Monday, April 14, 2014

Sunday Skincare Saviours


i usually find after a long week of work and late nights out by the time sunday rolls around my skin could use a little TLC. and more to the point sunday is usually when i can find the time and energy to have a 3 mask session, and my skin always thanks me for it. so i tend to skip my evening skincare routine for what is essentially an amped up version of the cleanse, exfoliate and hydrate process, and these are three of my favourite options.



REN invisible pores detox mask (about $35.00 AUD for 50ml or $40.00 in store at mecca)
this is a really lovely clarifying mask, it's very gentle on the skin but it definitely does the job and clears out your pores without feeling too harsh or drying. it's formulated with french clay and lavender and while it does dry quite stiffly on the face, when you wash it off it doesn't leave your face feeling tight and sahara-level dry like some clay masks do. nor do you have to scrub your face to remove it, it washes off easily with a hot cloth and a little water. this is one of my favourite options when my skin is looking a little worse for wear and needs a good pick-me-up.

alpha-h liquid gold smoothing and perfecting mask ($63.00 AUD for 100ml but currently on sale for $53.55)
if you hadn't noticed, i'm a huge fan of alpha-h so this mask was bound to make its way into my hands. it's a fast acting brightening and exfoliating mask with 15% glycolic acid (it's the second ingredient listed on the tube) and it won 'best radiance mask' in the harper's bazaar 2012 beauty awards and 'best skin brightener' in 2013. i experience a slight tingling when i first apply the mask, and it does say to only leave it on for a maximum of 10 minutes. my skin is pretty used to glycolic acid by now as i use an acidic toner morning and night, but at this strength it's best to start out by leaving in on your face for about 5 minutes. i've left it on for 8-10 and experienced some redness for a few hours after, so this is one to be a bit more careful with. but it basically eats away all your dead skin cells and any gunk the clay mask has just helped bring to the surface and leaves you with a brighter, smoother and clearer complexion, which is everything i ask for from a sunday skincare session.

the final step after clearing out my skin is to add some moisture back in, and for that i've been loving this peachy-mango scented mask from origins. my skin can get congested when i over hydrate so i decided on the 10 minute mask over the 'drink up intensive overnight mask' which i assume is just a stronger version of this one. in any case, i would use them in the same way i use any hydrating mask which is to apply it to my face, neck and décolletage and let it all soak in, leaving my skin feeling super soft and nourished.

15 comments:

  1. I LOVE Origins. I always use the checks and balances face wash.

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  2. I am a huge fan of the Origins mask! Will have to track down Ren's detox mask though, looks amazing!

    Lovely blog, darling!

    Vieve xx

    www.bonjourvieve.com

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  3. are these products more investment-worthy than the ones from Lush? I haven't tried anything from Origins yet. However my face needs a makeover when it comes to skincare. Bloody pores on the nose, dry skin, etc.

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    1. to be honest i've not tried much of lush's skincare but if you feel like what you're using isn't cutting it and you want to try some new brands then it's definitely worth branching out! there are so, so many options out there and some will work for you and some won't but there's no harm in trying out a few things because you might find something you absolutely love! :)

      if you've got dry skin i'd recommend hydraluron to use under your moisturiser and also a good serum or face oil to use at night time (either separately or together) and that should help with the dry patches! if your pores bother you unfortunately there's not much anyone can really do to change them but you can try pore-minimising primers like benefit's the pore-fessional and i think garnier has a new one out too, and apparently l'oreal miracle blur is meant to be good too. pores aren't something that really bother me so i haven't actually tried any of those primers myself but i've heard good things about all of them and as long as your skin doesn't mind silicones in your make up then maybe give one of those a shot :)

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  4. i used to use that Origins mask. actually i miss this <33
    http://coeursdefoxes.blogspot.com/

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  5. I NEED to try that REN Mask, it sounds incredible and something my skin would definitely appreciate! xx

    Gemma // Miss Makeup Magpie

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  6. So I love the REN Detox Max and the Origins Drink Up. It appears we have similar taste so I will HAVE to try the Alpha-H xx

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    1. definitely do! it's pretty strong but if you like products with AHAs/BHAs i think you'll love the alpha-h mask!

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  7. The REN Detox Mask sounds lovely! I definitely want to give it a go. I'm addicted to using masks, particularly clarifying masks, so this one will be a good one to go for. xx
    Celina | The Celution | Bloglovin’

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  8. I have the Origins Drink Up mask and totally forgot about it! I'm not even sure how I managed to forget about since I really did like it. The smell especially! Thank you for reminding me about it - and a really great post!

    Emily | HONEY LOAF x

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  9. I have to try them out! :)

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  10. I've never used three face masks at once - I get too lazy for just one! I have used two in one night though and it really does wonders for the skin to give it that extra boost of goodness. I've been using the REN Invisible Pores Detox mask whenever my skin feels congested, oily or is breaking out and it really works wonders. I'm glad I purchased this over the Aesop Parsley Seed Mask. I tested it out once and while I do like it, it's a lot gentler, whereas the REN offering is a little more intense, which I like. In a perfect world, I would have both, but I decided I didn't need two clarifying/detox masks!

    The Alpha-H mask sounds amazing. I've only tried Liquid Gold, but I wouldn't mind trying more products of theirs in the future. They're Australian too!

    The Origins Drink Up mask is sooo good! Oh my, I could just die from that heavenly scent! I decided to get the Overnight version because as high maintenance as I can be when it comes to my skin, I like to get my routine over and done with and sometimes, I'm just too impatient to wait ten minutes with a mask on. It's good that Origins has both an overnight and 10 minute version as some skin types just don't need the extra hydration. I don't necessarily have dry skin, it's pretty normal, but this mask still works really well for me.

    http://likeneonlove.com

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    1. haha you're much better than me, i've built up quite a stash of clarifying/clay masks and i definitely don't need them ALL but i do like having and using them, haha. i generally do three in a row on a sunday afternoon/evening and if i can be bothered (not that often tbh) i'll try and do something mid-week as well but i don't always get the chance. when i think about it they really only take 10-15 minutes but sometimes that feels like it's too much work, haha.

      yeah i don't like washing off hydrating masks because almost all of it will sink into my skin by the time 10-15 mins is up anyway so i don't see the point, especially when it's just like an intensive moisturiser but maybe with a different consistency so i generally just leave them on overnight regardless of what the instructions say.

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  11. I haven't tried any of these products, but it sounds like I need to! :P I just used the Mario Badescu Whitening Mask on my skin today, it feels so soft and a lot of the redness in my cheeks is calmed.

    boho vanity ♡

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  12. I havent tried these either , ive used other products from REN and didnt find they worked on my skin so its nice to hear they work for others

    www.itsflashyfash.blogspot.co.uk

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