Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Drugstore Mask Reviews - Part 1

Nivea masks (in satchets)
I tried most of them. The peel-off masks are useless. When you peel it, nothing really comes off.The wash-off masks are ok. I think there was a Vitamin C one that i liked.

Don't think will try again.

Watsons fruity masks (sheet mask)
Very watery. Soaking wet in the packet and flows down on the face. -.-'. I only tried the rosewater one recently. Hydrating. Very generous amount of essence. A little sticky after usage. Very nice smell. I'm not sure whether perfume in masks are good for skin or not though. My skin was a little irritated due to my intensive scrubs lately. I wanted something to calm and nourish my skin. I was surprised after peeling it off. Skin was very calm and well-nourished. But do not expect it to be lasting till next day.

Would buy again if cheap.

Neutrogena Fine Fairness hydrating mask (sheet mask)
I forgot the exact name. But Neutrogena masks are not famous for nothing. Very hydrating. I think it was a little stinging for me but hydrating effects definitely great. But I only use these for special occasions.

Willing to splurge on to get effects.

Garnier/Pure and Lightening mask (satchet not sheet mask)
Garnier Pure is good. I forgot it's peel mask or washoff. It's for cleaning impurities in skin. Garnier Lightening works well in brightening complexion. Is a washoff mask.

Would get Garnier Pure again.

Ginvera Green Tea mask(sheet mask)
Face + eye mask. Did nothing for my eyes but face is definitely hydrated. For the newer range, whitening is included. Generous with essence and essence is sticky. Might be stinging for some but bearable for me. Effects were obvious after usage. May be a little sticky on the face. Not much comments as i dun remember. But into my third box.

Would stock again if cheap (anyway they have frequent sales)

Cortry hydrating face + neck mask(sheet mask)
Cortry mask has a very strong herbal smell. It is always advised to be sampled before buying the whole box. Smell is bearable for me. If you are not keen on masks with strong smell and brown essence, this mask is not for you. Generally, i like their masks because it is said to aid in blood circulation on the face. My go-to mask when I look dead tired. It makes you feel refreshed in a different manner.The neck mask is very useless (not in terms of effect, but in terms of design). If anyone finds a way to make it stick on the neck properly without falling off, do tell me how.

Would stock up again if cheap.

Cortry eye mask(sheet mask)
Very sleep inducing. It aids in blood circulation in the undereye a little bit. Can see some effects after usage. But effects do not stay. The box advises to use the eye masks frequently in order to work. But as the eye masks are not cheap *coughs*, I cannot afford to do so. And it is getting more and more expensive. Anyone who spots it being sold cheap is welcome to PM me.

Would get it again.

Daiso Charcoal face mask (tube)
Cheap and good. Try not to use this on the face for too long as it tightens considerably. I've left it so long that i can feel my mouth cannot open. -.-' Very good for removing whiteheads and some facial hair. Blackheads didn't budge though. But using a deep cleansing mask before this to suck up impurities might work.

Would get it again.

Watsons Lavender mask (sheet mask)
Very sleep-inducing. However, i found the smell a bit unbearable after a while. Don't really like lavender smell as mask or bath gel.

Won't get it again.

Watsons Aloe Vera mask (sheet mask)
My skin had red patches so i tried this mask. It was hydrating. I didn't notice its whitening properties on my face, but after masking, when i put the mask (still wet) on my leg, it really distinctly left a white patch. I guess it really whitens. My red patches on face did not disappear immediately but the next day after masking, it disappeared. I guess it's quite good.

Would buy again if cheap.

St Ives Mineral Clay Firming Mask (tube)
It's a clay mask with deep cleansing properties. I think it's a minty flavour (very pretty mask. haha). Very easy to use. Just spread a thin layer and leave it on for 10 mins. After that wash off with warm water. It really sucks impurities embedded in your skin to the surface. I had headless pimple and when i washed off the mask, a little bit of pus was spotted floating on top.After washing off, I used Daiso Charcoal Mask (tube, peel-off mask). After peeling, a lot of whiteheads came off. So St Ives is really highly recommended as it makes it easier for those whiteheads to come out.

After using such masks, pls remember to use toner/pore-refining serum to close your pores or they will be left very big.

Would highly recommend for deep cleansing usage, especially before peel mask, to make it easier for impurities to come out.

However, do note that I've read some ppl breakout from/after this mask. Later, I also used St Ives as pimple spot treatment. Had a pimple that's like half pimple, half blackhead. Refuses to budge upon squeezing. I just dabbed some on it and the mask dries up. After washing off, I could peel off the pimple. It left a red pimple mark though, but it's a lot flatter than the previous state.

Do this at your own risk. Would definitely buy again.

Watsons Green Tea Mask (sheet mask)
Like all other Watsons masks, it's soaking wet when opened. Very light fragrance. Upon application, it was very cold though it was not stored in fridge ( might be due to weather. -.-') It stings me for a while but is bearable. The mask contains witch hazel extract and chamomile extracts so that explains the stinging for me. Upon removal, my skin was a little reddish, like more tanned than usual. Never experienced before. After massaging in the essence, my face returned to the original colour. -.-'

It's quite a hydrating mask. Anyway I feel so awake after it. Would recommend to use it in the morning than at night, especially those who can't sleep after drinking tea at night. Can't review on pimples cos my pimples still around. Will get back to that if i notice any change to them tmr. Used it as a neck mask too and found that it works well. Brightens and reduces my lines. lol

Would get it again if cheap (and use it as neck mask). heh

不一样的自然养生法

Would like to share an inspiring video (if you can understand Mandarin).

For this video, it talks about how blood type is related to diseases. I think it's rather interesting...





Dr. Tom Wu in that show also talks about how daily food can affect lifestyle and aids in improving health and natural healing,. He is into naturopath/alternative healing and incorporates both chinese and western concepts together, that's why I'm so impressed with him.

Also bought the book written by him.





If you have a chance, do get it from Popular but the text is in Traditional Chinese characters. I had a hard time locating the book cos it was OOS rather fast after it was released (and maybe due to the show).

I don't think it's possible for us to follow his diet entirely but the tips inside will change your mindset and make you want to change your lifestyle/diet into a healthier one. Hope you enjoy the video and get inspired by it like I did.