If one cult beauty item defined 2016, it was surely the sheet mask. As with many beauty trends these days, the sheet-mask craze came from cosmetic-obsessed Korea and took hold in the West. Even Boots' own versions have a stamp declaring they are "Made in Korea" – something cosmetic companies have only recently begun touting as a selling point. Many of the Korean versions come with a kitsch design on the mask – the face of a shark, raccoon, dragon or twirly-moustached man – or come with a really unusual ingredient such as snail slime, sheep placenta, jellyfish extract or snake venom. But now, most leading international beauty brands are vying for shelf space alongside the Korean variations and are doing so with more familiar ingredients and a grown-up aesthetic.
If you don't fancy slathering on some snake venom, these are the best sheet masks currently available in the UK.
Rodial Pink Diamond Instant Lifting Mask
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This mask combines the sheet-mask trend with that of using gemstones in beauty – containing, as it does, diamond powder. It combines this super-luxe ingredient with complex bio-collagens, amino acids and pink grapefruit for a mask that lifts and brightens skin. It's the perfect pre-event mask for leaving you sparkling and in the pink – after all, diamonds are a girl's best friend.
Indeed Labs garnered a deservedly good reputation for its Hydraluron moisture-boosting serum, which it has now combined with a sheet mask for the ultimate hydrating formula. Hydraluron is made from super-hydrating hyaluronic acid and works with other ingredients to nourish, renew and plump the skin.
£19.99 for a box of four masks, available from Boots
Shiseido Benefiance Pure Retinol Revitalizing Face Mask (above)
These masks come in two separate parts – one for the forehead and eye area and the other for the mouth and chin area – which makes them very convenient to apply to the parts that really need it. The masks combine Chlorella algae extract and retinol (a vitamin A derivative) to encourage skin renewal, super-hydration, skin softening and lifting.
£59.50 for a box of four masks at Boots; shiseido.com
Wei Lotus Blossom Thirst Relief Sheet Mask
Wei uses traditional Chinese medicine as the basis for its collection of effective beauty products. The brand has an enormous collection of indulgent and beautifying sheet masks, but our favourite is the Lotus Blossom variety. The mask is saturated in Lotus extract, hyaluronic acid (a water-holding molecule that plumps skin) and antioxidant mushroom extract – all of which make the mask super-hydrating, made to leave your skin looking dewy and glowing.
Nannette de Gaspé Restorative Techstile Masque coffret
This collection of the cult beauty brand's five masks comprises ones for the face, neck, mouth, neck and hands. The packaging is completely seductive and chic, which makes it the perfect gift for someone special – even if that someone special is yourself. The masks use a trademarked and unique "techstile" technology of micro-delivery that gets the active ingredients right into the skin. The masks are water-free, feel dry to the touch and are activated by massaging. The results are more youthful-looking, hydrated and glowing skin.
Suqqu's masks are not only infused with a radiance-boosting serum comprising honeysuckle, vitamin B3 and lactic acid, they also have a revolutionary 3D shape. This means that the sheet tucks under the jawline and holds on to your face's curves and swerves to make sure everything is lifted and taut.
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