5 Masks That Help Us Look ***Flawless
Yes, Beyoncé’s secret album references are still relevant. In this beauty listicle, we round up our favourite masks to use when we’re feeling like going to the spa without actually having to go to the spa, wanting to put mud on our face without the dirt, and having an overnight mask that enables us to be lazier than we already are. Read our detailed reviews of each product (‘cos it’d be rude not to) below:
Peter Thomas Roth’s Irish Moor Mud Mask
Isn’t it ironic that we need to apply (filtered) dirt onto our faces to remove dirt? But since it didn’t rain on our wedding day, we took our chances to try it out. If that archaic Alanis Morissette reference went right over your head, maybe JUICE is getting a bit too old…
This mask is meant to “remove dirt, oil, and impurities while infusing moisture and vitamins,” we were a little sceptical about its objective — trust issues? Possibly — but we were persuaded to believe it after seeing that it included activated charcoal in its recipe. The aforementioned ingredient has a magnetic effect that makes the task of cleaning that much smoother.
Seeing as the core ingredient is mud, the texture is heavier than the average mask, so, we’d definitely recommend applying it to slightly wet hands before putting it on the face. Another plus point for this product is the absence of a pungent aroma. This is greatly appreciated because who would want to put something that smells of a combination of rain, wet shoes, and sweat on their face? Someone who truly embraces nature for all its imperfections, maybe, but we’re not one of those people, so this is great for us. Results are incredibly visible after first-time usage; the skin looks brighter, pores are a lot smaller, and very much cleaner.
Peter Thomas Roth’s Irish Moor Mud Mask retails at RM298, it can be purchased here.
Fresh’s Black Tea Firming Overnight Mask
As anyone can imagine, the workload at JUICE can be extremely exhausting. Sometimes we have assignments that require us to be ready for human interaction early in the morning – like interviewing an international act at 9am. Sure, it sounds like something any other person would hashtag ‘blessed’ to, but it is a challenge. Some days we don’t have the luxury of waiting 10 minutes for a mask to dry, then spending an additional 10 minutes doing the post-mask ritual (toner, moisturiser, putting on a paper bag to keep the good stuff on our face for as long as possible) — not forgetting getting carried away with watching YouTube videos in between the entire process. So, an overnight mask is really all our lazy arses need to keep the healthy skincare circle going.
The Black Tea Firming Overnight mask can be used for any skin type, it’s meant to give a more defined and contoured complexion — this is possible thanks to its black tea and lychee seed extract components that help improve the skin’s elasticity while maintaining its moisture. Similar to the Peter Thomas Roth mask’s texture, this is thick as well but it absorbs into the skin quickly, so sleeping with the mask on won’t be uncomfortable.
After waking up from your beauty sleep, the first course of action would be to wash your face with plain water — you can return to your usual routine after. The skin will feel as soft — this is meant to be a good comparison — as lotus seed paste. Maybe your skin might look as great as a lotus pancake after using this product regularly? Who knows! All we know is our fine lines have reduced by a great amount and we’re hungry.
Fresh’s Black Tea Firming Overnight Mask retails at USD92 (approx. RM377), it can be purchased here.
Estelle & Thild’s Biocleanse Deep Cleansing Detox Mask
Anything that includes elderflower in its mix is a five-star worthy product in our eyes. Cider? We’ll take everything the factory produces. A facial mask that has black elderflower? We need it in our lives. The actual flower? No, thank you. We’re not that far deep into the botanical life.
This Deep Cleansing Detox Mask is part of Estelle & Thild’s BioCleanse skincare range, which is a system developed by the brand that focuses on eliminating dead skin cells and restoring a silky smooth complexion while maintaining the skin’s ever-delicate moisture levels. The mask aims to wash away impurities and moisturise the skin until it reaches the “smoother than a baby’s bottom” level.
It is extremely light — it weighs somewhere between a facial scrub and a foam cleanser — so when the instructions state to apply a generous amount, what it means is to squeeze out more than what you’d usually use to avoid from creating too thin of a layer.
Some products take about a million years to prove their effects, thankfully this one only took under two months for us to see the visible results — which is the standard period for a product to go into full-effect, so do not be alarmed. It’s definitely miles different from the heavier-wow-our-face-is-very-still masks that we are accustomed to, but since our face looks less dry, it has to be working.
Estelle & Thild’s Biocleanse Deep Cleansing Detox Mask retails at RM171, it can be purchased here.
Herbivore Botanicals Blue Tansy AHA + BHA Resurfacing Clay Mask
Using masks a few times a week is encouraged as it helps remove dead skin and ‘Ye knows we have too much deadness. The Resurfacing Clarity mask is made with white willow bark — a natural beta hydroxy acid (BHA) — that’s high in salicylic acid, whose priority is to unclog pores. There are also multiple fruit enzymes in this mask’s recipe that help exfoliate, and blue tansy oil that’s high in Azulene, which doubles as an anti-inflammatory to reduce redness and soothe irritated skin.
Despite the fancy-could-these-be-medicinal ingredients, it has a rather refreshing scent; the texture of the mask itself is light, it tingles during the first couple of applications but that’s just because it’s setting into the skin.
Herbivore Botanicals Blue Tansy AHA + BHA Resurfacing Clay Mask retails at USD48 (approx. RM194), it can be purchased here.
June Jacobs’ Mandarin Moisture Masque
For the final product of the mask-themed list is June Jacobs’ Mandarin Moisture Masque. Does it smell like mandarin oranges? Yes. Is it bad? Depends on your tolerance for sweet scents, but we dig it. It’s made with a blend of white, red, and green tea extracts combined with goji berry, pomegranate, and grape seed extracts that’s supposedly meant to fight against any signs of premature ageing — something that everyone will have to deal with eventually, so why not delay the process?
The masque feels quite similar to a gel’s texture; it’s also very light, it has a cooling effect and the mandarin scent makes it all the more refreshing. Since June Jacobs is a spa company, you can trust their products to have the same relaxing feeling that spas give. We wouldn’t claim this masque to leave drastic changes to our face, but it’s lovely to use a couple of days within the week when we’re looking to pamper ourselves without actually having to spend tons of money at a spa.
June Jacobs’ Mandarin Moisture Masque retails at RM297, it can be purchased here.