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!
FYI: This box has had significant shipping delays.
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 June 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 "In Full Bloom."
On to the items:
CosW My Real Skin Rose Mask - Retail Value $1.99
Rose was a pretty common ingredient this month. Rosewater is present here; it is used in some gentle (alcohol-free) toners and I do think there was some toning benefit. This also has sodium hyaluronate, a large carbohydrate polymer that is unlikely to penetrate the skin but that holds on to moisture near the surface of the skin, which may help temporarily reduce the appearance of fine lines. This also has propolis, which is a resinous component associated with honey production and is full of minerals as well as having some anti-inflammatory effects. Finally, this is made of Tencel fabric, which is supposed to hold on to more moisture than other sheet masks. It's hard to assess this, I think, because although the sheet can hold more moisture, your skin can only absorb so much! Anyway, this one hits a lot of highlights if you are looking for something for frequent use.
Mamonde Flower Essence Rose Mask - Retail Value $3
They are kind of tight-lipped about the ingredients here and only mention rose essence, which is going to be similar to the rosewater mentioned above although possibly also with some vitamins or antioxidants, depending on how it's processed. This mask is made from eucalyptus tree pulp fibers which are supposed to help with fit. I would say this one did fit me pretty well but please note I have kind of a small head so I can't comment on how it might fit someone with a larger face or head.
Mamonde Flower Essence Narcissus Mask - Retail Value $3
I found a little more about the ingredients for this one. The narcissus is from the bulb and bulbs are traditionally storage organs for plants that hold on to a lot of carbohydrates, so they are going to have a similar effect to hyaluronic acid (think of carbohydrates stored in carrots, potatoes, etc.) or other plant starches. It is probably the case that a lot of the "extra" ingredients are also present in the rose mask above. This one also has sodium hyaluronate and allantoin, which is supposed to help smooth out rough skin. (Fun fact, but allantoin is usually extracted from cow urine. So. Not vegan. But most hyaluronic acid is a byproduct of the poultry and/or fish processing industries and you should not, in general, assume K-beauty products to be vegan, although a few brands are.)
Nature Republic Real Nature Chamomile Mask - Retail Value $1.90
Chamomile is generally soothing both to the skin and in herbal teas and I thought it was nice on a hot summer day. This one did not have a strong scent. Nature Republic is not forthcoming about the ingredients in this mask so I don't have a lot else to go on. This one seems to be reasonably-priced and fairly moisturizing so it would be good for daily use. (A lot of masks say things like don't use daily, but I don't really find that I have a problem doing so anyway, and my facial skin is typically pretty sensitive.)
Nature Republic Real Nature Rose Mask - Retail Value $1.90
I honestly found this one quite similar to the one above. Both were moisturizing (most masks have a mixture of moisturizing ingredients). This one was maybe a little toning as well? It's entirely possible that is a placebo-type reaction from seeing the picture on the packaging.
Jayjun Essential Firming Mask - Retail Value $3
This has lavender, which I always thought of as soothing. According to the product page, it is also anti-inflammatory, though I had not heard that particular claim before. This also has some standard moisturizing ingredients (e.g., sodium hyaluronate) and some ingredients that I tend to think of as cooling (mint extract, eucalyptus extract, pine extract) so I can see how you might get some overall anti-inflammatory effects from this mask, even if they're just temporary. This also has some citrus extracts, which will be good sources of vitamin C, which I guess is what is supposed to reduce the appearance of skin discolorations, although I tend to think of vitamin C as more of a preventive therapy -- but I don't see anything, offhand, that is typically marketed as anti-discoloration. However, it is impossible to keep up with EVERY K-beauty ingredient. I did find this pretty soothing and thought it might be great after a hot summer day (although I used it in the morning).
NOHJ Milky Glow Deep Aqua Mask - Retail Value $3.90
This has calendula, which is soothing, and rice bran, which is soothing but which also contains carbohydrates that may hold on to moisture. I think the rice bran is responsible for the milky appearance of the serum. This also has aloe vera which is a good moisturizer. Although aloe operates on a similar principle to some of the other moisturizing ingredients common in masks (polysaccharides that hold on to moisture near the surface of the skin) I feel like it leaves my skin less slick feeling afterwards, like it dries faster or something? Maybe that is just me. This is also moisturizing of course. I think from the product description on the linked page that rice bran is supposed to be brightening but I can't think of a chemical reason for that to potentially be true. I know that some skincare products include dry rice bran (like this Tatcha product) but that is more of a physical exfoliation effect.
NOHJ Milky Glow Recovery Mask - Retail Value $2.17 (found here for $1.09)
I found this one very similar to the previous one in terms of actual use. The site I found this for sale lists more ingredients than the ones discussed above and included among them are numerous fruits, so this one will be high in antioxidants, which may help fight free radical damage and prevent signs of premature skin aging, but only if products containing similar ingredients are used frequently. And of course you should still use a good SPF product if you're going to be out in the sun.
Skinmaman Herbs Fit Sheet Mask Chamomile - Estimated Value $1.59 (Buy 10 for $15.90)
This has some gold foil type stuff printed on parts and I find masks with printing to be a bit stiffer. I guess they have to be, to be compatible with printing. It seems to have a decorative function only in this case. This has jasmine, hydrangea, chamomile, and lavender, and I did find it soothing and also moisturizing but not too strongly scented, despite all the flowers. This also has plenty of antioxidants from tea leaves as well as moisturizers like aloe, sodium hyaluronate, and bamboo extract (another one having the types of carbohydrates/polysaccharides I was talking about earlier).
Verdict: I calculated a total value of about $22.45 for the June 2020 Beauteque Mask Maven. I liked the theme and especially liked that the masks weren't super strongly scented. Also, I thought it was fun that even though there were multiple rose and chamomile masks, for example, that the experience of using each rose mask or each chamomile mask was different, so it wasn't like getting a bunch of the same item. Just for your own reference, this always ships at the very end of the month listed on the information card and arrives a few weeks into the next month. Once you get into a regular subscription rhythm you'll be getting packages monthly but it may be a few weeks after you sign up for that to start happening.
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? No, this was the June package. You have to sign up by the 15th to get a box for the month, so your first box would probably be August’s box, arriving in early September.
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 per mask:
- CosW mask $1.68
- Mamonde rose mask $2.53
- Mamonde narcissus mask $2.53
- Real Nature chamomile mask $1.60
- Real Nature rose mask $1.60
- Jayjun mask $2.53
- Milky Glow deep aqua mask $3.29
- Milky Glow recovery mask $1.83
- Skinmaman chamomile mask $1.34
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 June 2020 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.