5 morning-after face masks to use depending on the type of night you had
Just as no one evening is ever the same, there isn’t a one-size fits all morning-after face mask. It all depends on what type of situation you’ve put your skin through the night before. Were you up all night watching Netflix? Or ordering post-bar Chicken McNuggets? Before you reach for just any old sheet mask you have lying around, we’re here to provide a little guidance. Depending on the type of night you’ve had, here are five of the best face masks to use the morning-after. After all, there’s no use wasting a perfectly good cleansing mask on dark circles.
If you were dancing to Drake all night, you need a cleansing mask
Allow us to set the scene. You arrive at your favourite club, have a drink or two (ok, five), and the DJ starts playing your favourite Drake song. You dance until sweat is literally dripping down your face and bless your primer, your makeup somehow holds up until last call. But then somewhere between getting home and waking up the next morning, your face feels as if it’s clogged with every impure thing you did the night before. And that’s if you managed to wash your face before swan-diving into bed. In order to draw out environmental toxins, apply Origins Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask. The white china clay helps to clear the skin of excess oil and dirt while the activated charcoal draws out impurities. Just make sure to open pores with a warm, damp cloth before applying.
Origins Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask ($30, sephora.com)
If you were tossing and turning in bed, you need a brightening mask
Between school, work, relationships and family responsibilities, it’s unlikely you’ll ever experience 365 consecutive days of soundless sleep. If you are in your late teens, 20s, 30s, 40s and beyond (basically, not a child), you often find yourself tossing and turning in bed. This leads to many mornings waking up with dull, tired-looking skin. You can try to solve whatever it is that’s keeping you awake at night. But when that doesn’t work, use Dr. Jart+ Brightening Infusion Hydrogel Mask in the AM. Formulated to moisturize and brighten complexion, this mask improves uneven skin tone, dullness and dark spots. Apply the sheet to a cleansed face and leave on for 20-30 minutes. Afterward remove and massage excess serum into skin. Don’t be shocked when there’s a well-rested baby looking back at you in the mirror.
Dr. Jart+ Brightening Infusion Hydrogel Mask ($9, sephora.com)
If you were up all night binge watching Netflix, you need to get rid of dark circles
This is for the nights, right before bed, when you set out to watch one episode of Making a Murder. Next thing you know, it’s four in the morning, you’ve developed a crush on the defence team, and you’re now reading online forums about whether or not Steven Avery is guilty. So it comes as no surprise when menacing dark circles take residency under each eye. Instead of layering on concealer, reach for a Shiseido Benefiance WrinkleResist24 Pure Retinol Express Smoothing Eye Mask. The sheets are best known for reducing the appearance of wrinkles but also help to brighten and minimize dark circles. After a meager 15 minutes, the skin appears firmer, hydrated and well rested.
Shiseido Benefiance WrinkleResist24 Pure Retinol Express Smoothing Eye Mask ($21,sephora.com)
If you had a late-night crying sesh, you need to handle puffiness
You don’t need to believe in astrology to believe in the effects of Mercury retrograde (fun fact: it ends today). When it occurs, every decision you try to make either has to be re-done, re-structured or fails. For a couple weeks, the universe is out to sabotage your every move. So it’s only natural to find yourself crying into a pint of mint chocolate chip ice cream late one evening. And even when Mercury’s not in retrograde, there’s PMS. For such emergencies, keep Mila Moursi Cryo Serum/Ice Cube Infusions stocked in your freezer. Formulated with an active blend of minerals and trace amino, the ultra-lux serum combats puffiness and dehydration. Just remove one pack from the freezer, place it into the gauze sachet provided and massage over cleansed and toned skin until melted. Within minutes, eyes are de-puffed and skin is refreshed with a healthy glow.
Mila Moursi Cyro Serum Ice Cube Infusion ($155, milamoursiskincare.com)
If you were biking home from the bar during a cold, winter night, you need Redness + Hydration control
You were invited to drinks at a local bar the previous evening and had to make a very important decision. Either bike over or use public transit as your mode of transportation. The former of course appears to be the more reasonable decision. While it is cold cycling during winter, the amount of time spent waiting for transit never seems worth it. Until you wake up the next morning with inflamed and dry skin and remember that windburn is a living nightmare. Save your skin with Ole Henriksen Blue/Black Berry Enzyme Mask. The clear gel is a blend of enzymes, blueberry, and blackberry fruit extracts, which help to exfoliate skin. Lavender and vitamin B5 hydrate and calm redness to leave a smooth and brighter complexion behind.
