It looks bad. I know.
I have no idea what this brand was thinking. I mean, there is literally no reason that this sheet mask needs to be black, and to be honest, the first time I tried it, I was so thoroughly freaked out by it, that I could not enjoy it at all.
Despite that, I did approach the brand and request the sample to review and they were kind enough to agree, to my utter amazement and absolute joy, so I thought it would only be right and fair to give it a second pass.
My background is in journalism so I have this idealistic view that all reviews must be objective, balanced and ruthlessly honest. This was also the first time I was sent something as a blogger, so I was committed to doing a good job.
The brand, Procoal London, is a UK based company founded in 2016. It is well known for its charcoal based tooth whitening products and is consistently bringing out new products to expand its range. One of its more recent launches is a marine serum face mask. The sheet mask, which contains some interesting marine and botanical ingredients, is paraben, mineral oil and cruelty free. It does not, however, contain any actual charcoal ingredients, which is a bit odd considering "charcoal" is literally in the name.
The price, compared to similar products, is quite good for four sheet masks, at £13.99. The company also sent me a 20% off discount code* that expires 12 March, 2019 (T&Cs apply).
I want to point out that I am new to sheet masks, so I am not comparing them to anything I have used before. There were no expectations. With that said, let's break it down.
Caveat - My skin is normal (sometimes tends to be dry, but not right now). it is not dehydrated either.
Packaging (4 out of 5)
The packaging is sleek. It' pretty, it's functional; I like it.
First Impressions (3 out of 5)
Feel (4 out of 5)
The mask feels very nice on the skin. It is soft and moulds easily to the face. I think it is made of paper but feels more like wet felt so it's got a bit of a velvety vibe going. It does not stick very well around the mouth and dried above the top lip rather quickly. I think it was all the breathing, so expect it is not unique to this mask. It is quite cooling which felt very nice, despite the snowy weather. I am sure that it would feel very nice on a congested or inflamed face. Mine is not, so I can only infer.
Scent (3 out of 5)
So this is a bit weird. The first time I used it, the mask smelled of lemon. It was subtle but I did not like it. The subsequent ones did not. I really gave it a good smell test and nothing, so whatever fragrance is in there is so subtle, it will probably not bother those who prefer fragrance free skincare.
Results (4 out of 5)
My skin felt cooled but a bit tight and tacky at first. After the serum dried down, my skin did feel soft and smooth but it did not blow my mind, to be honest.
Ingredients (4 out of 5)
The sheet mask contains 25ml of serum made up of:
Aqua, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Lecithin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Alteromonas Ferment Extract, Panthenol, Hydroxyacetophenone, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Polyacrylate, Phenoxyethanol, Xanthan Gum, Peg-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Hydrolyzed Rice Bran Extract, Fragrance, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate.
Nothing bad in there. No charcoal of any kind though, which is weird considering the name of the thing. A few interesting ingredients.
Website (4 out of 5)
Clear. Transparent. Easy to navigate. All ingredients clearly displayed. For me, one of the most important and telling elements on a website is the contact page - can you call the brand directly or do they have to fill in that annoying form so they can avoid their customers? This site has both, so you can choose how to engage with the brand. I like that a lot. But there are typos, and typos break my pedantic little heart.
Final Thoughts (3.5 out of 5)
I enjoyed this mask. I will test it again when my face is feeling more yuck, to see if it has more of an effect. But for now, my face was already in pretty good shape considering the weather and the stress of moving house, so the mask was not earth shattering, but overall it was OK. **
Is it worth it? Yea. I reckon it's worth a go. To buy this mask, or to see the range, visit the Procoal London Website.
*Affiliate link
** That's just my opinion. It is subject to change (or not), based on further testing, changes in skin condition etc.