Product Review: boscia Luminizing Black Mask

Recently, I used some of my VIB Rouge points to get a deluxe sample of boscia's Luminizing Black Mask at Sephora. This peel-off mask is part of boscia's Black Pore Perfecting line. You might remember that I reviewed a couple of other products from that line - the Detoxifying Black Cleanser and the Konjac Cleansing Sponge with bamboo charcoal (you can read the review here).


I don't typically use peel-off masks, because I usually find them to be drying, but I've been really pleased with the other boscia products I've tried, so I wanted to give this one a try, too. To give you some perspective - it's probably been at least 5-6 years since I've used a peel-off mask. This particular mask has won a couple of beauty awards, so it's a popular product.

The product itself is a translucent black gel. The opacity increases as you apply more product. The consistency is fairly thick, but it's not too difficult to spread across the skin. The first thing I noticed was the scent. You can definitely smell the rosemary and eucalyptus in it. It was a pleasant scent to me, but since it was so strong, I was worried it might irritate my skin. Fortunately, I didn't experience any irritation, but it did make my eyes burn and water - even though I was very careful not to get it anywhere near my eyes. Fortunately, it only lasted a few minutes, but it was uncomfortable while it lasted.


It says to apply a "thick" layer in order to be able to peel it off properly. I wasn't sure what "thick" meant, so I ended up applying just enough to make the mask opaque - so that I couldn't see skin through it. I could feel it begin to dry and tighten against my skin within just a few minutes.


Most of the mask dried within about 20-25 minutes, but there were parts of it that took about 40 minutes to completely dry. I guess I must've applied a little more on those areas. I was able to peel the entire mask off in one piece once I got it started.


My past experiences with peel-off masks have been that they're thin, rubbery, and easy to remove. I've never really used one that could've done much exfoliation. This mask was a lot different. As I peeled it off, it was a little painful in spots. It really adhered to my skin! I'm pretty sure it pulled out any peach fuzz that was on my face. I regularly use BHA and a weekly scrub, so I don't have an issue with blackheads - and that means I didn't see any impurities like that on that mask.


But my skin felt very soft and smooth, so I feel like it probably removed some dry skin. Once the mask was removed, I rinsed my face with water and proceeded with my regular night time skincare regimen.

The ingredients are:
Water, Polyvinyl Alcohol, Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Water, Glycereth-26, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Acrylates/Palmeth-25 Acrylate Copolymer, Iron Oxides (Cl77499), Pentylene Glycol, Montmorillonite (Clay), Acrylates Copolymer, Polysorbate 20, Lonicera Caprifolium (Honeysuckle) Flower Extract, Lonicera Japonica (Honeysuckle) Flower Extract, Epilobium Angustifolium (Willowherb) Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Extract, Pinus Pinaster Bark (Pine Bark) Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Leaf Extract, Diglycerin, Xanthan Gum, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Sodium Hydroxide

I also wanted to mention that several of the reviews I read said that they had to use a lot of product to get a thick enough layer of mask. A couple even said that they used as much as half of the product. I really hope they were talking about a sample size, but somehow I don't think so from their tone! Honestly, I don't see how these folks had to use so much product. My tube is, as I mentioned, a 0.7 oz. deluxe sample size, and I maybe used half of it. The regular size tube is 2.8 oz, so if you use an average of 0.35 oz. per application, it should be good for at least eight masks.

I continue to be impressed with the quality of boscia products. I think this would probably be a good mask for someone who has oily skin. The main drawback, IMO, is the scent and how it caused the burning and tearing of my eyes. I noticed in reviews that others (not everyone) had the same issue. Next time, I'll try leaving my contacts in to see if that helps - if I wear my contacts while cutting onions, my eyes don't burn and tear, so maybe it will work with this as well. Also, since I don't have super-oily skin or blackheads anymore, I probably won't be using it all over my face. I think I'll multi-mask instead.

Boscia actually offers a couple of multi-masking packages - one is the Multi-Masking Medley, with four 0.35 oz. pouches for $18, and the other is The Art of Multi-Masking, and comes with four 0.7 oz. tubes, application brush, and an instruction guide for $42. I think this is something we'll be seeing more of since multi-masking is becoming more popular.

Do you use peel-off masks?
Do you have a favorite?