My Beauty Diary 2 Step Spring Facial Mask - Mountain Cherry Blossom Mask Review

I thought I would start back up with a review on a trusty ol' My Beauty Diary sheet mask. This one is a fancy two-step treatment, that involves first using the sheet mask followed by a gel moisturizer. How it compares to the 'normal' sheet mask experience after the jump...

(also, super sorry for the poor quality of the images! I am trying to figure out a good way to get pictures, but for now I can only use my phone camera ): )

Where to buy:
Sasa.com 1 mask - $1.70 8 masks - $15.50

Description: My Beauty Diary Mountain Cherry Mask is a 2 Step Spring Pack with April Cherry Blossom creamy gel that provides extreme brightening and whitening effects. Suitable for all skin types, especially sensitive skin. This will help to moisturize, brighten and renew the skin.

Japanese Somei-Yoshino Cherry Extract perform triple functions including whitening, soothing and firming. Blended with Extracts of Lemon and Kiwi, it refreshes and softens skin. Soaked in thread of Sakura aroma, skin appears pinky white. Brightening and soothing Extracts of Arnica and Aloe soothe, repair and nourish skin. After use, skin glows with freshness.

Claims:
Whitens
Soothes
Firms
Softens
Refreshes

Ingredients: Water, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Glycyrrhiza Glabra, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin, Triethanol amine, Polysorbate 20, Sodium Hyaluronate, Xantham Gum, Citric Acid, Prunus Serrulata Flower Extract, Soluble collagen, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Protein, Acer saccharum, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Ananas sativus, Betula Alba Bark Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract, Citrus Grandis Fruit Extract, Citrus medica Limonum, Dimethylsilanol hyaluronate, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Hydrolyzed rice protein, Laminaria Digitata Extract, Leontopodium, Alpinum Flower/leaf Extract, Malva sylvestris, Morus Nigra Leaf Extract, Saccharum officinarum, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate,Styrene/acrylates copolymer, Carbomer, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Polyglutamic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Fragrance 

The above were the ingredients for the mask alone, not the gel moisturizer.

Scent: It smells like... cherry blossoms. It's a very lovely scent, but like all MBD masks it has fragrance added. Those of you with very sensitive skin should be careful when trying them out!

The gel, on the other hand, is less scented and smells like baby powder. I didn't like it quite as much, but it's not as strong.

Packaging: In terms of appearance, it's the normal MBD aesthetic. I did like how the gel was packaged, and how easy the different sections were to tear from one another. I had some issue getting both pouches open, but that might be because I'm out of practice with sheet masking.

Fit: I think I've forgotten how relatively well MBD masks fit me! I've been using random Innisfree and Benton masks, because I wanted to save the MBD ones for review purposes, but I was pleasantly surprised by this mask. The only real issue I had was around my nose and mouth, but even those weren't bad in comparison to the Korean masks I've tried. Solid.

Results: One word: moisturizing. Two words: not brightening. My skin has been very dry ever since winter proper started in Norway. The only way I've been able to keep it properly hydrated is if I use sheet masks and sleeping masks regularly, and I've been doing neither of those as often as I should. I used this mask+gel last night and woke up with noticeably more hydrated skin, so that's nice.

However, I saw no whitening/brightening from this mask. It's not a big deal to me, as I'm already pale and I've basically accepted the blotchiness I have, but if you're looking for long term whitening benefits there are a couple of other MBD masks that would suit you better.

The gel moisturizer was a nice touch. I think it really upped the hydration you get from the treatment... and wowww I was surprised by the amount of gel. It was enough to cover my face, my décolletage, and my hands.

I liked this mask a lot, but given its slightly more expensive price tag and the good-but-not-amazing results, I would not repurchase.

Conclusion: Final Score: 4.5/5

Pros:

• incredibly moisturizing!
• smells nice
• fits pretty well
• generous amounts of product

Cons:

• added fragrance not suited for sensitive skin
• no brightening/whitening