The masquerade bal : facial masks round-up

I only have one face, but I use each and everyone of these masks. I’ve been testing them for quite some time, and I’ve learned the following along the way: for every skin woe its mask.

Gentle, calming masks for sensitive skin  
– Pai Kukui and Kaolin Clarifying face mask (*giveaway prize)
Texture: Creamy
I won this limited edition mask during a Twitter giveaway, which is how I was first introduced to Pai’s products. I fell hard for this brand since then. It is normally sold in a kit with Pai’s Kukui & Jojoba Bead Skin brightening exfoliator and a muslin cloth.  It has a subtle crisp and citrus smell which makes it very pleasant to use. Because of its creamy texture, the mask can be easily washed off, and leaves the skin looking really fresh and soothed. It’s not particularly a mask against pimples, but this it comes really handy when you feel your skin lackluster and worn out.
Ingredients: Aqua, Kaolin, Glycerin* Lactobacilius ferment, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Aleurites Moluccana Seed Oil, Litsea Cubeba Fruit Oil*, Boswellia Neglegta Oil*, Sodium levunilate, Sodium Anisate, Glycerin Caprylate, Lactic Acid, Tocopherol. *Certifed Organic by The Soil Association

– One Love Organics Brand New Day
Texture: dry powder, grainy/ doubles as exfoliant
One of OLO’s star product, Brand New Day ia a 2 -in-1 mask and exfoliator. I personally prefer it as an exfoliator, but I’ve tried it several times as a mask and it is super gentle and fuss free. It brightens the complexion and pores feel tightened overtime. What’s particularly great about it remains its simplicity: you can easily create your own concoction by adding honey, milk, or whatever you feel like incorporating, for an extra treatment.
Ingredients: Organic Zea Mays (Corn) Starch,Organic Pisum Sativum (Sweet Pea) Flour, Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate, Organic Ananas Comosus (pineapple) fruit extract, Sodium Myristoyl Glutamate, proprietary natural and organic fragrance compounds


Revitalizing Masks
– For dull/dehydrated skin: Akamuti Chocolate Marshmallow Face mask
Texture: Dry powder
Cocoa galore! Akamuti’s chocolate marshmallow face mask (apologies if I made you hungry 😉 is basically applying dessert on your face. Now the high concentration of cocoa will leave your face with a light brownish tint after the wash off ( or you could say it’s gives a slight tan haha) so don’t use this mask before leaving the house. However, the combination with soothing ingredients such as pink clay and rose powder, brings some balance, hence why I still find it relatively gentle. Once the slight “tan” is gone, you’re left with a healthy and soft complexion. Most suitable for normal/oily skin, it tightens the pores and the smell of chocolate and vanilla is incredibly uplifting.
Ingredients: Organic Fairtrade Cocoa (Theobroma cacao) Pink Clay (Kaolin) Rose Powder (Rosa damascena), Marshmallow Root Powder (Althea officinalis), Organic Crushed Madagascan Bourbon Vanilla Beans (Vanilla plantifolia), Cupuacu Powder(Theobroma grandiflorum).

– A facial shot of Vitamin C:  S.W Basics Hubiscus Mask
Texture: dry powder (blackcurrant color)
Aside from the fact that I look like a bloodthirsty monster with this mask on, and that it makes a bit of a mess in the bathroom, S.W Basics Hibiscus mask gives very quickly a brightening, glowing and smooth appearance to the skin. Not to mention that it’s one of the best smelling masks ever! (Lavender and Hibiscus is a great combo, – at least to me) I’ve also found out that it’s a great decongestant mask : when I have a sinusitis, I barely have the strength to follow my usual beauty routine, and the Hibiscus mask does some great damage control by reviving my worn out and congested skin. When you look like straight out of The Walking Dead, S.W Basics Hibiscus mask will bring some life back to your face.
Ingredients: Direct-trade hibiscus, French green clay, Lavender powder* *Organic

