This essay first appeared Wednesday, December 13, in The Strategist Beauty Brief, a weekly newsletter in which our beauty writers share their must-tries, can-skips, and can’t-live-withouts. But we liked it so much we wanted to share it with all of our readers. If you want more first impressions of buzzy launches, quick takes on what’s trending on TikTok and Instagram, and deep dives into the week’s best beauty launches, sign up here. The Strategist Beauty Brief is delivered every Wednesday.
The first Twilight movie turned 15 last month. To mark the occasion, I ended up deep down in a YouTube rabbit hole of old Robert Pattinson interviews. Every Twilight fan knows how much Pattinson loathed making those movies — he’s spoken about it often — but his hatred is never more palpable than when he remarks that the co-worker who made his Twilight experience the most rewarding was … “SK-II face packs.” Naturally, I had to try them.
Now, the SK-II Facial Treatment Mask may have been the height of hydrating technology back when Pattinson was filming Twilight — and needed to look like a teenage boy despite being over a hundred years old — but in the intervening decade, it’s become a skin-care staple. Our beauty columnist Rio Viera-Newton has been recommending Pitera — the liquid that SK-II masks are soaked in — since 2017, including in the original Google doc that she sent to friends who wanted to know her secrets. It’s notoriously expensive, even in mask form; it works out to about $17 per treatment. But according to Rio, the glow you get from the “fermented yeasted antioxidant liquid” is worth the price tag.
As someone with dry skin, I’ve always been drawn to hydrating products, but since starting a really drying course of acne medication in the summer, I’ve craved that hydration even more. Although it was almost slimy, unfolding the mask out into the face shape was rather easy as it had a thickness to that ensured no tearing. Fifteen minutes later, I peeled off the mask and ran my fingertips over my skin. It felt glossy. Hours later, it still felt as though the mask had left a smooth layer of perfectly hydrated skin on top of my own.
The next day, I decided to test another. I was going to the theater and wanted to see how my makeup would sit after an application. Again, the only unpleasant part of the experience was sealing the cold layer to my skin, but afterward, I was rewarded with an equally glossy end result. While my skin usually feels a little rough before applying primer, this time, my primer glided across the skin and seemed to melt away into it, creating a smooth and well-hydrated base for my foundation. Maybe it’s because my makeup was only on for a few hours, but it did feel like it sat far more comfortably than usual. (I sometimes get dry patches or areas where powder builds up, but the smoothness from the mask meant that I didn’t get any of that at all.) I also didn’t feel that usual urge to scrub my makeup off immediately once I’d walked through the door.
I’ve now used the face masks for five days in a row, and the end result has remained equally as satisfying. The glow that Rio talked about is definitely real: My flatmate — who didn’t even notice when I dyed my hair red last year — commented on how bright and healthy my skin looks. While typical face masks seem to work for the first hour or so after application, the hydration from the SK-II lasts well through the day. They are admittedly an absolute splurge, though. So instead of popping one on randomly, I’ll be saving my remaining masks to use if I’m prescribed a stronger course of medication or as skin prep before a big night out. I’ll be using one of Rio’s SK-II dupe masks on occasion in between.
This article originally appeared in The Strategist Beauty Brief, a weekly newsletter from our beauty writers on their must-tries, can-skips, and can’t-live-withouts. Sign up here.
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