He Said, She Said: Do Dry Masks Work?

Charlotte Tilbury will be launching a unisex skin care line this summer. But I just couldn’t wait for the line to hit the beauty counter to do a unisex review with my work husband, Brett. Also my cubicle mate, Brett was up for the challenge – he loves doing sheet masks but has a hard time getting them to adhere because to his beard. Since this dry mask was different in that it loops around the ears, I had to get him to test it with me. Here’s what you need to know, and what I and Brett thought about our dry masking experiences.

How it works:

The mask is dry. That’s obvious because it’s called the Instant Magic Facial Dry Sheet Face Mask. The “5 Skin Solution IQ” ingredients are imprinted on the inside of the mask (the part that touches your skin). When you put the mask on, you massage the felt-like fabric into your skin to release the ingredients. Charlotte Tilbury claims that this mask has a high content of active ingredients, which is why you can see results right away. You can use this mask up to three times, as long as you keep it sealed in the package it comes in between uses. There is another waterless mask on the market by Nannette de Gaspé.

What she said:

“Trying this dry mask is very much like flying in a plane or discovering the features on your new phone. I loved the results, but I honestly couldn’t wrap my head around how it works, until I read about it more (see above). You can kind of feel it working, as there is a very subtle sensation on my face when wearing it. But because it’s not wet, dripping with ingredients, it’s tough to believe it’s working. It’s like I’ve been conditioned to think my mask needs to be moist to moisturize skin. So, I was shocked when I took this sheet mask off to discover my skin felt plumper and hydrated. And the mask leaves a bit of a shimmer/glow on the skin, so my skin looked more even too.”

What he said:

“I love my beard. But I also love sheet masks. Unfortunately, the latter tend not to be made with face-fuzz in mind, as the bottom third of the sheet simply refuses to stick, hanging limply from a beard – unless you’re content to lie on your back for the prescribed duration. As a crude hack, I’ve taken to cutting a sheet mask before application so that it’s custom-fit to my non-bearded bits. And that’s the first advantage that this new dry sheet face mask has over its competition: Full face coverage — including beard — that’s snug, secure and supremely comfortable. Of course, a proper fit is only relevant if the product actually works, and Charlotte Tilbury scores big in this category as well. I was honestly amazed at the results of the first application: My skin appeared plumped and dewy, and my forehead lines appeared drastically diminished. How drastically? My partner – who doesn’t often notice these things – actually thought I’d had a procedure done. Score!”

Charlotte Tilbury Instant Magic Facial Dry Sheet Face Mask, $27 at charlottetilbury.com/ca/.

Unisex skin product review: Brett texted me his Jason-like selfie, so I had to scare him back by doing the mask in our cubicle.