I Tried the Anti-Aging Face Mask That Temporarily Makes You Look Old — An Honest Review
As a self-proclaimed beauty maven I’ve never been one to shy away from experimenting with my regimen. Purple hair dye? Been there. Larger than life eyelash extensions. Check. One might think, then, that I’d have no trouble trying a new face mask, particularly one that’s been raved about by Drew Barrymore, Busy Phillips, and even Kim Kardashion. Regardless, I was skeptical and even a bit nervous to try the Hanacure All-in-One mask.
Hanacure is a Korean Beauty brand that specializes in skincare products (just two to be exact) that work to “transform and renew the skin” versus just treating it. Its results-driven ingredients are made to combat and prevent fine lines, wrinkles, discoloration, acne, and more. Arguably its most popular product? The All-in-One Multi-Action Treatment. You may have seen someone on your Instagram feed post a selfie while using this mask because the results are undoubtedly double-tap worthy. Its patented CO2 OctoLift formula reacts to the air’s carbon dioxide and causes the skin to tighten up (like really tighten up), making you temporarily look something like the 80-year-old version of yourself. The lofty goal of this mask is to firm, lift, brighten, hydrate, and anti-age the skin thanks to a signature blend of botanical and peptide ingredients. Anything for the name of beauty, right?
I received the Hanacure The All-In-One Facial Starter Kit as part of a gift package and, despite my skepticism of its effectiveness (and the steep $29 price point for a single-use mask), my curiosity got the best of me. As someone who is used to slathering on my face masks with my fingers and then simply waiting 30 minutes to rinse them off, Hanicure’s three-part system certainly felt intense. To start, I had to pour a tiny glass bottle of the Lifting Serum into the Peeling Gel Solution Pack. From there, I resealed the pack, shook it up vigorously for 20 seconds, and then applied the mask to my face and neck using the included brush. After that, I was told to wait 20 minutes before removing the mask with warm water.
I could immediately feel the mask tingling and tightening my skin and after about 15 minutes my face felt like it was covered in cement. A quick peek in the mirror showed me that I now looked like I was about 100 years old but, despite my horrific reflection (and my dog’s concerned barking), I kept the mask on for the fully allotted time. And while this mask was so tight I couldn’t even move my face talk for the last five minutes, this was apparently normal, according to the brand’s website — and the nearly 3,000 five-star reviews left by happy customers. Editor tip: Whenever the mask felt too uncomfortable I’d just scroll through the insane before-and-after photos as a quick reminder of why I was doing this.
I hate to admit it but Drew is on to something. I noticed a difference immediately after washing the mask off. My complexion was glowing, my dark spots seemed blurred, and my skin looked plump. And while I was expecting my facial skin to feel dry and dehydrated due to the tightening treatment, it felt noticeably soft and nourished. The best part was my skin seemed to glow for at least three days after using this mask, making it feel well worth the high price point.
According to its website, Hanacure recommends using the All-In-One Facial twice a week for best results — so while it’s definitely not a cheap solution, it is certainly an effective one that I’ll be splurging on whenever I can. Shop the effective anti-aging mask below.
Shop now: $29; hanacure.com
