A few weeks ago I was doing some browsing around on Sephora's website and came across the Boscia Black Mask and it looked interesting, until I saw the price. Normally I don't mind spending on something I know I'll enjoy, but I've never used a peel off mask before, so rather then just trying it out and maybe liking it, I thought I'd find a close "dupe" and according to various blogs and youtube videos I came across Shills Deep Cleansing Black Purifying Peel-off Mask. The review that really pushed me over the edge in buying it though was definitely Musings of a Muse review on it.
Image from eBay ad (link below)
I'm really glad that I got the Shills mask rather then the Bosica one, not because I'm unhappy with it, but because just based on what the product does, I just feel like the Boscia one isn't worth the $41.00 CDN price tag from Sephora. I just can't foresee it being much different.
Over all I really like the Shills mask, its very affordable (I got mine off eBay for $6.95 US + free shipping) you get slightly less product from Shills (50ml) versus the 2.8 oz (about 82ml) of product from Boscia. But the price for the Shills mask is about 1/5th of the price of the Boscia one.
Onto the review! The Mask itself is really simple, you put it on in an even layer, let it dry for 15-30 mins. and peel off. Its recommended that you start peeling from the chin up.
Personally, I didn't use the mask on my whole face, because I have fairly dry skin, so I used it on my "problem" areas: My nose, forehead and chin. I went a little crazy and went a little beyond my nose and put some mask on my cheeks. This mask can hurt when you pull it off, so its a good idea to avoid delicate areas like your under eye area. I I got a tad too close to one of my eyes so rather then pulling the mask off anyways, I gently scrubbed the mask off with my fingertips and warm water.
When I used the mask: I thoroughly washed/dried my face, put the mask on and let it sit for 20 mins. by the end of that the mask was dry, tight and shiny. I gently pulled it off and washed off the rest (the parts close to my under eye area lol) my skin was a tad tender and red, but aside from that it felt very clean, smooth and refreshed. I followed up with my regular toner and night time moisturizer.
The mask was strong enough to pull out some tiny black heads I had hiding on my nose and chin. I was able to see them stuck on the mask. Overall I'm very impressed. Just as a side note - this mask will also pull out any peach fuzz you may have on your face too!
My skin the next day: It's not sore/tender/red at all today. It's just as it is normally except more smooth feeling. All of the redness/soreness I had (which wasn't a lot to begin with) was 99% gone after about 2 hours. I think the key thing with this mask is you have to be very gentle when you pull it off. But aside from that its very simple.
I don't think this is a mask you should use more then once a week, and even that's a lot. I'm planning on using it when I need it, when my skin is looking a tad dull, or just as a bit of a refresher. I'll probably end up using it once a month or so.
I really like this mask and would recommend it to people looking for a peel off mask that has good results and it won't kill your pocket book!
