Showing posts with label Face Masks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Face Masks. Show all posts

Thursday, 30 January 2014

Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay 'The World's Most Powerful Facial' 100% Calcium Benosite Deep Pore Cleansing DIY Face Mask



Aztec Secret $5.99 / 494gm $5.99 available from www.iherb.com

Like most people 99.9% of the products I buy are 'Add to Cart' 'instant gradification' 'Buy Online Now' purchases. I have been fascinated by the very expensive Glam Glow mask's and have been trying to find a dupe based on ingredients but have had no such luck. So I thought I would buy this massive pot of DIY African Secret Healing Clay! (laugh now)
It works on a similar principle that the ingredient Calcium Bentonite draws out any excess oil from pores and spots that have been hiding under your skin. So excited with its claim of being 'The Worlds Most Powerful Facial' I mixed the advised amount of powder with water to make the mask and applied it all over my face and jumped into my regular relaxing face-mask-in-the-bath which happens on a weekly basis. After 10mins I was unable to move my face at all and the tight feeling was turning into a stinging sensation. With the bath becoming increasingly less relaxing, I persevered because I thought this might be the feeling of my pores completely disappearing. After the advised 20mins I washed the mask off, and I was left with a very red, sore and sensitive face - which remained for the rest of the evening. It did draw up two pimples on my chin, which I immediately zapped with La Roche- Posay Effaclar Duo.
Waking up the next morning my skin is feeling very soft and there does seem to be less clogged pores on my nose and chin. I would advise if you are going to try this mask to only use it on your T-Zone, and not on parts of your face which do not have congested pores. 

The next day my skin has completely cleared and was soft and glowing. BTW I am wearling zero makeup in the photo above.


xxx Nella

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Thursday, 12 September 2013

ALPHA H : Triple Action Cleanser with Thyme & Liquid Gold Smoothing and Protecting Mask with Lavender

Alpha H Liquid Gold Smoothing and Perfecting Mask $47.25 & Triple Action Cleanser $31.50
available from www.ry.com.au 

Alpha H is an Australian skin care brand which has had a lot of buzz around it from the UK Beauty Bloggers and YouTubers more so than local Australian bloggers. I was super excited to be offered to try out 2 of Alpha H's key products, to give an un-biased review - the more products I try the easier it is to develop an even playing field for new products to be tested. Here are my thoughts:

Alpha H Liquid Gold Smoothing and Perfecting Mask with Lavender $47.25:
The first time I apply this mask I was suffering from an eruption of active acne on my chin, the mask tingles on the rest of my face but burns on the acne which is red sore and weeping (gross, sorry). So I wash it off my chin and leave the mask on the rest of my face for about an hour, when rinsed off the mask my skin feels super soft, it is calm and has no signs of redness. I would not advise this mask for skin with active acne or breakouts it is far too harsh and will only inflame your skin, if you have spots and apply any products which burn or sting remove them immediately. 
After my breakout healed I started using the mask on my entire face twice a week for 3 weeks, and I noticed a significant difference in the texture of my skin. With fewer dry patches this is due to the mask containing 15% Glycolic Acid a chemical exfoliator. My skin has become used to the mask and if I skip it, I notice that dry patches start to form and it feels like I need to exfoliate. After I finish the Soothing and Perfecting Mask I am going to try the original Liquid Gold Mask to compare the two....So if you are skin care obsessed be sure to keep reading in the coming months.

