Beauty. Fashion. Lifestyle.
Posts tagged Masque
Montagne Jeunesse Exotic Fruits Collection
4The lovely folks over at natural skin care company Montagne Jeunesse recently launched their latest face mask collection, Exotic Fruits, and I was lucky enough to be offered the chance to try the range for myself. There are three Exotic Fruit Face Masks available; Dragon Fruit Sauna, Paw Paw Peel Off and Prickly Pear Peel Off, all of which are animal friendly and suitable for vegetarians like me.
The first thing that struck me about these masks when I received them, other than the eye-catching, colourful packaging, was the size of the sachets. They are slightly smaller in size to the Montagne Jeunesse sachets that I’m used to, but they still contain a generous amount of product which is more than enough for one application, so you’re not getting ripped off!
As soon as I saw it I really, really wanted to try the Dragon Fruit Sauna mask as it is self heating, and I absolutely love Montagne Jeunesse’s self heating Hot Chocolate mask, but this one contains kiwi which I’m allergic to, so I will be passing this mask on to a lucky someone at some point. So, the mask I will be featuring in this post is the Prickly Pear Peel Off.
The Prickly Pear Peel Off is described as being a ‘Shockingly Juicy Skin Boost’, and contains nourishing, natural ingredients from unusual fruits which are included to tackle blemishes. The Prickly Pear extracts are rich in minerals and Vitamin C, which help to soften and smooth the skin, and the second fruity ingredient, Mangosteen, is known for its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory spot fighting properties. The mask also contains Melon, which is rich in Vitamin A and cleansing antioxidants.
The product itself is really quite pleasing to the eye, as well as the nose. It is a bright pinky purple colour which, in all honesty, I would LOVE as a nail varnish shade, and it smells absolutely divine. The sweet smell of pear comes through really strongly, but not overwhelmingly, and other fruits such as the melon come through too. It smells and feels so light and fresh – it’s just lovely, and a nice little flashback to summer!
As with all Montagne Jeunesse masks, application is simple. After washing your face with warm water, you simply smooth it on with clean hands and then relax for 15-20 minutes whilst it dries. I found that the smaller size of the sachet meant that, for some reason, it was a lot easier to squeeze the mask out of the sachet without making a mess. It’s really important to create an even layer of mask on your face when applying so it dries evenly, and this was also very easy to do as the thicker areas showed up darker, so I just evened these areas out whilst it was still wet.
When I first applied the mask it made my skin burn slightly, which obviously worried me a little bit, but after 5 minutes or so the burning sensation calmed down and my face was left feeling cooled and invigorated. I’m not sure what caused the burning sensation but I have been using medicated gel on my face lately, which can make my skin feel quite sore, so it could have been down to that.
After 20 minutes the mask was completely dry but it didn’t go tight at all like some masks do, which is great. It also peeled off really easily (but unfortunately not in one piece so I wasn’t left with a ghost face to scare anyone with!). After use my skin felt amazingly soft and I didn’t need to use any moisturiser afterwards as it added moisture to my skin rather than taking it away. In fact, the next morning my face still felt as soft as it did after using the mask, which is pretty good going.
The whole Exotic Fruits Collection is available on Montagne Jeunesse’s website, as well in Asda and Boots, and each sachet costs just £1.29 – a small price to pay for such a fruity little treat!
Have you tried this range yet?
Naomi x
Chocolate Treat Week: Skin, Bath and Body
24
9 years
In my first Chocolate Treat Week post I will be sharing with you the very best chocolate scented skin care, bath and body products that I have been using lately. Whenever I have the house to myself of an evening I like nothing better than to run myself a relaxing bath and treat myself with an indulgent beauty regime, and the following four items are the perfect products for a chocolate themed pamper session.
Bathe with… Handmade Soaps Chocolate Bath Treats
I recently discovered a fab little company called Handmade Soaps, who stock and sell a large range of soaps, bath bombs, bath melts and gift sets, all of which are very appealing to the eye as well as the nose. Among their range they have quite a few wonderful chocolate scented bombs, melts and sets. The chocolate products pictured above are (clockwise from the top): Chocoholics Gift Set, Fruity Creamy Bath Bar, Chocolate Bath Meltz, Sink the Pink Bath Bomb, Very Berry Bath Creamer, Love Cloud Bath Creamer and Chocolate Ballotin Gift Set.
I have a lot of bath products from Handmade Soaps so I haven’t tried all of them yet, but my favourite so far has to be the Chocolate Bath Meltz, which costs £2 for one melt. As you can see, it looks absolutely lovely – almost like a fancy chocolate truffle, especially with the cute little chocolate heart sitting on top! The melt combines Cocoa and Arabica Coffee to give it its rich chocolatey aroma and colour, and also contains Lavender and Ylang Ylang essential oils for added relaxation. I used this melt over the weekend and it really is glorious. I popped it into the water just before the bath was full and then got straight in. I recommend doing this as it’s when the melt fizzes that you are met with its beautiful scent. Unlike some bath products that I’ve tried, this one doesn’t fizz too violently so you don’t get bombarded by the bomb whilst you’re trying to relax. In fact, I actually found it quite therapeutic watching it spin in the water! My favourite thing about the Chocolate Bath Meltz is how intensely moisturising it is. I really wasn’t expecting such a dainty melt to have much effect on my skin, but it made my skin feel creamy and smooth even when I was still in the water, which resulted in long-lasting softness – impressive!
