We review the new La Mer Treatment Lotion Hydrating Sheet Mask

Face masks are having a major moment (thanks Instagram!) but none more so than the sheet mask. Originating in South Korea, the sheet mask’s popularity has spread like wildfire across the globe. There’s now a sheet mask for every budget from the pharmacy shelves to the high end counters.

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So when we heard luxury beauty brand La Mer was bringing out a new sheet mask, we couldn’t wait to try it. At $180 for a pack of six, this might well be one of the most expensive sheet masks ever made. Being the gracious beauty lover I am, I offered up my face to give it a try. So did it live up to that very exxy price tag? Let’s break it down.

The Treatment Lotion and one of the sheet masks – get on my face, now!

As mentioned, the La Mer mask comes in a pack of six. Each sheet mask is also drenched in an ounce of La Mer’s The Treatment Lotion to deliver a dose of hydration the likes of which your skin has never seen. It also has skin-hugging technology in the fibres of the mask, so it’s supposed to stay put while you go about your business.

I greedily ripped into the mask and pulled it out. I was surprised to find that the mask felt a little thicker than most sheet masks I’ve tried, almost like a super-soft fabric, and it smelled like the traditional La Mer creams (which I personally love). The mask easily slid onto my face and it wasn’t difficult to maneuver it into place. I particularly loved how the areas around the nose, which are often hard to anchor down on the skin with a sheet mask, easily stuck and didn’t move. After a few minutes of wearing the mask I could feel a delicious cooling sensation on my skin, like my thirsty pores were soaking in all of La Mer’s nutrient-rich Miracle Broth™, a key ingredient in all La Mer products that promotes youthful-looking skin.

A little bit luxe, a little bit terrifying

According to the instructions, you only need to leave the mask on for 8 minutes to see a healthy, youthful glow but due to the fact that this mask costs more than my weekly grocery shop, I decided to really get my money’s worth and left it on for 15. Then I gently peeled away the mask and massaged the excess into my face and neck. I even had a little more left over that I gently patted on the backs of my hands, because there was a voice in my head was screaming ‘Make it last! Every single drop!’

I looked in the mirror and immediately noticed a major difference in how my skin looked. Somehow, in the depths of winter, my skin was plump and down right radiant! It felt so soft and springy to the touch and my usual tinge of skin redness was far less noticeable. I began cycling through my upcoming plans in my head, desperate to think of a time that I could use this mask before a big event – because the glow was that real.

Left - Before the mask, Right - The after glow-up. The pic doesn't even do it justice, I swear!

Final thoughts? I loved it. The whole experience felt luxe from beginning to end and my skin hasn’t felt this good in a lonnngggg time. If you’ve got a big event coming up that requires an instant radiance boost, I couldn’t recommend it highly enough. Or, if you’ve just got a nice fat tax return sitting in your bank account, this is one sheet mask that is worth the considerable investment.

After, I thought about layering over my favourite foundation to see how it looked, but instead decided to let my skin just be its newly-glowing self – and that’s the measure of a good sheet mask!

Looking for a more budget-friendly sheet mask that still delivers the goods? bh also loves Innoxa Hydroboost Face Mask Sheet, Palmer's Coconut Water Hydrating Sheet Mask, Andalou Instant Hydration Hydro Serum Facial Sheet Mask, Eaoron Ultimate Botox Mask ($22.99, chemistwarehouse.com.au), Innisfree My Real Squeeze Mask - Ginseng (from $1.93, innisfreeworld.com), Go-To Skincare Transformazing Sheet Mask ($9, gotoskincare.com).

What’s your favourite sheet mask?