Beauteque Mask Maven is a monthly subscription box dedicated to masks. If you love trying new Korean sheet masks, this subscription is for you!
My Subscription Addiction pays for this subscription. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
The Subscription Box: Beauteque Mask Maven
The Cost: $15 month-to-month, save with 6- and 12-month subscriptions
The Products: 9 to 11 masks of all kinds, straight from Korea. Most are facial sheet masks, but you will sometimes see a hair mask or hand mask or lip mask, too.
Ships to: USA (for $3.95), Canada, Europe, Australia, and parts of Asia (see international shipping costs during checkout)
Check out the Beauty Subscription Box Directory for more great beauty-oriented subscriptions!
One side of the card reveals this month’s theme, “Beauty from the Land and Sea.” As an aside, Mask Maven comes up with some fun themes and does a pretty good job sticking to them.
The other side of the card gives a little more information about the masks, including directions if they are unusual.
Also, this is January’s package. These went out pretty late because of weather on the East Coast, so I didn’t get it until February.
Baviphat Juicy Mask Green Tea – Value $2.80
This is one of two Baviphat masks for the month. The ingredients for this one are difficult to find online. It’s definitely moisturizing and may be whitening (green tea masks often include whitening ingredients). Plus, green tea has a lot of antioxidants, which should help combat free radical damage. This is one where I think you need to use it a few times to truly see the benefits.
Scinic My Bottle Juice Mask Firming – Value $1.99
The name of this one differs depending on what website you go to. (Also there is a little note on the front that says “don’t drink,” which I think is funny. And totally in line with the novelty of Korean packaging. In fact, in order to make this look more like a juice bottle, the packet is way too big and it was hard to get the mask out…)
This has collagen, which is supposed to be firming and to enhance skin elasticity. It also has pomegranate extract, which is probably where the “juice” part comes from. Pomegranate has lots of antioxidants as well. This did not have a noticeable scent and the part that goes around the eyes fit my head weirdly, but I made it work. This one was not very goopy at the end so I suppose the serum absorbed into my skin pretty well.
Mediheal Mogongtox Soda Bubble Sheet Mask – Value $2.50
It is hard to find information about this one online, though it is supposed to contain herbal extracts and carbonated water and is designed to deep clean pores. This was a strange mask to use – it only covered about the lower 2/3 of the face and it really did bubble up once exposed to air. But it worked super well; my nose looked so much better after using it. This may be my favorite of the month!
Baviphat Juicy Mask Strawberry – Value $2.80
This is the first one I tried from the package. It has a fruity smell (somewhat artificial), it fit my face pretty well and stayed on as I waited my 15 minutes, and it wasn’t very goopy at the end (the serum absorbed quickly). This one is supposed to minimize the appearance of pores and to control excess oil. I have combination skin and excess oil is sometimes a problem for me, but I think it helped. I didn’t notice as much with my pores but maybe this is one of those that requires multiple uses to see all the effects.
I’m having trouble finding the ingredients for this, though I have heard that Baviphat uses a lot of natural ingredients, and that fruity things usually work well for my skin.
Freeset Donkey Milk Skin Gel Mask Pack Aqua – Value $2
I first learned about donkey milk as a beauty product ingredient in last month’s Miss Tutii Bag. It is awesome for my hands so I was happy to get the chance to try it on my face, as well. This mask also has tons of vitamins (A, B, C, D, and E), honey extract, tons of plant extracts including a few I recognize (shea butter, jojoba oil, and sesame oil) as well as hydrolyzed collagen, which is supposed to be firming. I did not notice firming right away, but I suspect that is something that you see with repeated use. It was very hydrating, of course. Please note that collagen is an animal-derived ingredient (although so is donkey milk, I suppose).
Hanaka Marine Mud and Seaweed Mask – Value $1.90
This is the first time I’ve used a mud or seaweed sheet mask (usually I just use the type of mud mask where you slather your face in mud, let it dry, and then wash off). It had a clear serum comprising marine mud and seaweed extracts which are supposed to purify. These two ingredients definitely purify in clay masks although I think the effects are a little more dramatic with clay masks where there is a ton more mud. But if you are interested in multitasking, this could be great, since it’s also quite hydrating and additionally contains honey, which has antibacterial properties.
Hanaka Camellia and Hyaluronic Acid – Value $1.90
Here’s our second Hanaka mask of the bunch. This brand is new to me so it is nice to see several of their products being offered. I think I’ve mentioned hyaluronic acid in comments on some of the other masks, but haven’t yet said what it does – it is a polysaccharide (long sugar chain) that holds on to a lot of water. When applied to the skin, it can moisturize, minimize the appearance of fine lines, and offer a bit of firming.
This also has camellia extract (which is a popular ingredient in Tatcha products, among others) which is high in vitamins (A, B, D, and E) as well as omega 3, 6, and 9 fatty acids. This mask was super hydrating. (I feel like I’m saying that about all the masks this month). FYI, hyaluronic acid is a byproduct of cartilage processing so probably comes either from a marine source or poultry.
Tony Moly Pureness 100 Hyaluronic Acid – Value $1.61
I’m familiar with this product line already. The mask sheets are made from cotton (so natural fibers) and this includes hyaluronic acid for moisture as well as glacier water. The big deal with glacier water is that it is free from environmental contaminants. Anyway, this was moisturizing as expected.
SNP Animal Otter Aqua Mask – Value $3
I’ve tried other SNP animal masks before (definitely a dog and a panda, and maybe a tiger too?). I feel so goofy wearing them because they do actually have animal faces printed on them. Anyway, this one includes baobab extract which has a higher antioxidant content than even orange pulp, hyaluronic acid for moisture, and lotus extract for soothing. It’s nice to try another one from this product line. I kind of want to use them all.
Verdict: I calculated a value of $20.50 for the January 2016 Beauteque Mask Maven. As with many K-beauty products, prices are all over the place. However, this is a little more than the $15 cost of the subscription plus the $3.95 shipping. And I got to try some new products from known brands as well as experience some brands that were new to me, all without having to commit to a 10-pack or something (many of these masks can only be purchased in multipacks or lots). Plus, all the moisturizing was excellent for my skin in the winter!
Finally, a note of caution: there are a few things you may want to be cautious of (with any Asian beauty subscription, really, not just this one). If you have allergies, you should know that the ingredients are not available on the packages in English for some of the products. You can almost certainly guarantee that some of the products will have animal-derived ingredients (honey, donkey milk, hyaluronic acid, collagen, snail slime, etc.), so this would not be for vegans. And you can probably count on a few whitening or brightening products. I’m pale so this works for me, but I cannot speak to how such products would affect a darker skin tone.
What did you think of the January 2016 Beauteque Mask Maven? Do you get any K-Beauty or Asian Beauty subscriptions?
Please do not enter your email address in the Name field or in the comment content. Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *. Remember to post with kindness and respect. Comments with offensive language, cruelness to others, etc will not be approved. See our full comment policy here.