Handmade Soaps pride themselves on their customer service so if you decide to order anything from them you won’t be disappointed! They deliver their items quickly and they even have a ‘remarkable wrapping’ policy so everything you receive will be as beautifully wrapped as possible. Everything they sell is already reasonably priced, but Handmade Soaps have been kind enough to give me a special discount code to share with you so that you can get 10% off everything you order! The code is ‘bewitchery10‘ – just enter it at the checkout to get your 10% discount.
Exfoliate with… Betty Buff ‘Scrummy Choco’ Sugar Scrub
As I’ve mentioned in several of my previous posts, Betty Buff‘s Sugar Scrubs are my absolute favourite go-to exfoliators. All of Betty Buff’s scrubs are high-quality and handmade to vintage recipes. They contain no parabens or artificial colours and fragrances either, so are excellent for use on sensitive skin like mine.
As well as containing granulated sugar, Evening Primrose Oil, honey and glycerine, ‘Scrummy Choco‘ is made with 100% cocoa which gives it an incredible scent. As Betty Buff says, it really does smell ‘good enough to eat’ (but please don’t!), almost like a chocolate brownie or uncooked cake mix… It honestly made my mouth water when I first smelt it!
I have been using this for a while now and the effects are very noticeable. The cocoa makes the scrub delicately moisturising, and always leaves my skin feeling silky smooth, and my dry patches caused by the drying summer weather have all vanished! Due to the rich colour of the scrub it also leaves a light brown sheen on the skin, which sounds odd but actually looks great, especially if you already have a tan you want to accentuate.
Betty Buff ‘Scrummy Choco’ Sugar Scrub comes in three different sizes. The size pictured is the 150ml version, which costs £6.50, but there’s also a 250ml tub available for £8.00 and a 100ml sampler for £4.00. A little goes a long way with Betty’s scrubs so each size is fantastic value for money. If you’d like to try it for yourself, which I highly recommend you do, you can purchase it here.
Moisturise with… Vaseline Cocoa Radiant Rich Feeling Lotion
Vaseline’s Cocoa Radiant Rich Feeling Lotion is ideal for those who aren’t too keen on beauty products with a strong chocolatey aroma or appearance. The lotion is pale in colour and delicately scented with cocoa beans so it isn’t overpowering, and it also has a very delicate formula.
Cocoa Radiant is rich like a body butter, but also lovely and light so it doesn’t feel heavy on the skin. It absorbs quickly without being greasy, rather, it leaves behind a soft creaminess which makes skin feel healthy and supple. I like to use this after exfoliating and also after shaving as it is protective so prevents any drying or soreness. What I love most about this lotion is how long the scent lingers… After a day of wear I can always still smell a sweet tinge of cocoa on my skin which is nicely comforting.
Vaseline’s Cocoa Radiant is currently on offer for £2.63 in Superdrug for a 400ml bottle, which is a massive bargain for such a quality product so grab it cheap while you still can!
Cleanse with… Montagne Jeunesse Hot Chocolate Self Heating Face Mask
After a relaxing bath and moisturising session, a face mask is the perfect way to finish an evening of pampering. Now that Autumn is here and the weather is getting colder, it’s time to step away from the cooling masks and use something a bit more seasonal… So, what’s better than a self heating mask? Montagne Jeunesse’s Hot Chocolate Self Heating Face Mask is currently top of my face mask list as everything about it is luscious and screams ‘me time’!
I used this mask last night and couldn’t get enough of it. The formula is fairly thick, basically like melted chocolate, so it is a little bit difficult to apply but it is well worth the effort. As soon as it touches your skin it heats up to a comfortable temperature which feels incredible and helps to soothe tired skin and muscles.
The mask is scented with cocoa and orange – a winning combination in my eyes (and nose). The orange cuts through the sweetness of the chocolate to give a decadent scent which makes for a delicious fifteen minutes of wear, and a good few hours of gorgeous smelling skin.
The mask stays wet and doesn’t dry like a conventional clay mask so it is quite easy to wash off, but its deep colour can make a mess so make sure you use an old towel! Like all of Montagne Jeunesse’s products, their Hot Chocolate mask is vegetarian and natural, and it contains orange oil which is refreshingly moisturising. As such, the mask is extremely nourishing to the point that you don’t need to use any moisturiser after wearing it.
