The Masque Treatment Bowl & The Facial Treatment Brush

The Backstory

When I first discovered May Lindstrom, The Problem Solver was part of my initial order. I loved the mask, but while shopping, I noticed the brand also sold a ceramic treatment bowl and a matching brush.

Thirty-something dollars for the brush and $49 for a bowl.

Insanity, I thought. Who needs a $49 ceramic bowl to mix a mud mask?

Then something terrible happened.

May Lindstrom was running a promotion offering a free treatment brush with purchase. Naturally, I qualified. But now I had a problem: if I was getting the brush, how could I possibly not get the bowl? The set would be incomplete.

I dismissed the thought, but it kept circling in my head.

The damn bowl.

I needed the bowl.

Eventually, I surrendered and placed the order, fully aware that nobody needs a $49 ceramic bowl for face masks.

Except me, apparently.

The Experience

And what a beautiful little bowl it is.

Black, slightly irregular in shape, with a lovely gold detail at the bottom. I like to imagine it was handcrafted by nuns in a remote, dark monastery, and that owning it somehow makes me part of their mysterious little world.

In reality, it’s handcrafted in Los Angeles by ceramicist Melissa Brown, a process that takes approximately fourteen days. Not quite the medieval monastery of my imagination, but I suppose artisanal California ceramics will have to do.

The matching brush completes the experience. It’s attractive, well constructed, and beautifully suited to the task.

But here’s where my opinion of this seemingly ridiculous purchase starts to change.

I use these things constantly.

I love face masks, particularly those that require mixing, and the bowl and brush have become fixtures of my routine. They’re practical, easy to clean, and make the process feel more deliberate and enjoyable.

The brush has one minor drawback: thicker masks can accumulate between the bristles, so I’ve learned to use a lighter hand when mixing to avoid wasting product. The gold May Lindstrom lettering has also started fading, although the brush itself remains in excellent condition.

The bowl, meanwhile, has been wonderful.

And the more I use them, the more I reconsider their value.

I have skincare products that cost considerably more and spend most of their lives sitting on a shelf, and fragrances that rarely get worn. Yet this little bowl and brush get used over and over again.

In terms of cost per use, what initially seemed like an absurd indulgence might actually be one of my more sensible purchases.

An interesting development, considering I bought the bowl because I couldn’t emotionally tolerate owning the brush by itself.

Final Words

I’m not going to pretend anyone needs a $49 ceramic bowl to apply a face mask. An ordinary bowl would accomplish the same basic task.

But usefulness and value aren’t always the same thing.

These accessories are beautiful, practical, and bring me a disproportionate amount of enjoyment. More importantly, I use them often enough that the initial expense no longer seems extravagant.

I’d absolutely recommend them to someone who loves masks and uses them regularly. If masking is an occasional chore, they’re probably unnecessary. But if it’s a ritual you genuinely enjoy, there’s something to be said for investing in the tools that make it more pleasurable.

There’s just one more thing.

While browsing May Lindstrom’s website, I briefly noticed The Dandelion Wand, a tiny gold dispensing tool that costs $205.

For approximately ten seconds, my brain attempted to construct a reasonable argument for purchasing it. Fortunately, I regained control before any financial damage occurred.

My current position is that spending $205 on a tiny gold wand is completely insane.

Whether that position will survive remains to be seen.

If a review of The Dandelion Wand ever appears on this website, you’ll know how that turned out.