For someone who’s particularly lazy to head to a facial on a regular basis, I try to accumulate a good stash of masks at home so that I can at least do some last-minute salvaging of the skin if needed. Off the top of my mind, I have Laneige’s Water Sleeping Mask for everyday awesomeness, Kiehl’s for general everyday maintenance purposes, GlamGlow for sucking out the gunk from pores (and it also doubles as an exfoliator), Fresh for calming the skin, CNP for intense hydration, and now, this one from Origins joins my battalion.

Origins Out of Trouble 10-minute mask

I say…

The Packaging: It’s a fuss-free tube with a flip-open cap. It’s functional and there’s nothing fancy about it. I do like that it has a slight matte-smooth finish so it doesn’t slip as much (as compared with a glossy shiny finish) when grasped with wet hands.

The Scent: For those who love their scented products, this may not be as appealing to you on first sniff. It has a rather strong scent of sulphur (which is one of their key ingredients) that can go up your nose like wasabi does. I’m generally used to it after a few usages (plus the payoff in terms of skincare benefits far makes up for this).

The Texture/Application: It’s rather thick, clumpy and gooey, and can drag slightly (aka doesn’t spread smoothly) on your skin when applied dry, which is the recommended application method anyway. Just a thin layer will do – I choose to apply it on areas where my skin is particularly prone to breakouts or oilier, such as the jawline and chin. Let it dry for 10 minutes, and then wipe off with a warm damp cloth. I then follow up with a rinse with water.

The Verdict: Have you ever had those days when you get the biggest, reddest, angriest and most painful zit on the eve of a big day? This will be your lifesaver – it really works! If the zit is a low- or medium-level threat, this mask will bring it down to an almost invisible level the next day. If the zit is a one of those huge volcano ones, this will at least cause it to subside and shrink down to a less red, less bulgy and less painful bump so that you can attempt to cover it with some concealer. It’s not supremely drying but it does have some drying effects to a certain extent, which is why I don’t apply it to the entire face (unless there happens to be an angry zit there). I have oily-combi skin and I use it about 2x a week, and the only thing that has dried out are the pesky pimples, and I don’t even need any extra hydrating products either. I first encountered this mask at the sneak preview of Origins’ first standalone store at Orchard Ion, and it’s one of my best finds for the month. Highlyyyyy recommended – go get yours nao, before those pesky pimples get you hurhurhur.