Over the past few months I’ve secretly been trialling a bevy of drugstore skincare in the hope of collating a ‘not-too-pricey’ complexion cleaning routine. It’s still a work in progress, but while conducting my tests I’ve stumbled across a handful of face masks that match up in function to the more luxer options of my regime. From deep cleansing to exfoliating – there’s even a pick for sensitive skins – this weekend I’m opening up the doors to my bathroom cabinet and giving you the deets on the best of the budget face masks (so they’ll be more pennies left over for your next Space NK spree).
The One that Brightens – Lush Love Lettuce Fresh Face Mask – £5.95 from Lush. I had completely forgot about this old chestnut until I started looking into a drugstore skincare feature – I used to love the Lush mask offering back in the day. They’re freshly concocted, so need using within weeks of purchase and must be kept in the fridge, but the fact that it’s cooled makes the whole application a very pleasing one. Love Lettuce contains whole bunch of good stuff but the ingredients are skewed to the more exfoliating end of masks. Almond shells make up the bulk of the grit, so I do tend to be very gentle when removing, but overall it makes for a brightening and tightening experience. Plus, it makes me look like Princess Fiona. Score.
The One that Waves Blemishes Bye, Bye – Avene Cleanance Mask – £12.95 from Escentual. I’ve spoken about this one before as when a recent volcanic eruption occurred on my chin I credited this as the one skincare item that helped it come to an end. It mixes the benefits of a clay mask with the benefits of an exfoliating one without being too harsh or scratchy on the complexion. Leave to dry, then wet slightly, slough away and watch things get clearer, quicker than you thought.
The One that Plumps – Super Facialist by Una Brennan Rose Hydrate Intense Moisture Mask – £8.99 from Boots. I always find masks like this a bit weird. It’s one of those formulas that you slap on generously, leave to sink in and then rinse off without as much as a crack to tell you it’s ready. I like my good ol’ clay-based ones; they feel like they’re really getting down to the nitty gritty, but sometimes you need need a little hydration and that’s where this comes in. It’s slightly rose scented, but not too much so and after it’s done its thang my skin feels soft. So soft that I usually spend the rest of the evening stroking my cheeks and singing soft kitty. Una Brennan does it again.
The One that’s a Classic – Botanics Shine Away Iconic Clay Mask – £5.49 from Boots. I have a feeling that this isn’t my first time using this mask. I think this is something that I may have cracked out in my teenage years along with the gel masks that dried and you peeled off (weren’t those the best?). Something sloganed with the words ‘Shine Away’ would usually be shoved to the back of my drawer as it’s against my religion, but sometimes you need something that’s really going to clean, unstuff those pores and get moving pesky blemishes and this sea silt laden formula does just that.
From the titles can you tell that I’m current wading through Friends from the first ever episode to the last?
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