Saborino 60 sec Mask & Quick Hair drying spray review

Saborino 60 sec Mask & Quick Hair drying spray review

• 5.09.2019

Back with another long delayed beauty post boys and gals, this time it’s another quick masking product that I’m pretty sure most of you would have heard of the brand before by now as it isn’t exactly that new but in Japan they do roll out limited edition scents from time to time so I constantly find myself restocking though my current stash has yet to be touched lol. Japan beauty stuff is really dangerous and I think I’ve turned into a local after living here for a year because I’m somehow get so excited whenever I see the word “limited edition” on my favorite or new products. Not sure what kind of magnetic sorcery this is but it works well in drying out my wallet ouch.

Saborino started the trend of quick LAZY daily skincare routine in Japan about a year ago before other brands started following its footsteps creating similar versions of their own but nothing beats the original because of proper branding and constantly delivering according to the market’s demands aka rolling out limited edition collaborations. Saborino is actually under BCL company, their main products were previously just cosmetics (they have one of the best eyeliners & mascara a couple years back) before branching out to skincare and haircare. Ohya, Saborino also recently released their own version of “quick” 3-in-1 treatment shampoos which I bought a sample sachet to try but it didn’t work too well so I’m not gonna waste 1200yen on a full size product (bottle is so small as well).

I couldn't resist this special collaboration with Plaza MiniPla!

They also launched a "Saborino Quick Hair Drying Spray" which i was pretty intrigued by the idea at first so i got a can to try out, and too my dismay it doesn't exactly work per say? Maybe it does speed up by a few seconds if i do time myself drying my hair but all and all it isn't exactly make much of a difference because at the end of the day my hair dryer still does all the work in blowing my hair dry and not the spray lol.

What i DID noticed was that it does accumulate the water from my wet hair to the bottom of my hair strands so that the scalp isn't as wet and easier to blow dry abit faster (again, by a few seconds). Styling wise it doesn't do anything in general except make it more volumized but feels abit dry-ish (not wet to dry kind of dry, the frizzy kind of dry)? 

I would stay clear of their hair products for now because it isn't exactly a "wow factor" and the price tag isn't justifiable for it mediocre performance.

Morning (yellow) and Night (blue) mask

Now back to the mask, truth be told their products aren’t exactly that cheap to be part of a monthly routine but at least their masks are nice to use or else I would be raging at the 1,400yen spent for a pack of mask lol.

Let’s talk about the Mask Sizing

When it comes to masks, it was one thing I usually avoid using BECAUSE my face is too small. Like seriously small or masking companies like to assume everybody’s face is huge *rolls eyes* and of course being a mom facial time isn’t part of my schedule because her highness princess penguin demands absolute attention that includes you looking like you and not covered in some weird sheet mask. Tsk such a demanding child.

Saborino's mask is a perfect fit for me!

Whenever I have the chance to put on a mask (super rare), it ends with me staying put in one place so that my huge mask doesn’t slide off my face for 10-20 mins; which feels too much of a hassle on my end as well so that was one of the reasons why I picked this 60 second mask up which fits surprisingly pretty well for my face size so petite face peeps, you can rejoice with Saborino masks and don’t have to wait so long just to get your skin hydrated!

It’s seriously rare to come across a mask that fits my face well to be honest, though some might complain that Saborino masks are a bit tad too small.

How to use it, make sure to use the remaining essence on your neck too!

60 seconds, Really?

Most people would find it hard to believe that masking only takes a min when traditional masks takes an average of 10-20 minutes which most of us don’t really have such luxury of time to spare especially in the morning.

I like how it’s my TO-GO skincare routine whenever I’m in a rush or traveling because I don’t have to bring so many stuff along and can just put on my mask while I use the loo and by the time I’m done I can remove it and apply my make up. It’s said to “prime” your skin as well so you don’t need to apply any additional primer but I still do anyway out of habit before my sunscreen.

Night Mask, you can see the "Moon" symbol on the cover

This is the original large size packaging, all limited edition/ special collaboration range contains only 28 sheets compared to the normal series which has 32 sheets.