Ingredients: Aqua, Glycolic Acid,Kaolin, Glycerine, Cocoglycerdides, Talc, Potassium Hydroxide, Glyceryl, Sterate/Peg-100 Sterate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Triticum Vulgare Germ Oil, Diazolidinyl Urea, Ceteth-20, Propylene Glycol, Lavendula Angustifolia Oil, Allantion, Xanthan Gum, Mel, Rose Flower Oil, Methylparaben, Proplyparaben, Linalool, D-Limonene

Alpha H Triple Action Cleanser $31.50:
This Cleanser really confused me the first couple of times I used it, it didn't remove my makeup at all and my face didn't feel clean after using it. So I did a bit of research on Beautypedia and found the best way to use this cleanser is by removing makeup first with an oil based makeup remover and then use the Triple Action Cleanser as a second cleanse. Really?!? Another step in my already way too long skin care routine at night....So I tried it and WOW! By removing my makeup with the oil cleanser it melts the makeup off instead of washing with a soapy cleanser rubbing it back into your pores, after you remove the makeup your skin feels oily and weird but once rinsing with warm water and double cleansing with the Triple Action Cleanser you skin feels soft, clean and still plump rather than the tight squeaky clean feel you get with soapy cleansers. After a week of this new cleansing routine my pores were smaller, my skin was producing less oil and I had barely had a single zit! 

Ingredients: aqua, PEG-7-glyceryl cocoate, aloe barbadensiss leaf, glycerin, polysorbate 20, phenoxyethanol, methylparaben, cucumis savitus extract, acrylates/C10-30 alkyl acrylate crosspolymer, potassium hydroxide, disodium EDTA, parfum.

Yesterday I took part in Go Naked Day which was in support of Look Good Feel Better a charity which helps raise the confidence and self-esteem of women affected by Cancer. Being bare faced without a scratch of makeup on, on the Internet is a very scary thing but I think my skin looks pretty good, a lot better than a month ago and I think its because of my new Alpha H steps in my skin care routine.


xxx Nella

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Monday, 20 May 2013

Asian Sheet Face Masks ....So Creepy! Feat. SKII, Astalift, PureDerm & Barrier Mask

Pure Derm GreenTea Mask, SKII Collegen Mask, Barrier Repair Mask, Astalift Moisture Mask

Lets start this post by my personal recommendation to not be seen by ANYONE at all whilst having a sheet mask on your face, especially do not answer the door to the postman, FaceTime, SnapChat or Skype anyone either. Trust me, out of experience this mask is best done alone at night time when you have the house to yourself because you will look terrifying and creepy with the mask on.
What is the difference between Sheet Masks and a standard mask that comes out off a tube? Sheet Masks have been popular in the Asian Market for some time, the theory is the sheet/fabric mask traps the active ingredients so the skin absorbs them more efficiently. The ingredients in Sheet Masks vary, there are Green Tea based masks for brightening, Rice-Protein based masks for boosting natural collagen's and Hyaluronic Acid based masks for chemical exfoliation. All are worth trying out, except I would steer clear of any 'Whitening' masks because they can cause pigmentation issues.
The best thing about these masks is they are great to travel with, they wont take up heaps of room in your makeup case and they wont leak throughout your bag. After a long haul flight your skin needs a big hydrating surge and sheet masks are perfect for that. 
Below is a truly terrifying GIF of me attempting to apply a Sheet Mask, enjoy and please LOL at how creepy it is.

SKII and AstaLift are available from www.feelunique.com Prices start from $57.00

PureDerm and Barrier Masks are available from your local Asian Beauty Supply Store, there is also a great range of Masks on Hong Kong Based www.sasa.com The single masks prices start from $2.50 which is super cheap!

xxx Nella

 Twitter @beautegazette
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Tuesday, 23 October 2012

