Beauteque Mask Maven is a monthly K-beauty subscription box dedicated to masks. If you love trying new Korean sheet masks, this subscription is for you!
My Subscription Addiction paid for this box. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
About Beauteque Mask Maven
The Subscription Box: Beauteque Mask Maven
The Cost: $18.95 month-to-month ($15 subscription + $3.95 US shipping). Save with 6- and 12-month subscriptions.
ACTIVE DEAL: Save 10% off of your subscription
CODE: SHEETFACED
The Products: 9 masks of all kinds, straight from Korea and Taiwan. Most are facial sheet masks, but you will sometimes see a hair mask, hand mask, or lip mask, too.
Ships to: The US, Canada, Europe, Australia, and parts of Asia (see international shipping costs during checkout)
Beauteque Mask Maven January 2020 Review
The number of sheet masks out there for sale must be incredibly large. Mask Maven almost never sends repeat items, and I discover something new every month:
1 of 4
The box came with this information card. This month's theme was "Pores No More."
My Beauty Diary Witch Hazel Oil Control Essence Mask - Retail Value $1.99
Witch hazel is in a lot of toners (both with and without alcohol). This one has a ton of serum. It also has ginkgo extract (I've heard of people taking that orally but not slathering it on their faces), kiwi extract (should be good for some vitamins and antioxidants), some citrus extracts (more antioxidants). There was also another mask from this product line in the package; Beauteque tends to do that and sends a couple of sets of masks like this to help with your selection, so even if you end up not liking one scent or active ingredient, the other one might still work for you. As it happened, I liked both of the My Beauty Diary masks this month.
Package Don't Worry Healing Mask - Estimated Value $2.95 (Buy 10 for $29.50; found here for $15)
This is a new brand for me. This has aloe for moisture, Centella for healing rough skin, and hyaluronic acid for moisture. It's an interesting combination and one that I think would be especially good if you have skin that tends to be on the dry side, or during dry times of year. This one is also kind of remarkable for what it does not include: parabens, fragrances, alcohol, mineral oil, pigments, silicone, polyethylene glycol, and phenoxyethanol. (I don't avoid parabens but you should know that many Korean masks include them).
NOHJ Skin Traveller Peel Off No Sebum Peeling Pack - Retail Value $3.90
I leave peel off masks for the weekend because they take a lot of time. I will say, this one was mostly removable in a few large sheets which is not always the case. Areas where it is thicker on your skin take longer to dry and may be a problem for removal by peeling. This, perhaps more than any of the other masks I received this month, cleaned up my pores, and dried in a reasonable period of time (I also can't find English ingredients for this one).
NOHJ Skin Traveller Wash Off Pore Gold Bubble Pack - Estimated Value $1.90 (Buy 10 for $19)
I like bubble masks when they work, and this one worked (and by that, I mean it actually bubbled). It is difficult to leave it on too long because large clumps of bubbles start falling off your face. Unfortunately, most of the sites that sell this are out of the country and so I can't find much else out about the ingredients since I can't read Korean. I'm guessing something inside the packet reacts with air or moisture in the air to produce the bubbles. It's fun, and after washing it off, my skin was definitely in excellent shape for makeup.
Mizon Joyful Time Rose Essence Mask - Retail Value $2.90
Rose water is in a lot of non-alcohol toners and I guess that's sort of what they're going for here, as well. This had a light (to me) scent and was a nice, pleasant morning experience. The serum on this one is supposed to be more gel-like than some of the others, and I happen to like that because I feel like it helps absorb the serum into the skin a little better. It did help my skin to feel toned, which is something I like before putting on makeup for the day.
My Beauty Diary Apple Polyphenol Pore Tightening Mask - Estimated Value $1.76 (Buy 10 for $17.60)
As it happens, I once had a whole box of 10 of these and they haven't changed much from when I used them a couple of years ago. They are VERY DRIPPY so wear an old shirt because the serum goes everywhere. They don't have much of an apple scent. They do some nice toning and the serum dries in a reasonable amount of time despite the amount of it. This has a lot of antioxidants (like the polyphenols in the mask name) that may help protect your skin from free radical damage.
Timeless Truth Timeless Control Clarifying Black Charcoal Mask - Retail Value $2.99
I like charcoal in masks to help draw gunk out of my pores. I feel like it does a better job in mud or wash-off form than in a sheet mask, but a sheet mask isn't as messy, so it's a tradeoff. This one also has willow bark extract (a source of salicylic acid that can help fight acne and breakouts) and sodium hyaluronate for moisture (which holds on to water near the surface of the skin and may help minimize the appearance of fine lines).
Mizon Charcoal Solution Black Mask - Retail Value $4.90
This mask sheet includes some volcanic ash, which has similar properties to charcoal and which may help clear your pores. It also has adenosine, which is claimed to help mimimize the appearance of wrinkles and/or fine lines. I'm not sure I noticed that when using it, truth be told, but adenosine is ubiquitous in nature (in DNA and RNA in slightly different forms, in enzyme cofactors, in the ATP you probably learned about in high school biology, etc.). I do feel that the pores on my nose looked better afterwards, though.
May Island Real Essence Mask Pack Aloe - Retail Value $4.90
This was the mystery mask I received. I'm not sure the mystery masks have to fit the theme although it has been a bit cold here lately so the aloe is welcome relief for my skin, which will probably never be *dry* but which gets a little drier in winter. The website where I found this for sale is mostly in Korean although there is a picture of a flower that might be matricaria (?) and I did find this one to be soothing.
Verdict: I calculated a value of about $28.19 for the January 2020 Beauteque Mask Maven. This is an excellent value for this subscription at almost $10 per month over the cost of the subscription plus shipping. I appreciated the inclusion of the peel off and bubble masks just for a little variety. My pores are often a problem as I tend to have somewhat oily skin, so the theme was perfect for me, but the masks tended to be moisturizing as well, so they were also just in general good for use during winter.
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? No, this was the January package. You have to sign up by the 15th to get a box for the month, so your first box would probably be February’s box and arrive in early March.
ACTIVE DEAL: Save 10% off of your subscription
CODE: SHEETFACED
Value Breakdown: At $18.95 for this box, you are paying approximately $2.11 per mask. Alternatively, you are paying about the following for each item:
- Witch hazel mask $1.34
- Package mask $1.98
- Peeling pack $2.62
- Bubble pack $1.28
- Rose essence $1.95
- Apple mask $1.18
- Timeless Truth mask $2.01
- Mizon charcoal mask $3.29
- Aloe mask $3.29
Check out all of our past Mask Maven reviews and the best skincare boxes of 2020 as voted by MSA readers!
Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist!
What did you think of the January 2020 Beauteque Mask Maven? Do you get any K-Beauty or Asian Beauty subscriptions?
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