Let’s be honest - there are so many clay masks on shelves nowadays that we get the pick of the litter. So, how did we do with Shangpree’s Pore Tightening Mask?
Our biggest problem with clay masks is they suck out too. much. moisture. Not only is washing the mask off often a struggle, but our skin is left dry and taught. If you’ve ever finished washing your face and opened your mouth to feel your skin pull, you know what we mean.
What made Shangpree’s mask stand out was that it was formulated with Natural Moisturizing Factors (NMF) - ingredients that mimic the structure and function of healthy skin - and Hyaluronic Acid - one of our favorite moisturizing ingredients!
So one night, we poured ourselves a glass of vino and got ready to tackle our other pores (pun intended).
On clean skin, we smeared a thick layer of the mask on. We loved the light herbal/floral scent, which was much appreciated because no one wants to deal with an overpowering scent for 20 minutes.
Shangpree Pore Tightening Mask - Youtube
We’ll be honest though… fives minutes after we applied the kaolin clay mask, we had a sinking feeling in our stomachs. It was tight. If we smiled, we could feel the clay cracking.
When we went to wash off our mask, we were not prepared for the mask to just melt away with the warm water. Looking at the mirror, our pores were visibly smaller and our skin had a subtle glow - no tightness at all!
The mask is formulated with a Korean Herbal Complex made up of ginseng, bellflower, licorice root, huang qi, and ginger, which all work together to rid your skin of built up sebum and tighten pores. We wish we could put this magical herbal mix in all our creams because we looked like we just came from the spa.
Well, the spa does have something to do with it. The Shangpree Spa in Seoul has been setting industry standards for 25 years and counting. Their excellence, from the exclusive training for their estheticians to their skincare products, has been the foundation for their success.
This got us thinking, how do we bring more of the Shangpree Spa experience home?
As we shuffled through our bins of creams and lotions, we came across muslin clothes used with hot cloth cleansers, which turned out to be perfect for wiping away the Pore Tightening Mask, and hydrating sheet masks, which were perfect for sealing good-for-you serums into our newly cleansed skin.
Eve Lom Muslin Cleansing Cloth, $22, sephora.com
We ran the hot cloth under hot water, rung it out, and laid in on our faces for a quick steam facial. Then we applied the Shangpree Fruit Cocktail Mask and let the nourishing vitamins and antioxidants from the fruit extracts soak into our skin.
Shangpree Fruit Cocktail Sheet Mask, $6, peachandlily.com
Needless to say, we immediately cleared room in our crowded bathroom cabinet. With summer heat in full spring, we can definitely use a little help with controlling our sebum. Plus, we love spoiling ourselves with a bit of spa treatment midweek - just your average Wednesday night, right?
