Hi there, FACE here !! Doing a face mask everyday for 30 days… commitment!

 

I Did A Face Mask Everyday For 30 Days.. Here’s What Happened

So, I did a face mask everyday for 30 days because why the hell not? All in the name of science. You know, that thing Bill Nye always talks about.

Day 1: make new friends, but keep the old

My skin was looking a little red, and like it could use a little more balance and clarity, so I opted for the Complex Beauty Ocean Potion mineral mask. Instead of introducing my face to a new face mask that might worsen the sitch, I decided to use this one since my skin has loved it for several months now. Low and behold, my skin felt calmed, looked calm, and looked much more even. This is one of the few face masks that shows immediate, lasting results on my skin, which is probably why mine is on its last legs (or should I say, face?).

Day 2: sometimes, you gotta judge a book by its cover

“Don’t do it,” my skin whimpered to me the moment I looked into the little pot of what I was hoping would be gold until I actually opened it. The GlamGlow YOUTHMUD Tinglexfoliate Treatment* looked grainy AF when I first opened it, but I thought I’d give it the benefit of the doubt (I wish I hadn’t!) and started applying it, but could only cover 1/3 of my face because it hurt so bad. Full of volcanic minerals, kaolin clay, purified clay, and pumice (!!!!! why !!!!!! my face is not my foot, Cady and Janice!! I am not Regina!), this hurt like a mofo. First of all, I couldn’t even use a face mask brush because it was hard and dry. Probably because it’s basically a rock. So then I used my fingers and it felt like I was slowly disintegrating my epidermis. If my skin were New York City, this was Godzilla. On top of the pain of applying it, it burned (like a lot, and not in the good “it’s working” kind of way), dried super quickly, which isn’t great because you want your skin to basically marinate (you know, like a piece of meat) in the good ingredients before it starts to dry up. Otherwise it’s just sucking the moisture out of your skin and we all know moisture is key to preventing fine lines and wrinkles! I washed it off super carefully so I wouldn’t cause any micro tears, and then applied my OG holy grail Complex Beauty Ocean Potion on the remaining 2/3 of my face so I could compare results, but mostly so I wouldn’t piss off the rest of my skin too. Calmed, at last.

Day 3: mask fail numero dos, but then…

11 pm– there I stood, deciding which mask to use for day 3 of my self imposed mask challenge. The words on a bottle from Ren that said “1 minute facial” really sprung out at me because I had a long day. And, I was ready to take my makeup off and go to bed (before midnight–wow!!) sans face masking. But, my brain yelled at me to “DO IT FOR SCIENCE.” So, I picked up the little speedy facial in a tube and knew I’d still make it to bed earlier than most nights… until I realized the unopened tube was completely dried up. FAIL. But, I still wanted to DO IT FOR SCIENCE. So I quickly examined my skin, noticed a baby pimple that looked like it could flourish into an adult monstrosity within the next eight hours so alas we settled on the Juice Beauty Blemish Clearing Peel. It has .75% salicylic acid, which makes it great for problem skin. On top of that, it has some great ingredients like organic apple juice (I actually really want a glass of apple juice now), organic aloe, organic lemon, glycolic acid, Vitamin C, A, and E, and more. This does tingle slightly, but it was nothing compared to last nights extreme mask mishap. This tingle was a “hey, I’m doing some work!” kind of tingle, and didn’t feel like my skin was trying to leave my face. After 10 minutes, I washed off the light layer I applied and my skin looked brighter, smoother, softer, more clear, and my forehead pimple friend reduced a slight amount. Fingers crossed he doesn’t evolve into a full on foe in the morning.

Day 4: back to an old friend we go

Another day, another skin examination. My forehead pimple friend significantly reduced thanks to last night’s mask win (not the fail. Because.. fail). He’s still hanging around, but for the most part has been evicted. Last night’s mask contained salicylic acid, which can be drying, and they tell you that on the box, so I thought I’d give my skin a little guzzle of water. Enter Complex Beauty Thirst Quencher hydra mask. If you read my post on how I got rid of a disgusting grotesque dry patch on my chin that came around a few several months ago, then you know that this mask is a good friend of my skin. And, it’s amazing. This guy is rich in hyaluronic acid, amino acids, organic aloe, blue tansy and more. The consistency is like a very jiggly, cooling gel, and it’s very soothing and calming since it contains blue tansy. Now, my skin is looking more moisturized, feels soft, smooth, firm and overall just very happy. A mask win for sure.

