Combining and Customizing Facial Masks with Clinique, Glam Glow, and Dr. Brandt

Disclaimer:  I purchased these.

I go through phases where I'm really good at using facial masks and other times when I completely forget all about them.  Prior to the new year I was in a  "use them regularly phase", and I'm especially good on holidays, when I've got extra time to lolligag pamper myself. The following was my Thanksgiving facial.

Clinique Meet Your Mask gift set ($29.50)

Before the holidays I picked up a trio of Clinique masks in a limited edition gift set, as that seemed a good way to sample their leave-on mask line.  One them was the Clinique Even Better Brightening Moisture Mask, which is supposed to restore radiance and revitalize dull, dehydrated looking complexions.  

First, a mini-rant:  this mask has some great ingredients in it, so why does Clinique make their ingredient lists so hard to find online?  I threw the box away and it took a bit of digging online to find what is actually in this. Fortunately, beautypedia.com came to the rescue (they give this one 5 stars, incidentally):

Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Isostearyl Neopentanoate, PEG-100 Stearate, Squalane, Butylene Glycol, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Glyceryl Stearate, Isopropyl Isostearate, PEG-40 Stearate, PEG-8, Cetearyl Alcohol, Polysorbate 60, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Betula Alba (Birch) Bark Extract, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract, Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract, Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Extract, Hordeum Vulgare (Barley) Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Citrus Unshiu Peel Extract, Salicornia Herbacea Extract, Saccharomyces Lysate Extract, Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Root Extract, Rosa Roxburghii Fruit Extract, Porphyra Yezoensis (Algae) Extract, Sucrose, Yeast Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seedcake, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Oil, Ethylhexylglycerin, Isohexadecane, Caffeine, Nylon-12, Sodium PCA, Oryzanol, Propylene Glycol Dicaprate, Sodium RNA, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Acetyl Glucosamine, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Crosspolymer, Sodium Hydroxide, Polysorbate 80, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Sulfite, Calcium Chloride, Carbomer, Sodium Metabisulfate, Trisodium EDTA, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Titanium Dioxide.

So, this has moisturizing (sweet almond oil, squalane), antioxidant (birch bark, apple fruit, barley, cucumber) and anti-inflammatory (turmeric) ingredients galore. Although my skin is quite oily, I'm now of the mindset that it still needs intense moisture on occasion and non-pore clogging levels of moisture all the time. I'm actually seeing a reduction in the amount of oil my skin produces now that I've upped my efforts in hydration.

For this mask session, I used the Even Better Brightening Moisture Mask on the perimeter of my face plus my chin, Glam Glow's Bright Mud Eye Treatment around my eyes, and Dr. Brandt's Pores No More Vacuum Cleaner on my forehead and nose area.

I think what I liked best about Glam Glow's eye treatment was the holographic packaging. That's not saying much, is it?  I just haven't been that impressed with Glam Glow in general. I find them over priced and think there are better options at more reasonable prices. I did receive one of the BrightMud Eye Treatments as a GWP somewhere along the line though, so I gave it a go.  A full set of 12 will set you back $69, but you could get two treatments from each pack if you enclosed the remainder in a ziplock bag.

According to Sephora's site, this one offers the following ingredients and benefits:

• Nitroffeine™ 14%: Provides an immediate temporary ‘zing’ sensation; provides awakening and fatigue reduction. 
• Juvelane™ 2.5%: Designed to activate retinol-like activity without the disadvantages. 
• Dihydroxymethylchromone: Supports natural collagen synthesis and reduces its breakdown. 
• Cyclicpeptide: Fights visible signs of aging. 
• Troxerutin: Supports natural capillary microcirculation. 
• Ectoin: Repairs and defends. 
• TEAOXI™ Peppermint Technology: Activates sensory trpm8 cold compression to de-puff eyes; helps skin look noticeably smoother and brighter.

It's okay, but nothing I would lay out that kind of money for.  Online reviews are decidedly mixed, so I'm sure your mileage may vary (YMMV).

Dr. Brandt's Pores No More Vacuum Cleaner ($47) is supposed to be a blackhead and oil extractor, and the deities know that would be wonderful if true. The star ingredients and supposed benefits of this one are:

• -Silicone Dioxide: Extracts dirt and excess oil and absorbs sebum.
• -Salicylic Acid: Helps loosen blackheads and unclogs pores.
• -Glycolic Acid: Exfoliates and softens skin.
• -Eijitsu Rose: Helps tighten pores.

I personally have never found anything that completely eliminates the blackheads on my nose area, but this one did absorb oil and temporarily tighten my pores.  If I was good about using it regularly, it could have potential. Considering I only have a trial size and $47 is more than I want to pay...

Post-facial + makeup

To wrap up, I really like the Clinique Even Better Brightening Moisture Mask, am neutral/slightly positive about the Dr. Brandt Pores No More Vacuum Cleaner, and would pass on the Glam Glow Bright Mud Eye Treatment.

Current Skin Care Boosters I'm Using: Boscia Smoothing Facial Polish and Bright White Mask

If you are looking for a gentle exfoliant with natural ingredients, Boscia's Smoothing Facial Polish might be a good contender.  There's a whole slew of good for your skin ingredients in this baby, with no scratchy granules in sight.

Instead of sand like granules, I'd describe the little bits in this scrub as more cooked oatmeal like in a lightly lathering formula.  In fact, I was a bit skeptical initially due to the lack of scrubbing granules that I normally associate with facial exfoliators, but my skin feels soft, clean, cooled (yes, cooled), and refreshed after I use the Smoothing Facial Polish.  This is currently on sale for half off ($12.50) at Boscia.com, and I think it's well worth it!

I follow up the Smoothing Facial Polish with Boscia's Bright White Mask ($38), an antiaging mask designed to brighten, hydrate, and smooth the look of skin.  According to Sephora, these are some of the ingredients that help do that:

• Sea Fern Algae: Helps in suppressing the synthesis of melanin and reduces the appearance of age spots and hyperpigmentation. 

• Stay C-50: Brightens the skin, supports the natural production of collagen, helps in suppressing melanin production, and repairs the appearance of skin damage caused by UV radiation.

• Matrixyl 3000: A peptide blend that fights the appearance of wrinkles and makes skin look more lifted. 

• Salicornia: Hydrates and limits water loss.

It is indeed bright white, and has the added bonus of being a peel off mask.  I learned the hard way that a thin layer of the mask is almost impossible to peel off, so a thick layer is definitely the way to go.  Even then, it's a rather time consuming process as the mask peels off in smallish bits, so think "leisurely" when using this.

The peel is strong enough to remove small facial hairs, but not strong enough to extract blackheads (more's the pity, that would have been awesome).  Still, my skin looks smaller pored and smooth after I use this, without a doubt.  I've been using the scrub and mask together about once a week as a booster to my regular skincare regime, to good effect.