FACE MASK FRIDAY - Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Resist 24 Pure Retinol Express Smoothing Eye Mask Reveiw

I really have no idea what to say about these. I was surprised to start with at how wet they were. In fact, when I opened up the package I made a bit of a mess with the milk looking liquid that poured out.

Before the mask:

After:

Its hard to see in the  pictures because my eyes are puffy, but I really dont have the big dark circles. So the mask did feel cool and nice and to be honest it did reduce the puffiness a bit. But I cant say that splashing some cold water on my face would not have done the same thing. It did feel nice, but overall I can't say I would splash out the money to buy these again.

Murad Peel, Polish & Plump Skin Kit

I spotted this set on the sephora wesbite (HERE) and I have to say I am intrigued. The cost is beyond reasonable at $31 which seems great for the ability to try 4 products. I have never tried the brand before and being as I am all about peels and masks, it immediately caught my eye. The Intensive-C Radiance Peel has a $10.50 value on its own and the Age Diffusing Firming Mask has a value of $13.50. That makes those two alone $24 of the $32 value. The Skin Smoothing Polish has a $3 value and the Intensive Resurfacing Peel however seems to not be available for sale on its own (at least on the Sephora website).

So basically, this doesnt seem to be an incredible VALUE in itself but it allows you to splash out a lot less by trying smaller sizes than would be otherwise available. And the Resurfacing Peel is either purchased within this set, or not at all.

What it is:A kit with four of Murad's bestselling masks and peels for smooth, firm, radiant, youthful-looking skin.

What it is formulated to do:Pamper skin and indulge in an at-home spa-like experience with Murad’s Peel, Polish & Plump Skin Kit. The Intensive-C® Radiance Peel exfoliates and brightens for enhanced skin radiance—all in a single-phase treatment that is easy to use. Formulated with three cell-renewing ingredients that aid in achieving quicker, more visible results, this peel delivers a tingling sensation after application and a cooling affect once it’s removed. The Intensive Resurfacing Peel is formulated with Durian Cell Reform, a patented formula with single-use ampoules to ensure maximum efficacy. The Age-Diffusing Firming Mask instantly gives the appearance of firmer, more lifted skin, restoring the skin’s natural contours, promoting natural collagen production, and reducing the appearance of wrinkles. This convenient, at-home facial boosts your skincare regimen by improving skin’s elasticity and delivering essential hydration. The Skin Smoothing Polish’s micro-polishing beads gently exfoliate while maintaining moisture, balancing the skin to reduce oil production and treat acne prone skin.

This set contains:- 0.33 oz Intensive-C Radiance Peel
- 0.17 oz Intensive Resurfacing Peel
- 0.33 oz Age-Diffusing Firming Mask
- 0.33 oz Skin Smoothing Polish

 

skyn ICELAND Hydro Cool Firming Face Gels For Forehead Review

Now it says to use this when you need a quick fix. That to me meant that I should see an instant result. I wasn't expecting magic or a permanent fix, but I was expecting short lived results. I mean, quick fix usually means I am going to see something quickly!

And here is the before:

Here it is on:

And here it is afterwards. I personally saw no results. Maybe you see something I don't but overall, I see no difference.

They felt nice on, but for $25 for four sets (each set has this forehead gel and a gel for the smile lines around the mouth) I would not at all ever buy these or even try the ones I have again. It was a waste of time.

Face Mask Friday - Clinique Acne Solutions Oil Control Cleansing Mask

We all know I am obsessed with face masks. That is no secret. So of COURSE I had to try this one. I was unsure how I could go so long without ever noticing this, especially since I use at least two other products from this range. But nevertheless, it somehow escaped my radar until recently.

This is a clay mask that only sits on the face for 5 minutes. Usually clay masks take longer than five minutes to try so I was already curious about it for that reason alone.

This mask is WET. I tried to squeeze out a small drop to see the texture and this shot out. A very wet thin consistency that surprised me. So if you are going to try this, be careful because it pores out.

This mask applied VERY smoothly and easily with my trusty ELF foundation brush (its my face mask brush).

I ended up leaving it on about 10 minutes. I never listen to instructions well! It dries quickly and it had started to crack.

