montagne jeunesse: passion peel off face mask

 

 

i don't generally use face masks. i think it's laziness really as i quite like using them but never seem to find the time! i bought this the other day though as i've seen a few reviews recently of the montagne jeunesse face masks and as i had a free sunday and i hadn't planned anything (apart from watching the last day of the olympics - can't believe they're over... boo!) i put it on in the morning before my shower.

i chose the deep cleansing pomegranate and passion flower peel off mask as my skin hasn't looked as clear as i'd like it to recently. it's a bright red gel and there's plenty in the packet - i'd say enough for two uses if you applied it in a thin enough layer. it smells lovely and fruity but i have to say it seemed to irritate my eyes a bit. not enough to make them water and it was probably my fault for applying it too close to my eyes (so don't let this put you off trying it for yourself!) but i do think it's always worth mentioning reactions like that as i know many users would rather avoid them!

anyway, as the packet told me to i relaxed for about 20 minutes as the face mask dried. it didn't make my face feel tight whilst it was drying as many face masks do so it didn't feel too long to wait as originally i thought 20 minutes would be too much. after 20 minutes i went to peel it off - the best bit! as i said before, there is probably enough of this face mask for two applications as you can only peel off the thin layers. i ended up putting the excess on my cheeks and had to wipe this off with cotton pads - not as fun as peeling!

overall i'd say that my face does feel a lot fresher and cleaner than it did before. i'm not sure how much of the deep cleansing is visible but i'd be willing to purchase a few more of these to use weekly to see if it has any long term effects. plus, at 99p it doesn't cost a lot to feel like you're giving yourself a little treat!

lush - free face mask!

courtesy of clipper green tea, i spent thursday evening making my own lush face mask and thought i'd share the experience with you all before the offer expires!

first, go buy yourself a box of green tea with a pink tag on the front. then log onto the lush website (pretty quickly! the offer expires on 28/4/12) and book yourself onto a face mask workshop at your local store. me and a few friends went as a little group outing so make sure there are enough spaces for you all if you decide to go as a group.

when we got there, the staff were really friendly and welcoming and explained what we were going to be doing for the next couple of hours. we then all sat round a table with a big bowl in the middle and one of the girls started making the blueberry face mask. i thought we were all going to be making them separately but actually she made a big joint one whilst we watched. they did encourage us to join in at one point though so we all had a go at mushing up fresh blueberries and adding almond oil, calamine powder, talc, and a 'secret blend of essential oils'.

we were then all treated to a mini facial which was tailored to our personal needs. the girls asked us if we had any particular skin problems and if there was anything we wanted to achieve from our skin. they then showed us the products they were going to use on our skin before giving us each the facial and a lovely face massage. the face mask was then applied to our skin and left for 5-10 minutes and then washed off.

some of the girls found that later in the day the products did work out a bit too heavy for their skin, but generally i was quite pleased with my results as my skin felt smooth and looked brighter. i especially liked the feel of their creamy cleanser 'ultrabland', but ending up picking up a couple of other bits that i've wanted for a while instead and will review for you soon!

we were all sent off two hours later with a good sized tub of face mask to take home and carry on using. i'll let you know how it's worked out once i've used it a few times. overall, a nice evening out that was a bit different! thanks to my friend at thisheartofgold for spotting the deal :) you can read more about 'catastrophe cosmetic', the blueberry face mask we made, here.

so here it is...

a while ago, i requested via facebook a sample of the 'big skincare mystery'. for those of you that don't know, this was a pretty massive marketing campaign backed by glamour magazine that encouraged you to try a cleanser/mask without knowing the brand that made it. i think this is a really, really good idea because, although i pretend that i'm generally not bothered by brands, this has confirmed that i definitely am.

so, for the review... the cleanser was a thinnish cream with a slight green tinge to it, but created a nice enough lather and washed off the majority of my make up. i thought it smelt a bit like cucumbers and avocados, both of which are good ingredients for skin (if they're actually in there!)

the packaging also stated that the cleanser could be used as a mask. i tried this for a few minutes (as directed) which made my cheeks feel a bit tight but made my t-zone feel quite clean and refreshed. after this i did wake up with slightly greasy skin on my nose but i like the idea of being able to use a cleanser as a face mask aswell. generally i don't use face masks out of laziness, but given the option to just put on some cleanser for a bit longer than usual i'd probably be more inclined to give it a go.

so who actually made this product, i hear you ask. well... it's made by CLEARASIL?! we have all been trialling their daily clear vitamins and extracts wash and mask which you can find at superdrug for an introductory price of £3.49 (usually £4.99). i'm quite shocked. i would never have used clearasil products before this trial because i always thought they would be too harsh but as my review shows, it just really isn't that bad! 

and the lesson we've all learnt?! sometimes you should reserve your judgments before giving something a go...