ModelCo is not a brand that I would normally buy, or pay any attention to. Perhaps I've been put off by the brand name. Now that I am in my thirties, I do not have very good odds to become a model no matter what I use on my face; nor do I have much interest in what "models" use - they can sleep in their makeup, drink all night and wake up looking amazing. They are not humans.
This mask-kit is the only ModelCo product that I owned (but not any more while I am typing this up - the mask is designed for one-off use and I've just used it). The kit comes with a cleanser, a serum and a sheet mask. I got this from the Priceline Goody Bag, which I purchased almost 2 months ago but I've only just managed to get to the 3rd item. Going at this rate. I have a good chance to finish everything the goody bag in 2 years' time!
Claims
1. "Instant", "hydro", "glow" and "miracle" - very ambitious.
2. "Anti-aging" - who doesn't like the look of this word.
3. "Instant moisture-boost" (I see hyaluronic acid in the ingredients list) "& tightening" (and I see alcohol)
4. "Deeply hydrates for a dewy, luminous complexion"
5. Also says "Innovative. Natural. Skincare" at the bottom of the pack. I am not a natural skincare advocate but "natural" seems to be the magic word that got thrown around by every company. Because of this magical word printed on this packaging, I have typed out every single ingredient in every component, and highlighted some in red. I will let you make a call on how natural these ingredients are.
Step 1 - Daily Foaming Cleanser | Aqua, Myristic acid, Lauramide DEA, Potassium hydroxide, Glycerine, Stearic acid, Sodium laureth sulfate, Lauric acid, Glyceryl stearate, Camelllia sinensis leaf extract, Aloe barbadensis leaf extract, Allantoin, Methylparaben, Disodium EDTA
Step 2 - Boosting Ampoule Serum | Aqua, Glycerine, Propylene glycol, Butylene glycol, Hyaluronic acid, Betaine, Triethanolamine, Carbomer, PEG-60 hydrogenated castor oil, Methylparaben, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Allantoin, Disodium EDTA, Fragrance
Step 3 - (Natural cellulose fibre sheet) Face Mask | Aqua, Glycerine, Propylene glycol, Sodium hyaluronate, Betaine, Alcohol, Chamomilla recutita extract, Witch hazel extract, Xanthan gum, Allantoin, Polysorbate 20, Carbomer, Hyaluronic acid, Adenosine, Citrullus colocynthis fruit extract, Angelica acutiloba root extract, Magnolia liliflora bud extract, Licorice root extract, Sophora flavescens root extract, Artemisia vulgaris extract, houttuynia cordata extract, Paeonia albiflora root extract, Rice extract, Portulaca oleracea extract, Soybean seed extract, Disodium EDTA-2NA
Now that we are clear on what we understand to be "natural", I feel an urge to go buy some natural food for dinner - Big Mac and gravy loaded fries!
My experience
Despite so many "natural ingredients" in this little pack, I actually do not dislike it all that much.
Step 1: the cleanser is a shocker. It is heavily fragranced and lathers a lot. Even so, both things didn't bother me as much as leaving my skin "squeaky clean" and feeling tight. The packet contained 1.5 mL, which is usually enough for me to use 3 times. So what did I do with the excess? I double cleansed. So, it's a double shocker.
Step 2: the serum feels like a thick, viscous water. Clear and not much fragrance. I do not exactly understand the necessity of the second step (doesn't the whole sheet mask soaked in serum anyway?) Apparently it's a Korean thing to apply an "essence" before masking. Whatever it is, again, there was so much excess, I put the rest onto my neck, and the back of my neck, and on my ears, and I still had more left. The serum contains hyaluronic acid and betaine, both of which are known to protect against dehydration, but these are the only two ingredients I found delightful. I am hard to please.
Step 3: the mask is made of "natural cellulose fibre" which, again, despite the word natural (and I don't know what it means anymore!), I quite enjoy. It felt a little bit less "suffocating" than paper sheet masks because of the "holes" in the fibre. There was plenty of serum in the mask compartment, and despite my effort of trying to load all the serum onto the sheet mask, there were still so much left in the pouch I managed to moisturise both my legs with the excess. The serum on the mask felt exactly like the serum in step 2, even though by looking at the ingredients list it contains a whole heap more stuff. The mask became touch-dry after 15-20 minutes. The alcohol in the mask did not bother my skin too much (it sometimes can, especially when it is one of the first three in the list). My skin definitely felt more plumped and hydrated. That said, by then I have spent about half an hour on doing all these steps. so I would be pretty annoyed if I could not feel any difference.
After all that, I still cannot relate to the name ModelCo, and I am certainly not in any rush to purchase it at full price ($14). Glad that I got to try it for free (well, in a way) - and I did not mind using this mask, but maybe not the cleanser.