[REVIEW] Skinfood Black Sugar Mask Wash Off

Hi everyone!

Sorry for the ridiculously long hiatus! Work was pretty hectic for a while and I was and still am on a mission to lose those extra pounds.  Holidays never make it easy, lol.  In any case, I'm back with a fury and ready to post!

I've also been on a self-imposed no-buy stint getting ready for IMATS in January!  I really wanted to save up that green to buy as much stuff as possible so I can review many many wonderful things for all of you!  

Luckily, I encouraged myself to break this no-buy stint for the CVS Semi-Annual Beauty Sale so I'll be posting up a haul and initial swatches/impressions soon! I'm sure you all saw my tweet about it!  It was kind of ridiculous how much I saved during that time!  Make sure you all watch out for that post!
I recently also had the privilege of attending StyleHaul's Holiday Party with my friend Connie (cyexquisite).  It was very interesting meeting new people and other bloggers/YouTubers!  I actually had a chance to talk and take a picture with Jen from frmheadtotoe!  If you don't know who she is, pop by her channel and check out her tutorials. She looks so pretty and petite T^T

In any case, let's get on with the review for today!

I'll be reviewing the Skinfood Black Sugar Mask that I had hauled during my stay in Taiwan.
 

I had originally purchased this mask because of the Rice Mask I loved so much from their brand!  If you haven't already read that review, here's the link: Skinfood Rice Mask Review

I'm not usually a fan of grain or bead based exfoliating products mostly because of the tendency of these products to damage rather than help your skin.  Much of the time, we scrub too hard and we end up tearing our skin.  It's never a good deal when your intention is to get rid of dead skin cells and you end up with MORE.

I decided to give this a try anyway mostly because of the fact that this is uber popular at the Skinfood stores I visit in the U.S.  It's usually either sold out or down to only a couple of pots left.  It's kind of amazing how many people buy pots of this!

I essentially wanted to see what the hype was all about!

Packaging Overall, this packaging isn't much different when compared to its Rice Mask counterpart, plastic packaging with a tight lid.  It's sealed tight although the formula of the mask wouldn't actually have a problem with "leaking" out.   Claims/Directions According to their website Skinfood, this is what the mask is supposed to do: Enriched with minerals and vitamins, this face scrub effectively exfoliates dead skin that prevents makeup application, while revitalizing skin.  After washing, apply desired amount onto face, avoiding eye and mouth areas. Mix with water or toner to reduce skin irritation, and massage. Wait 10 to 15 minutes, and then wash off with warm water. Ingredients Sucrose, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Glycerin, Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Lanolin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetyl Ethylexanoate, Stearalkonium Hectorite, Butyroseperum Parkii (Shea Butter), Limnanthes Alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil, Sorbitan Laurate, Butylparaben, BHT, Caramel, Parfum. Thoughts I was initially very surprised by the texture of this mask.  Even though I obviously knew that this was going to be a scrub based mask, I didn't expect it to be so dry.  I probably was way too used to the texture of the Rice Mask so I half expected it to be goopy.  If you've ever used an organic sugar lip scrub, the feeling is very similar. I took a small scoop of it and spread it all over my size.  It really didn't take too much of this product to spread over my face though I did take more than I usually would for the Rice Mask.  I massaged very lightly and let the grains do their work.  It's a very awkward feeling on the face, at least in my opinion.  It's not completely dry yet not completely wet.  There's some oils in it that help with keeping the skin moist. I kept it on for 20 minutes and it honestly didn't feel any different from before the 20 minutes and after.  I'm assuming this is helping the essential oils in the mask seep into your skin.  It was definitely a sort of novel experience since it has been almost 2-3 years since the last time I used grain-based exfoliators! Plus I can't tell if this mask should be shown to the public.  The color and texture has an unfortunate resemblance to poop. -____________-" (It really had to be said.) The great thing about this mask is that it's very easy to wash off.  Just splash some water on it and pat dry with a towel!   I left my face alone until the water completely dried up and it didn't seem too tight or dry.  However, it's always a good idea to follow up some intense exfoliation with lots and lots of moisturizer.  My skin felt smoother and baby soft! VOILA! I don't think my world was rocked by this exfoliator/mask but it did leave my skin smoother and softer.  I wouldn't use this all the time, mind you.  I more than likely would use this when I felt that my peel-based exfoliators weren't doing a good enough job or when I wanted a deeper scrub. 
Despite my lackluster response to this mask, it really is a good basic exfoliating mask to start off with for those who are beginning to dabble with skincare.  Fortunately, there are quite a few places that you can purchase this from although the price range differs in each place: Sasa: This website also sells this product and it is currently $11.60 + S&H.  It's a reliable vendor and they ship worldwide. YesStyle: This website also carries this product at $14.00 + S&H.  Not too bad of a price and they're also reliable. Pretty&Cute: This is another reliable website that also sells many other popular Korean brands.  The price is $16.95 + S&H.  Not bad for a reliable seller with fast shipping. Last but not least, the physical stores that Skinfood has opened in Southern California also carry their product.  If I'm not wrong, they retail at about $16 + Tax.  It's been a while so I don't quite remember but it's a relatively cheap mask out of their line.
Rating: 3.5/5.0 stars Have you tried any Skinfood products? Which ones did you like? Disclosure: This mask was purchased by SUPERbijinUP for review purposes.