There's been much talk of the hour-long, twelve-step skincare routine that Korean women reportedly indulge in twice a day to keep their complexion looking its best, but, seriously, who has time for that?

Sheet masks, on the other hand, are a Korean invention we can totally get behind.

Unlike traditional masks that you spread on then wash off, with a sheet mask, all the skin-soothing goodness is saturated in a face-shaped sheet that you place on cleansed skin, then peel off when it's done.

They do look slightly scary, like some kind of a post-cosmetic surgery bandage, but the effects are well worth 15 minutes of weirdness - plus they make for a good Instagram post.

Here are our top 10 sheet mask marvels...

THE PERFECT SHOT

"I've always been impressed by how good Korean women are at listening to their skin," says Katalin Berenyi, co-founder of Erborian. "This inspired me to create 'shots' of serum for the skin - travel-friendly, take-anywhere masks that promise instant beauty results for all women." The Erborian Bamboo Shot Mask, £6 each, enriched with Bamboo Waterlock complex, is designed to create the 'tchok tchok' plumping effect that Korean women covet (www.erborian.com).

THE LUXURY LIFTER

The mack daddy of all sheet masks, Givenchy Le Soir Noir Face Mask, £225 for four, Debenhams, is a black lace beauty inspired by the Riccardo Tisci's catwalk designs. Pressing a reservoir on the packet releases Vital Black Algae Sap Concentrate, a powerful serum that works with the lace to lift and resculpture where you need it most (www.debenhams.com).

THE BEAUTY-FOIL BOOSTER

A world first, the Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Concentrated Recovery Powerfoil Mask, £16 each, is a foil-backed sheet that allows the hyaluronic acid-rich serum to penetrate deeply and deliver maximum moisture in just 10 minutes (www.esteelauder.co.uk).

THE WATERLESS WONDER

New at Selfridges, Nannette de Gaspe's Restorative Techstile masks are unique because they're dry - the lifting properties of the Neck Masque, £70, are woven into the fabric and are activated by massaging. Plus, they can be reused about five times (www.selfridges.com)

THE COCONUT COOLER

Made from cellulose extracted from fermented coconut water, the high-tech DHC Bio Cellulose Mask, £7.50 each, Escentual, is permeated with botanicals and amino acids to sooth irritated or blemish-prone skin (www.escentual.com).

THE MARINE MIRACLE

Starskin Detoxing Sea Kelp Leaf Face Mask, £12.50 each, ASOS, is a two-part mask that's cut from sustainably sourced Korean sea kelp and with a whole bottle's worth of organic serum added, bringing 72 hours of hydration and wrinkle-smoothing marine goodness (www.asos.com).

THE HYDRATION HERO

Specifically designed to replicate a week's worth of moisturiser, Garnier's new SkinActive Moisture Bomb Tissue Mask, 99p each (reduced from £1.49), Boots, is loaded with hyaluronic acid and pomegranate extract, and it's a major bargain too (www.boots.com).

THE TRIPLE THREAT

Combining antioxidant-rich raspberry, soothing rosehip and collagen-boosting Tamanu oil, Origins Plantscription Youth-Renewing Sheet Mask, £32 for 6, John Lewis, soaks skin with a trio of anti-ageing actives (www.johnlewis.com).

THE RADIANCE RENEWER

Bringing the expertise of the Splendieuse range to an intense weekly treatment, Nuxe Splendieuse Anti-Dark Spot Perfecting Mask, £30 for 6, Escentual, supplies your skin with an amplified dose of the patent-pending, dark spot-defeating serum (www.escentual.com).

THE SPOT CORRECTOR

If you're prone to acne, drenching your skin in serum might exacerbate the problem, but Skin Republic Spots & Blemish Sheet Mask, £4.99 each, Superdrug, won't. Instead, tea tree and salicylic acid get to work on reducing oil, clearing pores and calming existing blemishes (www.superdrug.com).

TRIED AND TESTED

:: With sweat, rain and even tears (hello, wedding season) to tackle, summer calls for an infallible mascara. Our testers try the latest launches...

:: Givenchy Noir Couture Waterproof Mascara Black Velvet, £25, House of Fraser (www.houseoffraser.co.uk)

"It's hard not to lay it on thick with this statement-making mascara, which, once applied, refuses to budge. Able to survive outbreaks of sweat and summer rain, it certainly lives up to its waterproof claims - and even a swim in the sea won't result in panda eyes. But the formula is very thick, so apply sparingly."

4/5

:: Too Faced 'Better Than Sex' Waterproof Mascara, £19, Debenhams (www.debenhams.com)

"I've tried a lot of waterproof mascaras in my time, and one thing I've learnt is that to get the smudge-freeness, you lose a little in the volumising and lengthening stakes. This baby has proved me wrong, however - just one coat delivers thick, curved lashes of dreams. This is as good as it gets."

5/5

:: Bourjois Volume Reveal Waterproof Mascara Black, £9.99, Superdrug (www.superdrug.com)

"Perfect for the everyday, this skinny-combed mascara catches lashes and leaves them clump-free and volumised. Living up to its waterproof tag (without proving hard to remove) too, it's a worthy investment - especially considering it comes with a built-in, magnified mirror."

4/5

BUY IT NOW

The beauty world is fizzing with excitement right now in anticipation of the arrival of Charlotte Tilbury's first-ever perfume. With Scent Of A Dream, the make-up legend has created a whole new category, called the 'floral-chypre', by working with award-winning fragrance and neuroscience experts to blend "intoxicating floral extracts and musks from scent history, with newly-discovered psycho-active ingredients of the future". We've had a sneak preview and can tell you this truly dreamy scent has to be worn to be believed, which you can when it's launched on September 5, on Net-a-Porter.

:: Charlotte Tilbury Scent Of A Dream, £49 for 50ml, www.net-a-porter.com

BEAUTY BULLETIN

:: WEIGHT OFF WOMEN'S MINDS

Advertisers would have us believe that all women are constantly striving to lose weight, but a new study reveals that 64% of women aged 16 and over are comfortable with their current weight. The survey by sports nutrition brand Bio-Synergy also showed that just 10% of women try to maintain their body shape to please their partner, compared to 25% of men, which is all good news for the 'BoPo' (body positive) movement.

STEAL OF THE WEEK

Silicone cleansing brushes can set you back £100 or more, but now Lidl has got in on the action with a mega bargain brush. The Silvercrest Silicone Facial Cleansing Brush, which comes in two varieties for combination and normal/sensitive skin, is just £14.99, and will be in stores from August 29, until stocks lasts. Find your nearest branch at www.lidl.com.