Day 5: Friday night fun time

Most people my age are probably out getting their drink and freak on. Me? Well, I’m trying to figure out which face mask I shall use tonight, and browsing through Netflix, HBO, Hulu, and Amazon Prime, trying to find a show to watch. Sex and the City it is– again. Too bad it’s not Friday the 13th because sir Jason would be proud of the mask I chose today: the Boscia Black Peel Off Mask. I don’t know about you, but I think Jason would surely benefit from using a face mask or two. Anyway, I globbed the tar-like mask on to my face, hopped into bed, and began season 1 episode 4 of SATC, “Valley of the Twenty-Something Guys.” I’m not super experienced with peel off masks so I’m not sure if they’re supposed to peel off really easily in mostly one swipe, but this mask didn’t. It took me a good several minutes of peeling pieces off bit by bit. Some bits were small, while some were bigger. But, overall, this mask didn’t really impress me. It’s supposed to be luminizing, but my skin looked pretty matte, and actually felt a little dry. Personally, this one isn’t for me. Plus, you have to use a ton of product because they say you need to apply a generous amount to make peeling it off easier. As I examined my skin further, and applied the rest of my skincare products, I couldn’t help but think: I hope all of these face masks mean I’ll stay looking like I’m in my twenty-somethings for much longer.

Day 6: gimme gimme more, gimme more, gimme gimme mo(isture)

Saturday night. Post stache threading. My skin could use some soothing moisture because stache removal is never fun nor pain-free. I need TLC. The first ingredient in the Nugg hydrating mask* is aloe leaf juice so I knew it’d be soothing and moisturizing. It also has glycerin, olive fruit oil, spirulina, linseed oil, cranberry oil, and a lot more. They’re also really hygienic since they come in little one time use pods so they’re not harborers of bacteria– something my skin does not need. This mask doesn’t dry down so your skin really gets to soak in and marinate (yes, like a piece of meat) in all the oils and good ingredients. That way, when you wash it off, you’re left with moisturized, soothed skin. Now I have no stache. No pain. No dry patches. Just moisturized, soothed skin. It’s not as jiggly and jelly like Thirst Quencher, so it’s not as cooling and refreshing, but it gets the job done.

Day 7: call me baby face, baby

I’m watching 13 Reasons Why. Give me 13 reasons why this face mask burns so much and why I’m doing this to myself. I guess because beauty is pain. That’s one reason. The Drunk Elephant Babyfacial is a 25% AHA + BHA treatment that b u r n s. But, in a good way. 20 minutes later, I washed it all off and my skin was left looking slightly more brightened. I know this is one of those products that I’m going to have to use consistently to notice a “yuuuuge” difference. I thought I’d be a little extra since it’s #skincaresunday and use another face mask that always helps my skin look and feel better– Complex Beauty Baby Face purity mask. Since I just applied a super intense exfoliating face mask, applying Baby Face right after soothed my skin thanks to the organic aloe. It also contains other awesome ingredients like activated charcoal, botanical hyaluronic acid, DMAE, organic rooibos, niacinamide and more. This is one I’ve used several times and again, my skin loves it (really, my skin loves all of the Complex Beauty face masks). I like this one because it pulls out toxins, and it’s super moisturizing, so it’s one to try if you hate how a lot of charcoal masks can make your skin look and feel tight and dry. My skin feels nourished. I no longer need someone to tell me 13 reasons why I’m doing this. My skin = happy.

Day 8: I’m a messy masker

Have you ever watched those movies/shows from the 90s where a group of girlfriends are all wearing perfectly applied green face masks, having a slumber party, and eating pizza? Well, there are no perfectly applied green face masks here. And, sadly, no pizza either. Tonight I used the newest addition to my mask collection– Glossier’s Mega Greens Galaxy Pack. It’s a really creamy clay based mask that never made my face feel dry or tight as it was drying down. There was a little bit of tightening (duh, it does have kaolin clay in it plus some avocado oil, leafy greens, antioxidants, and more). But, it never felt like the moisture was getting sucked out of my skin since it never fully dried down. It stayed a little creamy because it says to use on moist skin. Afterwards, the one active blemish on my cheek felt a little more calmed, and my skin felt nice and soft. Most clay masks always make my skin feel super tight afterwards. My skin still needed some moisture put back into it after this one, but no tight, dry feeling irritation. So far, so good. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to apply a picturesque 90s-slumber-party-ready face mask because I always get it all over my baby hairs, and it’s a mess. I was going to say I get it all over my face… but that’s where you want it to go. [Don’t forget you can always shop through my rep page! New customers get 20% of their order and free shipping. It is an affiliate link and I do make a small commission so no hard feelings if you don’t want to use my link. I’d suggest them anyway!)

Day 9: kinda feels like vicks vaporub… kinda not

I’m a fan of Vicks VapoRub when I’m sick. And on several occasions I have accidentally swiped the excess product left over on my hand from when I applied it to my nose, on to my face. If you’ve ever done this, then you know what that menthol sensation feels like.. it’s a tingly, cool sensation. Like little baby ice cubes are kissing you all over your face. That’s what the GlamGlow Thirstymud Hydrating Treatment* feels like. I checked the ingredients, and low and behold, it contains Menthoxypropanediol, a synthetic derivative of menthol. The consistency of this mask is creamy and liquidy, but not runny. It still has some viscosity to it, but it’s not sticky, and it spreads easily. This isn’t the most moisturizing mask ever. But, it does feel nice and left my skin feeling slightly softer and really cool and refreshed because of the menthol derivative. If you have really dry skin though, I don’t think this is enough to do the job. Overall, it’s nice, but nothing to write home about.

