[REVIEW] A’pieu Good Night Sleeping Mask vs Laneige Water Sleeping Mask

First post! Yay! This comparison between one cult favorite and a lesser known (from what I can tell) is really what sparked the creation of this blog. Being relatively new to the beauty scene, I was obsessed with trying to build my very first K-skincare routine. Now, I know that sleeping masks aren’t really an essential part of a basic routine, but I was also keen on trying out whatever I could get my hands on (c’mon, you know the feels). Long story short, I take sourcing for product reviews VERY seriously and it was frustrating to not be able to find a good one (at least in English) about the A’pieu Good Night Water Sleeping Mask.

So I took a plunge and bought a tub in order to see for myself just how well it stacked up against the one from Laneige.

**Needless to say, this isn’t a sponsored post and the views are solely my own.**

Here they are:

Laneige Water Sleeping Mask

A’pieu Good Night Water Sleeping Mask (Crayon Shin Chan Edition)

Price: (Off Hermo.com at time of writing)

A’pieu: RM28.00 for 110ml
Laneige: RM22.00 for 15ml, RM79.00 for 70ml

The price of these products was one of the biggest difference between the two masks. This roughly translates to USD$ 1.68/oz or RM0.25/ml of product for the A’pieu mask and USD$ 8.28/oz or RM1.13/ml of product for the Laneige mask. It’s a huge difference, which really just made me want to try the A’pieu mask even more.

Ingredients:

A’pieu:

Water, Betula Alba Juice (Birch Extract), Hydrolyzed Collagen, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, PEG/PPG-17/6 copolymer, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Cyclopentasiloxane, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract (Camomile), Alcohol, Cyclohexasiloxane, Dimethicone, Betaine, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Acrylates/ C10-3- akly acrylate crosspolymer, Thomethamine, Ammonium Acryloydimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer, Benzophenone-5, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Cholorphenesin, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexyglycerin, CI 42090, Fragrance

(Cosdna.com provides a nice table of what each of these ingredients do as well as links to further information on each ingredient)

Laneige:

Water, Butylene Glycol, Cyclopentasiloxane, Glycerin, Cyclohexasiloxane, Trehalose, Sodium Hyaluronate, Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose) Root Extract, Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Fruit Extract, Beta-Glucan, Chenopodium Quinoa Seed Extract, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Magnesium Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Calcium Chloride, Potassium Alginate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer, Polysorbate 20, Dimethicone, Dimethiconol, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Propanediol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Stearyl Behenate, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, HYDROXYPROPYL BISPALMITAMIDE MEA, Inulin Lauryl Carbamate, Alcohol, 1, 2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Carbomer, Tromethamine, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance, CI 42090

(From Laneige.com)

Thrown in for those who are really into the nitty gritty of what goes into their products. Side by side, there certainly are differences in the ingredients they use. Different extracts and such with the Laneige mask sporting a heftier number of ingredients. Do note that both products contain alcohol and fragrance. So if you’re sensitive to either ingredients, these aren’t for you. However, neither products felt drying in any way and neither products broke me out.

First Impressions:

I had my first experience with the Laneige Water Sleeping Mask back in December 2015, when I was given a couple of sample sachets when buying a Laneige BB Cushion. I remember thinking it was a lot heavier than I’d liked. I live in the tropical country of Malaysia whether the weather is unbearably hot and humid most of the year. Even though I spent a lot of time in an air-conditioned room, I felt the product was much more suited to use in cold weather or for those with drier skin (I have relatively oily combination skin).

I did think the name “Water sleeping mask” was a little misleading at the time. Especially when my sister and I were using a Bioessence sleeping mask (a drug store gel sleeping mask) which would turn into a lovely watery consistency when worked onto the skin. Four months later, I repurchased a sample sized (15ml) tub of the Laneige mask when I bought a full sized tub (110ml) A’pieu mask so that I could have a more concrete feel of their differences.

The main reason I decided to try these masks was that I have been spending even more time in air-conditioned environments lately and do feel that my skin is quite a bit dryer than before. Both masks have served well in bringing moisture back to my skin.

The Texture:

Both masks are of a thick gel-like, almost cream-like consistency. When both products first arrived, I found the Laneige mask to be more translucent and liquid than the A’pieu mask. The latter seemed more like a like a light pudding compared with the Laneige mask. After a while, the Laneige mask does thicken a little and become a bit more opaque.

The Scent:

Both products do contain fragrance, but they have a very mild, fresh scent. I enjoyed both and did not find them offensive in the least. As they do contain different extracts, they do smell slightly different, so whichever one you prefer is really a matter of personal preference. I like them both.

The Feel:

Despite the slight difference in texture, both masks feel almost the same when applied on the skin. I did not find one to be heavier than the other. Both were just as heavy as creams. I tried them both on my face and on either side of my hands. I couldn’t tell any difference in the time it took for each of them to be absorb into the skin. Neither products were sticky, but provided a slick, satisfyingly smooth layer of hydration when applied on the face.

On the back of the hand, neither of the products reduced any of the fine lines (as some good hydrating products would). If I really had to nitpick, I’d say that the Laneige mask does have a slightly more luxurious feel to it. But on the whole, both products gave me the same “I’m-having-an-unusually-good-skin-day” type of look and feel throughout the day after application. In both cases, a little goes a long way.

The packaging:

I have never owned a full-sized tub of Laneige Water Sleeping Mask tub. But in stores, the Laneige mask’s packaging looks well-made and elegant. It definitely looks like it could take a bit of abuse. But past that, I’m afraid I can’t say much more. The sample sized packaging is made of thin plastic and from the fact that the mask did become thicker after a week or two of opening, it doesn’t do much in keeping the product from being exposed to air. However, I do feel it’s unfair to compare this to the full-sized A’pieu mask’s packaging.

By comparison, the A’pieu mask’s tub looks fun and (even though I’m not a fan of Crayon Shin Chan) absolutely adorable! It’s made of thick, sturdy plastic. The plastic cover under the lid does look more heavy duty than the ones that come with many products packaged this way. Put simply, it doesn’t look cheap. If I did have one complaint, it would be that I wished A’pieu would provide a spatula as I do find it quite unhygienic having to dip my fingers into the product at every use.

To be fair, I prefer pump bottles for skincare products. Especially ones that come with heaps of product which you won’t be using every day. I just find that products tend to become contaminated and/or oxidized more easily in jars or tubs.

The Bottom Line

So onto the big question: Is the Laneige Water Sleeping Mask is worth the hype? Honestly, no. Don’t get me wrong. It’s a very decent product, and it performs as advertised. You’ll have indescribably plump, deeply hydrated skin after using it.

However, I got pretty much the same effect from the much cheaper A’pieu Good Night Water Sleeping Mask. In fact, there are a number of moisturizing products with smaller price tags that would make you feel just as hydrated and moisturize your skin just as effectively. A few of these are mild enough that they can be used every day rather than just one or twice a week. But that’s a topic for another day.

The bottom line here is: I wouldn’t say that the A’pieu mask is a perfect dupe for the Laneige Water Sleeping mask (There are some very slight differences). But it works just as well and you get a much better bang for your buck.

So if you’re looking for a good, hydrating sleeping mask, and you aren’t bothered by the presence of fragrance and alcohol in the product, I’d highly recommend the A’pieu Good Night Water Sleeping Mask.

Thanks for reading, I hope you found this review helpful.