Face Mask Friday! #8

Hello and happy Friday! Firstly, I'm sorry I missed FMF last week, I went to collect my Granma's dog as I'm looking after her this week and she's been keeping me so busy that I just didn't get done in time. We've had a great week anyway, it's been so much fun having her to stay and I'm writing this whilst she takes a nap beside me snoring!

Onto this weeks mask, which is the Montagne Jeunesse Lemon Zest Peel-Off Detox and Pore Cleansing Masque. Designed for normal, oily and combination skin types the mask contains a medley of natural ingredients including crushed ginger, green tea, seaweed,  evening primrose, aloe vera and of course lemon, which all aim to deeply cleanse and revive skin, leaving a more radiant appearance.

As expected the mask was a clear, yellow colour and the formula quite runny but wasn't as sticky as other peel-offs I've tried. Applying the mask was easy, although slightly messy due to the consistency but not so much that I would be put off using it again, although I had to be more careful around my hairline and eyebrows as peel-off masks in hair are not fun! The mask felt cool and refreshing on my skin but one thing that surprised me was that it didn't smell of lemon! I was quite pleased by this as I'm not too keen on strong citrusy scents and whilst I can't describe what it did smell of (almost musky perhaps?) I did like it and it wasn't too strong. I wore the mask for the recommended 15-20 minutes, by which time it had dried evenly and was easy to peel-off.

After using the mask my skin was left feeling clean, soft and refreshed. My face was slightly oily before using the mask, but this oil was gently stripped away and didn't return the whole day, amazing! I also felt that my skin looked clearer and brighter after use and felt much smoother making makeup application easier and the results look better. You'll probably know by now that I'm a big fan of MJ masks, they've got a fantastic range, are affordable and really do the job. The Lemon Zest Peel-Off is no exception and I would definitely recommend and repurchase!

I'll leave you with a couple of pictures of Poppy that I've taken this week as she's a cutie!

Face Mask Friday! #6

Happy Friday guys! I've been planning the series and have enough face masks to get to week 10, then I think we will take a break as I have a few pots of masks to use up before I buy anymore.

This week we have the Montagne Jeunesse Red Hot Earth Anti-Stress Sauna Masque for normal, oily and t-zone skin. This has been a favourite of mine for quite a few years and was one of the first face masks I ever tried. With self-heating therapy clay this mask claims to open and cleanse pores whilst the aromatherapy oils help you to relax and de-stress. 

This mask is messy to apply as it's quite runny and sticky so be warned! It comes out a lovely pink, strawberry milkshake kinda colour (not the deep pink/red depicted on the sachet!) and smells nice and fruity. You start to feel the mask heating up as soon as it makes contact with the skin so I always try to get it on as quickly as possible so that I get the full effect. I personally love the self-heating masks as they're perfect for a cosy evening in and as I've mentioned before, they always remind me of the sun beating down on my face. 

Whilst wearing this mask, it's best to lie down and relax as it can get a little drippy if you're up and about and tie your hair well back or else it will drive you mad getting stuck in your face (I learnt the hard way, haha!). It's better to lie down an enjoy this mask anyway as I think it feels very pampering and luxurious to wear- another reason why I love it so much! The sachet says to leave the mask on for 5 minutes but I got away with 10 before it started dripping off my face as this mask is one that doesn't dry. It's very quick and easy to wash off compared with other masks, I used a Botanics facial sponge but a cloth or flannel will work just as well. 

As always with MJ masks, my skin was left feeling super clean and soft and looked much brighter and clearer, even the next morning. Due to the anti-stress nature of this mask I also felt very relaxed and consequently I fell asleep quicker and slept well, a welcome benefit that you don't often find with a face mask! The MJ Sauna Masque remains a firm favourite of mine which I will continue to purchase again and again.

Face Mask Friday! #5

Happy Friday! Sorry this post is up later than usual, I was finishing my last two assignments of 2nd year so I will now have (hopefully!) much more time for blogging! 

We're back to Montagne Jeunesse this week with the Tropical Peel Off Revitalising Cleansing Masque, our first peel off in the series! With red grape and mango extracts, this mask claims to deep cleanse the pores, lifting away impurities and dead skin cells to leave skin revitalised and glowing, sounds great to me!

The mask comes out like a clear, orange gel and smells really fresh and fruity. I slathered on a thick layer of this which wasn't the best idea as it didn't dry all the way through in some places which made removal more difficult, therefore I would recommend just using a thin layer. 

I left the mask on for the recommended 15-20 minutes and found it very refreshing to wear and I didn't get that slightly annoying restrictive feeling that you get with hardening clay masks. As mentioned, when it came to removal of the mask I wasn't able to peel all of it off as some areas were still wet as they were too thick but the parts that were peel-able (not a real word but it works!) came off easily and were very satisfying (anyone else used to put PVA glue on your hand to take pleasure in peeling off?!)! The thicker, wetter patches I just washed off using warm water, which was also pretty easy but the formula did feel a bit sticky by then.

After the mask was completely removed my face was left feeling revitalised and refreshed, as promised and felt smoother. I really enjoyed using this mask and think it will become a particular favourite during the warmer months due to it's cooling a refreshing qualities.

