Disclaimer: As always, the asterisk* on the end of this post title denotes a sponsored post. I received the Erno Lazlo Instant Firmer Firm & Lift masks via Influenster for review. To learn more about my disclosure policy, please see here. As always, all opinions expressed are my own.
Originally, I had been planning to do another Inspiration Sunday today--but when I received these masks in the mail during the last week of September, I knew I had to free up some space in my blog calendar for October! That's the hardest part of doing Blogtober--planning everything in advance makes it easier, but opportunities like this throw things for a loop!
When I found out I was going to receive these Erno Lazlo two-step masks from Influenster, I was beyond excited. I love face masks. (I wrote about my favorite ones here.) However, when I received my box and saw I had received the masks designed to firm and lift, I’ll be honest: I was a little disappointed. I don’t know all the other varieties of Erno Lazlo two-step masks, but I do think others would be more suited to my skin type. However, I was still very excited to try these, because, honestly, who doesn’t want a little bit of lifting in their skin? (Don’t answer that if you’re, like, 18.)
Here’s what these masks promise to do:
“A mix-to-activate firming and hydrating modeling mask that softens fine lines and wrinkles, quenches thirsty skin, soothes, cools and instantly plumps skin’s surface. Made with mineral-rich sea water and spiraling maxima — a high powered age extract. Restore firmness and bounce from the inside out.”
Also: “Our new mix-to-active, two step powder masks deliver instant gratification with the potent powers of key ingredients and botanicals.”
Interestingly, this is what the description on Sephora says (it’s interesting that it’s totally different from the packaging on the box):
“Harnessing age-old secrets of Korean spas this dual-phase formula you mix to activate and peel to reveal gives you firmer, more youthful-looking skin. Powerful actives cool while working to restore the look of elasticity and tone for spa-worthy results. Use it before a big night out, after a long day, or whenever tired skin craves it most.”
Woo! That’s a lot to promise. And frankly, the promise of restoring from the inside out—am I eating this or what? Human skin is not that porous, realistically, so that’s an odd statement.
Let’s get to the masks though.
As has been said, these are two-step masks. In the box, there were 4 masks: 8 packets total. One packet is powder and one packet is liquid; it also comes with a stirrer stick. First things first, you’re going to need a bowl when using these masks which is definitely different from my usual face mask!
The powder mix, when I dumped it out, was faintly blue. Alright, easy enough. I opened the liquid packet and went to pour it in—and realized it’s not really liquid exactly, but closer to a very thick gel. I had to work pretty hard to squeeze it all out. Once I started stirring, I had to work hard to incorporate the gel into the powder (and I got a little excited at one point and got powder everywhere. Oops); but once it get mixed together, it formed this very cool, almost mousse-like texture.
Using the stirrer stick to smear it one my face, I really struggle. It was slightly gooey and clumpy and I felt like it wasn’t covering some spots. I switched to my hands and that worked much better, but I still got a lot in my hair and eyebrows on accident. Once I was done, I realized I still had about half the mask in my bowl. So that’s a big thing: if you want to do this mask, unless you have a pretty big face, have a friend with you so you aren’t wasting mask!
My first reaction to the mask on my face was that it felt really good. One of the ingredients in the mask is peppermint oil (it’s in both packets) so if you are sensitive to peppermint oil (and many people are), definitely be careful. However, it felt good to me, very zippy and made me feel quite awake.
After about 10 minutes, it started to get a little itchy; that was it drying down to form the mask. I managed to keep it on another 5 minutes, but by then it was falling off. When I read the instructions and saw that the last step was to peel it off, I couldn’t imagine the clumpy, mousse-y stuff on my face peeling. But alas, after 15 minutes, the mask had dried down to roughly the texture of Silly Putty that had been rolled very thin. It came off in one solid piece. I used my toner than put on my moisturizer.
Did I notice a big difference in my skin right away? I can’t honestly say. I did feel very moisturized and refreshed after the end of the day. My skin felt very, very smooth. Mostly, it just felt hydrating.
My Final Verdict: Did I enjoy these masks? Absolutely. I love masking. Did I see any benefits to my skin? Not really. But they didn’t make me break out and they didn’t aggravate my skin either, so that’s a win.
At Sephora, these masks cost $80 for a box of 4. That’s $20 per mask! For that price, it’s just not worth it and I would never recommend them for that reason. Plain and simple, they’re just too expensive for the lack of real changes I saw to my skin. Are they super fun though? Absolutely! So if you’re looking to splurge, or want to get a fun gift for a bridal shower, they’d be very, very fun.