Natural DIY Face Mask


Face masks are fantastic, they boost your regular skin routine and lift your skin if you are feeling run down. Usually I like my Dermalogica Hydration mask but it has sadly come to an end and I am on a saving kick at the moment so I did some research into DIY face masks using things you would have in your kitchen, here is what I concocted.
Pumpkin:
Pumpkin is excellent for use on all skin types, but especially if your skin is damaged from environmental conditions such as overexposure to the sun. Pumpkin is rich in vitamin A, which soothes and softens your skin, and vitamin C, an antioxidant that can help to remedy damage produced by free radicals.
Oats:
Oats are also an amazing natural beauty enhancer. They soothe and heal the skin, while reducing inflammation.
Honey:
Honey has humectant qualities; as a result, it can be used as a moisturiser in many cosmetic preparations. It not only attracts water but also retains it in the skin, so the skin remains supple and elastic. It also protects against wrinkles and dryness.
Milk:
Milk contain lactic acid, Lactic acid is a type of alpha hydroxy acids (AHA). The AHA family is comprised of various ingredients derived from sugar cane, fruit and milk. As the name suggests, lactic acid can be derived from milk, after a steady process of fermentation. Lactic acid is a powerful exfoliant and is featured in many skin care products.

Making your Mask:
Step One: Steam 1/2 cup of pumpkin and allow to cool, once cool mash your pumpkin till smooth with a fork.

Step Two:  Add a table spoon of rolled oats.

Step Three:  Add a teaspoon of Honey.

Step Four:  Add a table spoon of full cream milk and mix all together. Ta-da! A natural pumpkin face mask which will leave you glowing.
When applying the face mask rub the mixture into your skin in gentle circular motions rubbing the oats into your skin. Leave mask on for 15-20mins, it will settle onto your skin and become less runny. When  rinsing off the mask use rubbing circular motions giving your face a massage at the same time. After drying your face your skin will be super soft.


It also looks like you have vomit on your face, but I will do anything to have perfect skin.

Thursday, 28 June 2012

Face Masks




Lots of friends have requested I do a post on face masks, they were all confused about what type would make a difference to their skin. There are masks for all different skin complaints, the main 3 things are exfoliation, hydration and purifying. Face masks can be very expensive, a lot of brands price them higher than say a moisturizer because of the levels of specialty ingredients in them are higher than an everyday product making them intense. If you know what you are looking for in the ingredients then you don't have to spend a tone of money on a mask. So here you go babes, the skinny on all things masked.

EXFOLIATING:
In a mask the exfoliation comes in the form of chemical exfoliants which break down dead skin cells on the top two surface layers of skin. I would not go for this type of mask if you have acne prone skin or are having any kind of crazy purging blemishes. I use an exfoliating mask once a fortnight because my cleansing routine is quite exfoliating already, but if you are regular gel cleanser face wash babe then you could up using a mask like this to 2-3 times per week. 

Ingredients to look for:
Alpha Hydroxide, AHA'S, Glycolic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Potassium Hydroxide, Polysorbate 60, Hydroxymethylglycinate, Tocopherol, Lactic Acid,Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Flower Oil,Phenoxyethanol,

Best of the bunch:

HYDRATING:
If your skin is feeling as dry as a crocodile skin Birkin - a hydrating mask is exactly what you need. I love hydrating masks after having a long hall flight when your skin feels really blah and zapped of nutrients, also if you work in an air-conditioned office this would be great for you. They pep up your skin and make you feel like you have given your skin a cosmetic version of a gatorade.

Ingredients to look for:
Linoleic Acid, Vitamins A,C,E, Rose water, Glycerin, Aloe, Sucrose, Coconut oil, Caffeine, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Cross-polymer, Caprylic/Capric Triglycerid, Hexylene Glycol

Best of the bunch:

PURIFYING:
Yesterday my skin had a massive freak out, it was a blemish pizza face party for one and I was mortified about it. In the above photo I am trying to zap those zits with the Aésop Parsley Seed Masque.  If you have topical blemishes which are caused from blocked or irritated pores (not the big sore underground blemishes - those are hormonal - soz!) then you are going to want to dry them out a little and also draw out any impurities from your pores so you don't get even MORE ZITS!

Ingredients to look for:
Evening primrose oil, Phenoxyethanol, Lavendula Angustifolia, Alcohol Denat, Parsley seed oil/extract, Titanium oxide, Sodium Benzoate, Polysorbate, Kaolin

Best of the bunch:








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