little white truths

Sometimes you don't need to use a product a lot to feel able to review it, and that's the case with this mask for me. 

While I did open the above kit towards the beginning of the year, masks aren't something that you use every day - unlike eg cleansers - so although this product has been open for a while, I've been using it around once a week and there's still heaps left in the tube.

Nevertheless, I felt I could have written this post after only a few uses, and my feelings on it have been confirmed over time: I really like it and it's one I'll likely buy once my tube is done.

This Renew and Resurface Kit is shaping up to be a good one, and I've been slowly introducing each product into my routine over time. Here's what you get:

• Triple Action Cleanser 30ml 
• Micro Cleanse 30ml 
• Balancing Moisturiser and Gentle Exfoliant 30ml 
• Daily Essential Moisturiser SPF 30+ 30ml 
• Liquid Gold Smoothing and Perfecting Mask 30ml 
• Balancing and Pore Refining Mask 30ml 

The kit retails for $99 AUD but you can pick it up for less than this if you shop around. From memory I paid something like $74 for it, and I received a bonus Alpha-H product when I bought it. And of course, it's great value because you're getting 30ml sizes of six products: 30ml is a decent amount and more than enough product to work out whether any items are for you.

Alpha-H claims/product details:

I should say briefly that I've used the other mask in the kit before - the Alpha-H Liquid Gold Smoothing & Perfecting Mask with Lavender - and that one has never grabbed me, although it's won various awards and most people seem to love it.

While that mask really doesn't do much for me, happily this one does and it's a product I look forward to using. More on that below.

This is a great little product and I knew from the first time I used it that it worked much better for my skin than the other mask in this kit (reviewed here).

It looks and feels like a standard clay mask and the scent is herbal and quite strong (I'm smelling the lavender and jojoba), so be aware of that if you don't like fragranced products.

It spreads evenly and thinly, so you don't need a lot each time and I personally feel that a thinner layer is better than a thicker one. I've experienced a slight tingling/stinging sensation when I first apply it, but it's not too uncomfortable and it vanishes pretty quickly. I think this is happening because my skin is irritated and dry around my nose/mouth area at the moment, and that's where I feel the tingling.

I do love a mask that only needs ten minutes to work, and I can feel the difference in my skin as soon as I wash it off: it feels cleaner, tighter and smoother, and it looks brighter and more refined. I do need to apply a bit more moisturiser than normal after I've used this because my skin feels a little on the dry/dehydrated side, but that's standard for me when it comes to clay masks so I don't mind it because the results are there.

My makeup always goes on much better after I've used this, since I'm dealing with a smoother surface that doesn't 'grab' at product, as it sometimes can (I think many dry-skinned lasses complain of this issue).

On the product claims: I do think this draws out toxins and impurities without stripping the skin; I do think it minimises clogged pores, blackheads and breakouts, and generally clarifies the complexion; and I do think it reduces pore size - at least temporarily - and removes surface inflammation.

I haven't noticed whether it promotes post-acne healing, but I absolutely believe that it has helped calm the breakouts I was experiencing along my chin before I started using the product. It's also gentle enough for my dry, sensitive skin, so that's another plus.

All in all, I think this is a fantastic mask that meets its claims. It mightn't be quite as amazing as my HG Cellilux Glacial Mineral Gel (another clay mask, reviewed here), but that one costs $69 for 60g and you can find this one for around $30 for 100ml, so this one is obviously much better value.

Indeed, I think you'd be hard-pressed to find something in this price-bracket that performs this well, and it may end up being an essential for me. Few masks do much for my skin, but this one does and I do plan to repurchase it.

It's also worth briefly mentioning that I've had a look at what others have to say about this product, and it looks like almost everyone loves it. A lot of people say that it offers a really deep clean without stripping the skin and helps with breakouts. I agree!

Huge ticks from me. It may yet end up on my HG list by the time I've finished my tube : )