Sisley Express Flower Gel Mask

My travel baggie was almost bursting at the seams but I stuffed the sample packets of Sisley Express Flower Gel Mask in there, because I had a feeling they'd come in handy. And they did. I used them at the end of each flight to revive my skin, and even though I've been diligent about repeated moisturizing and protecting my face during the long hours in the air (and on the tarmac. The flight out of JFK was delayed while we were already seated), it was obvious that the extra step was much needed.

This Sisley mask is mostly made of water, rose water and silicone and infused with a bunch of floral extracts and oils. The formula is such that delivers the hydrating boost very efficiently. The mask feels deceivingly light (compared to the creamy Sisley Black Rose mask), but it's instantly plumping and reviving. You can't see it and barely feel it at first, but it forms a light protective film that traps the moisture inside and makes the skin look smoother right away. There's no visible residue, and since my skin needed every drop I had nothing to wipe away, just let it stay put prior to applying my tinted moisturizer and the rest of my makeup just before landing.

Since I only had a couple of samples I can't talk about any long term effects. I wish Sisley would sell this mask in boxes of single use doses, as it would be the most brilliant and useful thing to have in a makeup bag for just such occasions, as well as for refreshing the face before a date night when you're already on the go. Do note that the ingredient list (below) shows several raw materials that are considered potential allergens. Isn't it funny that IFRA regulates this stuff in perfume like a skin rush on your wrist is going to kill you, while the cosmetics industry has a far more reasonable approach and assumes that people with contact sensitivities are capable of reading labels and would not put iris root extract on their face if they suffer from such an allergy?

Bottom Line: Highly effective, at least short term.

Ingredients: Water, Rosa Centifolia (Cabbage Rose) Water, Dimethicone, Iris Florentina Root Extract, Sorbitol, Lilium Candidum Flower Extract, Peg-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil, Butylene Glycol, Triethanolamine, Carbomer, Phenoxyethanol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylates Crosspolymer, Octoxynol-13, Sodium Methylparaben, Propylene Glycol, Chlorhexidine Digluconate, Methylparaben, Butylparaben, Ethylparaben, Propylparaben, Geraniol, Citronellol.

Sisley Express Flower Gel Mask ($136, 60ml) is available from select department stores. The review is based on a press sample.

Image: Cecilia Paredes, 2010.