Klairs Freshly Juiced Vitamin E Mask

The Klairs Freshly Juiced Vitamin E Mask is another goody that was included in the Gothamista collaboration with Wishtrend (read my post on the Klairs Midnight Blue Calming Cream here)and I'm so glad I had the chance to try it.
Beauty products always appeal when they have a bit of a novelty factor and this mask has a cool texture that certainly fills that brief. It looks and feels like some kind of chilled pudding; by that I mean it's bouncy and light and sort of like a thick baked custard that breaks apart and melts when you smooth it on the skin. It's an awesome censorial experience that makes it quite a fun product to use really. I guess the texture is quite similar to The Body Shop's Bouncy Sleeping Mask that was very popular a few years ago - the texture is such that it 'self settles' back to a smooth finish after you've scooped out what you need. It's weird and it's cool.

Klairs Freshly Juiced Vitamin E Mask 

The thick texture of the mask helps it to adhere to the skin, so the ingredients can get to work and do their thing. Speaking of ingredients, the mask includes Niacinamide, Adenosine and of course Vitamin E.
Niacinamide is a form of Vitamin B3 which helps to reduce inflammation and ease redness, reduce the appearance of pore size, help the skin retain moisture, minimise signs of sun damage and fine lines, prevents excessive sebum and protects against environmental stressors. An all-round great ingredient really!
Adenosine is a yeast-derived ingredient that has been shown to have some anti-inflammatory and 'wrinkle smoothing' effects while Vitamin E is of course a much loved nourishing and anti-oxidant ingredient.
The purpose of the Freshly Juiced Mask is to hydrate, moisturise and brighten as well as improve the overall appearance and texture of the skin. It's recommended that the Vitamin E Mask is applied after Vitamin C products as it helps stabilise Vitamin C products. therefore enhancing the brightening, antioxidant effect. So pop this mask on after your Vit C serum to ramp up the effects!
While this is labelled as a mask, it can really be used as a moisturiser, day and/or night or as a sleeping pack. It's not a mask that you rinse or wipe off; this one is designed to stay put. I have used the Freshly Juiced Vitamin E Mask a handful of times (not in conjunction with Vit C though I might add) and have not only found joy in the unique texture, but can report that it feels lovely and comforting on the skin (it sort of melts in like an essence/ mousturiser) and gives my face a little bit of a glow. It's a nice product and to be honest I'd repurchase for the texture alone!
You can find Klairs Freshly Juice Vitamin E Mask at Wishtrend for 27USD or here in the UK from Skinspace for £24.60 for 90ml.

Joik Chocolate Facial Mask

I found Joik on LoveLula the other night and my eyes were immediately drawn to the candles (crème brulee, apple glogg etc) and this little beauty - the Chocolate Facial Mask.

I've not experienced the whole chocolate-on-face thing (intentionally anyway) since Lush introduced their Cupcake facemask and figured it was about time. Besides, I like chocolate and I like putting things on my face, so why not combine the two eh?

The Joik Chocolate Facial Mask is designed to rejuvenate and tighten tired and stressed out skin and contains:
Rhassoul Clay - A natural Moroccan lava clay to absorb oil, sort out impurities, tone and rejuvenate
Milk Powder - To soften and smooth
Honey - A natural antibacterial that soothes and moisturises
Cocoa Powder - Naturally rich in vitamins and contains anti oxidant compounds. According to Joik, the scent fills you with 'happy hormones' that aid in relaxation, relieve tension and ease stress.

And that's it. Four, fairly simple natural ingredients. Well played Joik, well played.
The mask comes packaged in a round, plastic 50g tub and is in loose powder form, meaning you have to mix up the mask yourself, which is kind of fun in itself.
To make the face mask, mix about one teaspoon of the powder with equal amounts of your choice of water, milk or herbal tea. I really like this element of choosing which liquid to use and thought perhaps mixing it up with some chamomile tea might be a winner.
This time though, I used milk. Controversial.

I used way too much milk though, so ended up with a much thinner consistency than I would have liked, but I still put it all over my face.
As this is a clay based mask, it sets and hardens, indicating when it's time to wash it off. I used a warm damp flannel to do this and it came off easily enough and left my skin feeling rather heavenly.

I'm sure you've already guessed what this smells like - pretty much exactly like a steaming cup of hot chocolate - so it's certainly not unpleasant to wait around for it to dry. Unless you don't like chocolate, obviously.

While it's certainly not what I'd call a beauty essential, it is a lovely treat product and would make a great gift for any sweet toothed friends/ family this christmas.
The Joik Chocolate Facial Mask is £11 at LoveLula.

Magicstripes Lifting Collagen Mask

I've reviewed the Magicstripes eye strips recently and now I've had the opportunity to try another one of a kind beauty innovation from the brand - the Lifting Collagen Mask.

 As you can see, this is a very unique face mask! The Magicstripes Lifting Collagen Mask is a cloth 'hydrogel' mask that you wear on your jaw like a sling (as you would if you had somehow broken your chin) so it can get to work targeting the jawline.

The mask is infused with a cocktail of collagen, caffeine, Vitamins C and E, Macadamia Nut Oil and water and aims to define the facial contours, lift and streamline the area and provide a boost of nourishment.
Collagen - forms a moisturising film on the skin, 'filling up' fine lines
Caffeine - stimulates and promotes blood circulation.
Vitamin C- supports the development of collagen. An effective anti-oxidant that neutralises free radicals.
Vitamin E - Protects against premature ageing and combats harmful environmental influences.
Macadamia Nut Oil - Smooths and regenerates the skin.

The actual shape of the mask plays a part in the lifting and firming as it literally 'lifts' the skin while the formula gets to work.

To use the mask, you hook it over your ears and across your chin, sit back for around an hour and pray with everything you have that the doorbell doesn't ring. By the way, if you follow me on Instagram, you can see me doing just that.

Before now, I'd never tried a face mask quite like this (though this one comes close) and initially found the whole chin-sling-thing quite bizarre. After putting it on though, I can't deny that it feels fantastic on the skin. The mask has a refreshing, cooling effect that is particularly welcome now that the sun is starting to show his big, fiery face and has a very subtle, clean and fresh scent.

It's worth noting that only one side of the cloth mask is 'wet' - once you've pulled it out of its sachet, the mask is peeled off a backing and the moist side is applied to your face.
While the Lifting Collagen Mask felt nice and cooling, I did find it a little uncomfortable around my ears (though not so uncomfortable that I took it off before one hour) as it sort of tugged on them.I do have a fairly giant head though so you probably won't have this problem!

Once removed, the skin around my chin and jawline felt smooth and soft, possibly even a little 'tighter' though I'm not particularly saggy around this area anyway. Yet.

All in all, the MagicStripes Lifting Collagen Mask is a definite 'treat' beauty item that should be pulled out before a special occasion for a little more lift and definition. Besides the obvious funny appearance of the mask, the fact that it isn't gooey or sticky means you go about your other beauty business without fear of getting product on your clothes/ towels/ walls.

The MagicStripes Lifting Collagen Mask is available from Harvey Nichols, www.beautyworkswest.com and My Showcase for £39 for a pack of 5.

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