With its high moisture content, it keeps the skin feeling plump and hydrated especially during winter and spring season where my skin tends to be so flaky especially in the morning. They have 2 kinds of masks, one is for morning and the other for night, I noticed the morning mask has a slight minty feeling that one would describe the sensation as “refreshing” but do note not to leave it on longer than 60 seconds as it might “sting” after awhile, the leftover essence from the mask to be patted dry unto your skin isn’t as heavy as the night mask which is more “richer”. The morning mask definitely does make you feel awake thanks to its refreshing fruity scent and icy sensation, a good wake up call for the skin that doesn’t require slapping lol.

I find the night mask abit slightly sticky from its rich essence but acceptable as it works well in keeping the skin hydrated throughout the night especially if you are sleeping in an air conditioned room or a cold country. After getting up I can still feel the leftover essence all over my skin like it clung on as a “protective barrier” but I’m not too fond of the tight sensation that comes with it until I wash it all off. Morning mask a definite yes from me for daily usage but night masks are usually reserved for nights when my skin is in dire need of deep hydration session.

So far no cases of breakouts which was my initial concern, just make sure to wash your face clean before applying and don’t leave It on longer than instructed (60sec).

These are all "Morning" masks, there is the "Asa Kanji" on it with the sun symbol

They even have a "whitening series" 

Next we move on to their Packaging

I love it when brands comes out “sample size” packages for potential customers to try before committing to the full size product so lesser the damage impact on our wallets. They have 5 days mask pack selling at the konbini all over Japan which is actually more as a travel pack but I prefer to see it as trial packs haha.

All of their mask packs are RESEALABLE and yes, you read that right.

Whether it’s the small trial pack or the full size ones, they aren’t gonna dry up anytime soon even if you can’t find a container to store them in. The trial pack seal is the ziplock kind while the full size one comes with a plastic lid that you can snap open and close easily.

Most monthly daily masks that I’ve seen out there which comes with a thin foil sticker cover like the ones on our wet wipes that will eventually lose its adhesive after a while from all the opening and closing so you need a Tupperware to store it or its gonna dry out faster than you can scream “SH*TTTT I FORGOT” especially in a hot country like Malaysia.

The full size contains 32 pcs of fabric sheet masks and if you do the math it would cost roughly about 44 yen a piece which is considered reasonable since an average individual face mask pack would cost somewhere between 100-500yen. So the one time ouchie payment is actually more worth it compared to you spending on individual mask packets but it only applies if you using the Saborino masks sparingly and not every day like me haha.

I still have my other skincare to finish up so I usually rotate around with my saborino mask, that explains why 1 packet can last me about 2 months and thanks to its resealable pack I don’t have to worry about it drying up.

Scent

This one I would need to highlight because not everyone would find its strong scent welcoming especially for first time users so it will take some time getting used to and I have to also warn to stay away from the pomegranate berry pack because that smells strongly of cough syrup mixture lol, just stick with the main one like the yellow & blue pack for starters. So far for their limited edition packs, I took a liking to their night pack (Fig & berries) & morning pack (peach & lemonade) because it smells sweet though some might disagree with me on this lol, then again it’s really a subjective topic but one thing is for sure their masks has a strong scent so if you have sensitive nose yet curious to try, just get a small packet first.

This smells like cough syrup lol

p/s: the figs & berries night mask smelt so sweet that I thought ants was gonna come attack my face at night lol/ kidding

Where to get them?

You can find them at konbini or drugstores throughout Japan, often you can find pop up signs stating that it’s a great souvenir to bring home. If you are doing tax free shopping, which would make the masks about 1300yen per pack make sure to spend minimal 5000 yen in a single receipt in order to be eligible for it and do check that the store has a tax refund counter first. The best place to do all your shopping would obviously be Donki but I still prefer drugstores like Matsumoto Kiyoshi as they have larger selection of Japanese cosmetics (Canmake, etc).

Like how I got my limited edition Saborino gift pack from the Matsumoto Kiyoshi at Kyoto station, it contains all the current available scents in a box of 5, makes a great souvenir to bring home for all your beauty loving pals or for the curious you who wanna try them all like me haha.

This is the limited edition gift box

I heard you can find them in Malaysia in stores like Watsons and SASA, but they do not carry in the night mask (only morning masks available), Singapore apparently has better options. Price more or less the same after conversion but during promotion or member sales it’s much cheaper so don’t forget to grab them!

Yours Truly,