Earlier in the week I was contacted by the PR behind Spacemasks*, and asked if I would like to try one for myself. I had never heard of the brand before, nor did I have any idea what the difference between "spacemasks" and regular eye masks was, I felt intrigued and curious about them, and agreed to try one for myself. 

Spacemasks intend on providing an escape from the hectic daily lives of citizens everywhere, and after an exceptionally long week at work I was very excited to try one. But what exactly are Spacemasks and do they really work? These are questions I hope to answer in today's review!

WHAT ARE THEY?
In short, Spacemasks are interstellar themed heated eye masks with soft cotton loops that rest on your ears. They contain iron particles, that supposedly react with oxygen molecules in the atmosphere to self-heat. Almost like a heat patch for sore backs and muscles, and trust me, I know a lot about those. The heat from the mask aims to relieve tiredness and eye strain, helping you relax before sleep. The space gimmick is the main centrepiece of the mask, with directions that describe the heat as "other-worldly warmth while your mind floats in space." It's kind of cute, and as someone who enjoys everything about space and astronomy I can appreciate the puns and space language. The actual mask itself is decorated with cute star appliques too, and has a very sweet, floral smell because of the essence of jasmine it contains.




HOW DO YOU USE THEM?
Simple - peel them out of the packet, unfold, loop around your ears and wait for the mask to begin warming up. Relax for fifteen minutes or so and presto! As cute as they are, and as fun as the instructions are, they could be a little clearer. I'm still not sure when you're supposed to use the mask, or for how long, or whether you can use it again. From my experiences with heat patches, I know you aren't supposed to sleep in them. I can appreciate the masks as a relaxation tool I really don't fancy snuggling into bed, getting cosy, popping the mask on and getting ready to nod off only to have to wake myself up and take it off again.  I also think it's far too pretty to use once, only to throw it away after you've used it. but maybe that's just the thrifty side of my brain kicking in. However, what I will say is that they are a very cute self-care tool, and I would definitely use this on a day where I've been struggling with my MH.

DO THEY ACTUALLY WORK?
The jury is still out on this one. I used mine this morning when my brain was still in that "half-asleep but semi-conscious" state of mind. I wanted to see whether it would help me get back to sleep or wake me up completely, and I experienced the latter.  After using it, I felt more alert and more awake, which is definitely the opposite effect the mask is supposed to induce! But I have spent the rest of the day feeling relaxed and at ease. At certain points I did find the heat a little too warm and uncomfortable, and my eyes started to water from the heat. I did manage to stop focusing, and start relaxing after a while, but not enough to make me want to fall asleep again. Usually by the time I got to bed I'm completely and utterly exhausted, so as I mentioned above, I'm not sure how thrilled I would be about relaxing with this mask on, on the cusp of sleep, only to take it off and have to get cosy again. But then again, I am one of those people who needs to fall asleep straight away or else I'm awake, and once I'm awake I can't sleep again. I do think they would benefit other consumers however, like new mums who savour any opportunity to sleep, or people who really suffer with troubled sleep and other sleep related problems.




WOULD I USE THEM AGAIN?
I would definitely consider trying one of these masks again, but maybe during the winter, or when I'm struggling to sleep because of exam and essay anxiety. They retail for £15 for 5 masks, which is £3 per mask. If you're curious about trying them, you should definitely give them a go, but at this point I'm still not sure whether I would purchase them unless I truly believed I needed them.

Thank you to the lovely Harriet from Spacemasks for sending me my very own to try. It was a pleasant experience, but sadly had the opposite affect on me! But that isn't to say that they wouldn't benefit those in need, so if you're curious do your research.

I hope you enjoyed reading, until next time.

Rachel

*Although I received this product as a PR sample, all opinions are my own and I did not receive any financial benefit from this post.

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