Mask Madness, Vol V: [I'm from] Honey Mask

Saturday, July 1, 2017

Good afternoon. Today is another mask post, a review that I've been struggling to write for the last few weeks. Today I want to talk about the I'm From Honey mask, perhaps my most eagerly anticipated mask so far this year. I was so excited to get this honey mask into my hands and was really shocked by the results it gave me.

I ordered this mask with the remainder of my Memebox points when the site was slashing prices. The swampy green Vitamin Tree Mask from this same brand was such a success, I wanted to try all the other masks [I'm from] had to offer. It was supposed to contain some 38,7% Jiri Mountain honey and highly moisturizing. Came in simple glass packaging with delicate matte paper label and a scoop.

I adore honey, particularly the smell. I keep a range of raw honey at home and visit the local honey store all the time to happily sample any and all new varieties. To say that this mask smells just like honey is to me, highly egregious. There's sweet undertones of vaguely honey, but mixed with something that smells of baby formula (not breastmilk, definitely formula) left outside on a hot day. I checked the expiration date as soon as I caught the scent. If you recall, I thought that the I'm From Vitamin Tree smelled awful as well, but the results of that mask speak for themselves.

I've read a fair number of reviews on this mask and several of them do mention separation. My mask not only separates into cookie dough and caramel colored layers, but it does so quite frequently; six days between uses is all it takes. I've only had this mask open for two months and have stirred it prior to use numerous times.

The expiration date on the bottom was a bit puzzling to me. 19.10.24? Looking at another glass tub of Vitamin Tree helped to figure out the format, that one was printed 2019.09.21 - so Year.Month.Date.

This mask just feels wrong from the moment it is applied to my skin. It feels like I'm coating my entire face in slick lipgloss, and even after rinsing my face a ton, my skin feels heavily coated like there's a thick Vaseline barrier on top. I never got used to this sensation. It didn't feel moisturizing to me, it felt stifling.

The very first time I wore this mask prior to going out to dinner with my spouse. I had washed off the mask, used a followup cleanser because I couldn't handle the filmy feel and still found myself pawing at my face all night (my date noticed). My following applications of this mask really weren't any better. The feel of this mask is just incredibly uncomfortable to me and I have a hard time picturing a situation where I would enjoy it. It's not like a richer feeling cream that I think will be more agreeable to me come dry weather, it's more like how I just don't enjoy the feel of isopropyl esters or peppermint oil and will continue to not enjoy them for years to come, no matter the weather or my skincare needs. I didn't get breakouts from this mask, but the days following application my skin is always more disagreeable, not less.

It had never occurred to me that I wouldn't like this mask. My love for the Vitamin Tree mask was so absolute, so intense that it was a bit of a shock and a touch discomforting for me to realize that I found one of the other I'm From masks to be disappointing. That cognitive dissonance, man.

The only way that I've been able to finish this product is by cutting it with another mask I also didn't really like. That's the only silver lining out of this situation, somehow one disappointing mask plus another unsatisfying mask equals something usable. The I'm From Honey mask gives my Wonderuci Cacao mask some badly needed slip, and the cacao scent masks the awful sweet/baby formula scent that the Honey gives off. The combination also doesn't seem to be as problematic for my skin as pure Honey by itself. Wining situation!

I'm going to finish this jar, but I will definitely not be repurchasing this mask. I don't want to be wasteful, but at the same time it doesn't do anything positive for my skin. Just not a good fit for my skin. Or my nose.

The [I'm from] Honey Mask is about $32-38 depending on where you purchase. About $34 right now on Amazon.

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