A Mask for Every Mood

Face masks are more than a skin savior. They can also help soften your mood—while softening your skin, to boot. So, in the spirit of self-help, the editors at Estée Stories tested out a whole variety of sheets, balms and cremes to find a fix for whatever you’re feeling, regardless of the swings (skin-related or otherwise) we all go through. Consider the following results your prescription for a happier, healthier-looking complexion.

The feeling:

The fix:

This shiny silver sheet mask is the skincare equivalent of a disco nap before a big night out. And that foil is more than just cool to stare at—it increases the absorption of the mask’s ultra-moisturizing and soothing serum, so it works fast to rehab your skin. Grab a glass of champagne, relax with the mask on for ten minutes, remove, and rub in all the remaining goodness to face the night looking fresh and dewy.

The feeling:

The fix:

What is life without the occasional evening of excess? That’s when this speedy clay mask comes to the rescue. It draws out the gunk in your pores, sops up excess oil and leaves your complexion looking cleaner, brighter and healthier—all in the time it takes to floss and brush your teeth. So feel free to sleep in tomorrow.

The feeling:

The fix:

If you’ve overindulged, reset with this deeply purifying two-step kit. Half the jar is filled with a smooth clay mask that extracts dirt and oil. The other half contains a luxuriously cooling gel featuring a virtual produce department of powerful age-fighting anti-oxidants, including pomegranate, blueberry, cranberry, and goji berry. Applying the gel after the clay helps infuse all that nourishment into your freshly detoxed skin.

The feeling:

The fix:

We all have those days when wine o’clock can’t come soon enough. Next time that happens, grab your glass of Cabernet and kick back for ten minutes with these plush pads made specifically for your anxiety-ravaged undereye area. They flood the most delicate part your skin with soothing aloe and cucumber, plus a heavy pour of moisturizers.

The feeling:

The fix:

When life serves you lemons, it tends to offer up a side dish of blemishes. That’s where this hardcore anti-breakout concoction comes in. It’s got everything you need to clear clogged pores, yet doesn’t dry out your skin: Salicylic acid, the gold standard of blemish busters; white clay to vacuum dirt and debris; glucosamine, which increases cell turnover to get rid of dead, dulling cells; and a marine extract that laps up excess oil.

The feeling:

The fix:

You know the signs: skin appears dull, dried out, somehow it even looks exhausted—so reach for this creamy five-minute mask to give yourself a mini getaway. Brightening sea lavender flower extract (which sounds like just the type of exotic bloom you’d find on vacation), ultra-moisturizing hyaluronic acid, and sunflower and cucumber extracts help revitalize, moisturize and strengthen skin’s naturally protective lipid barrier.