As you all know, I’m a sucker for packaging. I think most bloggers are, when you have to take multiple pictures you want it to be able to sell itself upfront. Summer Fridays just looks so damn good in photos that I cannot stop taking pictures. If you follow me on Instagram you know there was one point that all I took photos of were this babies. It has one of the best packaging for flatlays, and it’s minimalistic look makes it so easy to put alongside other products. Influencer marketing is wild, I can’t believe how big this skincare brand got so quickly, but that’s the power of Instagram. The thing is that most of the masks I will continue to repurchase.
Marianna Hewitt and Lauren Ireland Gores mentioned that when designing Summer Friday’s first product, jet lag mask, that they wanted it to be good for flatlays on Instagram – I just love that fun fact so much.
Jet Lag Mask | $48
I will never not have this mask because it’s the perfect all-purpose mask. I was getting low, purposely leaving the crunched up tube on the bathroom vanity so that my boyfriend would know that I would be buying it again soon and he surprised me with a new tube the other day. If that ain’t love then I have no idea what love is. Is there anything better than a box being delivered on your summer friday (normally don’t get fridays off, but we got this one) and it’s jet lag mask and you have 4 days off? God damn it was perfect.
To be honest I feel so bad for people that say this breaks them out or they can’t use it because it’s a holy grail for me. It’s a perfect overnight mask, I love using this instead of a moisturizer on nights when I feel a little dehydrated or extra tired. I also love using this when I’m really lazy because it feels like I’m doing more for my skin then just throwing on a moisturizer. I will say though that I don’t think I could use this every night because it is pretty heavy and I think it would clog my skin if I slept in it nightly.
I also love putting this in the fridge or freezer on hot ass summer days and putting it under your eyes or all over your face. I’d say just be careful about using it under your eyes too often, I’m pretty sure it did give me some milia (those annoying white bumps,) when I used it too many days in a row.
The other way I use this is as a primer, which is not my favorite way to use it. You have to be careful about not putting too much on because it will pill up if you put a thick layer on. I also have huge pores and it’s not pore filling so it doesn’t do much for me when it comes to primer. I do absolutely love mixing this with sunscreen though because it’s hydrating and that slightly minty smell is heaven to me. Give me all the mint products!
Overtime Mask | $44
I absolutely love this mask, I’m running dangerously low right now and it’s stressing me out. When I first got this I thought it was a rip off for $44 to be honest. I didn’t feel like you got a ton in the packaging, and it burned my face so bad that I couldn’t leave it on that long. I’m telling you, if you stick it out and allow your skin to adjust to the level of chemical exfoliation you will fall in love with this. Once this mask settled down and my skin got used it the tingly sensation was one of the most enjoyable parts about this mask. It makes it feel like it’s doing something instead of just sitting on your skin. It definitely doesn’t hurt that it also smells like pumpkin spice, and everything fall should smell like on the east coast. It definitely made fall nights so much more enjoyable.
This mask is the perfect mix of chemical and physical exfoliation. If you feel real clogged and nasty you can scrub your face for a minute, if you just want to use it as your weekly (or twice weekly if you’re like me) scrub then quickly scrub as you’re putting it on and let the chemical exfoliation do most of the work. That’s my favorite way of using it. I like to rinse it off instead of wiping it with a damp towel because I don’t even use face towels for one, and it will stain your towels. Give yourself a real good rinse because patting dry or else you’ll see some orange stains on your towels.
R+R Mask | $52
I wish I loved this mask more, but it always seems like a process to use this mask. Funny enough it’s the most expensive mask Summer Fridays has and it’s my least favorite, which is probably a good thing for me. It smells incredible, like fresh cuts roses, which is the main reason I keep trying to make it work. I love this brand so much that I so badly want this to work for me. As I said, I wasn’t the biggest fan of overtime when it came out, but now I can’t live without it so I’m hoping that’s what happens with this one.
My biggest problem with this mask is that you kind of need to use a face towel. I’m not the type of person that has a bunch of face towels, it’s just unrealistic for me. I don’t have my own washer and dryer so I never use my towels just once. I shower every day, I don’t see anything wrong with using your towel a few times. I have one face towel and once I use it to dry my face a couple times then it sits in the laundry for a week and I forget I have it – that’s the truth. For this mask it says to wipe off with a face towel because you obviously can’t remove it with water because it’s an oil. However, the only way I’ve been able to use this mask if when I’m taking a tub and I rinse it over and over taking my time and use the remaining oils to rub my neck, chest, and maybe shoulders. Basically you need a lot of time and patience to use this mask which is why I’ve only used it probably 5 times since getting it.
My other problem with this mask is just the way I feel when I have it on. It doesn’t have a cooling effect like jet lag or the tingling sensation like overtime, it just sits on your face. Since the only way I’ve liked using this is in the tub I feel like a greasy, sweaty oil ball with this sitting on my face sometimes. I wish it had a cooling effect like jet lag to be honest.
I’m hoping that once I keep trying R+R mask and learn to make it work for me that I’ll fall in love, we’ll see. Jet Lag and Overtime I will continue to repurchase because I can’t not have them. I haven’t even looked at other exfoliating mask for example because I love Overtime so much that I know I’ll keep reaching for it.
As you can see I love most of the masks, and as a whole I love this brand. My only issue with these masks are how messed up the packaging gets after using it for a while. I love that it’s minimal and they wanted it to be mostly plastic free and easy to recycle, but after using jet lag since they first launched and throwing it in my makeup bag the packaging is wrecked. Look back at the photos at the top of the page for jet lag. Old vs new, and it’s a huge difference. I can’t even really take photos with it anymore unless I’m taking it with a brand new one because it would look so bad.
Other than the wear and tear of the packaging I love everything about this brand and the products they’ve been releasing, and can’t wait to see what’s next. Have you tried Summer Fridays yet? What’s your favorite mask and how do you like to use it?
a pumpkin spice mask…STOP. You’re awaking the basic in me. I need that!!!
Giiiiirl, it’s so good. I’ve been out of it for a little while now and I think I may need to buy it tomorrow when I’m at Sephora. I was just going to grab a moisturizer, but I think I may need to pick it up again. 1-2x a week for the perfect glow!