Product Review: myfaceworks Paper Facial Masks

Have you heard of or tried paper face masks? If you're clueless about them, you're not alone: Until the publicist for myfaceworks contacted me, I was pretty ignorant about them too. Paper face masks are basically a facial in a packet: they're fibrous masks soaked in serum or solution which you unfold and place on your face for the specified time. After you're done, you peel the mask off and dispose of it, then massage any leftover serum/solution into your skin.

Paper face masks are quite a popular beauty trend in Asia, but myfaceworks is the first beauty line purely dedicated to them. MFW has 12 masks in all, each designed to address a different concern: wrinkles, the undereye area, inflammation, dryness, etc. They sent me an assortment of masks to try and review:

• The 'i need to open my eyes' revitalizing eye mask was very soothing. The first time I tried it I was perky and well-rested so I didn't see much of a difference, but the second time I used it I noticed a marked difference in my undereye circles and puffiness.
• After using the 'i need to be firm' collagen boosting mask, my skin felt tighter and firmer immediately, although the results didn't seem to last beyond the day I used it. I'm not sure how effective repeated use of this mask would be in plumping the skin.
• The 'i need a quickie' pre-makeup express mask was probably my least favourite of the bunch. The instructions tell you to leave the mask on for the same amount of time as a normal mask--I fail to see what's so "quick" about it. Also, the mask's scent reminded me of sandalwood (which I'm not usually a fan of).
• However, the 'i need to heal' aloe vera mask was my hands-down favourite. Talk about a godsend for parched winter skin. The aloe vera instantly cooled and quenched my skin on contact, and after leaving the mask on for the specified amount of time my face felt a lot softer. The moisturization effects lasted all week. If you experience problems with dry skin in the colder months, I recommend stocking up on the aloe vera masks and doing a facial once a week.

My overall impressions of the entire myfaceworks line were:

1. The individual facial packets would be great for travel. There's no mess and you can pack one to unwind in your hotel with after you've reached your destination. Perfect!
2. All the masks were cool and soothing to the touch and left my skin feeling smoother. It was a very luxurious feeling to lie back with a book or magazine and a mask on and just take 20 minutes to relax.
3. Kudos to myfaceworks for making the masks out of biodegradable materials such as silk and cellulose.
4. At $40-60 Cdn for a boxed package of 3-6 masks, the masks work out to be $6.66-16.66 per use with most masks being $10 per use. It's inexpensive compared to professional facials, but if you're used to purchasing liquid or clay face masks for at-home pampering, the prices are quite a bit higher.
5. I'm definitely ordering the aloe vera masks to get me through the coming winter.

Have you tried myfaceworks or any other brand of paper face masks? What types of skin concerns do you use them for? Do you use any other types of face masks in your skincare regimen?

Update: Since I've been getting comments asking where to purchase these masks and assuming they're not available in North America, I should clarify that MFW is indeed available in North America and you can buy them directly from the website.