Wednesday, March 4, 2020

SOME REALLY GOOD HIGHER-END FACE MASKS


Last year, I wrote my ‘Some Really Good High-Street Face Masks’ blog post and it got helllllla hits. I actually took the photos for this post on the very same day, but haven’t got around to writing up my reviews of my favourite higher-end masks until today. I think that’s partly because I cringe every time I spend more than a tenner in one go, and also because I hadn’t actually used up a load of these products because I try to make them last and last and last for as long as possible! 

With that being said, I’m a self-confessed goo-hoarder. For those unfamiliar with this very scientific term, Urban Dictionary defines this as ‘When girls hoard large amounts of shampoos, nail polishes, lip-glosses, and general goo-esq. makeups’. My goo-hoarding manifests itself mainly in skincare. I simply cannot resist a serum, a toner or a cleanser. But my kryptonite is a bleeding face mask. So over the years I’ve accumulated a fair old few; including those that are a little eye-waveringly expensive. NGL, I’ve spent some serious coin on some serious crap in my years, but these are the masks from a higher-end point that I really really like…


This aesthetically pleasing tube of goo set me back £22, and I’d be lying if I said I liked the sound of the mask itself over the way it looks. I’m a sucker for anything pastel pink, so I totally convinced myself that my face needed ‘retexturising’. I don’t know if it did or not. This baby is made with Mediterranean rose clay, willow herb and jojoba beads to buff away dead skin and deeply cleanse your skin. 

This is probably the best smelling mask I’ve ever slathered on. I’ve got to be honest, though, having sensitive skin meant this felt a little harsh for me personally. I love the way my skin looks clear and almost airbrushed after using it, though, because it minimises your pores too. It’s definitely one I love to own, but I definitely used it as more of a *treat*.

This one is seriously like rehab for your skin. It brings all your little demons up to the surface for a good and thorough exorcism! So it’s definitely one for a Sunday-night pamper session rather than a night-before-the-party situation. The first time I used this, I actually broke out worse than I had for aaaaages and I was initially a bit put off. I was staring at this £22 product like WTF have you DONE to me?! After looking into it a bit more, I realised it’s the mask drawing out all of the dirt and underlying toxins up to the surface to get rid of them. 

This mask contains bamboo charcoal and white china clay which helps to purify and clear out your skin. The Origins website says that the mask ‘dissolves’ these impurities, but I’m not sure that’s strictly true because for me, if caused a spotty period. So I don’t use this all the time. I use this mask whenever I’ve slept in my makeup or been a bit lax on my skincare, because it cleans it deep down and seems to absolves all my sins.



My best advice for trying pricier masks is going for the travel sizes which are available all over the place; it makes the bum-clenching price tags a little more bearable. For £16, I decided I’d like to try - what I can only describe as - a little pot of sunshine. This one’s formulated with salicylic acid, jasmine flower and white birch leaf which work to brighten and even out the skintone. 

It also contains an exfoliator which buffs away dead cells and dirt, which also make your skin look dull, revealing that baby-smooth boat-race we all really want. I’ve got to say, I demolished this pot really quickly because I bloody loved using it before I put my makeup on for the day. It creates such a bright, even and soft based for your makeup to go on to - so this little travel pot didn’t last long. I really really want to treat myself to another one, because putting on makeup just isn’t the same without it! *insert broken heart emoji*

This is the first - and only - lip balm treatment i’ve ever tried. Aside from my usual Blistex and the odd Lush lip scrub, I didn’t know there was much more you could do in the way of lip care. I thought GlamGlow had a damn cheek charging £16 for this, because it’s literally the size of a little lip balm tub. I was initially skeptical and  n e v e r  would’ve bought this for myself, but as it was a gift, I was excited to have a little experiment. And……? I begrudgingly really liked it! 

This product seems to encompass most things I dislike about beauty products; it’s miniature, it’s pricey as anything, it’s tinted!!! (always a hard NO from me), but I really liked using it. My lips felt massively hydrated and super smooth. I didn’t use it as my regular lip balm. I like to whack a thick layer on while I’m doing a face mask and wipe it away all at the same time. I feel like it really moisturises deeply, smells pretty good and undoes the damage of the colder weather.


I definitely saved the best until last, and I KNOW that if you read blogs or follow the beauty industry, this’ll be some of the oldest and most boring news to be writing about in 2020. H O W E V E R - this face mask is probably my favourite that I’ve ever used. Again, I got the little travel-size at £16 because I couldn’t stomach the thought of the full-size version at £50! The GlamGlow website promises that this mask does a lot; it’ll clear up oiliness, redness, scars, acne, blemishes….in-grown hairs and razor bumps? I don’t know about all that.

What I do know is that this mask makes my skin feel the clearest it’s felt in ages. I remember seeing the hype and all the YouTube videos of people trying this. I was mesmerised by the way the grey mask dried in a way that allows you to see where the oil and dirt has been sucked out of your pores. It’s one of those products you feel like you can really see working, so the instant-gratification-factor is a big part. I just always love how glowy and bright my skin looks after a go with this. Although - heartbreak alert - I need to buy another pot because despite being  s o o o o frugal with this, it’s all gone! And it’s something I just absolutely love having in my cupboard. 


With pricier products, I think it’s always worth doing a lot more research than you may usually do before parting with masses of money. There. Are a few things I do to help get the best idea of what I’m getting:

I love reading blog posts from real people. If you have a product in mind, type the product name into google followed by ‘blog review’ or ‘beauty blog’ for reams and reams of honest, real-life reviews. 

It’s also a good idea to look into signing up to a beauty box subscription that offers skincare samples. I’ve had a few nice masks come as part of my Birchboxes over the years. Most recently, I received the Nuxe Purifying and Smoothing Mask which I’m really enjoying, and it’s not something I’d have come across otherwise.

Why not head into a department store and speak to the representative. They may not give you the most honest or accurate description of the product, but they’re always trying to flog their products and may give you a small demo or even a free tester to bring home. 

Another great little trick I’ve picked up is looking at whether the brand produces travel sizes of their higher-end masks. These are usually a fraction of the full-sized price and if you’re not sure, it’s a really good way of giving it a try before you splurge!

I love keeping a few high end masks in my cupboard because it just gives me that extra little bit of luxury. I do face masks throughout the week, but if I’m using a more pricey product, best believe I’m lighting candles, running a bath and making it more of a proper pamper session! 

Lots of love,
Jasmine x
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4 comments

  1. I have both of those Origins face masks and they are THE BEST! I've never tried GlamGlow though, the price put me off, so that's a great tip about buying a travel size version, thank you!

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  2. I've never heard the term 'goo hoarder' before. I guess I've learnt something new! I love a face mask, especially a charcoal one, so I'll have to try that Origins one :)

    Nicola | Nic's Healthy Life

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  3. I have always wanted to try the glam glow masks!

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  4. I always see people raving about GlamGlow and Origins when they talk about masks! I've tried the hydrating glamglow one in the past and enjoyed it but I'm not sure if it was worth the price tag for the full sized one. I've never tried anything from Origins, I need to! x

    Sophie
    www.glowsteady.co.uk

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