Mask of the Moment: Too Cool For School McGirly Rice Wine Secret Whitening Gel Mask

What a darned mouthful. Korea makes some really good stuff but their naming often feels lost in translation. Sometimes I feel like there's a law in Korea that requires cosmetic companies to use a minimum of five words in naming their product... I guess to allow the packaging and printing industry to hitch on to their booming cosmetics market? Haha.

Were it not for the packaging, I wouldn't have been sure that the TCFS McGirly Rice Wine Secret Whitening Gel Mask was your friendly neighborhood sheet mask.

Too Cool For School Mc Girl Rice Wine Gel Mask, 28g

But, oh! How little did I know...

Price:

GWP for a Php 2000 purchase, though it was so long ago I could be mistaken. I can't see how much it costs retail, but most TCFS masks are at Php 115.

Too Cool For School can be found in SM MOA, SM North EDSA and SM BF Paranaque.

Product Description:

TCFS McGirly line incorporates "natural enzyme science of living yeast, Makgeoli." An ancient tradition involving rice and active yeast is fermented in pure water from Baikwoon Valley and stored in traditional clay pots. This method traps moisture and keeps enzymes alive throughout the fermentation process. The enzymes in turn, nourish the skin and improve overall appearance. Sounds like a lot of hullaballoo, to be honest, and I don't really let myself get sold on such things alone.

The McGirly line is one of their best-sellers and includes: Booster & Perfector (toner & essence), Finisher (cream), Eye Activator (eye cream), Come Clean (foam cleanser), Rice Scrub, Kiss in a Tube (lip balm), BB Cream, Gel Mask and Eye Gel Mask. Click here for the McGirly Gel Mask product page.

This has two halves!

The mask itself is not your ordinary sheet mask. It is a two-piece gel mask halved at the nose level, with a gel material to prevent the essence from leaking. On the packaging, you can see 36.5°C and apparently, it means that the mask is activated at that temperature, or the average skin temperature.

How to Use:

How I would love to type: unfold and place on face for 20 minutes, but unfortunately, it's not that simple.

I was not prepared for this, hence the lack of unfolding photos!!! I took the mask out and as I try to unfold it, so many bits are coming off. I thought it was an ordinary, one-piece sheet mask but it's a friggin' two-piece gel mask with four plastic sheets! The opaque white plastic is the top sheet, while the transparent sheet covers the bottom, sandwiching the gel mask in between. You have to remove both before you can place the mask on your face, so be careful in unfolding the layers.

Two Mask Halves and Four Transfer Sheets

I got really confused and ended up peeling off both plastic sheets in a panic, wrinkling the gel sheet. It was a bit of a hassle but fortunately, the material is not as fragile as it seems and I was able to unfold it again without incident.

I recommend applying the jaw half first, then seal it with the forehead half. Doing the opposite seems to pull the whole mask down .

Performance:

Of all the masks I've tried, this one wears the absolute best! I'm inclined to say it felt the coldest, though it was particularly cold the day I tried it so I can't really tell. Surprisingly, the gel did not feel suffocating and indeed sealed the essence to my face.

The wear of this mask stands out in particular. Cotton woven masks with watery essences do not wear well for more than 20-30 minutes because the woven fibers begin to chafe once the essence dries up. Cotton sheets with milky essences fare better, but also get a bit irritating if worn for too long. I had no problem with this mask, and I think it's because the gel sheet felt super smooth against my soaked skin.

Keep calm and take a mask selfie!

My only qualm is that the weight of the gel plus the excess essence worked with gravity to lubricate this mask down and off my face. As the essence gradually dried up, I was finally able to stop fidgeting and tugging it back in place.

Lasting Power:

I wore it for 45 minutes. It felt very comfortable as I was wearing it but as is usually the case with extending mask wear, it seemed to have shrunk on my face. I felt a small relief from recirculation after taking it off.

Edge:

The gel material. It might be a great idea to use the McGirly mask with eye and lip masks, which are usually in gel form already. Just shove straws up your nostrils so you have breathing holes.

Rebuy:

Yes! But not for everyday use, maybe as a monthly special.

Beauty by Tellie score: 4.5 / 5 - It stands out from the typical sheet mask lineup that I'm willing to pay up to Php 200 for this, whereas my mask budget is Php 50 and below.

The gel sheet is something different, and a welcome improvement over typical sheet masks. I love that it doesn't suffocate; I expected that it would. However, cotton masks aren't really that huge of a hassle to begin with. If you're content with cotton, this product might just be a novelty item to try instead of a staple to stock up on.

For purely practical reasons, I wouldn't recommend it for everyday use. Yet even as an everyday mask-wearer, I still love it and plan to repurchase for the occasional spoil-day.

Ingredient list (28g) Expires: 2015 / 06 / 08

You may visit the TCFS website at TooCoolForSchool.com.ph,
their Facebook page; Too Cool For School - Philippines, and
follow them on Twitter; @TooCoolGirlPH