VT Reedle Shot 700 Review: The 2-Step Mask System

Regular readers will know I've already sung the praises of the VT Reedle Shot 100. Two weeks in, I called it spikier than retinol and cheaper than a facial, and I still stand by every word. It's a permanent fixture in my routine now.

So when the algorithm inevitably served me the Reedle Shot 700, the strongest version in the range, wrapped up as a proper 2-step mask, I wasn't going to say no. If the 100 was that good, what was the 700 going to do?

Here's the honest version. What it actually is, what it felt like on my face, and whether it's worth stepping up from the 100.

What's actually different about the 700

A quick point of clarity first. The Reedle Shot 700 comes in a standalone bottle too, just like the 100, if you want to use it as a regular essence in your routine. What I'm reviewing here is the 2-step mask version, a single-use sachet built specifically as an occasional treatment rather than a bottle you dip into a few times a week.

Inside the sachet you get one single application of the Reedle Shot 700 essence, at a much higher concentration than the 100, plus a sheet mask to follow it up with. VT uses the same silica-derived Cica Reedle particles across the whole range, but the number in each strength climbs as you go up, and the 700 is the strongest of the lot.

The second element is the Reedle Shot Soft Deep Mask, a sheet soaked in glycerin, squalane, ceramide and hyaluronic acid, designed to lock in everything the essence just did and calm the skin back down afterwards. You apply the essence first, let it absorb, then follow it with the sheet mask itself.

So this particular format isn't something you'd use as your everyday step, even though the bottle version exists for people who want that. This sachet is built for one sitting, one application, done. Think of it as the difference between your usual skincare and the mask you reach for the night before something important.

What it was actually like to use

I'll be honest, this was an experience.

Rubbing the Reedle Shot 700 essence into my skin felt like pressing tiny pieces of glass into my face. That sounds horrifying written down, and I promise it wasn't, it was oddly satisfying in a way I still can't fully explain. It's not painful. It stings, but not in a bad way. It's more of a textured, gritty pressure that tells you something is actually happening, which after five months of the near-invisible 100, was a nice surprise.

Then came the sheet mask itself, and this is where things got interesting. It is, without exaggeration, the wettest face mask I have ever used in my life. Getting it out of the packet and unfolded was a proper faff. It clings to itself, it's slippery, and for a good minute I was standing over the sink convinced I was going to end up with it stuck to the wrong side of my own hands rather than my face.

Once it was actually on, though, it behaved itself. It sat flush against my skin straight away and stayed put for the full time, no sliding, no peeling at the edges the way cheaper sheet masks tend to.

It doesn't fit around the mouth. But in fairness, I have never found a sheet mask that fits properly around my mouth, my nose sits a bit too close to my top lip for any of them to line up, so I don't think this is a Reedle Shot problem specifically.

And yes, I answered the door to the postman with it on. If you've ever worn a sheet mask and heard a knock at the door, you already know exactly the look I'm talking about.

How to actually use it

Cleanse first, as you would with anything else. Take the Reedle Shot 700 essence from step one and spread it over your whole face, avoiding the eyes and the lip line, and give it a minute or two to sink in properly before moving on. Rushing this bit is pointless, the essence needs that time to actually do the work the mask is built for.

Once it's absorbed, open the second pouch and unfold the sheet mask. Give yourself a bit of patience here, it's slippery and you don't want to be fighting with it over the sink for five minutes. Smooth it into place, leave it on for the recommended ten to twenty minutes, then peel it off and pat whatever's left into your skin rather than rinsing it away.

As this is the strongest end of the range, I wouldn't reach for it more than once a week. This is a treatment, not a nightly habit. If you're already using the Reedle Shot 100 a few times a week, the 700 slots in as your occasional top-up rather than something you layer on top of your usual routine every day.

VT Reedle Shot 700 vs the 100: which one do you actually need

If you've read my 100 review, you'll know I use it two or three times a week as part of a normal evening routine. It's low maintenance, easy to live with.

The 700 is the opposite kind of product. You feel it working. It's a proper event rather than a habit.

My honest take is that you don't need to choose. They're not really competing products, they're different jobs. The 100 is your everyday maintenance. The 700 is what you pull out when your skin needs convincing rather than nudging, or when you want that slightly more polished look before something specific.

Who is this actually for

If your skin generally copes fine with the 100 and you want an occasional bigger push, the 700 is worth having in the cupboard. It suits anyone who likes a proper before-an-event ritual, the kind of mask night where you know your skin is going to look better by morning.

I'd be more cautious if your skin is on the reactive or sensitive side. The texture in step one is noticeably stronger than the 100, and if the entry-level version already felt like a lot for your skin, jumping straight to the 700 is probably a step too far too soon.

The honest verdict

Thumbs up from me. It's not a replacement for the 100, and I don't think it's meant to be. It's the version you reach for the night before something, when you want your skin to look like you've had eight hours of sleep and a facial rather than a stressful week.

The wet mask is a bit of a faff to open, and you will look like an absolute state wearing it if anyone catches you, postman included. Worth it for the skin the next morning.

For more honest reviews of what's actually in my routine, have a browse of the beauty section of the blog, including the VT Reedle Shot 100 review if you haven't already.