When makeup brands branch out into skincare, I always do a little side eye because the skincare always ends up being something that isn't particularly innovative, but claims to be or just uses average ingredients and has fancy packaging and a big marketing budget to make it the hottest thing since sliced bread. As much as I hated to admit it, a lot of Huda Beauty products I have tried have turned out to be some of my favourites. I was initially very resistant to trying and featuring her products because I don't identify with the image she projects nor do I want to be yet another Instagram groupie of hers and many other "influencer brands" that have emerged over the last 5 years.
It took a long time for me to buy a product of hers and even then it was only after a friend gave me those Lip Strobes to try along with a Liquid Matte lipstick in the shade "Muse" that has turned out to be one of my most FAVOURITE purple lip colours. Once I moved into the eyeshadows, I had to admit that Huda had some good products and then I saw Wishful, Huda's new "clean and minimalist" skincare line "packed with all natural ingredients", that launched early this year. Already, I can feel the clean beauty marketing working its claws into the masses. These phrases are such a turn-off, but I still struggle to find proper verbage for products that lean more plant-based because we all have this collective understanding of what "clean" is supposed to mean. Anyway, it is disappointing her line is being marketed this way, but I can't say I am surprised as this seems to be the general narrative within the beauty world.
Wishful currently has four products on its roster and the Thirst Trap Cocoon Mask is one of them. I had initially wanted to try the Yo Glow Enzyme Scrub, but I realized I had so many exfoliators that it would not have been a reasonable purchase! Thirst Trap is a sheet mask for, if you haven't guessed by the name (a bit weird IMO), very dehydrated skin. It has a decent ingredients list with the featured ingredients being in the top half.
What makes this sheet mask a bit more unique than others is that the mask is made of what Huda calls a "dual layer fibre technology", but is VERY similar if not the same as the canola-derived mask material of the SNP Active Seal Masks and the Missha Ice Sorbet Mask (Elaine from Maskepedia has great close-ups of the material). This review from Modern Vintage Village sums up the texture quite well as the mask material has a rubbery and jelly-like consistency that is highly flexible and is great at retaining essence. This unique material also prevents the mask from drying out as quickly as a cotton one. Even throughout the many hundreds of sheet masks I have tried (do you think I have hit 1000 yet?), this material is something I have only come across with two brands and now a third! Thirst Trap is made in Korea so I give points for whoever pointed Huda in this direction as it is a more unique option as usually brands will opt for biocellulose.
Mask Summary:
Price: $12 CDN
Skin concerns: Dryness, dull skin, irritated skin
Scent: None
Essence Type: Thick, gel
Duration: 20 min
Thickness: Thin
Mask Fit: Fit was decent though a bit short on sides of face for me.
Tackiness: Light
Hydration: I did not feel the need for additional moisturizer.
Other notes: With this type of heavy material (weight reminds me of hydrogel) might be better in two parts like the SNP Active Seal Masks. Not a lot of essence leftover in packet as most of it was on the mask.
Final verdict: For an influencer brand, I was actually impressed that Huda Beauty went with a different type of sheet mask as one of their first products. This is a great way to introduce the Western market to some different innovations in skincare as this technology is already more than 2 years old in Asia. It is expensive though and if you were to purchase a similar mask from SNP or Missha, it would be half the price so this is not a good deal by any means, BUT these other two masks are not the easiest to find even online so I can see Sephora being a much more attractive option. As for the results, this mask is VERY hydrating and would be great in the winter time or when it is not as humid. For anyone who hasn't experienced this type of mask material, you will enjoy it!
You can find the Wishful Thirst Trap Cocoon Mask at www.hudabeauty.com and at Sephora.
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