We Tried The Face Mask That Turns You Ugly Before It Turns You Pretty

At the beginning of the year, Drew Barrymore posted one of many selfies to her Instagram page. This one was different from the rest. It showed her with sunken eyes, with deep lines etched across her forehead and around her mouth. Rough, I thought when I first saw it. Sunscreen is your friend.

Turns out, it wasn’t sun damage that was punishing poor Barrymore, but a face mask that would end up going viral after her post—although it was already on its way to virality for many reasons. These reasons include the insane selfies that the mask produces but also, as more people tried the mask, they started realizing it was as life-changing as Barrymore claimed it was. 

Face masks are kind of my thing. Some people take up knitting or learn how to play tennis as a hobby. Me, I mask twice a week and never the same one twice. I’m serious about skincare in general, but I’m heart attack serious about face masks. With that said, it takes a lot to impress me. I’ve tried a ton of brands and tend to balk when a product claims to transform your skin after one use. Because that’s just a lie, consistency is always key to seeing results. Enter: The Hanacure Face Mask. 

The mask claims to do a lot of things—reduce pores, hyper-pigmentation, and wrinkles, while also removing “impurities.” Some users claimed that they saw all three improvements after one use, but realistically you’re meant to see results after using it once a week for a month. The product comes in a kit with three different items: a lifting serum, gel solution, and a brush to help you apply the combo evenly. You apply the serum and gel solution together, mix it up a bit, and apply it evenly across your face (and neck if you want). A couple of things start to happen during the recommended 30 minutes when the mask starts to dry: It starts to tighten and you start to get a glimpse of what 80-year-old you is going to look like. By minute 20, your face will only be able to experience minimal movement, and by minute 30, you’ll run—not walk—to the sink to wash it off.

You’ll probably be disappointed when you finish rinsing and come face-to-face with a red and blotchy face in the mirror. This is normal. Your skin was basically put through a vacuum sealer, so irritation is inevitable—and temporary. It’s when you wake up the next morning that you’ll start to believe the hype. Have we retired the word glow yet? Well, let’s bring it back for this moment. My skin was more even-toned and had a brightness to it that just wasn’t there before. A miracle worker it is not—I was still left with some breakouts—but, again, consistence use is key with any product. And considering I just found out Kelis also swears by it—which is pretty much the only endorsement anyone should need—I’ll definitely be back for more.