IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser.

I tried a 24-karat gold face mask and it was everything I've ever dreamed of

I've never been into face masks, but this buzzy beauty trend could make me a believer.
/ Source: TODAY

So, here's the thing: I've never been a huge fan of face masks.

I know that's an unpopular opinion these days, as face masks seem to be trendier than ever, but I never got into them because they always seemed to irritate my skin and also because they TAKE FOREVER. While my college roommate used to dedicate at least one night a week to coating her face in shiny goo and sitting patiently for it to dry, I settled into the lazy girl beauty routine of just trying to remember to wash my face at night.

Trying the Memebox 'Lindsay' gold face mask.
Trying the Memebox 'Lindsay' gold face mask.TODAY

Fast forward about a hundred years to me now being a real adult with even less time to sit still and let things dry on my face. But then my style editor dropped by my desk with a shiny new box: Inside was a 24-karat gold face mask. Twenty four karats of gold. To put on my face!

Fine. I was in.

The mask, made by Korean beauty brand Memebox, is called the "Lindsay Luxury Magic Mask," and while it sounds impossibly decadent, it's actually very affordable: A box of five masks costs $30. It promises to be the Cadillac of face masks, and says you should use it to "give yourself the gold treatment."

Watch: Testing the 24-karat gold face mask

What's that "Real Housewife" tagline? "I'm an expert on luxury and I can always spot a fake?" Well I am decidedly not an expert on luxury, but when I opened the shiny gold bags to make the mask and found shiny gold liquid and shiny gold powder, I definitely felt pretty fancy.

RELATED: Best face masks to buy from the drugstore

The mask promises to "rejuvenate and moisturize your skin, leaving it radiant, well-nourished and touchably soft." Plus, it touts collagen as an ingredient, and says you will "experience visibly improved elasticity, and a luxuriously hydrated and luminous complexion" in this "treasure of a mask."

Ok! Sounds promising enough!

The mask application was a little messy and looked like nacho cheese.
The mask application was a little messy and looked like nacho cheese.TODAY

The mask is composed of Step 1: Gold Liquid + Step 2: Gold Powder, which you mix together and then slather on your clean face. Then you let it dry for 20-30 minutes and peel off.

Once applied to my face it looked a lot less like gold and a lot more like melted nacho cheese, so the actual process didn't feel super glamorous in the end — I felt more like a plate of tortilla chips than a Real Housewife. However, I was surprised and delighted to find that the gloppy goo did, indeed, dry on my face in the allotted time and then peeled right off, leaving almost no residue behind.

Ta-da!
Ta-da!TODAY

And ... the mask was amazing! My skin felt super soft for days afterwards, and it was shockingly dewy and radiant. Even though my face was totally makeup-free afterward, it looked like I was wearing a layer of glowing tinted moisturizer. (You can watch the whole process here.)

So, long story short, I'm a fan! The fact that it was cheap, easy (if a little messy) and yielded real results sealed the deal for me. I knew it was a hit when I found myself digging around in my closet for another one, just a few weeks later. Success!