Review: Premium Moisturising Ampoule Mask (APLB)

This product was gifted to me as an event competition prize. I was not paid for this review and affiliate links are not used in this post.

How often do you sheet mask? I have a massive collection of them but I’m usually pretty lazy with it. Lately though, I’ve been trying to work through my stash before it all expires so I’ve been masking almost every night. It gives me the opportunity to just close my eyes and chill for a moment, which is pretty important for me and my high anxiety personality.

One of the masks that I’ve been really enjoying is the Premium Moisturising Ampoule Mask from APLB, which comes in a set of five. You can get it in three different colour variations (Blue, Yellow and Pink) which are all targeted for different skin concerns.

This is actually my last APLB review (for now) out of the package that StyleStory had sent to me. In general, I have had mixed opinions with this brand – although they are all good, their formulas are generally targeted for sensitive skin so some were too gentle for me. My personal favourite would be their Blackout Perfect Cleansing Oil (which I also wrote about here) and these sheet masks would fall a close second!

If you’d like to check this out, this is available on StyleStory for AUD$29.95 or is currently on sale for AUD$24.95! Before you jump onto their website though, let’s kick into this review.

Product Description

The Pink variant of the APLB Premium Moisturising Ampoule Mask is targeted to minimising the appearance of visible pores, along with boosting hydration and elasticity. This mask claims to be “made on a base of three types of Centella Asiatica complex” as well as providing “deep hydration and rich nutrition to maintain the optimal balance of oil and moisture in the skin.” It is especially suitable for people who are concerned with break outs or enlarged pores.

Star ingredients (taken from the StyleStory website) include:

Centella 3X Complex (Madecassic Acid, Asiaticoside, Asiatic Acid): Soothes skin, strengthens its barrier and diminishes the appearance of blemishes
Ceramides: Contains lipids and fats that moistures and prevent wrinkles
Squalane: Good for dry skin but also easy on acne prone skin
Niacinamide: Improves skin tone by reducing the appearance of enlarged pores and fine lines
Evening Primrose extract: Soothes dryness and nourishes skin with fatty acids that can reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
Eggplant Fruit extract: Calms and hydrates sensitive skin
Blueberry Extract: A favourite superfood with great antioxidant and anti-aging powers, it helps protect skin from free radicals and toxins
Peptide 4x Complex: Improves wrinkles around the eyes and helps improve skin elasticity
Squalane: Good for dry skin but also easy on acne prone skin
Tea tree leaf extract: Can assist to treat acne because of its anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. It may even help to prevent and reduce acne scars
Witch Hazel extract: Long considered a great ingredient to assist with acne
Salicylic Acid: A natural BHA that works to remove dead skin cells from the surface of the skin for natural exfoliation
Betaine: Act as skin conditioning humectants that attracts and bind water to the skin
Adenosine: A skin soothing and restoring agent that is beneficial for all skin types
Allantoin: Soothes and protects the skin

For me personally, I especially love the inclusion of Centella Complex and Tea Tree Leaf Extract. I have quite a lot of experience using them in my skincare routine and they have already been great for me!

Packaging

The packaging of these sheet masks is in line with the design for other APLB products (they’re very good at that consistency). I like that they have colour coded the three variants, though I would have preferred something on the front of the box that actually stated what the differences were.

The mask set comes in a matte finish pink box with simple black design. Most of the information is on the back of the box and, for everyone’s convenience, StyleStory also included an English translation sticker – this is a godsend for kbeauty fans who may not be fluent in Korean.

Opening it up, each set includes five masks. All of these are, once again, packaged in a matte finish pink packet with a simple black design. The internal and external packaging are very similar, if not the same.

The good thing about the packaging is that the quality is really nice. When I was using the masks, I felt that the material of the actual packet was quite thick and I liked the matte finish too – it gave the product a more luxe feel. Although the box shape and the mask packet is very basic, I feel like this adds to the luxury feel. It is definitely something that would look nice as a gift.

Personal Experiences

When I went to use this mask, my immediate thought was that the material was very thin and adhered well to the face. It is packaged with an added plastic protector (to help keep the shape, I think) and some people like to use this to aid application. Because of how fine the fabric mask is, it folds and clings together easily so you need to be a bit more careful when you apply it.

For me, the fit was really perfect – it wasn’t too small nor so large that I had to fold in the edges. The fabric also clung well to my skin, so much that it can be almost invisible on application, so I could do what ever I wanted without it falling off.

I also really liked the texture of the ampoule inside of the mask. A lot of sheet masks that I’ve used lately have dripped or been messy, but this one is a bit thicker and almost gel-like. It stays where it needs to be and treats skin thoroughly. Although the mask is very well, the product is thick enough for the mask to last a good 30 minutes without fully drying out too.

The results from this mask are immediate and so visible. As soon as I take it off, I can see that my skin feels and looks fresh and plump. Redness is minimised and the enlarged pores on my nose are visible smaller. Although it doesn’t help to remove any blackouts, this would be great to use after an extraction to soothe and tighten pores. There is a little bit of a residue afterwards, but it isn’t sticky – it’s more of what you would usually get from applying a thicker cream. I’m personally not bothered by it.

I personally really enjoyed using the Premium Moisturising Ampoule Mask and I’m somewhat sad that there’s only five in a box (yes, that means that I need more)! I reach for these whenever my skin is feeling particularly irritated or if my pores are very congested, in which case I’d use this after I do some extraction. It gives me the results I need quickly, and is also an excuse for me to sit back and relax for a while.

I’ll definitely be looking into trying out the Blue and Yellow variant in the future but, for now, this Pink mask is totally my style!

Here’s the verdict!

SO WHAT IS IT?

A pore tightening and hydrating sheet mask (sold in packs of 5)

THE GOOD

Nice packaging design
Good quality packaging
No scent or irritation
A good ingredients list that includes a lot of anti-acne and skin calming ingredients
Very thin sheet mask material with excellent fit
Brilliant adhesion
Non-drip ampoule formula
Stays on for half hour without fully drying
Immediate visible results

THE BAD

More expensive than typical roadshop brands
Slight residue after use
Can’t be bought in single sheets
Thin material folds together easily (need to be careful with application)

RATINGS

PRICE POINT | 2/5
SHEET MASK QUALITY | 4/5
FIT | 5/5
HYDRATION | 5/5
SOOTHING/CALMING | 5/5
PORE TIGHTENING | 5/5

OVERALL RATING? 8.7/10

WOULD I RECOMMEND?

From the high rating of this product, you can definitely see that I do recommend it! The only con that I could discuss is that they need to be bought in packs of five and, at around AUD$6 per sheet, are more expensive than typical Korean brands. However, the quality does reflect the price!

WHERE TO GET IT FROM

The Premium Moisturising Ampoule Mask is available from StyleStory for either AUD$29.95 (full price) or is on sale for AUD$24.95