Oh Sheet! With the rising popularity of Japanese and Korean skin care, Little Tokyo once again strikes gold with their extensive array of carefully curated beauty gems. From moisture to texture refinement, sheet masks pack a ton of skin solutions into one small package.

When your skin is transitioning between seasons, it's best to be preventative and introduce a new regime slowly and thoughtfully. Sheet masks offer the perfect solution to this edit, in which using just a few choice products per week will saturate your skin with whatever nutrients you may be missing. For me, moisture is the most common culprit- so sheet masks (which differ from mud, peel-off, and cream face masks) targeting hydration have been a must-have within my routine. Here's what I picked up over the past few weeks while strolling through the sunny streets of Little Tokyo, L.A.

• Pure Smile Honey Essence Mask
• Pure Smile Strawberry Milk Essence Mask
• Pure Smile Choosy Lip Pack, Honey
• Pure Smile Lemon Point Pad, 10pc
• Naisture Tea Tree Mask Pack
• My Beauty Diary Black Pearl Mask
• Neogence N3 Mandelic Acid Refining Mask
• OTAKU White Willow Nourishing Mask
• Lululun Precious Aging Care Face Mask Moist, 7pc
• TonyMoly I'm Real Rice Mask Sheet, Clear Skin

I've always loved dollar stores; not only are the prices unbeatable, but often times you can find yourself some really great gems. When I first visited Daiso Japan, I was blown away by their extensive skin care and makeup sections. Not only can you complete an entire skin care routine with Daiso products alone, but the store had items I've never even heard of, as well (like decollete gel and horse hand cream).

Trying out new skin care products is incredibly exciting for me (yes, I understand how totally lame that sounds). Since the nearest asian skin care store was ~one hour away from me, I figured Daiso was the way to go. Over the course of a few months, I had collected an impressive supply of $1.50 sheet masks, including (by main ingredient):

• Hand mask pack
• Collagen and royal jelly
• Q10 (pack of 3)
• Plumeria
• Collagen + Elastin
• Collagen and Hyaluronic BB

So $1.50 for on overnight mask- was it worth it? The morning after I applied this mask, my face felt just as plump and moisturized as when I would apply a serum. After initial application, my face felt neither greasy or weighed down as much as a typical mud mask. If you find that your skin is feeling dry or dehydrated, give this mask a try and see the results for yourself!

Daiso Japan Collagen Sleeping Pack, $6.20 // I had mentioned this particular product in a previous post, but thought that I should include it here so give a bit of an update on my thoughts. While the texture, consistency, and overall feel are quite similar to the previous hyaluronic acid overnight mask, I find that this product does have more of a skin-firming quality to it. In short, this and the previous mask each differ according to their respective main ingredient, and the results reflect this, as well. If I'm in need of a more ant-aging regimen, I'd opt for this collagen-based mask more often than anything else.


Daiso Japan Natural Pack Charcoal Peel Off Mask, $4.50 // If there was one item that you simply must try from this post, let it be this one for the sheer fun of it! I know that's lame, but hear me out. You apply the opaque black cream to the desired area of your face, preferably one ridden with blackheads, wait 10-15 minutes and peel off the now dry black patch. Upon close inspection, you'll notice micro-white and black beads of excess sebum, oil, and clogged pores! Although I use this on my T-zone and nose exclusively, I highly recommend this to anyone looking to banish those unsightly blackheads while on a budget.

Daiso Japan Decollete & Neck Gel, $2.50 // When I say I'm addicted to skin care, I mean it- and this purchase proves it. Since I'm now in my twenties, I fear the inevitable aging process and will try literally anything to prevent that. So now here I am, applying this clear gel to my neck and decollete either in vain or as a placebo, because while I see no visible differences, I feel much better about using it (*silent sobbing*). However, I apply this only 2-3 times per week, so perhaps if I applied this nightly I'd see more consistent results. In any case, this was by far the most affordable neck cream I have ever seen, the closest being at least $60 at Sephora. So, if you're curious, I say by all means, try this one out! you won't be losing very much, and you might delay that horrible aging process even just a bit.

I hope you enjoyed hearing about my brave venture into dollar-store skin care! I have a sheet mask post in the works now, see please keep an eye out for that coming soon. Have you tried any of Daiso Japan's skin care products? Let me know in the comments!

* I purchased each of these products at Daiso Japan for $1.50, but as this retailer may not be available everywhere, I've included links to various online sellers.

Moving to Boston has essentially dried out my once combination-oily skin. Cross-country flights, freezing temperatures, and wind advisories have left me with no choice than to adjust my skin care routine accordingly. Since I don't want my skin to freak out with something as drastic as changing my entire routine, I've opted to replace oil-control products with moisturizing ones during the time where my skin is not covered in makeup- night!

Boots Botanics Organic Facial Oil, $8.99- When regular moisturizers don't do the job, opt for a light facial oil. This particular oil has a faint herbal scent, but leaves my skin feeling quite supple and plump in the morning. I apply a tiny amount all over my face, usually avoiding the eye area, and have since noticed a slight fading of past blemish scars. For the price and amount, I definitely plan on repurchasing!

Collagen Face Mask Moisturizing Sleeping Pack, $7.45*- Flying from Boston to Los Angeles isn't exactly the most ideal situation for one's skin. Since I had to make the trip about four times, I had been searching for an affordable overnight/leave-in facial mask that wouldn't break my budget. Thanfully, I picked up this mask at Daiso and found it to be just as beneficial as my travel-sized Korres Greek Yoghurt Advanced Nourishing Sleeping Facial... but my eye is still on the Origins Intensive Overnight Mask simply for it's packaging.

Algenist Compete Eye Renewal Balm, $65- Thankfully this was a sample from a Sephora VIB Rouge beauty bag since eye creams are expensive as it is. I've been using this for a few months now and have yet to even leave a mark in the tiny 1oz. container. You don't need very much product at all to wake up with soft, moisturized, and non-puffy eyelids/under eyes.

(Malin + Goetz) Mojito Lip Balm, $12- This has been a staple in my routine whenever the winter months roll around. The non-greasy and relatively lightweight formula help protect my lips from even the coldest of wind tunnels. This product sinks into the skin and doesn't leave a waxy residue after application, which make it perfect for dry skin alleviation.

Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream, $6- The finishing step to my routine is the application of this lemon buttercream-scented balm. It leaves my (most likely) bitten or dry (gross, I know) cuticles super soft and almost entirely repaired in the morning. While this is a fantastic product on its own, it's even more fun to apply on-the-go as a way to pass time (i.e. long subway rides).

That's it for my current skin care nighttime routine for when my skin is especially dry. What are some of your favorite winter must-haves? Let me know in the comments down below!

* I purchased this product at Daiso Japan for $1.50, but as this retailer may not be available everywhere, I've included a link to an Amazon seller.