little white truths

We received this face mask in our last box from Maslow & Co, the French edit (unboxed here).

At the time I was pleased to see it and it was the item I was most excited about in the whole box, but unfortunately it's turned out to be the one I like the least. Don't you hate that?!

Indeed, I dislike it so much that it would already have gone straight to my Project Pan list, except that my list is full so I don't have room for any more products at the moment. But it may well be my next replacement product because I just want to see the end of it. More on why below.

Nominoë claims/product details:

• A face mask but not as you know it! 
• Unlike normal masks, this is a ‘mask-balm’, which you gently rub into your skin following the treatment
• Rich in sea holly (a powerful rejuvenating ingredient), the treatment works to heal dull, stressed and dehydrated skin - for a dramatically renewed and radiant complexion
• Soothes and makes skin supple with a radiant glow
• Tests show that sea holly stem cells support skin repair and rejuvenation, helping to: protect and smooth the skin; leave skin feeling perfectly hydrated; provide a lifting and firming effect; improve skin texture; and protect skin from UV damage
• For dry to very dry skin
• To use: apply once a week in the evening after cleansing; apply a generous layer to the face and leave in place for about 10 to 15 minutes, then start to massage; it becomes oil and you can hydrate with water and gently massage into your skin until fully absorbed
• RRP $45 AUD for 40ml

Verdict

I've been using this for two months now, at first once a week as suggested and then later three or four times a week - because it does nothing for me and I want to finish it.

It's a strange product. It's a clear-ish, sticky balm with a holigraphic quality (it reflects pink and green) and a light, herbal fresh scent that shouldn't bother most people. It has a weird, thick texture: it's a balm but it's unlike anything I've used before because it doesn't warm up on contact with skin and therefore become easier to spread. 

Indeed, it's damn hard to spread this stuff out - even if I attempt to warm it in my hands first - and anything that pulls at your skin this much when you try to apply it can't be good for you.

This product is designed for dry to very dry skin (that's me) so in theory it should be right up my alley. Since my skin is drier than usual at the moment (damn winter), I decided to first try it as an overnight mask, which you can do if your skin is very dry. I applied a very thin layer as directed and lasted about two minutes before getting up and adding water/hacking away with a cloth to remove it. I'd have left it on longer but I was exhausted and just wanted to go to bed, and I couldn't do that with something like this choking my face. It felt awful and my skin couldn't breathe through it.

On the next couple of uses I tried it as a stock-standard mask, so I applied a generous layer (it's hard to do otherwise, given the thickness), left it for 15 minutes and then massaged it and applied water. It says that you should be able to massage this in until it's fully absorbed, but this product absolutely does not absorb into my skin: what it does is leave it feeling coated and dry (because the product is sitting on top of the skin, rather than delivering nourishment), and even worse, it's a bloody nightmare to remove.

What this means in practice is that I'm left with a coating over my face and dry skin underneath, and nothing I apply over the top (eg serums or moisturisers) can do anything to help hydrate my skin because this product is leaving a barrier that interferes with any product's ability to penetrate.

So, after these failed attempts, all I can really use it for now is as a 'hydrating' mask that I apply before my shower, because nothing but hot water and a good cleanser will remove it properly. Does it do anything when used this way? Not really. It doesn't even feel hydrating while you're wearing it because it coats instead of penetrates, and perhaps my skin does look and feel a bit fresher after I've used it but I'm probably reaching here because it looks that way after my shower anyway.

All in all, I don't like this mask and I've given it a 'disappointing products' tag. It does absolutely nothing for me (so in my opinion, it doesn't meet its claims) and it's a hassle to use, particularly given that it doesn't yield results.

Blurgh.