Party season has officially arrived and with it comes a bursting social calendar of post-work drinks, overdue dinners with friends, and festive afternoons spent with family. And while it’s generally all fun and games, balancing work, socialising and general life commitments at this time of year can feel like a lot—and when I’m feeling tired, my skin is always the first place to give it away. This is why come December and into the new year, you will find my regularly applying the best face masks for glowing skin.
Because the thing is, as a mum of two toddlers, I am perpetually sleep-deprived and therefore quite the radiant-skincare connoisseur. I have tried basically every skincare product on the market that promises to boost brightness, like the best under eye brighteners, and add glow to a dull complexion (Charlotte Tilbury's Flawless Filter is a godsend). Therefore, I have created something of an elite shortlist of the genuinely best face masks for achieving glowing skin. Whether you want a quick burst of luminosity before your work party, or you want to revive fatigued skin after burning the candle at both ends, these are the best face masks that I reach for when I’m preparing to face the day after a 5am start when my children have been raving all night.
What ingredients should we look for when choosing a brightening face mask?
To determine what actually makes an efficacious glow-boosting face mask, I asked Beauty Editor & Esthetician Grace Day to fill me in on the ingredients that she swears by when working with clients to achieve brighter skin. "Brightening masks are great for giving your skin an instant pep up when you don’t have time for a lengthy skin prep routine," explains Grace. "Look out for skin renewing ingredients like AHAs and enzymes and hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid and glycerin—all of which will help to target dull, tired looking skin."
Many of my personal favourite face masks include vitamin C so I was interested to get Grace's steer on this and, interestingly, she suggests that you should make sure the masks also contains things like glycolic, lactic or mandelic acids and enzymes alongside the vitamin C for true potency. "Unless combined with these ingredients vitamin C won't have an instant brightening effect as it works by inhibiting excess melanin production to address dark spots and hyperpigmentation," explains Grace. "Instead, I prefer to recommend vitamin C in serums rather than in masks as it needs at least two weeks of consistent use to see results."
Grace's final hot take on the best brightening face masks is to focus on hydration. "Packing moisture into your skin will not only help to prevent dryness and dehydration, but will also give skin a fresh, dewy finish instantly. Look out for masks with hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid and glycerin and gel textures which will absorb quickly and easily."
The best face masks for glowing skin
1. Tata Harper Radiance Mask
If you have dry skin, are prone to irritation, or are experiencing a bit of a skin flare-up (I’m prone to them at this time of year thanks to a mix of exhaustion, heavier makeup wearing, and a more indulgent approach to food and drink) then this mask will help to calm skin while boosting glow. It contains gentle AHAs along with sugar probiotics to work away dry skin cells and restore the skin barrier for a naturally more radiant appearance. It has a wonderful, creamy, gel-like feel and it really does feel like a treat to use. Just massage it onto clean skin until it turns white, then leave it for 20 minutes to work its magic.
2. Tatcha Violet-C Radiance Mask
When I need brighter skin fast, this is the mask that I reach for. Yes, it is expensive, but in my opinion it’s worth it—as is most of Tatcha’s luxurious line-up. Vitamin C is the key ingredient, and there are two types here, along with 10% fruit AHAs to gently exfoliate the surface of the skin and remove any dead skin cells which are contributing to dullness. Plus, there’s Japanese beautyberry which plumps and hydrates. You apply it to clean skin for around 15 minutes then rinse it away, and you’ll be genuinely amazed at how fresh and bright your skin looks. Plus, if you use it a couple of times a week then it also does a great job at minimising dark spots and fading scarring from acne.
3. Ole Henriksen Transform Plus Phat Glow Facial
When I want brighter skin I’ll often seek out face masks with exfoliating acids in for a quick fix. This one from Ole Henriksen contains PHAs which are a gentle alternative to AHAs and great if you have more sensitive skin, but still want to remove dead skin cells. It also contains clarifying pink bentonite clay and hydrating Nordic birch sap. To use, you massage it into skin—once it changes from pink to white you have activated the formula and know it’s working. Leave it on for 15 minutes then rinse it away and you’re left with seriously smooth, glossy skin. It’s brilliant.
4. Revolution X Sali Hughes Better in 5 Express Exfoliating Mask
This is Grace's personal pick as the best mask for glowing skin. "When I want to instantly brighten my skin I love this as it combines lactic, glycolic, and malic acids to exfoliate skin at multiple levels, and also contains glycerin to give skin a hydration boost in the process," explains Grace. "Used once a week, it’s a great way to stay on top of skin dullness."
5. Faace Tired Face Mask
Given the name, it’s no surprise that this face mask was on heavy rotation in my house when I first became a mum—but it’s one that I always recommend to friends who feel like their skin looks dull. It’s enriched with vitamin C to provide that glowy boost while also protecting your skin from its environment, but there’s also caffeine for an extra hit of brightness. The thing that makes this face mask so interesting, though, is that you can use it in a multitude of ways thanks to its leave-on formula. Apply a thin layer to prime skin before makeup, a thicker layer for 20 minutes as a classic brightening mask, or leave it on overnight as a more restorative treatment.
6. Summer Fridays Overtime Mask
Call me basic, but the fact that this brightening face mask smells like a pumpkin spice latte means it already had my vote before I applied it. While I wouldn’t recommend this for sensitive skin types due to the addition of apricot seed powder for some physical exfoliation, I think that other skin types will love the way that this sweeps away congestion-causing skin cells to leave skin velvety-smooth and soft. There’s also vitamins A, K and C and naturally brightening pumpkin to deliver that glow that we all want.
7. Simple Protect ‘N’ Glow Detox & Brighten Clay Mask
I genuinely can’t believe that this face mask is less than a fiver as it truly holds its own against some of my other more expensive favourites. It works in just five minutes thanks to a hardworking blend of kaolin clay, vitamins C and E and organic ginger root. As someone with oily skin, I particularly rate its ability to draw out excess oil and leave skin looking fresh and clear, but not shiny. However, it’s a gentle formula that even sensitive skin types would get on with, and it’s a great affordable option to have in your stash when you want to revitalise tired skin with minimal effort.
8. Dr Dennis Gross Vitamin C + Lactic Biocellulose Brightening Treatment Mask
I try to use sheet masks sparingly in my routine, but I keep a couple on hand for skincare emergencies—and party season is one of those times of year when they really do come into their own. This one is from Dr. Dennis Gross is biodegradable and infused with exfoliating lactic acid, L-ascorbic acid which is vitamin C in its purest form, and niacinamide to balance skin. It works by delivering hydration, reducing water loss to protect your skin barrier, and reducing redness to allow the fresh skin beneath to shine through.
