Our new favourite brand Sensai is the essence of Japanese attention to detail; tirelessly researched, premium products that perform miracles on even the most difficult of skin. Whilst ritual is part of the deal with Sensai – they recommend double-cleansing and -moisturising – their 10 Minute Mask is an exception, slotting into even the most slovenly of routines. It left my skin brighter, calmer and more even, and remained so into the next day, which is unarguably a great return on a ten-minute investment.
Turning the luxury dial up to 11, La Prairie’s Cellular Hydralift Firming Mask is also reflective of its provenance, with its super efficient delivery of top-notch ingredients making it the very epitome of Swiss luxury. This company don’t make a bad product, and the mask is no exception – as indicated in the name, its main benefits were in its lifting and firming effect. So efficacious was it, in fact, that a friend asked me if I’d “been at the Botox again.” The cheek.
At the other – but no less worthy – end of the scale, at just £18.50, is Nuxe’s Masque Crème Fraiche de Beaute, which is about as affordable as good products come, and no less hard-working to boot. Calming and soothing my stressed skin, it even worked on a friend’s notoriously dry, verging on flaky, visage, bringing him relief and respite from slathering on the E45. And best of all – at this price, who minds sharing?