Sleep and beauty, these are a few of my favourite things
Behold the brave new beauty world of sleeping masks. Now, to be fair, these contraptions aren’t new-new – the Koreans were as always wise to the game first – but what are they, exactly? They’re not your standard sheet masks, for one, nor are they of the regular rinse-off variety.
Rather, think of sleeping masks as the skincare analogue of a nifty nail topcoat; you layer it over all your usual skincare stuff so as to lock in the goodness of your nightly regime.
Take it from an expert: “It seals in my other skincare products and the unique texture sinks in for deep conditioning,” raves Dr. Terry Loong, one of The Body Shop’s global skincare experts. (She’s enthusing over said brand’s new hero product, natch.)
And in an amusing exercise in alliteration, Dr Terry says sleeping masks also “fix, fight and firm”; sort of like tireless workers clocking O.T hours while you slumber in oblivion. Really, what’s not to like? No splashing off with water, no sticky mess, no elbow grease on your part: Just perfectly plump skin when you awake.
Raring to go? Product recommendation-wise, you can’t possibly get more posh than the Skin Caviar Luxe Sleep Mask (courtesy of La Prairie, obvy.)
Ensconced in a cobalt container the colour of the sea, this petal pink cream comes complete with all of the bells and whistles the swanky Swiss brand is famed for: Sustainably sourced sturgeon caviar and sunflower seed oil for firming and lifting; plus papaya enzymes for gentle peeling.
You’re supposed to slather it on “neat” twice a week, but do as I do and dot the tiniest smidgen over my night serums as a sort of souped up moisturiser.
What else? Try The Body Shop’s delightful Drops of Youth Bouncy Sleeping Mask, which boasts the essence of the exquisite edelweiss flower for natural nocturnal renewal. The Body Shop says the lush leave-on balm functions much like a “memory foam” mattress, buffering your face from bedtime creases.
I’m also terribly fond of the fabulous Fresh Black Tea Firming Overnight Mask, which comes infused with a beautifying botanical brew of black tea, lychee seed and exotic belle de nuit that’s said to sop up free radicals.
But it’s the mask’s pillowy plushness that I really adore; Fresh says this incredibly intense overnight treatment lends a “corset-like effect” that props up skin for a lifted look the morning after.
So yes, snoozing and skincare: Two of my absolute favourite things. Now this is a trend I can totally get behind. Here’s hoping yours truly has convinced you that sleeping masks are of the essence, so to speak. Have fun beauty shopping!
The Body Shop Drops of Youth Bouncy Sleeping Mask, $44.90, is available at all The Body Shop stores. For more information, visit www.thebodyshop.com.sg and follow The Body Shop Singapore on Facebook and Instagram.
Fresh Black Tea Firming Overnight Mask, $144, is available at all Sephora stores. For more information, visit www.fresh.com and www.sephora.sg, and follow the brand on Facebook.
La Prairie Skin Caviar Luxe Sleep Mask, $490, is available at all La Prairie counters. For more information, visit www.laprairieswitzerland.com and follow La Prairie on Facebook.