Solanum Lycopersicum (Tomato) Fruit Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Fruit Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Fruit Extract, Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract, Citrus Limon (Lemon) Fruit Extract, Citrus Aurantifolia (Lime) Fruit Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance.
