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Let’s face it: everyone is a sucker for a good face mask, especially during midterms week. My suite mates and I are not excluded from this; we are always finding and making new masks to make our faces clearer and to relieve our stress. Finding the right mask is always a difficult process, though. It’s always so hard to choose between numerous different types that all boast of doing the same thing. To make this process easier on you, I’ve picked up several different face masks and will be testing them right here. All of the products I’ve picked out are by Freeman’s Feeling Beautiful collection, which is available at most drug stores, and is paraben free (always a plus in my mind).
To start, I’ve gotten an Avocado and Oatmeal Clay mask. I’m not usually one to go for avocado, but this particular mask won the Allure Reader’s Choice award in 2015. The package says that it’s for normal/combination skin and that it “deep cleans and purifies pores.” As someone whose face attracts blackheads like a magnet, I am pretty pumped for those benefits. The cream is green, not surprisingly, and I can tell that there’s clay in it from the consistency—no avocado smell though. I didn’t need to put on many layers in order for it to actually cover my face. I immediately felt the refreshing effect of the mask and I love sitting here with it on my face. It’s the stereotypical face mask we’ve all seen in movies and on TV. It tightens up as it dries and kind of stings. I have to admit, my favorite part of wearing a face mask is when it firms up enough that I can only move my face muscles so much. My skin was a bit red and dry after the removal process, which was NOT easy and took a while because of how the cream mask stiffened, but I can tell that it’s also smoother. All in all, I would definitely use this one in the future, just not on a regular basis.
Rate: 7.5
Next up I will be trying out Cucumber Peel-Off Mask, made for people with normal/combination skin. I’m pretty excited for this one because cucumber is great for your skin, renewing and refreshing it, and I absolutely love peel-off masks. The sensation as it pulls from your skin is intensely satisfying to me. Unsurprisingly, the benefits of this one are to clarify and renew your skin. This type of mask is good for when you’ve had a late night, whether that be from partying or studying. The mask was super gooey and sticky, and I couldn’t wait to peel this sucker off. As soon as I opened the package, I could smell the cucumber and the cooling effect was immediate upon application. So far, I’m a fan. It’s time to remove the mask, but it’s not quite as dry as I would like it to be. This turned out not to be too much of an issue; the mask peeled off well enough. There were some spots that were definitely still gooey, but for the most off it peeled off as it should. This may have been because of the thickness of the layer I put on and, despite the cooling effect I mentioned earlier, I can’t tell much of a difference in my skin. If anything it feels worse to the touch because you can tell that I’ve just had goo on it. I guess you could say it feels dewy, but in a bad way, not in a “ready for the red carpet” way. I’m also not a fan of the smell of cucumber, so I would not reach for this mask again. The process of peeling the mask off is good for stress relieving purposes, though, if nothing else.
Rate: 5
With two more masks to try out, I will be using a Charcoal and Black Sugar Polishing Mask. I have always been a fan of charcoal masks in theory, but in application I have found that they aren’t always what they’re cracked up to. Charcoal is supposed to be great for your skin, getting rid of blackheads and much more, but in my experience they do not always work, no matter how much you’ve paid for it. I will remain impartial in my testing of this one though because one bad apple does not spoil the entire bunch. The packaging of this one says it is for all skin types and that it’s a “dual-action purifying mask.” I was not entirely sure what that meant, so I searched further and found that this mask is meant to detox and then exfoliate skin with the combination of charcoal and black sugar. I’m not sure why but I wasn’t expecting it to be a complete sugar mask. Charcoal masks I’ve used in the past have been creams, not sugar. It’s super oily so if you have naturally oily skin this one may not be for you. It also does not exactly smell good, but you stop noticing it after a bit. Sitting with this mask on is easier than the previous too. I can barely tell it’s there, which is nice if you’re trying to do things like last minute homework while you wait to wash it off. The removal process for this mask was a piece of cake and I could feel the particles of sugar exfoliating my skin as I scrubbed it off. Afterwards, my skin felt super fresh. I could tell that it had been cleaned and exfoliated, all dead skin cells wiped away. No redness either, which can happen with exfoliates. In addition, my face isn’t oily, which I expected, so people with oily skin should be fine using this one. This is definitely my favorite so far.
Rate: 9
Last but not least is an Apple Cider Vinegar 4-in-1 Foaming Clay Mask. That name is a mouthful, so hopefully the benefits will be too. The packaging describes this face mask as a “mask, scrub, cleanser, and toner for radiant skin,” that works on all skin types. It also can be used as both a face mask and as a daily cleanser. That’s pretty awesome in my opinion. To keep things fair though, I will only be testing it as a mask. Can’t give this one an advantage over the others, can I? The cream was a beautiful light pink color and literally smelled like apple cider. Definitely a great mask for getting into the fall vibe. It’s tightening up on my skin as it dries and kind of stinging, which I hope means it’s working its magic! When washing the mask off it bubbled up like it would if I had used it as a cleanser and it was fun watching the rosy pink water go down the drain. My skin feels amazing now. Super soft and I can tell it just got a good cleansing. It’s not red or dry either, which is rare for me. I would definitely buy this mask again; I may even have to go pick it up tomorrow.
Rate: 10!
Peace out for this week! -Callan Ghareeb
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