From molding clays to sheet masks to leave-ons, we’ve experimented with all sorts of face masks, but just when we thought we knew it all, les masques secs, or “dry masks” caught our attention. Nannette De Gaspé, a French-Canadian mastermind recently launched a five-piece set of masks (starting at $78), intriguingly pegged as “waterless,” that target areas like the eyes, face, mouth, neck and hands. While they sounded great—they sport all of the pros of a face mask with none of the cons—how would they work? Would they form and stick to the face if moisture wasn’t present? What about all of the benefits—were they lessened? I decided to found out.
Shipped straight from Quebec, my mask arrived at my desk—I opted for the Youth Reveled Eyes Mask ($110)—and I eagerly opened up the super chic packaging to find a thin piece of—you guessed it—completely dry fabric. The aesthetic is so beautiful, that if I didn’t know it was a mask and it was just handed it to me, I would have thought it was a mask someone would wear to a black tie masquerade ball. Like the traditional sheet mask, there are cutouts for your eyes, but this one also had slits to hook on your ears for the mask to stay in place. The instructions were simple—once the mask is situated on your face, rub the fabric with your fingers to “activate the formula” and wear it for 15 minutes. Once the allotted time was up, I took the mask off (and if I’m being honest, I was doubting the process) only to find the softest skin of my life left behind—the kind you can’t help but keep touching—with an insane afterglow.
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Partially convinced this mask was magic, I had to know how this whole process worked. After doing my homework and reading all of the fine print and speaking with the brand, I found out that all five masks contain the same blend of 87 percent active ingredients which are “dry-printed” on tech stile, a Japan-sourced woven fabric. While most face masks we’re used to using are almost 100 percent water-based with a handful of active ingredients thrown into the mix (these formulas simply sit on the surface of the skin and evaporate over time), the dry mask alternative—which De Gaspé refers to as “wearable technology”—are embedded with a bevy of potent anti-aging ingredients (think marine extracts to erase wrinkles and tetrapeptides to deeply brighten skin) that penetrate skin and continue to melt in deeper for six to eight hours after you remove the mask.
Aside from the crazy cool technology that goes into each delicate mask, these dry must-haves completely change the face mask game. No more laying down while you have it on to keep it in place or to keep the formula from dripping down your neck—these are created to be worn while multitasking (I’m wearing one as I type this) and are beyond convenient to slip on any time because the mask is always secured around your ears (and sometimes tied around your neck) and the end result won’t require washing your face or drying anything up. Each of these high-tech masks, no matter which area you choose to target, can be used up to three separate times (when stored in the sealed pouch it comes in) and can last up to three months.
Image/Nannette De Gaspé
The best part? You won’t need to board a plane to Canada to get your hands on them—De Gaspé plans to launch her collection in the U.S. this fall. Until then, I recommend getting on a waitlist because these game changers are about to fly off shelves.
