Review: Boscia Luminizing Black Mask

Photo from Sephora.

     Hey! I'm back with a quickie review.

I've been so obsessed with skincare lately! I used my very first mask last month with amazing results (the Saturday Skin Spotlight Brightening Mask is heavenly) and my skin feels so pampered afterwards, I've been making them a weekly skin treat. I don't usually write reviews on products I didn't actually purchase, but I really wanted to share my thoughts on this product.

Masks aren't cheap, so this week I used the Boscia Luminizing Black Mask, which I received as a sample with my last Sephora order. You can find this mask at Sephora for $45.00 CAD.

According to Sephora, this mask is "an innovative, powerful, mineral-rich mask infused with activated charcoal that peels off to reveal a brighter, more clarified complexion". I'm all about the K-beauty glass skin look lately, so they had me at "luminizing". I was excited to try this mask, especially since it holds a solid 4-star rating on Sephora.

A post shared by boscia (@boscia) on Jul 23, 2017 at 5:59pm PDT

I realize now what a bad idea it is to smear a random product all over your face just because it has good ratings, particularly if that product is thick, black, and must be left on for thirty minutes. We all have to learn somehow, right?

Girls, please. Learn from my bad decisions. Patch test new products on a small portion of your face first! This mask had a sticky, latex-like consistency, and was therefore hard to remove. Since it's peel-off, that's fine as long as you don't need to wipe it off early.

Within moments after applying this mask, my eyes began to burn and sting. I did read the instructions before applying it and knew I was meant to avoid my eye area, so I took special care to do so. But the fumes from this tar-like mask were rising straight from my cheeks to my eyeballs. There was simply no avoiding it. I felt like I could power through it, but when the stinging hadn't abated in five minutes and my eyes were tearing, I decided maybe it would be best to check out the reviews on this mask. DUH!

You will not find mention of the eye-stinging sensation unless you search for it specifically, but it seems like a fairly common experience with the Black Mask. Many people also experience great pain when removing the mask, as it basically rips the fine hair off your face during peeling.

I was able to leave the mask on for only six minutes. Because of the thick formula, it took several minutes to remove it with a sudsy washcloth and warm water. Obviously, I didn't receive the full benefits, since it wasn't left on long enough to dry. However, I did notice my skin felt rather smooth the next day.

I do want to mention again that this mask has some great reviews. Even my sister swears by Boscia, so I really want to be fair with this post. I also would describe my skin as sensitive. All that being said, this mask gets a hard pass from me. It was messy to apply, painful to the eyes, and even if it had stayed on the entire thirty minutes, I just don't see the appeal of a mask that tugs and pulls at your skin. My favorite masks hydrate, soothe, and treat the skin. Our skin is a delicate organ, after all. Why add to the abuse it already suffers daily?

Have you tried the Boscia Black Mask? Are you brave enough to try it now? Let me know below!