Face Mask Friday! #3

Happy Friday! Is it just me or did Friday creep up on us this week? I almost didn't have this up in time! Anyway, I thought I'd continue the Easter fun a little longer and I'm hoping that you're not all sick of the sight of chocolate because this week we have the Montagne Jeunesse Chocolate Masque! With skin healing sea salts and moisturising cocoa and shea butter, this chocolate mud mask claims to unblock pores, draw out impurities and leave skin renewed and hydrated.

This was so much fun to use as it really feels like you're smothering your face in chocolate and I think a self-heating version would be even better! The colour, smell and texture were all spot on, I was so tempted to taste it! Luckily, I had some Easter egg left to satisfy my chocolate craving!

I left the mask on for about half an hour which is longer than recommended (I was on the phone!) but, other than the mask starting to flake off, this didn't cause any problems. A word of warning here, this mask is probably best used before a shower because the only downside is the mess! I rinsed mine off over the sink which took ages and it got everywhere! It would've been much quicker and tidier to just stick my face under the shower. Anyway, once rinsed, my face was left feeling gorgeous- super clean and soft. I also noticed that my skin felt less oily the next day, which I didn't expect but was an added bonus! All in all, another great mask from MJ!

Face Mask Friday! #2

It's that wonderful time of the week again, it's Friday! As if that wasn't good enough, it's also Good Friday which for many means an early start to a 4 day weekend, happy days!

As I hinted on Twitter during the week, this week we have another newbie from Montagne Jeunesse, the Dragon Fruit Sauna, a dragon fruit and kiwi self-heating mask for a 'skin sizzling cleanse' and let me tell you, I think it's a favourite!

I've always liked the self-heating masks from MJ and this was no exception. I find that I relax more when using a heating mask and it's also very comforting on a cold day, like those we have been experiencing recently (snow? in March? Really?!), and if you close your eyes you can almost imagine the sun beaming down on your face... bliss...

Ok, enough daydreaming and back to the mask! This was super drippy to apply, (so make sure you do so over the sink, don't wear your best clothes etc.) but was fine once applied and came out a gorgeous, bright pink! It smelled lovely and fruity, although I'm not sure what real dragon fruit smells like so can't comment on the authenticity of the scent but either way it was good! There were also little seeds in there so that when it came to washing off the mask I was able to get a nice exfoliation from it too, you gotta love a product that does double duty! 

The ingredients include natural clays, and a number of fruit juices and extracts including lychee seed, dragon fruit, watermelon, pear and kiwi which the sachet claims will deeply cleanse, removing oil and dirt from pores. The mask lived up to this expectation and left my skin looking and feeling fresher, clearer and even brighter. I was really impressed and think that this is one of the best masks that I've tried, ever!

That's all for this week, I hope you have a lovely Easter weekend!

Lilybet x

Face Mask Friday!

Happy Friday everyone! 

I thought I'd give this series a go as I've seen quite a few bloggers do it and I enjoy reading them. Not to mention the fact that I've also got about 15 face mask sachets sat in my drawer waiting to be used. Also, as I'm a bit of a workaholic (I'm just coming to the end of my 2nd year at uni, have 2 part time jobs, a volunteer job and assignments coming out of my ears!), this will be perfect for making sure that I take some time out to relax each week.  Life is never dull, but with so much to do I usually feel guilty if I'm not doing something.

So, onto the first face mask and this week I've tried the new two step Shine Control mask from Montagne Jeunesse. Step one is a deep cleansing mud masque with acai berries and argan oil to balance oily skin and nourish it with protecting antioxidants. Aesthetically,  the mask was a little disappointing if I'm honest, it's very superficial but the colour didn't match the pink shade on the packet and was instead a less than glamourous nude colour, making me look as though I'd had some kind of foundation disaster! The smell was also, well, odd! I was expecting a fruity, berry scent but was surprised to find what I can only describe as 'children's toothpaste scent' (I hope at least someone knows what I mean by that!). Whilst neither made this mask unpleasant to use, the experience could have been enhanced if they were better. This aside, the texture was very nice, a little drippy, but fine once applied. The mask felt cooling and refreshing to wear and hardened over time. The packet recommended wearing the mask for 15-20 minutes but I think I went slightly over that as the mask started to crumble and flake off which became quite messy! After rinsing my face off my skin was left feeling soft, clean and refreshed with not a hint of oil, perfect!

Now for step two, the balancing moisturiser. First of all, there was loads of this, easily enough for two applications so I squeezed the excess into a pot to use another time.  The smell was the same as the mask and I still cannot find a better way to describe it! This was quite thick (it was a similar texture to Neutrogena Visibly Clear Pink Grapefruit Moisturiser) but soaked in well and provided a good base for applying make up. My face stayed almost completely shine free all day and the effects were still noticeable the next day. 

Overall, this treatment really seemed to do its job and keep shine at bay without drying out my skin, particularly my checks where I don't suffer oiliness. I was very impressed with this new addition to the Montagne Jeunesse range and will definitely be using it again!