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Hello Dreamers and Creators!

Michelle here. I'm kicking off the first ever Mask Monday on the blog with a very unique jelly mask, the Annie's Way Calendula Softening Jelly Mask. I say very unique because Annie's Way is the only company (as far as I know) that makes this type of mask. They have a wide range of jelly masks to choose from to suit different skin care needs. The first Annie's Way Jelly Mask I ever tried was their Arbutin + Hyaluronic Acid Brighting Jelly Mask and I really liked it. So it was no surprise that I wanted to try the others as well. I debated for a long time on which jelly mask I would try next and ended up on this one. Read on to see my thoughts and review of this product.

Annie's Way Calendula Softening Jelly Mask
250ml, $24.9,

Product Description: A refreshing jelly mask that soothes, moisturize and softens the skin with its moisture rich formula. It's formulated with Calendula essence that works to moisturize the skin, reduce skin discomfort and redness. The jelly mask will leave the skin feeling relaxed and comfortable as it renews the skin's vitality. The masks is suitable for sensitive and dry skin.

To use: Spread an even layer of the Calendula Softening Jelly Mask on cleansed and toned face. Leave the mask on for 30 minutes. Remove the mask after 30 minutes by scraping off the jelly with a spatula. Wipe off any remaining jelly with a tissue before rinsing the face clean. Follow up with the night time skin care routine.


Ingredients: Water, Carbomer, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Hyaluronate, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Glucerin, Panthenol, Fragrance, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Sambucus Nigra Flower Extract, Propylene Glycol, Glucurrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid, Methylisothiazolinone, Iodopropynyl, Butylcarbamate.


Packaging: The packaging of this jelly mask is pretty simple and to the point. It comes in a plastic tub that's frosted. Inside, there's a plastic cover to ensure that the jelly mask does not leak out. The front side of the mask has its name and a short description of the mask itself, while the back side of the mask contains ingredients, directions, and general information about the mask and the company (Annie's Way). The symbol for Annie's Way is a butterfly and that symbol can be found on all of their products, including their spatula. In the picture above, the butterfly is on the lid.

A special spatula is also provided with the mask. It's specifically made for Annie's Way jelly masks in that it is quite long compared to other spatulas and it's created to help apply and remove the jelly masks.


Scent: The Calendula Softening Jelly Mask have a very floral scent. Of course that floral scent is none other than the scent the calendula flowers. Compared with the Arbutin + HA jelly mask, the Calendula jelly mask has a strong, more noticeable scent. However, I wouldn't say it's too overwhelming, but definitely noticeable. It's got a light sparkling water scent just like the Arbutin + HA jelly mask as well.

Texture: Of course a jelly mask would have a jelly like texture. That's what makes this mask so fun! It's fun to apply to the face and the mask stays on pretty well due to its jelly texture. If you shake the container, you can see the jelly mask jiggle, like how jelly jiggles!

Color: The mask is pretty much clear and colorless.


My Thoughts: I decided to try the Calendula Softening Jelly Mask because it is suitable for sensitive skin types and I have sensitive skin. As always, I put this mask through my intensive patch test and it came out okay, so I began using it. I learned a lot in regards to how to apply jelly masks and how to remove them through my previous jelly mask experiences. I will share those tips later. I should note that it's wise to sanitize the spatula before and after each use, so that it minimizes the potential amount of bacteria that comes into contact with the jelly mask.

When I first opened my Calendula Softening Jelly Mask I stuck my nose into the tub to smell it and it was definitely strong. I was afraid that the scent would be too overpowering. However, once I started patch testing and using the mask full on, I noticed that that scent is not too strong. It's just, I probably shouldn't have tried to smell the whole entire tub of calendula goodness at once. But you see, I only did it because the Arbutin + HA jelly mask barely had a scent and I thought this one would be light as well, but I was clearly wrong. As someone who likes floral scents, I liked the calendula floral scent in the jelly mask as well. Plus, it's really not overwhelming, I'd say it's medium on the strong to light scent-o-meter. Is there such a thing as a scent-o-meter?

Well, now there is.


The mask promises to soothes, moisturizes, softens and reduce redness. The jelly mask has a cooling effect when applied to the face and it was pretty soothing on my face. Plus, it did not irritate my sensitive skin. Like the Arbutin and HA jelly mask I tried before, this Calendula Softening Jelly Mask is also very moisturizing, which I like a lot. While the mask sits on the face, it softens the face and that effect lasts even after the mask is removed. The jelly mask also helps with blackhead extraction. I'm not saying you can use this mask as a all-in-one blackhead remover because it doesn't always work so well in removing blackheads. However, I found that it does aid in the extraction of blackheads. I find it works better if you use a steam towel before applying the mask and use a blackhead extractor after you remove the mask. This method seems to work pretty well in blackhead extractions, but there are still some stubborn blackheads that cannot be removed this way.

The Calendula Softening jelly mask does not seem to work well in terms of redness reduction, at least it didn't for me. The redness on the sides of my nose and cheeks remained the same after multiple uses, plus when I have pimples, it doesn't help lessen their redness as well. You can see in the before and after pictures below the redness around my nose and on my cheek had stayed the same.

