Going Natural – The Wonder Mask

Tags

Anti-aging, Beauty, Breakouts, Face Masks, Homemade, Natural, Skincare

Happy Monday World!

I have been on a face mask obsession lately and have been dabbling into both commercial and home-made ones. The best part about home-made masks is how customizable they are – it is so easy to substitute, add, or leave out ingredients based on personal choice and skin types! One face mask concoction that I created for myself has become one of my all-time favorites. This has been super good for my oily-combination skin helping with both break-outs and fine lines.

I used clay in this mask to draw out the impurities and detoxify the skin. Rice and oat flours help to exfoliate and brighten the skin. Neem and turmeric are known for their anti-bacterial and skin-refining capabilities, and also are great for anti-aging. Matcha and Rosehip seed oil provide also add to the anti-aging capabilities of this mask. Even though this mask does not have the prettiest color (far from it!), it is an amazing all-natural way to pamper the skin!!

I love to slather this mask on, while relaxing in a hot bath with my favorite candles from Bath & Body Works. The steam from the bath opens up my pores for the mask to work its magic!

 

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What you need:

Organic rice flour – 1 tsp
Organic oat flour – 1 tsp
Bentonite clay – 1 tsp {I use Indian Aztec Healing clay}
Neem powder – ½ tsp
Turmeric – ¼ tsp
Matcha – ¼ tsp
Rosehip seed oil – a few drops
Apple Cider Vinegar – 1 tsp
Water – as needed

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The Method:

Mix all dry ingredients together.

Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry till you get the consistency desired.

Apply the mask and wait for it to dry (approx. 15-20 minutes)

Wash off and follow with regular skincare.

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Have a beautiful week!

**Disclaimer: I am not a skin expert or an esthetician. This recipe worked for me. Please use caution and your best judgment if you are going to try any of these ingredients based on your personal skin type and allergies.

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A Review – Michael Todd Pumpkin Nutrient-Rich Facial Mask

Tags

Beauty, Face Masks, Michael Todd, Michael Todd Pumpkin Nutrient-Rich Facial Mask, Organic beauty, Peels, Products, Pumpkin Mask, Review, Skincare

Hello hello!

Hope everyone is having a good week. You all know that I am such a face mask addict. So much that I renewed my Glossybox subscription after they announced a Sisley Black Rose Mask in their March box! Yes that much!!

Sooo..I wanted to write about my experience with Michael Todd Pumpkin Nutrient-Rich Facial Mask. This was a mask I’d wanted to try for the longest time since I had heard such rave reviews about it, plus it is an organic product free of parabens and harmful ingredients which I am always attracted towards. So I was ecstatic when I received it in one of my beauty box subscriptions (I think it was Glossybox) and super excited to try it.

According to Michael Todd True Organics: “Rejuvenating facial treatment which uses nutrient-rich Pumpkin blended with Glycolic Acid. Contains high concentrations of Proteolytic enzymes, anti-oxidant beta carotene and over 100 other essential vitamins, minerals, phytosterols and fatty acids. Strong exfoliant to remove dead skin, impurities and toxins, moisturizes and firms, improves elasticity and pliability of the skin, unclogs pores allowing skin to breathe and facilitates movement of skin oils. Adds brightness and radiance to the skin and significantly improves the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.”

Size: 3.4 fl oz / 100 ml
Price: USD 34.00

I received a sample size (30 ml / 1 fl oz) tube.

This mask is really an at-home peel with 5% Glycolic acid. An important thing to note is that this is not meant for sensitive skin.

Packaging:

Both the sample tube and the full size bottle come in Michael Todd’s standard colors of light purple and eggplant. The sample’s body is light purple with an eggplant cap, while the full size packaging has the colors reversed. I think the packaging is pretty enough with pleasing colors. The tube had a flip top cap and I did not experience any problems of the product leaking or otherwise being messy despite all the traveling it was subjected to.

Product:

The mask is a yellow paste that looks like pumpkin puree. I don’t mind the color at all; I actually find plain transparent or white masks very boring. I always prefer colored masks – the stranger the color, the more attractive it is for me!

The cost is very reasonable for a product that is organic and free of chemicals that are bad for the skin. Overall, it is good value for money.

Perfume:

If you haven’t noticed, I’m using the 4 Ps to review this mask so the section for “Smell” became “Perfume”. Anyway, considering this is a “pumpkin” mask, smelling like pumpkin was inevitable. But I did not expect it to smell only of pumpkin, and not in a pleasant way! It almost smells like a can of pumpkin puree that has been left out for a while, and I hate it. The first time I applied it, I wanted to throw up just because of how it smelt – it is that bad! Maybe if you like the smell of pumpkin, you might enjoy it.

Performance:

And now the final P – Performance. This mask is supposed to be applied for about 5-10 minutes before rinsing off. Also, since it acts like a peel, it is recommended to be used only once every 1-2 weeks. When I used this, I felt a strong tingling sensation in the first couple of minutes on my face. It was kind of uncomfortable but went away pretty quickly.

Here is random picture of the mask on my face.

As for the results – my face did feel cleaner and pores appeared smaller after using this. Overall, the mask definitely does its job and exfoliates the skin gently. I would have loved to use it more, only if it didn’t smell so bad for me!

2014 Skincare Lust List

Tags

Beauty, Face Masks, Natural, Review, Skincare

So 2014 is here and we’re already 2 weeks in! Time really does fly!! There were so many things I wanted to get accomplished in 2013, but never really got down to them. My most important “resolution” for this year is to manage time more effectively and complete all the things that I kept procrastinating on last year. Oh and yes to drink water, lots of it!

Since this is a time for new resolutions and to-do lists for the year, I wanted to list my top skincare products that I tried and loved in 2013, mostly by way of samples, and are on my list to get full-size products of. I feel like these are some lesser known products that I believe really do perform brilliantly based on my first impressions and are a must have in everyone’s beauty closet.

Alchimie Forever’s Kantic Brightening Moisture Mask: I tried a sample of this mask not hoping for anything spectacular, especially since I had a single-use paquet from one of my beauty box subscriptions. However, I was so amazed at the results, that I am willing to break my vow of not buying new skincare till I finish my existing stuff! The mask is a dusty pink colored paste and claims to “soothe, protect, and brighten dull skin“. It smells so amazing and even looks like blueberry yogurt (AND doesn’t hurt that it contains blueberries)! And I can honestly say that my skin was visibly softer and brighter! Even the husband claimed that I looked “very pretty” (of course men don’t realize WHAT really changed!). This retails for $60 for a 3.3 oz jar, and can be purchased directly from the Alchimie-Forever website.

(Photo credit: http://www.alchimie-forever.com)

Eminence Strawberry Rhubarb Dermafoliant: I received a deluxe sample of this in one of my Blush.com beauty boxes and again, one use and I was sold. The scrub comes in the form of a fine white powder that smells oh-so-mazing! It contains super yummy ingredients like strawberry, rhubarb, oats, ckickpea flour, and rice. You just mix it with some water or your regular cleanser and exfoliate. And the results are immediately visible – clean, smooth, and super radiant skin. Another favorite for life! This retails for $48 for 4.2 oz, and can be purchased from the Dermstore website.

(Photo credit: http://www.dermstore.com)