My favorite kind of mask is one that promises to revitalize and brighten the skin. My skin is prone to dehydration and dullness, so my favorite time of the week is when I get to use one of these masks to really slough off that layer of dead skin and reveal the glowy new skin beneath.
If my skin's feeling a little congested as well as dull, I'll always reach for the Origins Original Skin Retexturizing Mask. It's clay-based, so it really helps to de-gunk the skin. It also aims to help exfoliate the skin while it purifies, leaving you with a clean and bright complexion. I gave it a glowing (see what I did there) review here.
If my skin's really in need of a good ol' sloughing, I'll use the Juice Beauty Green Apple Peel Sensitive. Yes, this is the formulation for more sensitive skin, but it still packs quite a punch. This one uses natural and organic acids to really eat away that layer of dead skin. It's a really watery consistency that was at first quite odd, but it's very easily painted onto the skin in a thin layer with a flat foundation brush. I only use this one at night because it can sometimes make my cheeks a little flushed for a bit, but it leaves my skin feeling SO soft. It also totally minimizes the appearance of the larger pores around my nose, and if I've got any blackheads kickin' around it completely eliminates them.
If I've got less time on my hands but my skin needs the same kind of whipping into shape, I go for the REN Flash Rinse 1 Minute Facial. This one uses water-activated Vitamin C to very quickly exfoliate the skin. It's probably not one to use if you've got extremely sensitive skin, but I'm prone to redness and flushing from these kinds of things and it doesn't trigger this for me. Since it's so quick, if I wake up feeling like my complexion could use a little pick-me-up, I'll slap on a bit of this. Again, it leaves my skin bright and glowing, and it helps disguise the fact that I probably didn't get enough sleep the night before.
If my skin needs a good hit of moisture as well as some brightening, I look no further than the Glossier Moisturizing Moon Mask. This is an intensely refreshing moisturizing mask, but it also contains licorice root and lemon extract to brighten. This is the best of both worlds, giving you glowing skin by eliminating the dead skin and also by just deeply hydrating. This is definitely the gentlest of the bunch, but quite effective nonetheless.
What are your favorite masks for a brighter complexion?