Next Monday is Chinese New Year, so what better time to highlight a Taiwanese beauty product that comes in a red (and white) envelope? I was recently introduced to Taiwan-based For Beloved One, a cosmeceutical brand whose in-demand sheet masks, skincare, and BB and DD creams are launching at T&T Supermarkets nationwide. You can imagine what a hard time I had trying to decide what to try first when I arrived home from the press event, bag full of beauty loot in tow! In the end I settled on the For Beloved One Melasleep Brightening Bio-Cellulose Mask ($63 for a box of 3); my skin had been looking dull and uneven lately and could use a brightening boost.
What makes For Beloved One's masks so special?
These aren't your normal paper sheet masks. They're made of bio-cellulose, a nano-scale organic fibre produced through a fermentation process and often used in medical procedures for cardiovascular repair and as artificial skin because it bonds so well and doesn't irritate. For Beloved One was the first to use bio-cellulose in sheet mask form.
The result is an ultra-fine, clingy, jelly-like substance that adheres to skin's every pore, contour, and wrinkle as tightly as possible to seal in the serum and deliver it deep into skin. In fact, the mask is so clingy and shapeless, it comes with two paper backings to peel off before you can put the clingy middle layer on your face.
What's in this mask?
Key ingredients and their numerous benefits are as follows:
- Patented skin-brightening formulas Lumiskin and Melaclear disrupt melanin formulation to prevent dark pigments from forming.
- Another patented formula, Matrixyl, stimulates collagen production and combats wrinkles.
- West Indian cherry extract provides a potent dose of vitamin C, which has a brightening effect.
- Licorice extract helps inhibit tyrosinase, an enzyme that catalyzes melanin production in the skin.
- Vitamin E boasts anti-aging benefits, while B5 boosts epidermal cell repair.
According to the press reps, there's a full bottle's worth of serum in each mask.
What does using the For Beloved One Melasleep Brightening Bio-Cellulose Mask feel like?
Pro tip: Do a light exfoliation first to make sure your dead skin cells are all gone and all that serum-y, hydrating goodness can soak straight in.
When I first tore open the mask packet, I was immediately struck by how wet the mask was compared to other ones I've tried. There was so much solution that droplets sprayed on my tee; you can see my fingers are slick with serum from the photo above. I peeled off the backing from one side and laid it flat on my face, then peeled off the backing from the other side and squished it into place. The eye-holes weren't cut out perfectly like other face masks I've tried, so I had to fold the flaps down; that was a bit annoying. Here's a #BTS shot the boy snapped in our bathroom while I was putting on the mask. (Beauty blogging: it's not always glam.)
Here's another pro tip for you, by the way: Don't discard the envelope! Scoop and squeeze out every last bit of serum and rub it on your neck, chest, and the backs of your hands.
You can wear a For Beloved One Melasleep Brightening Bio-Cellulose Mask for up to 2 hours without the mask drying out or peeling off, but the optimal time is 15-20 minutes. The mask immediately felt soothing, cooling, and hydrating when I applied it, like a second skin made of gel, and it stuck firmly even when I moved around the house and did chores with it on. After the 10-minute mark though, I started feeling a tingly numbness spread throughout my skin. Maybe this was the brightening ingredients working their magic? The tingles continued until I peeled the mask off after 20 minutes, as instructed. Overall, the process was relaxing and user-friendly.
Now here's me wearing the mask. (I put a black-and-white filter on the photo to make it more art-y, less serial killer-y.)
And...the results
To be honest, I don't know how many of the super-advanced purported benefits I reaped from wearing the mask for 20 minutes. What I can tell you is that my skin felt plumper and more hydrated immediately. The tone was noticeably brighter and more even. Blemishes on my skin seemed diminished and less red. The plump, hydrated effect and bright tone seemed to linger for the next 1-2 days. So far, I've used 2 of the 3 masks in the packet. Have I effectively disrupted the melanin-producing tyrosinase in my skin and beaten it into submission? Only time—and maybe three dozen more of these masks—will tell.
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