Montagne Jeunesse’s Hot Chocolate Self Heating Mask is available on their website for £1.09 per sachet, but I’ve also seen it in Wilkinson, Asda, Superdrug and Boots. I only used half a sachet for one application so you could get two uses out of it if you’re lucky, which is always a bonus.
The Last Rolo…
The Last Rolo is where I hand over the last few words of each Chocolate Treat Week blog post to another blogger. In the run up to Chocolate Treat Week I asked five of my favourite bloggers a couple of questions about their favourite chocolate treats, and today’s answers come from Donah of Sweetjellybean.
Can you recommend any chocolate scented, flavoured or themed beauty/fashion products?
Although I try to not use any products that are chocolate scented (as I’ve had enough of Palmer’s Cocoa Butter when I was pregnant!), these days, I’ve been indulging myself with Leor’s Chocolate Truffle Body Lotion. Surprisingly, this doesn’t smell as strong as Palmer’s but still has that lovely chocolate aroma that isn’t distracting. so yes, I definitely would recommend this to anyone, who can’t stand Palmers’ but still love to indulge themselves in a chocolate-flavoured product.
What is your favourite chocolate treat to eat, and why?
Toffee Crisp! Can’t get enough of this when I was pregnant (a hush-hush since I was not supposed to eat this, so this is my guilty pleasure haha) But I definitely don’t mind having one bar or two every week.
Thanks for reading my first Chocolate Treat Week post – I hope you enjoyed it! If you did, please come back tomorrow to read all about chocolate hair products.
Naomi x
*I was kindly gifted the Handmade Soap Bath products and the Betty Buff ‘Scrummy Choco’ Sugar Scrub by their respective companies for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions expressed are honest and my own.*
Introducing… Montagne Jeunesse Dead Sea Mud Spa Fabric Mask
10Behold! The best Montagne Jeunesse face mask that I have ever used (so far) – the new Dead Sea Mud Spa Mask. Earlier this week I received a rather exciting skin care package from the lovely folks at Montagne Jeunesse, containing two of their brand new face masks – the Dead Sea Mud Spa Mask and the Glacial Clay Spa Mask. I was really looking forward to trying these masks as they’re not like any other I’ve ever used before. Rather than the usual peel-off or wash-off products, the Spa Masks are made of bamboo fabric, which is coated and infused with naturally sourced mud and clay.
Yesterday evening I tried the Dead Sea Mud Spa mask, which uses ‘Real Mud, Dead Sea & Sea Kelp’. I haven’t yet used the Glacial Clay Spa Mask so I will review that at a later date. Each sachet contains one single use mask, and it is quicker and easier to use than any other Montagne Jeunesse mask as it comes in one ready to use piece that you just lay on your face. As you can see below, it looks a bit freaky, but also quite funny!
The sachet says that the mask provides a ‘satisfying boost for thirsty skin’ as it contains ‘invigorating & revitalising Dead Sea minerals’. The directions for use are as follows: Cleanse, Apply, Relax for 10-15 minutes, Massage and Rinse – Simple! I found that the best way to apply it is to lay it on and then press the edges down so that it smoothes to the shape of your face and doesn’t fall off. Since these are ‘one size fits all’ I did have to fold the edges inwards slightly to fit the shape of my face, but that’s not a problem really. Better too big than too small! And the moment you’ve all been waiting for – this is what it looks like on…
I know! Don’t laugh! I look absolutely ridiculous, which caused much amusement with my family, but when you’re wearing a mask that feels so amazing you really don’t care haha. Before I opened the sachet I noticed that it felt really cold to the touch, and as you can imagine the mask itself feels quite cold too. When it’s on your face the cold feeling really penetrates your skin making it tingle slightly, which feels really refreshing and, as the sachet says, invigorating! I felt so relaxed wearing the mask that I almost fell asleep – it was almost like having a face massage.
The mask doesn’t dry like other masks, but it isn’t messy. After 15 minutes of absolute bliss I removed the mask with no trouble – it came off in one complete piece, and because it was still wet I let my mum use the other side and it worked just as well on her! Two uses for the price of one – bargain 😀 (I don’t know if sharing the mask is a good idea or not, but she wanted to haha). I was left with a bit of dry clay on my face and hands afterwards, but it washed off easily with warm water. I will say that my face felt a bit tight after which I didn’t really like, but that was soon solved with my favourite moisturiser.
Both Clay Spa masks cost just £1.49 each, which is a bargain in my eyes. You can already buy them over at the Montagne Jeunesse website, and they’ll be available in Boots from mid-August and ASDA from September. Though these masks were gifted to me by Montagne Jeunesse, I also buy their products regularly with my own money. I like to use Montagne Jeunesse masks over any others as they are vegetarian and animal friendly, paraben-free and made from natural ingredients which don’t irritate the skin. And to quote the company itself, ‘Montagne Jeunesse is proud of its uncompromising natural credentials and ethos for ‘Conservation of Energy, Protection of Animals and the Environment’ – something which I 100% advocate!
Will you be trying the Clay Spa Masks too?
Naomi x
