The Hanacure mask is one of the most famous face masks that we had never tried. I (Eloise) originally saw it on Drew Barrymore, when she posted a picture on Instagram looking like the 90 year old version of herself mid-face mask and gave it a rave review for how fresh she looked afterward. From there, a social media star was born and I’ve seen it on all different kinds of people with a variety of skin issues. The wrinkly-face aspect made me a little nervous (was I ready to see what I would like at 90??), so I resisted trying it at first, but then the lure of looking rejuvenated and refreshed was too strong and I ordered two kits and told Dinah she had to do the experiment with me. Since we have very different skin, I was excited to see how our skin react and if we would get similar results.

How Does it Work?

According to the Hanacure site, it’s proprietary ingredient, Octolift, works with the carbon dioxide in the air to gently tighten the skin and remove impurities. It’s formulated with a variety of clean botanical ingredients and peptides. The part of the instruction set that made me the most nervous was the warning that it may cause your skin to temporarily become red and flushed as oxygen rushes to the face to start your rejuvenation.

How to Apply

Dinah here! Putting this mask on was so much fun. It felt like doing a science experiment because you open the little bottle of Lifting Serum and then mix it with the Gelling Solution, shake for 20 seconds and the gel is created. The mask comes with a little brush that makes the application process easy and feels really nice on your skin, plus it helps to get an even coating on the skin. I think I might use the brush to apply all of my gel masks going forward!

Once you apply it, then the real action starts, which is waiting 20 minutes for it to dry. As it dries, the mask gets tighter and tighter. It doesn’t hurt or sting, but it is a very intense pulling feeling. When I looked in the mirror at the end, it was like a cartoon version of myself - my lips and eyes were so huge since the skin around them was so tight. I also have what I lovingly refer to as “resting cry face” and the tightening effects of this mask made me look crazy and kind of tragic while I was doing it!

After you wash it off, they give you a Nano Emulsion Moisturizer to apply, which absorbs in really quickly.

Results

Dinah: I have been struggling lately with the brutal combination of dry, winter skin and mascne around my chin and on my cheeks. I was a little bit red after washing it off, but mainly in places that I already can have redness. My skin felt clean and clear but not dried out the way other clarifying masks can. I also definitely felt more lifted and like some of my eye-area puffiness was gone. After a few hours (I did this mid-day and not right before bed), a few larger blemishes on my chin had definitely shrunk in size and were pretty much gone the next day. Eloise and I also Facetimed a few days later and were both commenting on each others glow! It would be a great mask to do a day or two before a big event.

Eloise: My skin looked blotchy and not great for the rest of the evening when I took the mask off. To be honest, I thought it looked smoother, but I didn’t notice any difference in blemishes or wrinkles, and I wasn’t that impressed. When I woke up the next morning, though, I could definitely see the results! It shrank my blemishes, the lifting and tightening had a botox-like effect on wrinkles on my forehead and around my eyes, and shrank my pores. I looked really well-rested and relaxed and the blotchiness had faded so that my skin looked very even. Almost a week later, my skin is still looking refreshed. I’ve also been applying the Biossance rose oil like crazy because the mask made my skin feel dry the first night, and I think that has helped. I would definitely purchase the full set of masks and try doing it weekly for a month to see what happens with regular use. As Dinah said, this is a greta mask to do a few days before a big event-that way you avoid any chance of looking dry or splotchy but you still have the full results to show off.