Now, I realise not everyone is scampering backstage trying not to tread on the manicured toes of testy makeup artists, but if you’re also having a mad week at work in your particular field of expertise, consider indulging in this incredibly exciting express home treatment.
Here’s why you should give this product a shot. Billed as a peeling and hydrating therapy, this sheet mask by beloved Korean beauty brand Laneige is one of the better ones out there, at least in terms of sheer visual bravado.
Encased within one-half of a slender tear-off sheet is the cotton mask proper; the other half of the rectangular holds a jiggly jelly-like fluid. What you’re supposed to do is to sort of scrunch the two together so that the liquid oozes onto the mask and – bam! – the whole shebang whips itself into a gurgling, frothy frenzy.
When this happens, whip it out of the casing and mold the mask onto the contours of your cleansed face. Kick back your kitten heels, enjoy the pleasantly prickly tingle as the bubbles crackle and pop, then remove after just five minutes to reveal what the brand promises will be a noticeably brighter visage.
What sorcery is this? Elementary, my dear. Laneige’s so-called Brightening Sparkling Water capsule collection – this three-piece suite includes a more-than-serviceable misting spray and a toner-like lotion, but the mask is by far the coolest – must have been conjured up by soda-guzzling scientists holed up in one of Laneige’s K-Tech labs. The fizzling, you see, is the result of a carbonation process, the very same mechanism that yields the tonic gracing your gin.
Quick gallop through basic chemistry: Sparkling water, whether natural or man-made, is the lovechild of water and carbon dioxide, the marriage of which gives birth to carbonic acid and the familiar effervescence of a chilled can of fizzy pop.
Laneige says that the mask is packed with 31 percent of the good stuff sourced from volcanic streams in the South-Central region of France, as well as gentle acidic exfoliants in the form of AHA and BHA agents. The bubbling action of the carbonated water is said to drive the peeling acids into your pores for a deep clean, with the “micro-massage” amping up blood circulation for beautifully rosy skin.
That’s all well and good, but what we really love about this sudsy treat is the little spark of wonder it ignites in us at the end of an exhausting day of work – you slap it on and you’re reminded of the well, unfailing beauty of science and all that’s good in this world. But that’s quite enough froth from us!
Laneige Brightening Sparkling Water Peeling Mask, $18 for 3 sheets, is available at all Laneige stores. For more information, visit www.laneige.com.sg and follow the brand on Facebook.