I cant say I SAW a difference afterwards but it certainly seemed to dry out my skin and my current breakouts seemed to be drier and look like they were further along than as fresh as they were. And they did dry up and disappear a lot faster than they usually do, so overall, I think this is a great idea as something to use when going through an ACTIVE breakout.

For me the biggest thing is that my face wasn't red or irritated at ALL afterwards. The red you see is my every day red (sad but true). But I always end up with a super red face after ANY face mask and this was the first one that caused NO redness at all. That being said, it never lasts long and its not something that stops me from enjoying a mask. But the fact that it left no irritation speaks to how TRULY gentle this mask really is. Overall, I would certainly not call this a deep cleansing mask and would not likely make it a regular go to for myself like my St Ives, Glamglow or Soap & Glory one, but next time I have an active breakout I am going to go straight to this one! So it certainly has a permanent spot in my medicine cabinet.

Korres Beauty Shots Facial Masks

OMG!! Korres came out with face masks!!!!!!! The price point is great in and around the $20 mark and as you know I freaking love face masks. And I love Korres! So overall, YAY!!

Korres Cucumber Fresh De-Puffing Eye Mask 
Just the treat for tired, puffy eyes! This calming cucumber mask refreshes the delicate under eye area and hydrates them to improve dark circles, dryness, and tiredness. 

Korres Grape Deep Exfoliating Scrub for Oily Skin 
Whisk away oil while unclogging pores with this creamy exfoliating scrub that doubles up as a facial mask! 

Korres Grape Deep Exfoliating Scrub
This creamy scrub is for combination skin types and has olive oil and grape seed oil as well as aloe vera to leave skin smooth and soft. 

Korres Kiwi Gentle Exfoliating Scrub for Dry Skin 
This gentle gel scrub offers a mild soothing way to whisk away dead skin while a blend of kiwi, orange, and apple juices. 

Korres Nectarine Velvet Moisturizing Mask
This rich, velvety mask contains nectarine which is known to provide intense moisture. It tones, hydrates, and restores moisture to skin with a combination of olive oil and pro-vitamin B5 according to Korres. 

Korres Watermelon Cool Refreshing Mask 
This cooling mask is enriched with watermelon and other antioxidants to add moisture to skin and to revitalize it! And yes, it smells like just sliced watermelon! Yum!

Available now at Sephora!!

GLAMGLOW GLAMTASTIC Facial Set

Glamglow has another holiday set out. I have to say, I just can not get excited about this one myself. Its $65 so $11 less than the other holiday set. But the other holiday set has a full sized Thirstymud instead of 3 of the eyemask pods. I have a few of the eye ones floating around and have not gotten around to trying them yet, but I freaking love the thirstymud.

If however you like this set (the deal is still pretty freaking amazing), you can pick it up on Sephora!

Face Mask Friday - Peter Thomas Roth Cucumber Gel Mask

After a bad reaction to to a new skincare item (GRR) my skin was red, and irritated and needing some love.

I thought it would be the perfect time (unless I reacted to it, then it would be a terrible plan!) to try this mask. It LOOKS like aloe vera (though I think aloe gel is the WORST thing possible to put on bad burns but I digress.......) and it just to me seemed that it should be soothing.

So I slathered it on. It looks like slime and I had images of slimer and ghostbusters. But on it went. Cold and slimey. And that actually alone was worth putting it on. Cold and soothing. There used to be a show on tv called You Cant Say That On Television. And if you said the phrase "I dont know" you got slimed. I now know what it would have felt like.

While I don't think it did anything for my skin moisture, it sure did sooth my skin. I didn't notice anything ELSE, and cant imagine from the way it sits on the skin that it would do much to clarify or detoxify, but for calming and soothing, boy did it do the job!!

Face Mask Friday - Origins Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask To Clear Pores

This mask has a thick smooth consistency that spreads really easily over the skin. I as always use my handy dandy $1 elf foundation brush. It may be a terrible crappy foundation brush, but its perfect for face masks! It has a very faint clay smell but nothing that noticeable and you likely wont notice it if you dont put it up to your nose and inhale like I did.