The blemish blasters
1x/week
– May Lindtrom’s The Problem Solver
Texture: dry powder
Potent stuff alert! Made of clay, spice and everything nice, it’s basically magic in a jar. The first time I ever tried it, it almost felt like a spiritual experience. A skin catharsis, it purifies the skin (and the soul 😉 You can leave it on for about 45 minutes, which gives you plenty of time to do another activity in the meantime – in my case blogging 🙂 I’ve been religiously applying it every Sunday for over 3 months, and minus the hormonal breakouts that seem to be immune to all masks and treatments, May Lindstrom’s Problem Solver reduces inflammations and helps my skin maintain its overall balance and health. It keeps skin woes at bay, and I can feel my skin refreshed and detoxified after each use. While this is definitely a high-end product, you’ll see that there’s enough product for at least an entire year. Keep in mind that it’s quite strong and spicy, so if your skin is particularly sensitive you might want to try out a sample first and test it on a small area.
Ingredients: Fuller’s Earth Clay, Red Moroccan Rhassoul Clay, **Theobroma Cacao (Raw Cacao), Red Alaea Sea Salt, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Sodium Bicarbonate, Bamboo Carbon Charcoal Powder, *Vanilla Planifolia Bean, *Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Flower, *Althaea Officinalis (Marshmallow) Root, ***Boswellia Carteri (Frankincense), *Centella Asiatica (Gotu Kola), *Archangelica (Angelica) Root, *Cinnamomum Zeylanicum (Cinnamon), *Myristica Fragans (Nutmeg), *Syzygium Aromaticum (Clove), *Curcuma Longa (Turmeric), *Capsicum Annuum (Cayenne) Pepper. *Certified Organic **Fair Trade Certified ***Wild Harvested

 2-3x/week
– French Girl Organics Menthe Vert Detox Clay Masque(*giveaway prize)
Texture: creamy
I was fortunate enough to win this during a Instagram giveaway, I was already familiar with FGO as I had already placed an order before, (post coming soon) but I’m so glad I was able to try this goodness, because it blew me away. Mint pudding, that’s how I would call it! It has a slight minty aroma and the application of this mask brings a refreshing touch, highly enjoyable during warmer temperatures. Easy to remove, it draws out impurities, detoxifies the skin and clarifies the complexion. Gets rid of blemishes and blackheads very quickly and also works great as a spot treatment ; it dries out pimples really fast. I really can’t praise this mask enough, I’m really enjoying using it.
Ingredients: Aloe barbadensis (Aloe) Juice*, Kaolin (French Clay), Lavendula augustifola (Lavender) Distillate*, Aspalanthus lineans (Rooibos thé) tincture*, Punica granatum (Pomegranate) Tincture, Calendula officinalis (Calendula) Extract*, Aphanizomenon flosaqua (Blue Green Algae) Tincture* Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Sodium Hyaluronate (Hyaluronic Acid), Matcha Powder* Activated (Bamboo) Charcoal, Azadirachta indica (Neem) Leaf Powder* *92% certified organic/wildcrafted
(Tried to link to it, but the mask is nowhere to be found on the website at the moment)

2-3/week special treatment : Khadi
Texture: dry powder, grainy
Another spicy potent mixture that draws out toxins and impurities! If you are experiencing some eruptions, this is a mask you can use
several times a week as an intensive treatment. Works particularly great for oily skin. It has a grainy texture, so when you remove it, it feels like an exfoliation as well. This blend of herbs and oils is recommended by Ayurveda to balance the skin. Fuller’s Earth, Calamine, Conch Shell and Red Lentil play a role in controlling sebum production, while nutmeg, neem and Turmeric are antiseptic and ant-inflammatory. Coriander, Sandalwood powder and Camphor have cooling properties meant to soothe infected skin. I’ve been particularly enjoying this mask lately, because it helps balance the sebum production and  While this mask doesn’t have the most pleasant smell ( spicy and musky) it remains incredibly efficient for troubled skin.  I cant say if it would be suitable for sensitive skin, but following this mask, I spritz some rose water to minimize the redness.
Ingredients(INCI) : Solum Fullonum (Fuller’s earth), Vetiveria Zizanioides (Vetiver) Zincum Oxydatum (Zincoxide),  Calamine Santalum album (Sandalwood), Acorus Calamus (Calmus), Symplocos Racemosa Coriandrum Sativum (Coriander), Lens Esculenta Azadirachta indica (Neem), Cinnamomum camphora (Camphor), Rubia Cordifolia  Curcuma longa (Turmeric), Vetiveria Zizanioides Oil, Syzygium Aromaticum Oil

