L'Oreal Pure Clay Glow Mask

Hi everyone! I have really been on a major skincare kick recently because my skin at the minute is probably the worst it has ever been in years, I don't know if it's because I've been feeling really stressed but I've been breaking out constantly which never really happens to me, and my skin is so dull and tired looking all the time. If anyone has any good skincare recommendations please let me know in the comments because I'm on the hunt to find new products that will work for me! Having such an issue with my skin at the minute has led to me changing my skincare routine around and I've started using more face masks, I actually really enjoy using face masks, I feel like it's less of a chore than your nightly skincare routine and they always feel like a nice treat. I'd seen that L'Oreal had released three pure clay face masks targeted at different skin issues, they have a purity mask to mattify the skin, a detox mask to clarify the skin and finally the one I have which is the glow mask that brightens and exfoliates the skin. I definitely need to work on my skin's glow at the minute, it's severely lacking which is why I choose this one, however I would also like to try the detox mask which has charcoal in it as I love charcoal masks and they've always worked for me in the past.

I had seen these online quite a lot before I actually went into Boots and bought one but I found that they are so much bigger in real life than how they look in pictures, the box says you will get 10 applications out of this and there is 50ml of product but after using it a few times I definitely think I will get more than 10 applications out of this! This mask is created of three pure clays which are koalin, known to absorb impurities and excess sebum, montmorillonite, recognised for helping to eliminate imperfections and ghassoul, renowned to help clarify the complexion combined with red algae extract which is known for it's brightening properties, the packaging claims that the "beaded creamy texture illuminates tone by exfoliating the skin's surface without drying it out". I'm really into exfoliating products at the minute because of how dull my skin is, however my skin is also dry so I do need to be careful that it won't be too drying.

I actually love the packaging of this, it's in quite a heavy glass pot with a little cover inside the lid to keep the product fresh, it doesn't come with any form of applicator though so I just use my fingers to apply. 

The claims that this mask has a beaded creamy texture is definitely 100% accurate, I've never actually tried a product like this before for a face mask I feel like it's so different. When I first applied it I was a bit worried it would be drying on me as I could tell at the same time it would be really exfoliating. You leave the product on for 5-10 minutes and then remove with a wet towel or warm water, what I found was that it is very creamy and doesn't dry like other face masks which will crack after about 10 minutes. You actually look a little bit crazy when it's on, it looks like you've put some really dodgy fake tan on but that really doesn't bother me! One really good thing about this product is that it was really easy to take off, I absolutely hate when a face mask doesn't want to budge and then it ends up all over your towels and in your hair while you've been trying to scrub it off! After I had taken it off my skin definitely did feel a lot smoother and cleaner, thankfully it didn't dry my skin out either. It definitely didn't hydrate my skin at all but didn't make it feel any drier so I think it's great to use this and then apply a moisturiser straight after so it will sink really nicely into the skin.

I bought this from Boots for £7.99 which I think is a very good price considering how much usage I will get out of it, it didn't change the whole texture of my skin so I wouldn't go round saying this was a miracle mask or the best mask I've ever used, but it did make my skin a lot smoother and help to exfoliate but I personally feel like it didn't leave my skin any brighter. I do like this mask and will use it up and it does perform well but it didn't leave me massively raving about it however for the price I'd still recommend you trying it and seeing if it works for you. Let me know in the comments your favourite face masks as I'm on the hunt to try more!

Origins Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask

Hi everyone! On my blog I rarely ever focus on skincare and that's definitely because I am the first to admit that I have neglected my skin in the past, I just never saw the point in it and I thought that having to buy skincare was such a chore and it led to my skin being in poor condition. I finally decided to sort my skincare routine out when I realised I was buying all these really cool make up products but they didn't look at all how I wanted them to look on myself because my skin was so bad. I just felt like my make up didn't look good on my skin at all and it led to me investing a lot more into a better skincare routine. Whilst my biggest problem is dry, dull skin I also have a problem with pores and blackheads on my nose so I felt like I needed to get some products to help, I was in London recently and Selfridges had an Origins counter and I have recently seen Zoella talking about how much she loves their Active Charcoal Mask and the sales assistant was telling me it was their most popular mask so I thought why not try it out and see if it works for me!

"Active Charcoal acts like a magnet to draw out deep dwelling pore-cloggers, White China Clay absorbs environmental toxins. Lecithin dissolves impurities. Without all that "stuff" down there, skin "breaths a sigh of relief"". 

I'd always just used face masks for fun in the past and never part of a skincare routine so I was actually quite excited to try this and see how it felt. I do have a problem with my skin rarely feeling fresh and clean, especially as some days when I have university 9-4 and then work 6-10 I will be wearing make up all day and my skin feels so cakey and gross by the end of it so I absolutely love that this claims to get rid of all that and make your skin really clean.

I was definitely a bit intimidated by this product as first as the colour of it is a bit scary! You do look a bit like the moon face emoji when you're wearing it but it washes off absolutely fine, it didn't stain my skin like I was worried it would. The consistency of it is so nice, I think sometimes face masks actually can feel like clay, but this is quite light and creamy for a mask and I found that it didn't feel too heavy once you had applied it. There is a slight scent to this product, nothing overpowering though, I was a bit indifferent to it really it didn't have a scent I loved but it didn't have a scent I hated which is a bonus because I was also scared it would have a weird smell!

When I applied it I didn't have to use a lot of product at all, it's so good because I've used it a few times and it still looks like I've hardly used any so you get really good value for money. It dried very quickly, it did dry quite firm so your face did feel quite tight but I always like that because it makes me think it's actually working! I don't know if anyone found this but I felt like it was heating up slightly when it was drying, I'm unsure if this is just me because I hadn't seen anything about it heating up anywhere before so I'd love to know if anyone else has tried this and found the same thing. I left it on for about 10 minutes while I was in the bath and just rinsed it off, thankfully as I mentioned before it didn't stain which I was so worried it would and that I'd be looking like the moon face emoji for a couple of days! The first thing I notice when I wash it off is how much fresher my skin feels, it really does feel so clean and I completely understand what it means when the packaging says your skin will breathe a sigh of relief because that's exactly how it feels! In terms of blackheads after using the blackheads on my nose did look slightly reduced, it definitely wasn't a miracle worker that got rid of them in one go but I did see an improvement so I'm excited to keep using it and seeing how it works.

I really would recommend this product, the only issue is that it is quite expensive, I bought mine for £23 however you get 100ml of product and I think it will last you a really long time, it is recommended that you use it once a week or as often as needed so I think I will have this product for a while. It is also a really good investment if you are wanting to see and feel a change in your skin which really was a must for me, I'm definitely more willing now to spend money on skincare because my skin really does need sorting! Let me know in the comments if you've tried this or any other face masks from Origin!