Now one downside for me is the instructions. "Once a week or as often as needed, open pores with warm, moist towel and layer mask on. Allow to dry, rinse well. Watch your skin shake off the shroud of dullness and take on a new clarity". How long does it take to dry? Would be nice to suggest a time line. And a thin layer, a thick layer? Again, more detailed instructions would be nice. 

Its a fairly thick but easily spreadable mud. It goes on cold but not cold cold, more like refreshing cold.

And my before pics

Warm facecloth on face:

And mud on.

As it dries, just like other clay masks (my two favourite being the st ives one and the Glamglow Supermud) it feels tight when its drying and like you are tugging on the skin if you move your cheeks or mouth. 

This however is what it looks like dry after you sneeze. Yes. Haha. I did sneeze. And totally cracked the mask everywhere!

Now for my extremely oily but dehydrated skin this completely dried it out. I ended up following this up with a moisture mask just to replenish some of the moisture.

I feel like it did clean out my pores a bit, though nothing deep acting. And it did irritate my skin quite a bit. It didn't last long but my face was certainly red and irritated afterwards.

I will certainly stick with my glamglow masks over these!

Facemask Friday - Glamglow Youthmud Tinglexfoliate Treatment

So it seems I have never done an actual review of the Youthmud. Not sure how that happened. You all know how much I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Supermud. But I never really talk much about this black one. At a cost of  $21 for 0.5 oz. and $76 for the full 1.7 oz. size it is a pricey mask and at that price, it needs to not be ok, but be FABULOUS. So the big question is, is it.

I will tell you that when I realized that I had not reviewed this one on my blog yet, I thought "ok, time to do it. Ill put the mask on, take some pics then explain to my readers why its not worth the money". I have never LOVED this one. I have always thought it did little to nothing I realized though in using it again how much I actually like it for what it is.

I think of mud masks, I think of charcoal, I think of clays pulling out toxins and dirt and guck (that is the technical term) from my skin. I want to see smaller pores, cleaner pores, and smoother skin. If I don't, odds are I am not using it again. What you have to keep in mind with this is that is NOT what this is for. If you want a vacuum to suck out and deep clean your pores, get the white version of this, the Supermud and send me a thank you note when you see the results (review of that one can be found here). But if you want something to brighten and smooth your dull tired skin, this is really great. If you want an invigorating and rough without being painful exfoliating treatment, this is also great. It took my using this again to really realize what it DOES when I was not being so focused on what it does not do.

Its a mud, but with bits of dried up Green Tea Leaves inside. It tingles a bit when you put it on, but more like in a cooling and calming way, not in a burning uncomfortable way.

You can clearly see the leaves

Now as it dries it tightens. You will certainly know when its dry by feel alone. It feels very uncomfortable as it dries, and by that I mean to the point that talking or smiling is a physical effort. It is like your skin is tightened into a mask that leaves no room to readjust your facial muscles. It is not painful but a bit of a weird sensation.

It also dries to a chalky white.

When its dry, you wash it off. But here is the most important part of it. Remove mask with water in circular motions to exfoliate. That part do not ignore. It is one of the most aggressive exfoliators I have used on my skin. It feels like the strongest scrub I have ever used. Now that being said, it irritated my skin in the way that my skin was red and a tad sensitive aftewards, but not in a painful way that many scrubs do. I guess it felt a lot more harsh than it must really be since my skin usually does not love harsh scrubs. Now that being said, if you are more sensitive and cant handle the harsh exfoliation you can be a little less vigorous with your rubbing it off in circular motions part of this treatment.

As you can see afterwards, my skin is red (and by that I mean more red than normal, as my skin is ALWAYS red).

Within 10 minutes however the redness (or extra redness) went away. Did it help with all my spots and marks and such? No. But my skin was definitely smoother and brigher after having used it.

Overall, I like this mask. Not as the miracle treatment that the supermud is (and that IS a miracle in a jar), but as a nice brightening smoothing mask. I still would normally gravitate towards a mask that will help get rid of my terrible breakouts, but I see a purpose and a use for this in my life. When my skin is being well behaved (not this day as you can see) and I dont have all the little breakouts and bumps and bits that I did here, it would be a great way to exfoliate and refresh the skin. I wish those days were more frequent and abundant, but in the mean time, I have to go. I have a supermud mask to get to!