Last year I tried making my own a few times, the ol' banana and honey mush, which was ok. It worked nicely, but was pretty gross to have on and I ended up picking dried bits of banana out of my eyebrows for ages after doing one.
Then for Christmas, my sister-in-law and I both received a pack of Dr Van Der Hoog facemasks! This is a really good, dutch company that offers a full range of facial cleansing products etc.
They have 19 different 'flavours' of mask available, from Amazing Avocado to Tipsy Tequila Sunrise! We were given an envelope pack that contained 4; Charming Chocolate, Crazy Cranberry, Passionate Pearl and Romantic Roses.
The first mask I tried was the Crazy Cranberry, which is "Nourishing and Protective". The website says "Let's go crazy! Pamper your face with this delicious Crazy Cranberry mask. The perfect face mask for extra protection and nourishment. Cranberries are naturally full of vitamins. They give your skin that little bit extra that it needs sometimes. After use, your face will feel soft and supple again." and boy, did it!
The tiny sachet that came out seemed very small and I was doubtful that it would be enough to get a good covering. I was wrong, so wrong. I applied a thin layer to start, just making sure I would get good coverage, but then more and more kept coming out and I practically needed a trowel to layer it all on. The packaging said to apply generously (no kidding) and leave it on for 10 to 15 minutes, but with nothing better to do I idled in front of a film with this mask on for about an hour.
The smell was very 'clean' and nothing like as fruity as I'd expected, with an almost clay-ish earthiness.
When the time came to wash it off it did take a bit of work, but considering how thick it was that didn't surprise me. After drying my face I had a little rub and it was sooo soft and smooth! I felt like it had taken years of my skin and woken it up beautifully! Big success.
The next mask up was the Charming Chocolate, billed as "Euphoric and Revitalizing". The description for this mask was "Chocolate makes you happy, every woman knows that. But it also makes your skin happy, maybe that you didn't know. This delicious chocolate mask contains pure cocoa extract that stimulates the production of beta-endorphin. It gives the skin a huge boost and provides a blissful feeling. In addition, the natural cocoa butter provides a soft skin. The skin is cleaned by pure kaolin and vitamin E protects the skin from external influences. Can skin care get any tastier? This mask gives you a few moments of happiness."
Again, huge amounts, smear smear smear, lush. The mask smells like the rawest chocolate, healthy and fresh, again with the earthiness from the kaolin (china clay) not a hint of over-sweet, sickliness to be found. I did this yesterday, a lazy Saturday (our one day off in a string of gigs), so once again left it on for an inordinate amount of time. My face felt so light and rejuvinated after and not dry at all!
Still to come are Passionate Pearl: "Pore Refining and Mattifying", "A gift from the sea forms the basis for this jewel of a mask, Passionate Pearl! A beauty mask that perfectly combines luxury and passion. The ideal base for your makeup. The natural pearl extracts are full of nourishing and protective properties. This refines your pores and expression lines. After using this mask your skin will be smooth and feel velvety."
and Romantic Roses: "Relaxing and Smoothing", "Ready for romance? Then this Romantic Roses mask is perfect for you. This face mask is developed based on three different roses: the rosa canina (Dog rose), the rosa damascena (Damask rose) and rosa centifolia (Cabbage rose). The creamy texture and natural sweetness make for a relaxing and delicious pink pampering. Your face will feel relaxed and silky again."
I'll let you know how I get on with those at a later date. Check out the full range of Dr Van Der Hoog products here. Sadly, I think it is only available in The Netherlands.
So, get a face mask on and happy pampering!
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