Well, well, well. Here we are again. Another sleeping pack/mask.
I’ve been using this for months now (not too often, I don’t want to spoil my skin) and I didn’t think too much about it, to be honest. But then the Too Cool for School’s Fresh Gore sleeping pack came into my life and I gained a new appreciation for this banana mask.
Is it another gimmick? We all know I fall hard for gimmicks and gimmicky packaging but did this mask actually work? Well, here’s my review!
The specifics:
My current skincare routine: found here.
My skin type: I have combination skin (my cheeks become very dry depending on the weather), noticeable pores, my skin is sensitive to fragrances and I break out and my pores clog when I use rich moisturizers and high comedogenic facial oils (pore-clogging oils).
The state of my skin: I don’t want to brag (but I’m going to) but my skin the night of reviewing this product was smooth, even-toned, and bright. It was missing a little hydration and did look a little in need of healthy food.
Skin prep: Double cleansing, toner, eye serum and eye cream, TO’s Niacinamide+Zinc serum, TO’s Salicylic serum, TO’s Amino Acid+B5 serum, TO’s Marine Hyaluronic serum and Corsx 96% Snail Mucin.
Product claim: “Hydrate and soothe your skin while you sleep with this nutrient-rich mask! Wake up to a supple and brightened face that smells delicious! Made with banana extract, this nutrient-dense sleeping mask hydrates soothes, and moisturizes dry skin while you sleep.“–Tony Moly’s website.
Petty side note: wake up to a face that smells delicious? Creepy factor: 5/5.
Ingredients: Water, Glycerin, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Behenyl Alcohol, Beeswax, Petrolatum, Cyclopentasiloxane, Polysorbate 60, Musa Sapientum (Banana) Fruit Extract, Pentylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Betaine, Urea, Peg-100 Stearate, Phenoxyethanol, Polyacrylamide, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Fragrance, Caprylyl Glycol, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Xanthan Gum, Dimethiconol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Laureth-7, 1,2-hexanediol, Disodium Edta, Yellow 5 (ci 19140), Yellow 6 (ci 15985), Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract.
“10,000 ppm of Banana Extract – Potassium and Vitamin A helps hydrate and protect the skin. Milk Protein – Nutrient rich properties help replenish lost moisture in the skin. Chamomile Extract – Helps calm and soothe skin.”–Tony Moly’s website.
Packaging: I mean, let’s be honest. The packaging is the reason why I bought this mask on a whim. Aside from the fact that I adore Tony Moly’s other masks, the Appletox honey sleeping mask was the best sleeping mask I had ever tried. Even better than Laneige’s Water bank sleeping mask! I’m so devastated it has since been discontinued. I also like Tony Moly’s Tomatox mask.
I remember I was perusing my local T&T market and I saw this mask and fell in love with the ultra-realistic, super cute and extremely gimmicky packaging. Plus, bananas are so good for the skin! I even paid way more than what I would’ve paid if I bought it off eBay.
Thankfully, the contents meet the packaging expectations: amazing.
Texture: A thick, dense cream. You can definitely feel the moisture content and the richness but it isn’t heavy, or greasy and it doesn’t slip around the face. It wasn’t tacky or sticky either and it absorbed in a reasonable amount of time, while still keeping the face well hydrated.
Smell: Like banana candy. Or, if you were lucky enough (or sick enough) as a kid, you had banana cough medicine. It was like liquid candy and I remember always being eager to take my medication, just to have a taste. It isn’t a sickly sweet or plastic-meets-artificial scent either.
Affordability: I paid $22 CDN for this mask (ouch!) but you can easily get it cheaper on eBay or other sites of your choosing. Personally, this mask is worth the over-inflated price I had paid.
Did it work: Yes, yes, yes! Finally, a mask that douses my bitterness over the Fresh Gore mask.
This mask hydrated my skin and my face was noticeably plumper and smoother the next morning. I also noticed the usual redness of my face and my pores were less noticeable.
I don’t know how to describe this but my face did look healthy and fresh like it had eaten a large salad and chugged back a green smoothie. Whatever nutrients are in the mask, my skin soaked it up and thanked me profusely the next morning.
What I love: Literally everything. From the packaging to the smell, to the efficacy of the product, I love absolutely everything about this product.
What I don’t love: I’m not going to lie but I am super worried this mask will be discontinued, as Tony Moly has betrayed me before when the brand discontinued the Appletox sleeping mask. I don’t love the fact that I’m worrying that I’ll never be able to repurchase or find a dupe in the future (if the mask is discontinued).
I have noticed a lot of K-beauty brands do this; they release wonderful products and then slowly discontinue them, breaking our hearts.
Possible dupe: Let me know if you find one because I’m racking my brain and can’t seem to come up with one.
Repurchase: Yes. I’m halfway through my banana bottle (banana-shaped tube?) and it’s already in my eBay cart.
Recommend: If you have a chance, I really recommend you try this mask. Don’t break your wallet if you can’t find an affordable alternative. I will never recommend you do that, even if the product is stellar. That being said, if you are able to (means and opportunity), then please give this mask a chance to love you.
Final thoughts: I’ve had this product for a year and used it off and on, reaching for other masks because I never paid attention to the results the next morning. For this review, I studied my face (more than usual) and really did notice a huge improvement in my skin’s vitality, plumpness and hydration. Don’t sleep on this sleeping mask (what a horrendous joke).
I plan on using this mask as the last step in my skincare routine, to protect my skin, when I use very harsh treatments, such as chemical peels, my TO’s pure 100% L-Ascorbic Acid powder, and Retinol serum.
Rating: 5/5. No justification needed when a product works this well.
That’s my review! I really hope you get the chance to try out this mask and if you have, what are your thoughts on it? Thank you, as always, for reading!
Honeysuckle Haiku 
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