Ole Henriksen Blue/Black Berry Enzyme Mask ($42, sephora.com)
, and the DJ starts playing your favourite Drake song. You dance until sweat is literally dripping down your face and bless your primer, your makeup somehow holds up until last call. But then somewhere between getting home and waking up the next morning, your face feels as if it’s clogged with every impure thing you did the night before. And that’s if you managed to wash your face before swan-diving into bed. In order to draw out environmental toxins, apply Origins Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask. The white china clay helps to clear the skin of excess oil and dirt while the activated charcoal draws out impurities. Just make sure to open pores with a warm, damp cloth before applying.
Origins Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask ($30, sephora.com)
If you were tossing and turning in bed, you need a brightening mask
Between school, work, relationships and family responsibilities, it's unlikely you'll ever experience 365 consecutive days of soundless sleep. If you are in your late teens, 20s, 30s, 40s and beyond (basically, not a child), you often find yourself tossing and turning in bed. This leads to many mornings waking up with dull, tired-looking skin. You can try to solve whatever it is that’s keeping you awake at night. But when that doesn’t work, use Dr. Jart+ Brightening Infusion Hydrogel Mask in the AM. Formulated to moisturize and brighten complexion, this mask improves uneven skin tone, dullness and dark spots. Apply the sheet to a cleansed face and leave on for 20-30 minutes. Afterward remove and massage excess serum into skin. Don’t be shocked when there's a well-rested baby looking back at you in the mirror.
Dr. Jart+ Brightening Infusion Hydrogel Mask ($9, sephora.com)
If you were up all night binge watching Netflix, you need to get rid of dark circles
This is for the nights, right before bed, when you set out to watch one episode of Making a Murder. Next thing you know, it’s four in the morning, you’ve developed a crush on the defence team, and you’re now reading online forums about whether or not Steven Avery is guilty. So it comes as no surprise when menacing dark circles take residency under each eye. Instead of layering on concealer, reach for a Shiseido Benefiance WrinkleResist24 Pure Retinol Express Smoothing Eye Mask. The sheets are best known for reducing the appearance of wrinkles but also help to brighten and minimize dark circles. After a meager 15 minutes, the skin appears firmer, hydrated and well rested.
Shiseido Benefiance WrinkleResist24 Pure Retinol Express Smoothing Eye Mask ($21,sephora.com)
If you had a late-night crying sesh, you need to handle puffiness
You don’t need to believe in astrology to believe in the effects of Mercury retrograde (fun fact: it ends today). When it occurs, every decision you try to make either has to be re-done, re-structured or fails. For a couple weeks, the universe is out to sabotage your every move. So it's only natural to find yourself crying into a pint of mint chocolate chip ice cream late one evening. And even when Mercury's not in retrograde, there's PMS. For such emergencies, keep Mila Moursi Cryo Serum/Ice Cube Infusions stocked in your freezer. Formulated with an active blend of minerals and trace amino, the ultra-lux serum combats puffiness and dehydration. Just remove one pack from the freezer, place it into the gauze sachet provided and massage over cleansed and toned skin until melted. Within minutes, eyes are de-puffed and skin is refreshed with a healthy glow.
Mila Moursi Cyro Serum Ice Cube Infusion ($155, milamoursiskincare.com)
If you were biking home from the bar during a cold, winter night, you need Redness + Hydration control
You were invited to drinks at a local bar the previous evening and had to make a very important decision. Either bike over or use public transit as your mode of transportation. The former of course appears to be the more reasonable decision. While it is cold cycling during winter, the amount of time spent waiting for transit never seems worth it. Until you wake up the next morning with inflamed and dry skin and remember that windburn is a living nightmare. Save your skin with Ole Henriksen Blue/Black Berry Enzyme Mask. The clear gel is a blend of enzymes, blueberry, and blackberry fruit extracts, which help to exfoliate skin. Lavender and vitamin B5 hydrate and calm redness to leave a smooth and brighter complexion behind.
Ole Henriksen Blue/Black Berry Enzyme Mask ($42, sephora.com)){kind=link}