Hi, Sweeties! How are you today?
It's time to share with you about more Korean Beauty products I've recently tried, more Facial masks!! These mask from Tony Moly look pretty attractive and are very affordable, I saw many people reaching for them and praising them, but are they really worth the hype?

Fisrt of all, I'd like to make clear that I think the range of masks  "I'm Real" s the most affordable from the brand Tony Moly. I would say something nearer of drugstore quality. To me, in the vast Korean beauty universe, these are at the very bottom of the scale. There are Korean products that are much superior to this not even being high end, I know that and my experience with Korean cosmetics is very, very limited! Anyway, I wanted to review this, because Tony Moly has entered the Swiss market quite early -comparing to other brands- and they become very popular among the bloggers and connaisseurs and I wanted to give my take on it.

Tony Moly I'm Real Lemon Mask Sheet Brightening





Claim:
Very clearly stated: Makes Dull dark skin look radiant

Packaging:
It is not bad at all, since all necessary information is also written in English, and instructions are illustrated with images.

Mask shape and application
This is a paper sheet mask it it a little stiffer than other brands I've used. Although it does not spouse perfectly the shape of my face (it keeps lifting here and there) it is not that terrible. Not perfect, but acceptable. It is supposed to be posed for 20-30 minutes then removed.

Ingredients
The main ingredients are listed in the picture below. I'm sorry I couldn't make a transcription, I hope the picture is clear enough for you to read (remember you can always click to enlarge).

It does not contain parabens, silicones or alcohol, but it does contain phenoxyethanol quite up in the list. This is used as preservative but it is a quite irritant ingredient, so it is not a very good one for sensitized skin. If your skin is very sensitive it is always advised to do a small test first. It also contains fragrance.
I can comment about all the ingredients on the list, as unfortunately I'm not an expert, but I'm learning day after day! I usually check on EWG's Cosmetic Data base to learn more about ingredients that sound suspicious to me!


Personal Experience

Fortunately, I did not have great expectations, because this mask would have utterly disappointed me if I had. This is not the first brightening mask I use, but it was the first experience with this particular one. I knew before hand brightening masks are not miraculous, that's why my expectations weren't high. Tony Moly I'm Real Lemon Sheet mask did absolutely nothing to my skin. Ok, my skin was already in a pretty nice state. I've done a 2-month brightening routine (read more about it here) and then 4 weeks of a gentle daily glycolic peeling with Collistar (read about it here). So let's suppose my skin can't get any better than this (which I don't believe, but I give you that). I would at least hope  that if I take 30 minutes of my life to apply a mask, my face would at least feel hydrated for a day, or for half a day... well that didn't happen. This is not a hydrating mask, it is not soothing either, but a brightening one, so I'm going to stick to that claim only. My complexion did not look any more radiant after using this mask than it already did before. That's it. I'm not repurchasing this product and based on my experience I will not recommend it.


Tony Moly I'm Real Tea Tree Mask Sheet Skin Soothing

Claim:
Clearly stated: Gets rid of uneven skintone (?) , unlike other masks where you can't find anywhere what is it that it does!
The problem with the claim is that is not totally accurate. There are many reasons why your skin tone might be uneven, including hyperpigmention, discoloration, veins, scars, moles, inflamation, redness, dry skin patches, black heads, and the list goes on. So the claim is very ambiguous, to say the least. When purchasing this mask, please stick to the name "Skin Soothing". This mask is supposed to sooth your skin and calm down some irritation you may have (be careful not to use it on broken skin! When skin is broken or injured always consult a physician, dermatologist or at least a pharmacist!).

Packaging:
It is not bad at all, since all necessary information is also written in English, and instructions are illustrated with images.

Mask shape and application
The whole comment I wrote for the Lemon sheet mask, applies to this one.

Ingredients
The main ingredients are listed in the picture below.  
As its lemony sister, this mask does not contain parabens, fragrance, silicones or alcohol, but -again- it does contain phenoxyethanol quite up in the list. It contains both the tee trea leaf extract and the tea tree oil.


 Personal Experience

I really liked this mask! It really soothes my skin, which feel lovely and comfortable for a long time after wearing this mask! The skin feels smooth, redness calms down and the skin feels fresh  after using this. I definitely recommend this one! Remember that if your skin is sensitive or sensitized, you should do a test in a small area -maybe in your neck?- before applying the mask, since it does contain some potentially irritant ingredient. Why putting Phenoxyethanol in a mask that is supposed to be soothing your skin? I honestly don't understand, I suppose is the cheapest option to parabens.


_o0o_

Well, I hope this review has been useful for you! When purchasing products from new-to-you brands of which ingredients you are not totally sure, remember to always make a test on a small hidden area of your skin. Sometimes we overly trust a brand because we see it everywhere and their prices are so accessible, but it is better to act with prudency, as each person's skin is different and reacts differently to cosmetics. There is nothing wrong with wanting to try new things!! Just be prudent, ok? 

Loads of love!!
Nati

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