First Impressions: Avocado & Oatmeal Clay Mask

Good morning! 

While I was drinking my favorite morning coffee (AKA sugar and creamer with a splash of Folgers Hazelnut coffee), I decided to do a face mask during my morning skincare routine. In my medicine cabinet, I have 2 sample clay masks from CVS Pharmacy, several tubs of various clay masks, and a tube of cucumber peel-off mask. Unfortunately, I had to return the other samples that I had purchased from Ulta and Walgreens because my husband was mad at me for spending too much money. The funny part is that one of my bosses at the Chinese restaurant ended up buying the mask samples off me before I could make it to the store to return them. Whatever works. I do plan on repurchasing the same items when we have more cash flow.

For today I decided to go with one of my CVS samples even though they don't really jump out at me. The actual product comes in a tube for around $5.

The Avocado Oatmeal mask claims to be balancing, to give you ultra soft skin, and to give a deep clean. I did notice that my face felt really clean more than anything else, but my skin didn't feel as soft as it does after I use the Shea Moisture Rose or Frankincense and Myrrh masks.   

This mask smells really good and it probably is the oatmeal ingredient since it also smells pretty natural. In my opinion, scent is important because that can really make or break a product. If it smells awful, you probably won't use it at all or as often as you would if it smelled good even if the results were breathtaking. Even if I don't notice a big difference in my skin, if the scent is nice then it seems more like a relaxing aromatherapy de-stress session. This mask seemed to fit more into that category than the one they were aiming for.

It's a thick consistency and tingles after you apply it. It almost feels like it's cooling on the skin; I feel it mostly on my nose and a tiny bit on my forehead. I'm not sure if it's because the packet has been in my cabinet for maybe a month or two, but the clay separated a bit which made it way messier and challenging to apply. This also made it dry uneven.

The packet said to let the mask dry completely, which totally goes against how I was taught to use clay masks. The way it felt when it dried was awful because I could feel the tightness and cracking. It also came off really chunky, so overall I'm not particularly impresses/

Would I repurchase?
Ehhh... I probably would not buy this again.

I would consider trying it again in a trial size to see if I got a dud or not. If I had purchased the bottle from CVS Pharmacy originally, I would use it, but it wouldn't be a mask I would reach for often.


The other CVS sample mask I have is the Dead Sea Minerals Anti-Stress Clay Mask, which sounds promising. Hopefully that one is a heck of a lot better than this one.

After hearing that clay masks are great for oily skin, I have become absolutely addicted to them. I love that you get that 15 minutes of me-time, they are usually cooling or tingly, and I can tell my skin loves them from how my skin feels after using them. If you also have oily skin or just want to take some time for yourself, then find a mask that smells good, claims to be for your skin type, and or says it will help with a skin concern that you have. A lot of samples are between $1-$2, so there is no real commitment required.

Have an awesome day and rest of your week!

Retail Therapy Target Haul

Today sucked, so I had a lazy day after some retail therapy at Target. I will probably try out the elf face powder, the Milani lipsticks, and the baby backpack out tomorrow. I have already tried out the non-foaming cleanser and a currently wearing the rose mask from Shea Moisture. It's more tingly than I expected considered it's supposed to be for sensitive skin. I had to put back some of the stuff I was wanting as I started to ring up everything I had so far. Retail therapy shouldn't bankrupt you... I am super happy I grabbed these 2 super soft, long-sleeved shirts though. It's cold here in El Paso, Texas at the moment.

Tomorrow marks the beginning of my slightly early New Years Resolution to get back on top of my life. It's time for a priority change because what I have been doing is obviously not working, no matter how hard I try. My alarm clock is set for 5:30am, so hopefully it will go off this time and hopefully I can drag my butt out of bed that early.

Loreal Pure-Clay Detox & Brighten Mask

Made with 3 Pure Clays + Charcoal

1.7oz / 48g

Green = Purify & Mattify

Black = Detox & Brighten

Red = Exfoliate & Refine

Yesterday

My very first impression of the new Loreal clay mask was that it looked like it was being advertised as being made with natural ingredients due to the pale green and white box. The actual jar feels nice and heavy, but has a light weight plastic lid that is the same pale green color as the box. I super love that there is a sort of seal on the jar to keep the air out and keep it from drying out quickly.

I was pleasantly surprised at how easy they clay was smooth onto my skin and it dried pretty quickly. It has a natural smell that I couldn't quite place, but it didn't smell like charcoal like I expected. My husband says it smells like tea and I'm inclined to agree. I originally thought it was black, but it's actually a dark gray color that dries down to a light gray with all the darker spots from the absorbed oil.

☆ Friendly Advice: Don't laugh or smile when it's almost dry. My husband is really funny and it was borderline painful when the mask cracked.

Today

Immediately after applying the mask it felt tingly all over and again it dried quickly. Thankfully Mike was too distracted by video games to notice me wearing a face mask, so I could keep a straight face and keep it from cracking. My skin felt clean and smooth and looked like it sucked up some of the impurities (if the black spots everywhere are anything to go by).

Final Thoughts vs. Claims:

All skin types? I don't think I can speak for any of the skin types, but I would recommend this to my fellow people with oily skin.

Doesn't dry out skin? Nope! It just felt nice and clean.

Goes on and rinses off easily? It went on surprisingly easily and evenly, but was harder to wipe off.

Completely draws out built up impurities, dirt, & pollution? Maybe? I still have blackheads after 2 days of use, so I doubt it has gotten everything.

Skin feels refreshed and can breathe? Clean-feeling doesn't necessarily mean completely clear of nasty stuff, but maybe it breathes a bit better?

Look brighter with a healthy glow? Actually, yes. It's subtle, but was noticeable for me.

Skin tone is more even? My skin was a little less red after Day#1, but I picked at my face on Day#2 so it was a bit red again (hence the lack of a second picture).

Skin looks smoother? I didn't notice any difference visually in my texture. I will update y'all later if this changes.


☆☆☆☆
Would I repurchase this product? Yes.

Want to try this for yourself? Click Here!