A Quick Foreword: One of the main goals we had going into this mini adventure was self care! It is really easy to get caught up in the stress of high school and your day to day life, and it is so important to set aside some time for some self care/self love. Although it may not seem like much, taking a little bit of time once a week to do something fun and good for your body (like a face mask!) can make a really big positive impact in your mental well-being. Hope you enjoy!
-Danna and Celia
The Hydrating Avocado Face Mask (Ave Rating 7.75/10)
Price: $0.00!
1/2 ripe avocado 1 teaspoon plain organic yogurt 1 teaspoon of honey 1 teaspoon virgin olive oil
(For more ideas go to 7 Easy DIY Face Masks )
Danna’s Thoughts: A little bit about this face mask: I’ve always thought the best type of face mask would be one that you could easily make from simple ingredients most people have at hand. After doing a bit of research, I found that avocados are great for your skin for several reasons. Avocados are super rich in healthy fats (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats) as well as oleic acid which reduce inflammation and moisturize your skin. Avocados are also rich in Vitamin E and C, two good sources of antioxidants. Antioxidants provide protection against sun damage, by fighting free radicals which damage the skin.
I really enjoyed making this face mask and I think it’s perfect for a night in with friends. It did get really messy at some points because the avocado does not exactly stay on your face, so I would keep that in mind while putting it on. I loved the green color although the smell was not super pleasant. We added a few drops of lavender essential oil to improve the smell so I guess that was a nice change. We left it on for roughly 25 minutes. Afterwards, I did notice that my face had a more uniform color and was definitely softer. However, the effects only really lasted that afternoon, so definitely not a long-term fix.
Rating: 7.5
Celia’s Thoughts: Putting on this facemask was an overall good experience, mainly because it gives you time to hang out with friends and it was fun to have a green face. Afterwards, my face felt softer and looked a little less red, but the next morning, it looked the same as it had before I used the mask. I think if you used this mask more than once it might have a longer-term effect.
Rating: 8
LUSH Eve’s Cherry Lip Scrub Valentines Edition!!! (Ave Rating: 6.5/10)
Price: $7.95
Celia’s Thoughts: Overall, this product was not my favorite, mostly because of the super sweet and artificial smell. After I took it off, the smell and taste stayed on my lips strongly for the next 15 minutes before finally starting to wear off. Once the smell was gone, my lips felt a lot softer than they had before I used the lip mask, which made it almost worth enduring the smell.
Rating: 5
Danna’s Thoughts: I actually really liked this product. It comes in a tiny, round flask which smells like berries as soon as you open it. It’s really easy to apply (you just rub some on your lips) and my favorite part was that you don’t need to wash it off or anything because it’s edible. I definitely give it points for convenience. It also does a surprisingly good job at moisturizing and softening the lips. The only bad part was the taste, it doesn’t taste bad but it’s definitely really sweet. LUSH does offer other flavors which could solve that issue.
Rating: 8
SEPHORA Charcoal Pore-Minimizing Bio-Cellulose Mask (Ave Rating: 2/10)
Price: $8
Danna’s Thoughts: This “charcoal” mask let me down in basically every way possible. I was expecting one of those black charcoal masks that help your pores and have been really popular during the last couple of years. As soon as I opened the mask I was very confused. The mask was a thin sheet covered with a clear gel like substance which didn’t look very charcoal-y to me. When I put it on, it was really cold and after 15 minutes I was very eager to get it off. It was uncomfortable to wear the entire time and afterwards all I got was a chemically-smelling face. I think it might have made my skin more dry than it already was. I definitely do not recommend. 🙂
Rating: 1
Celia’s Thoughts: When I first put this mask on, it was super cold, but after the initial shock, the coldness felt kind of soothing. Like Danna, I expected this mask to be black with charcoal, so the clearness was disappointing. I also thought a sheet mask wouldn’t be messy like some of the other masks we tried, yet somehow, it was. The mask came between two layers of mesh, one of which easily came off. I was then able to put the mask on my face, but had a really hard time getting the other piece of mesh off. In the process, the gel got all over my hands and hair. The mask was too big for my face, which led to even more gel in my hair. It was also very irritating to my eyes. I would not use this again.
Rating: 3
SEPHORA Coconut Hair Sleeping Mask (Ave Rating: 10/10)
Price: $5
Danna’s Thoughts: I absolutely loved this hair mask. I really don’t think I have a single complaint about it. I had tried a DIY hair face mask before and the process had been really complicated and very messy so I was expecting the same to be true for this mask. As soon as I opened the package, I was engulfed by the sweet, relaxing smell of coconuts mmm. The consistency was quite smooth, not at all lumpy, and the process was very similar to applying conditioner. I left the mask on overnight (which worked out well thanks to the shower cap that came with the face mask). The next morning I woke up and washed my hair as I normally do. I’m writing this review a few days later and am very pleased to write that my usually very dry hair is still soft and smooth. If you ever find yourself in a Sephora, you know what to buy.
Rating: 10/10!
LUSH 1,000 MILLIHELENS Jelly Face Mask (Ave Rating: 5.5/10)
Price: $13.95/ 2.01 oz.
Danna’s Thoughts: To be honest this mask’s main redeeming quality was its green tea smell… I had a lot of fun applying this mask, although the jelly consistency was a bit harder to work with than other smoother face masks. I left it on for about 30 minutes and the problems began when I tried to wash it off. While trying to get it off, I got some in my eye as well as my ear and green got splattered throughout my bathroom. I was hoping for softer skin, but this isn’t a great mask for hydrating. This mask did “brighten” my skin, but it made my face look several shades lighter for the rest of the night. I don’t think I’ll be using this again.
Rating: 5.5
LUSH Bunny Moon Jelly Face Mask (Ave Rating: 7/10)
Price: $13.95/ 2.01 oz.
Celia’s Thoughts: The consistency of this facemask was sticky and hard to apply to my face, but once it was on, it felt soothing and refreshing. It smelled strongly of rose, as advertised on the package. Taking it off was also difficult because of the texture, which had to be scrubbed at, making my face kind of irritated. Once the irritation subsided, my face looked less red than it had before the mask, but the redness started coming back about twelve hours later. The mask felt hydrating, both while it was on and throughout the rest of the day, which was nice since the package says it is moisturizing.
Rating: 7/10
LUSH Mortal Kombu Under Eye Mask (Ave Rating: 3/10)
Price: $1.95
Celia’s Thoughts: I did not like the Kombu Under Eye Masks, both because of the texture and the smell. I am opposed to everything that is slimy, which these masks definitely were. At first, I didn’t mind the smell. It smelled mildly of the ocean, kind of like a beach does. As I wore them longer, the seaweedy smell became quite strong. However, it still didn’t bother me that much, until it was time to wash my face and hands after taking the masks off. The smell would not come off, and was strong enough to bother me long after I had taken the mask off. The directions on the mask said to soak it in water before use, and then tear along the perforated line so you have a mask for each eye. When I tried to tear along the line, it tore easily, but it was very hard to stay on the line. I noticed my under eyes were a little brighter afterward, but not much (though to be fair they weren’t very dark before I did the mask). I would not use this product again.
Rating: 3/10