Omorovicza is one of my all time favorite brands. The brand uses Hungarian thermal waters rich in minerals as the base of their brand and products. I don't know what it is but that Hungarian thermal water is magical for my skin. I've tried the majority of their products to date & I'm always excited to try a new launch. The Midnight Radiance Mask came out late last year. It started as a SpaceNK exclusive then became more readily available. Because it's a non-daily use product it took me a while to truly play with it and figure out how it performed best. Details per Omorovicza:
Awaken to a radiant glow with this brightening overnight mask. Formulated with active ingredients, Sand Lily and Salicylic Acid, the gel texture melts into the skin, gently exfoliating whilst promoting cell renewal and fighting hyperpigmentation. Stubborn discolouration seems to vanish whilst hydration and oil levels are balanced, revealing a brighter, smoother, more even-toned complexion.
Directions For best results apply a thin, even layer in the evening following cleansing and toning. Leave on overnight and cleanse your face as normal the following morning. Use 2 - 3 times a week to maintain a brighter, more even-toned complexion. Skin types: Oily, Combination/Normal
Active Ingredients
- Salicylic acid, also known as Beta Hydroxy Acid, exfoliates the surface of the skin leaving it smooth and soft; it also enhances cell renewal and improves pigmentation issues.
- Sand Lily reduces the size of dark spots by inhibiting the production of melanin.
- Red Alga and Sodium Hyaluronate lock in moisture during sleep and provide long lasting hydration.
- Copper Gluconate regulates the production of sebum
- Omorovicza’s patented Healing Concentrate™ delivery system leaves skin firmer, more supple and younger-looking.
Midnight Radiance Mask has a thin gel texture & a pale blue hue. I'm guessing the blue comes from the copper gluconate. This mask does have a light scent. It's slightly floral with a hint of citrus. This comes packaged in a heavy weight luxe glass jar. The texture is thin enough that this could have easily been placed in a tube or pump (my favorite packaging). The glass jar is in line line with Omorovicza's normal aesthetic & most consumers like a glass pot for a mask due to the luxury look and feel.
This is designed to be a sleeping mask. I never liked sleeping masks until early last year. I never understood the concept. I figure just put the sleeping mask ingredients in a cream or serum and just use that so why add this extra step to a routine. I've tried different forms of sleeping masks and some work really well over a cream, some do not. Most of the sleeping masks I've tried have some kind of extra hydration like hyaluronic acid and exfoliate with some form of alyphahydroxy (AHA) or betahydroxy acid (BHA). The result is an extra glowy complexion in the morning. At least that's the goal of most sleeping masks.
This sleeping mask lightly exfoliates with BHA while adding extra hydration from sodium hyaluronate and red algae. This mask uses willow bark extract and salicylic acid to lightly exfoliate and decongest the skin and pores. BHA help unclog pores and clear them out. Sand Lily is interesting. It works by inhibiting pro-melanogenic effects of the neuropeptide Substance P, inhibiting the POMC messenger--thereby inhibiting melanin synthesis. In short the flower extract helps inhibit melanin production. So combined with BHA you'll get light exfoliation, pore declogging and help with brown spots from using this mask.
Copper gluconate or copper is the new wonder ingredient of the skincare world. In the last ten years it's exploded everywhere in the skincare world. Copper is involved in cellular functions and has been shown in skincare to reduce fine lines and wrinkles, help with sebum production & help wound healing. Copper helps play a role in the stability and synthesis of the skins proteins. You can see between the red algae, sodium hyaluronate, BHA and copper there is many ways this mask should be beneficial overnight to your skin radiance.
I tried applying this masks multiple ways. Over a cream. In place of a cream. Under a cream. Under a balm. Under and over a facial oil. I layered pretty much every way I could. This product is not the best at layering as it would pill or roll off in certain situations. It was drying when used alone or over a cream as the final step. The product does sadly contain some denatured alcohol which can be drying to some skin. It doesn't irritate me like some denatured alcohol, there are different kinds. It was enough to be drying as the only layer or as a top layer. This performed best for me under some kind of cream. This kept the hydration at the perfect level for me when I woke up in the morning.
This played best with under a cream not a balm. A facial balm tends to make this pill off. No issues with a cream. The biggest thing I learned was to apply a thin layer, the thicker you apply the more it tends to want to pill. Let it soak in fully then keep going. This worked well after serums, but before facial oil and cream. Cleanse, tone, treat with serums, apply this mask in a thin layer and let it set for five minutes, then apply a facial oil by patting into the skin (if you rub it might pill), then apply your cream. I know it seems complicated but it's not really. I just found this to be the best way to apply to avoid pilling.
So does it work? Yes. It sinks in fairly fast and in the morning I get a healthy glow from a mild exfoliation and pore unclogging. I feel like I would have to use this very often and frequently to get results from the sand lily. Because this is not a daily use item for me I can't attest to those benefits. I do like the mild exfoliation and this is interesting that it contains BHA only. Most do AHA as well. So those who hate AHA might try this. This can work for dry skin if you layer it right. This product really shines for oily to combination skin types. Or those who have dull skin and hyper-pigmentation issues. This will be in more heavy rotation during the summer. I really liked this for a one time pore clearing radiance increasing overnight treatment.
Ingredients
Aqua (Water), Glycerin, Propanediol, Alcohol Denat., Yeast Extract, Sodium Levulinate, Sclerotium Gum, Carbomer, Chondrus Crispus Powder (Carrageenan), Sodium Anisate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Kaolin, Benzyl Alcohol, Salix Nigra (Willow) Bark Extract, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Salicylic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Parfum (Fragrance), Copper Gluconate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Phospholipids, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Benzyl Salicylate, Linalool, Limonene, Pancratium Maritimum Extract, Geraniol, Citronellol, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil