Category Archives: Mask Me Monday

Amazing skin treatment for $2?

Is that headline a little gimmicky? Maybe. But honestly? I am too excited about this find to care. ARE YOU READY?

Actual images of me right now.

So an awesome friend of mine sent me a little care package recently and among the other goodies were two packets of face mask. This one here:

I’ve passed masks like these in the drugstore plenty of times, haven’t you?

Looks pretty unassuming right? But we always send each other fun little items so I figured I’d give it a shot.

But its a face mask so you know what that means….

GLAMOUR SHOT!

Shiny yet terrifying!

(i’m probably the only person that is amused by those…and yet i continue to post them…)

So when i was younger (just after the earth’s crust cooled) peel-off masks were around, but I don’t think they were terribly popular. I tried them, but I stopped buying them because they always seemed damn near impossible to remove, and i’d wind up scratching up my face trying to remove them. So honestly I was a little nervous going in, and definitely made sure to apply this generously.

The removal process was so simple it was even kind of fun! This mask peeled off quick and easy and nearly stayed in a complete piece! I would have tried to take a picture of it but I managed to destroy it almost immediately after removal, because I am so graceful.

After I peeled it off, i put on my usual nighttime moisturizer and went to bed, noting that my skin was not at all irritated, so I was happy enough. In the morning, when I washed up, I noticed my skin was SUPER soft, and in fact, looked clearer too.  Since my friend was awesome enough to send me two packets of this mask, I tried it again about a week later and found that my skin was amazingly soft and clear again.

Finding that I was a little sad that I had no more packets of this mask, I ventured onto the internet to see if I was able to order it and what the damage would be.  So imagine my DELIGHT when I found it at Ulta for $1.99 each!

I may have celebrated like this in front of others. I think I take this stuff too personally.

So I have to say, this is a fantastic mask. I have tried a lot of face masks in recent history, and this one gave me such great results, for it to be so cheap I am definitely excited. Especially since this line apparently has a TON of different masks, and yes, some more peel-off ones! So I’m calling this a total rave, because for such quality results and low price, where could the downside possibly be?

Do you get overly excited about bargain products that work well too? Do you have a face mask that you think beats this one? Let me know in the comments!

 

Anniversary Face Mask Mega-review!

Today marks one year of my blog’s existence, and though the anniversary caught me by surprise, I still want to commemorate the occasion, so I’m bringing you FOUR face masks reviews at once!

Face Mask Bonanza!

Here’s the masks we’re looking at today:

Lets look at the Sephora Honey Mask. These are sold individually, so I purchased one to try at Sephora. According to their site, this mask “nourishes and balances to soothe and refresh dry or sensitive skin.” This one’s a sheet mask so you know what that means:

Creepy Sheet Mask!

Obviously sheet masks are fairly quick to apply, but this one particularly made me feel like I have a tiny(!) face. here’s an even better shot of the excess material:

SUCH Glamour

Obviously these masks need to be able to fit everyone, so the excess fabric I get, but the mask itself slid around a lot, I spent most of the 15 minutes I wore it trying to make it stay out of my eyes.  These masks can also be a bit drippy, so I’m glad I was just wearing pjs when I tried it.

When time was up, I easily pulled the mask off and discarded it, and proceeded to try and rub the remaining serum into my skin as the packaging directs (and there was quite a lot on me). I found it took at least ten minutes for all the product to finally be absorbed, and my skin to no longer feel tacky.  Once it was finally done though? My face felt wonderfully soft and smooth.

Next we have the Origins Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask to clear pores. (Quite a long name!)  No sheet for this one, its just directly applied to the face:

Like my sassy hair towel?

This one went on fairly easily, and didn’t run or drip, despite having a thinner texture. It did dry, but didn’t get very tight.  I also found that it was a bit stubborn to remove – it took a couple minutes at least to get all traces off.  I didn’t feel like I saw or felt a huge difference in my skin, but I did note in the directions for the full size that they want you to use this twice a week in conjunction with daily use of their “cleansing powder” to see improvement. Since I only had a sample packet with enough for one use, I can’t really gauge if their claims are accurate. Once I finally got it all off, I felt the need to apply my usual moisturizers, and my skin felt ok afterward, but nothing unique.

The First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Instant Oatmeal mask seems focused on convenience to me. Its light texture allowed it to be applied fast, it only needs to stay on for ten minutes to be effective, and it rinses away very easily.

So light, but oat-filled!

This mask’s claim is that it  ” calms, nourishes, and smooths distressed skin.” And it may not be dramatic, but I think it gets the job done. It contains colloidal oatmeal and feverfew – both of which are great for soothing and reducing redness. My skin felt nourished and looked calmer after I rinsed this one off. This mask also recommends use two to three times a week as needed, but the sample pack I received of this mask contained enough for at least 3 applications, and I felt I saw improvement after only one use.

Last but not least, we have the Glamglow Supermud Clearing Treatment. Given the large amount of positive press/reviews this line has received and its high price tag, I was very excited to receive a sample tube of this to try out.  This mask’s goal is clearing your complexion of  blemishes, redness, scars, razor bumps, and in-grown hair, as well as softening and brightening your complexion.  A tall order!  This mask was not as creamy as I expected, so it took a bit longer to apply, and already felt a bit dry when first applied:

Fancy time?!

The instructions also note that as this mask dries, you will see dots appear where the mask is extracting from your pores and/or blemishes, which it refers to as “Pore-Matrix Technology”.  I can’t speak to the science of that, but I can show you how the mask looks after 15 minutes:

Do forgive the closeup, I wanted to show how the pores became visible as the product did its work. The darker spots do correspond to where I had some small blemishes.  As this mask dried, it got extremely tight, almost to an uncomfortable degree. However, I was surprised to find that this mask rinsed away very easily for a mask that dried down so much.  I also have to say that I felt like my skin felt tighter and brighter after using it; and blemishes seemed reduced as well. The sample I received was small, but I suspect I can get another use, possibly two out of it.

Overall, I enjoying using face masks, its nice to take a little time just for pampering your skin. While these masks don’t all do the same things, these all serve a purpose. The Sephora sheet mask was nice except for the long absorption time, but from what I have read, this may be unique to the honey variety, so I will likely try other versions of this one, as sheet masks can be quite convenient, even when they don’t fit perfectly. The First Aid Beauty Oatmeal mask is a great quick soother, and I’ll definitely use the rest of it up. My favorite  of this group was probably the Glamglow, because of the easy removal and the visible results in one use. My least favorite was the Origins mask, because of its lackluster result and difficult removal.

Is there a facemask out there that you think I just HAVE to try? Do you disagree with my assessment of any of these? Let me know in the comments!

Mask Me Monday: Leaders Coconut Gel Mask with Orange

Its Monday again, so its time to review a face mask! Here’s this week’s selection:

IMG_20160821_214133311

The Leaders Coconut Gel Mask with Orange, which I received from Allure Beauty Box in June.

What they say about it:This natural coconut gel mask with orange extract brightens the skin and improves skin texture by cleansing and tightening the pores. Orange extract is abundant in Vitamin C which boosts collagen and brightens skin, while AHA improves texture by exfoliating.

Recommended For: Dull/Uneven Skin Tones + Blemishes

Though this mask says it is made of coconut gel, it applies in one piece, which is generally referred to as a sheet mask. These have gotten very popular lately, but I often have trouble positioning them, and keeping them in place. This one was just as awkward to open and place as other I’ve tried,  but, unlike some masks I’ve tried in the past, this one was not constantly dripping the whole time, and I didn’t have trouble keeping it on my face, so those factors definitely raise my opinion of this mask.  But, if we’re going to talk sheet masks we have to address this one fact:

Hello from Nightmare Town!
Can you stand the glamour on this blog?

Yeah, Sheet masks can look freaky and weird when you’re wearing them. But honestly, covering your face with colored goo doesn’t look totally normal either, so  I guess its just a question of whats comfortable for you.

This mask recommends you leave it on for 10-20 minutes, and once I had it in place, it was actually comfortable enough that I easily let 20 minutes pass before removing it.  With this mask, you’re directed to “gently pat your face until all serum is absorbed” after removing it.   This didn’t take too long, maybe 15 seconds at most, but it left my face feeling a little tacky, even five minutes later. I did notice a nice sheen to my skin though, and it looked brighter and fresher.  It wasn’t until I washed my face to get ready for bed that the tackiness subsided, but at that point I noticed that my skin did feel a bit softer and smoother.

Overall, this is a decent mask. It was a little difficult to apply, but it was comfortable to wear and easy to remove, and I did feel it provided some improvement to the skin. It was nice, but I didn’t find the experience or result all that noteworthy, so its not likely I will go out of my way to repurchase.

Disclaimer: I received this mask in my Allure Beauty Box, which I pay for. I have received no compensation from Allure or Leaders for this review.

Mask Me Monday: Dead Sea Wash-off Mask

Face masks have become quite popular recently. However,  face masks have been around a long time, even Cleopatra was known for using one made with egg whites to keep her face looking youthful. The search for the best skin care has caused some crazy ingredients to be used in facials; in the 1500-1600s there was lead, in the 1900’s there was raw meat and radium being utilized, and even today, there are facials being done with bird poop and snail mucus. (yes, those are real.) But many of us would prefer to keep things a little bit simpler than that.  (I much prefer to leave snails & birds out of my beauty routine, but hey, do what you like.)

If you prefer the less exciting route like myself, all sorts of face masks can be found in pretty much any drugstore, department store, and of course specialty spots like Sephora.  Since I receive a few beauty box subscriptions (face masks are a popular sample!), and I am always on the lookout for that Amazing Product that will give me insanely perfect skin; I find myself with a hearty supply of masks ready and waiting to be used. So, as a way to push myself to use them more often, and post more often, I am introducing Mask Me Monday! Today’s mask is the Global Beauty Care Dead Sea Wash-Off Mask.  I received this in my March Ipsy Glam bag. So lets check it out!

This sample is a full ounce of product!
ooooh, muddy!

According to their own description, this mask is “formulated with a unique blend of salts & minerals from the Dead Sea in Israel. This gentle mud treatment draws out dirt and impurities from your skin and peels away dead skin cells.”

This mask claims to:

  • Helps to restore elasticity and fortify the skin with essential moisturizers
  • Stimulates and beautifies your skin and body
  • Deep cleansing formula is good for all skin types

The ingredients are: aqua (water), diatomaceous earth, polyvinyl alcohol, maris sal (dead sea salt), algin, dimethicone, glycoproteins, beta-glucan, cetyl alcohol, betaine, l-ascorbic acid, carbomer, triethanolamine, dmdm hydantoin, parfum, carbon black.

I have heard about diatomaceous earth (or DE) before, so I did a little looking, and found some information about it. DE  is made up of fossilized, hard-shelled algae called Diatoms, and has a very high Silica content. This makes a lot of sense as an ingredient to me, given that this is a Dead Sea mask.  DE has an abrasive quality which is good for exfoliating, but the particles are fine enough that they are not likely to cause skin irritation, and the silica content is able to sort of “sweep” the dirt that may be clogging the pores.  At least that is what I was able to learn after I did some digging.  Since it was the second ingredient listed (after water), I wanted to know what its purpose was.  I was also curious about the polyvinyl alcohol, since it came before the actual Dead Sea Salt in the ingredients list. A quick search informed me that this is a thickener and/or binding product often used in cosmetics; given how much I liked the texture of this mask, I’m ok with that.

The very first thing I noticed is the color, a deep grey, almost blue color. Also, despite being a “mud” treatment, this has a very fresh scent, it actually reminded me of body lotion or soap, something with a soft, clean scent that wasn’t at all overwhelming.  Also, for the sake of truly showing you what this mask is like….

Such GLAMOUR!
GLAMOUR!

I really enjoyed this mask. Not only was the mask easy to apply and comfortable to wear the entire time (does not dry up and get tight, nor did the mask drip or run in any way), but it rinsed of very quickly and easily. And my skin felt smooth and soft and refreshed after using it. This sample pack was a full ounce, one application only used about one third to half of the packet, so I’ll be able to get at least one more use out of it, which is always nice in a sample.  When I looked it up to see what the purchase price would be, I found out the full size of this mask is five ounces, so you would get quite a lot of uses from it. While its price seemed to vary from site to site, all of the sites I found had it for under $20. So i’d call this mask a pretty good value. 

For me, the most important aspects of a face mask are ease of application & wear, comfort, and skin results.  With those factors in mind, this mask gets top marks from me. It was easy to apply, easy to wear, easy to remove, and left my skin feeling much better than before I used it.  So, I would call this is an Easy mask: low effort with solid results.

Does this mask sound good to you? Do you have a favorite face mask you think I should try out? Let me know in the comments!