Very few beauty products hold the immense power of a hydrating mask. If you’re in need of a topical moisture top-up before (or after) an event (which we all are, especially this time of year), there’s truly nothing like them.
For that reason, they also happen to be one of the concoctions most commonly created, with every brand claiming to have found the formula able to thwart dehydration once and for all.
So how do you sort the super hydrating from the semi-hydrating? Well, you listen to us, of course. Since a well-moisturised face is one that looks plump, healthy and radiant (our three top goals) all at once, the subject of moisture masks is one we take extremely seriously.
And so we went in search of the very best the beauty industry has to offer. Here are the face mask formulas that will help you swap ‘dry’ for ‘dewy’ in a flash…
Peter Thomas Roth Water Drench Hyaluronic Cloud Mask Hydrating Gel
The keyword to take notice of here? ‘Drench’. This mask will have your face feeling like it’s entered a liquid cloud of moisture. A very potent cloud of moisture, for that matter, too; with 20 per cent hyaluronic acid, as well as aloe and vitamin E, it’s not playing around in the hydrating, soothing stakes.
$85 at Sephora
Shiseido Waso Beauty Sleeping Mask
Prefer to leave your moisturising masks on a little longer? Add this revitalising remedy to your evening arsenal. Designed to wrap stressed, tired (and potentially hungover) skin in a cloak of comforting hydration through the night, it uses Japanese yuzu citrus and vitamin E to soften, smooth and quench the complexion.
$59 at MECCA
Laneige Water Sleeping Mask Lavender
Another overnight option that aims to have skin hydrated and bright by the A.M. (an aim it definitely delivers on by the way), its formula (which heroes calming lavender but doesn’t smell overwhelmingly of it) sits in the textural middle ground between ‘thin’ and ‘thick’, rendering it intensely replenishing but still sensitivity safe.
$44 at Sephora
111Skin Rose Gold Mask
A brightening, hydrating sheet treatment beloved by celebrities (the ever-radiant Priyanka Chopra and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley among them), it harnesses the hydrating powers of hyaluronic acid, silk amino acids and even (get this) colloidal gold, for a truly decadent serving of nourishing, softening, luminising moisture.
$169 (for 5) at MECCA
Summer Fridays Jet Lag Mask
In addition to being fragrance-free (an impressive status when it comes to richer cream formulas such as this one), this skin-soothing mask garnered its cult-following because of its (glycerin and niacinamide-aided) ability to visibly plump and freshen in just a single application. It’s our top pick for a literal pre-party glow-up.
$68 at MECCA
Darphin Hydraskin Cooling Hydrating Gel Mask
Need a formula that leaves skin looking and feeling utterly refreshed? This algae and hyaluronic acid hybrid also plays host to French butterfly lavender, an ingredient that A) is as delightful as it sounds, and B) cools the complexion while simultaneously reinforcing its precious moisture barrier.
$68 at MECCA
Aceology Frose Gel Infusion Mask
Featuring a blend of nourishing botanicals (including soothing rose petals), this serum-soaked hydrogrel sheet mask is the shortcut to luminous skin that’ll be downright glossy post-application but still gloriously glowy in the days following.
$64 (for 4) at The Iconic
Looking to shop THE ICONIC masks? You can find an exclusive discount code here.
Main image credit: @nina
