I can’t remember the first time I met Queen Helene, but it may have been as many as 25 years ago. Back in those days I was a Mudd Mask devotee on a quest to quell the puberty-induced oil that started flowing from my pores. (BTW, today’s Mudd Mask looks nothing like it did then.) Then, on one Walgreens trip with my mom, a white tub caught my eye and Queen Helene’s Mint Julep Masque and I have been together ever since.
These days, you’re lucky if you can find this $2.99 throwback on the bottom shelf in the skincare section of the drugstore. Now packaged in a less messy tube, it’s become so elusive that I actually just bought a 3-pack from Amazon, which made my husband very happy since he’s a regular user now too. This also made my mom happy because she’s addicted to the mask as well.
What’s so great about it, you ask? My favorite part is that when the mint-green mask dries, you can see little darker spots where the oil has been sucked out of your pores. It also has a lovely tingle that’s almost like Queen Helene herself whispering, “It’s working” in your ear. Then once you wash it off, it leaves your skin feels firmer and tighter (in a good way) and has a rosy flush.
All this for $2.99? Yup. All hail the Queen!