Mask Madness, Vol 3: Kouji Hime Face Pack

Thursday, March 30, 2017

I had an unfortunate time with the last face mask that I blogged about, but today I'll be showing you a mask that I found much more agreeable!

I knew next to nothing about this Kouji Hime Face Pack when I ordered it. I have sensitive skin that is highly reactive, so looking back, that was a pretty wild move. All I knew was that there was sake in this mask somewhere. Sake sounded good to me, my face really seems to love fermented ingredients.

It's a light, whipped mask that's almost like a French meringue, albeit not as glossy or smooth. There's little bits of something inside, which by way of Googling I learned was konjac. It is lightly fragrant, but not unpleasantly so; something like the faint whiff of cherry blossoms. I found it hard to spread on my face by way of silicone mask spatula, had much better luck getting it to adhere and apply with the heat of my fingers.

I had the hardest time finding an ingredients list, I found that it was unlisted on Amazon, from where I had purchased it. I had expected a translated label slapped on the package when arrived, as is the case with many imported cosmetic goods, but that wasn't the case. Is that not some FDA regulation violation?

While Google Translate didn't work very well, it was pretty humorous. Don't apply this during parties.

Unless you're having a mask party, I suppose. Which actually doesn't sound all that bad, I would definitely host one and supply attendees with masks, beer and even a soft dog for cuddles.

In the end, I found an Alibaba vendor who seemed to have a complete (kind of) ingredients list in their listing, so I submitted it to CosDNA.

Water, Titanium Dioxide,BG, Glycerin, Sorbitol,Magnesium Aluminum Silicate,Aspergillus/Rice Ferment Extract,Rice Ferment Filtrate (Sake),(Rice) Bran Oil,(Rice) Lees Extract,Main bran glycosphingolipid,(Rice) Germ Oil, Hydrolyzed Rice Extract, Prunus Yedoensis Leaf Extract, Mannan, Hydrogenated Lecithin,Hydrogenated Polyisobutene,Lysolecithin,Citric Acid,Sodium Hydroxide,Polyacrylamide,Laureth-7, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate,Phenoxyethanol,Fragrance

I've been using this 2-3 times a week as a morning mask, to smooth and prep the skin for the day. I find that this mask provides enough exfoliation, so I tend to skip my Tatcha Gentle Enzyme Powder on the days that I use this. It's a very quick mask; the directions call for 3-5 minutes and then a rinse, so I usually swipe this all over my face before undressing and immediately hit the shower. I now use another cleanser (Glossier Milky Jelly) to follow up this mask, because it left a bit of an oily barrier feel to my skin. I like how gentle the little bits of konjac are, my face is so soft and smooth after use. There's also a very noticeable firming effect, it's like my skin is standing at attention, which makes makeup application a dream.

I'm wearing makeup here, I just wanted to show you how well it lays on my face after using this wash off pack. No photoshop - just increased the brightness of the picture.

It's also got a great $:use ratio for me, so far I've used this Kouji Hime Face Pack about 15 or so times and there's over 1/2 the tub left. By that I mean there's half the original amount that I received, the product only filled up about 3/4 of the jar. So prepare for slight disappointment at the amount you'll receive, but know that a little goes a long way because of how spreadable it is.

Overall I'm really pleased by this mask - no breakouts (with that second cleanse) or sensitivity, just a quick product that really preps my face for a really great makeup day.

I picked mine up on Amazon (sold by G-Market, fulfilled by Amazon) for about $16. You can also find it on YesStyle for about the same price.

Do you have a product that you like just because it makes your makeup look really great?

Product featured was purchased by me for my own use. For additional information, please refer to my Disclosure Policy.