Day 10: am I a light bulb yet?

Shine bright like a light bulb. That is the end goal here, folks. Or, as Eve sang it best, it is to “shine bright, shine far, be a star.”

That’s why today’s mask of choice was Herbivore Botanicals Brighten. It has pineapple and papaya enzymes, rice powder, aloe leaf, and micronized Brazilian tourmaline gemstone so it’s supposed to exfoliate and give your skin a glow. The consistency is liquidy, but not runny. If you know me and my skin, you know we are no stranger to AHAs and chemical exfoliants so the slight tingle this had didn’t bother me one bit. It tingles slightly for a few minutes, but dies down pretty quickly then the mask dries down and tightens up. I ended up leaving it on for 30-40 minutes (this happens a lot!) and realized that this mask does flake off a little once it’s dry. Because when I walked into the bathroom and looked in the mirror, there was a crusty crust beard situation happening around the mouth area where the mask had begun to flake off. Afterwards, my skin was slightly more bright, but it wasn’t glowy. In fact, my skin looked pretty matte. It does feel soft, but no softer than it usually is since I don’t suffer from roughness or a lot of texture. I really wanted to like this mask, but unfortunately (and sadly), the Eve inside of me has been let down. I am not shining like a star nor like a lightbulb.

Day 11: revitalize me

The deeper I fall down the skincare rabbit hole, the more I realize how lots of brands don’t care about the ingredients they put in their products, and then hike up the prices by trying to convince us they’re a luxury brand. I can go on a whole rant about this topic, but I’m going to spare you today and just get to masking. The mask I ended up using was the Nugg Beauty Revitalizing Mask*. It has aloe, glycerin, flaxseed, peppermint oil, cranberry seed oil, menthol and a lot more. Again, this kind of feels like I rubbed Vicks VapoRub all over my face, and it has a similar consistency. Afterwards, it left my skin feeling cool and slightly more nourished. I didn’t see a ton of radiance or amazing results, but I’m hoping the antioxidants worked their anti-aging/ repairing magic even though my eye can’t see it.

Day 12: pimples be gone… pretty please?

I have a zit on my cheek… and one on my chin. My forehead pimple friend is gone, but a couple more friends have popped up because it’s not like I’m trying to keep my skin clear or anything. Juice Beauty Blemish Clearing Peel… do your job. Pretty please. As much as I hate having pimples, the pigmentation they leave behind is the worst because that shit lingers for a long time. It kind of seems like I’m going a little acid crazy at the moment, and I think I am. But, moisturizing masks just don’t do it for me. Give me acids! Give me the burn! Give me new skin! Perhaps tomorrow I should use a moisturizing mask, but today, I’m glad I chose this blemish clearing peel again because my skin is looking brighter. And, the chin and cheek pimple have gone down. Even the little soon-to-be-pimple bumps on my cheek have reduced and my skin feels a lot calmer.

Day 13: green mud maskin

Here we are again.. masking with the Glossier Mega Greens Galaxy mud mask. Is this going to make my skin look out of the world? I hope so. Part of me wanted to use something new, but part of me didn’t want to freak my skin out so here we go again– green mud maskin. Afterwards, my chin pimple that was a full on painful head has settled, and my check pimple has reduced a bit more, but he’s still hanging round town. p.s. this time I forgot to apply the mask to damp skin so it did fully dry down instead of staying creamy. It didn’t suck all the moisture out, but I would definitely remember to apply this to damp skin so it’s less drying. [You can shop through my Glossier page to see my faves and first time buyers will save some money, hunny!]

Day 14: third times the charm?

It’s safe to say that the 2 Glamglow masks I’ve tried have left me disappointed, underwhelmed, and wanting. I had super high expectations considering their price and rave reviews. But, I was hoping third times the charm and gave Glamglow Flashmud Brightening Treatment* a try. It is a kaolin clay based mask, and again it contains pumice– why?? This one didn’t burn or scratch my skin as much as the Tinglexfoliate Treatment. It did have a tingle at first, but subsided after 10-15 minutes. Overall, this one isn’t bad, but it’s not amazing, and again left me wanting and underwhelmed. It didn’t really brighten my skin, and I hate the fact that it has pumice in there, which can cause micro tears in the skin since facial skin is so delicate. If I’m looking for radiance and brightness, I would reach for my Complex Beauty Rose Glow and The Godmother mask in a heartbeat over this one.

Read part 2 here

 

How often do you face mask? Let me know in the comments below!

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