Honorable mentions to those sample sizes :

The sweet protecting mask
–  Marble & Milkweed Jasmine & green tea mask 
Pure bliss! Make yourself a cup of tea, apply ths jasmine and green tea mask on, and you’re in for some sweet pampering. This mask is part of Marble & Milkweed Spring facial kit (review soon) and it’s a beautifully crafted product. Rich in antioxidants, skin feels clean, light and refreshed afterwards. The scent of Jasmine is perfectly balanced. Clay, matcha and jasmine is simply a winning (skin) combination!
Ingredients: french green clay, hand-ground organic jasmine tea, organic matcha green tea, organic jasmine grandiflorum extract

The red carpet glow 
– Tata Harper Resurfacing mask
Texture: gel
Everytime I have the possibility of choosing free samples with an order, I opt for the resurfacing mask! I have a few samples that I keep for “special occasions” because every single time, I get THAT glow and it instantly plumps up my skin. It’s a clear gel, and I didn’t experience any redness. It tightens the pores and refreshes the complexion almost immediately.
Ingredients: Water, Aloe barbadensis leaf juice*/, Salix alba (Willow) bark extract, Sclerotium gum (derived from root vegetables & corn), Lactobacillus ferment, Leuconostoc
ferment filtrate (radish root extract,  Hamamelis virginiana (Witch hazel) distillate, Punica granatum (pomegranate) fruit ferment extract, Caprylyl/capryl wheat bran/straw glycosides, Maltooligosyl glucoside (derived from carbohydrate syrup), Aloe barbadensis leaf juice powder*, Hydrolyzed corn strarch, Beta vulgaris (Beet) root, Hydrogenated starch hydrolysate (derived from corn starch), Fusel wheat bran/straw glycosides, Kaolinite (Rose Clay), Polyglyceryl-5 oleate (naturally derived), Sodium cocoyl glutamate, Glyceryl caprylate
(derived from fatty acids of corn, coconut and glycerin), Sodium phytate (derived from rice bran), Essential oil blend clinical grade essential
oils**; Citral, Citronellol, Limonene *Ingredients from organic farming **

The gentle blemish blaster
– Gressa Dirty Pretty Things
Texture: dry powder
If May Lindstrom’s Problem Solver is too strong for your taste, Dirty Pretty Things might be right up your alley. It has the same benefits as The Problem Solver, except that I’ve found it more gentle. It speeds up the healing process of the skin, and helps diminish imperfections remarkably. I’ll definitely purchase the full-size product, I’m just waiting to run out of my stash before I make another Gressa order. It has seriously become one of my favorite brands for its incredible purity and simplicity. Less is more.
Ingredients: Red Moroccan Rhassoul Clay, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Sodium Bicarbonate, *Theobroma Cacao (Raw Cacao), *Rosa Centifolia (Pink Rose), *Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) root, *Trigonella (Fenugreek Seed) foenum-graecum *Acadirachta (Neem Leaf) indica, *Althaea Officinalis (Marshmallow) Root, *Symphytum (Comfrey Root) officinale, *Matricaria (Chamomile) chamomilla, *Citrus (Orange Peel) sinensis, *Citrus (Lemon Peel) limon, *Calendula Officinalis (Calendula) flower, *Cinnamomum Zeylanicum (Cinnamon), * Myristica Fragans (Nutmeg), *Syzygium Aromaticum (Clove), *Curcuma Longa (Turmeric), *Vanilla Planifolia Bean

I think you can tell that I really enjoy facial masks, and as you can see I’m enjoying using various according to my skin troubles.
But regardless of which one you pick, that’s how one should feel when wearing a good face mask 😉

What kind of masks do you prefer? Do you also use several masks?
Take care,

Liz