Before applying the jelly mask.

After removal of the jelly mask.

                                                                                       

Jelly mask on my face~

The mask has some pretty amazing staying powers, in that once it's applied on the face it stays until removed. I can move around my house without pieces of it falling off or anything. Although, usually, when I apply this mask I tend to watch some TV drama or Youtube videos. I think the longest I've left this mask on was 40 minutes and that was because I was watching an intense part of a TV show and didn't want to get up in the middle of it to clean off the mask. Anyways, even at 40 minutes, the mask was not irritating. Although some parts of it on the edge had dried and it made the removal process much harder. That brings me to the most important steps of this jelly mask...

...the application and removal of the jelly mask. These 2 are the utmost important steps of how well or not well the jelly mask will perform on the face. A lot of factors are taken into account and ultimately a person's climate and preferences will need to be taken into consideration while using the jelly masks. There's something very important to note about these jelly masks and that is that they should NEVER become completely dry on the face. When the mask is remove from the face, it should still have the jelly like texture and still feel as if it had just been taken out of the tub. I'll use myself and my experiences as an example below.



Now that it's summer, it's a lot hotter here in California and when I apply masks, many of them dry a bit faster than they otherwise would during the winter times. This also applies to the jelly masks, so I need to take that factor into consideration when I apply the mask. Generally, it is advised to apply 3mm to 5mm thick layer of jelly mask on the face. Anything less than 3mm would dry out too fast and would not last the 30 minutes needed for the mask to work to its full potential. If the masks dries, it might suck out the moisture from the skin, which would create negative effects. I find that I apply the jelly mask a bit thicker now than I did during the winter times, so I'm probably leaning 3mm during winter times and 5mm during summer times. Now, I don't take out a ruler and measure every time, that would be silly. It is guesstimated, however, I do know that I apply a slightly thicker layer now than I do in the winter times and I never let my masks dry before the 30 minutes mark. Except, maybe, nearing the edges of the face because it's very hard to apply it thick there without getting it all over my hair/hairband. If the mask is applied thick and stay moisture-filled, it will be a lot easier to remove than if the mask had dried.


To remove, simply use the spatula provided to scrape off the mask, moving from outward in. I like to use a tissue to wipe off any remaining jelly mask after and wash with lukewarm water before continuing with my night time skin care routine. If the mask did dry on the face and it becomes hard to remove, I found that the best way to remove the dried jelly mask is to warm up a facial towel with warm water than use the towel to remove the mask. The warmth and moisture on the towel will help soften and re-hydrate the dried mask, making it easier to remove

Now that we've talked about removal, let's talk about application. I've tried a lot of ways to apply the mask and the easiest for me would be to apply starting from the nose outward. I know that's the opposite of Annie's Way instructions, but hey, whatever works right? By applying the jelly mask on my nose first, I can get to the sides of it easily, then apply outwards to the cheeks, chin and forehead last. When I applied the mask on my cheeks first and moving inward, I had a harder time applying a thick layer of the mask on my nose because it would harder to slide it off of the spatula and onto the exact spot I want it on. So I found tackling the harder to apply parts first made the whole application process a lot easier.

All Annie's Way jelly masks should come with a Seal Sticker, that's how you can tell if a product is real or fake. The sticker also changes once it is peeled. So that the word VOID shows up. If the tub does not come with a sticker, chances are it is fake and if the sticker has big cap letters that says void like in the image above, chances are the sticker has been peeled or there was an attempt to open the tub.

The manufacturing date and expiration date can be found on the bottom of the jelly mask tub (not pictured).


Pros:
-Softens the skin
-moisturizes
-nice cooling effect
-floral scent
-fun/unique texture
-soothing
-can help remove blackheads
-one tub contains a lot of product

Cons:
-didn't reduce redness
-can be difficult and apply/remove


My Rating: ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ♡

Final Thoughts: I think what I love the most about these jelly masks is that they are just so fun! When you get everything right, application and removal can seem like a fun process and not so tedious. Although the Calendula Softening Jelly Mask wasn't able to help reduce the redness on my face, it did live up to its other claims. Which are soothing, moisturizes the skin, softens the skin, cooling effect, and can help remove blackheads. I love the floral scent of this jelly mask and love how soft my skin feels after I use it. As for whether or not I will purchase another one in the future? Most likely. I do want to try out the other kinds of jelly masks first. There are 10 kinds and they are: Arbutin + HA Brighting, Calendula Softening, Aloe Anti-Acne, Rose Essence, Charcoal Black, Snail Repairing, Honey Deep Moisturizing, Italy Red Wine, Q10 Anti-Aging, and Lavender. So I've still got 8 to try! I want to explore all my options before deciding on my favorites.

If you love trying out innovative masks or love to have fun during mask nights, definitely check out these Annie's Way Jelly Masks. You might just find your new favorite mask~

Where to purchase:
-Yesstyle.com



Until next time~


~Michelle


Disclaimer: This product was purchased by me with my own money, all opinions are honest and my own. This post contains affiliate link and thank you in advance if you choose to use them.