Playing in the Mud with the Friday Face Mask

Welcome to the Friday Face Mask!  I hope your Friday is going well for you.  I spent the morning knee deep in editing and I have to say I was ready for a break.  As you might remember from earlier posts, I have been doing a two week long Annmarie Skin Care trial. Along with the daily regimen of products Annmarie skin care sent two separate face masks.  Last week, I used the first one and this week I used the second.  (In addition to the Friday afternoon Face mask I do face masks on Monday and Wednesday evenings when I can manage them.)

So last week was the Illuminating Pearl mask and this week’s was the Purifying Mud Mask as I wrap up my two week long Annmarie Skin Care trial. (Thank you again Annmarie Skincare for sending over the samples for me to try and review)

First let’s look at what the mask is supposed to do. According to the product page…

Firm and tighten the look of your skin naturally with this powder-to-paste clay mask. Rhassoul clay, exclusive to the Atlas Mountains of Morocco, is rich in the minerals silica and magnesium. Chlorella algae provide phytonutrients, while rose clay absorbs excess oil. Each use will leave your skin feeling renewed and fresh.

Right off the bat, I have to say this mask was fun to play with.  While the instructions say to mix in your hand and then apply to the face, I tried that with the Ayurvedic Facial Scrub which also comes in powder form and I made a bit of a mess. So I used a little sauce bowl to mix.  And before anyone starts wondering about mixing food and beauty products, I don’t use this sauce bowl for food.  It was one my grandmother left me and while I tried using it for food, I noticed it was starting to get a little chipped so I stopped.  I like using it for the more genteel world of skin care.

And yes the legs of the little bowl are crawfish.

So Into the little bowl went the powder.  I kind of like that it is sent as a powder rather than a pre mixed paste.  It meant that my little sample jar, sent over courtesy of Annmarie skincare for reviewing purposes, despite its small size gave me a full week of use with a little left over for Monday should I so choose. I imagine the large full sized jar (retail $45) would last a really long time and I doubt it would actually go bad as there is nothing that could go moldy in it. I don’t know how long it is expected to last But I imagine it has a longer shelf life than a Twinkie.

Without the chemicals.

But keeping it forever is not where I was going. Although if my doomsday prepper neighbor goes looking for skin care to add to his supplies, I will definitely suggest it. You know now that he thinks we’re friends.  Since I spoke to him when I went to get the mail from the box that one time.

With the powder, I like that I get to choose the consistency a well. So I mixed my powder with the water.  It made mud. Very nice smelling mud actually. It took me all week to try and figure out what it smelled like.  Because it smells like something I have smelled before.  The only thing I can come up with is that it smells a bit like this Herbed bread my Aunt Theresa used to make.  I know that sounds really strange.  I think it was because she always used a domed clay pan to make the bread and so my brain kicks in the hot clay mineral scent to the memory.  At least that is all I can figure out.  I’ve been through the ingredients list multiple times trying to figure it out.  While I am pleased it is all natural and filled with fabulous ingredients, there is nothing on the list that says bread. So I’m guessing it is the memory of the hot clay pan rather than the bread itself.

Either way it is a nice smell, and for me it is a scent with good memories.

I applied the mask in the usual way and as you can see, it made me look as though I smeared mud on my face. At least I don’t look like a bank robber.  While there was no tingling, as it dried, it tightened a bit and of course got lighter. In case you are wondering, that’s why I am not smiling in the picture of the dried mask.  I couldn’t.  The mask wouldn’t let me.

When I went to rinse it off, I was worried that I would have to chip it off.  I went first to the sink basin, anticipating trouble.  There was none.  A few splashes and the mask rinsed away clean and easy.  I tried my skin, wiped up a few of the splashes and checked out my face. While there isn’t a huge change, I can say that my skin feels incredibly soft and really clean without feeling stripped. 

I have to say, I am a big fan of this one. I think I actually like it better than their Illuminating pearl Mask. Admittedly that might be simply because I tend to prefer more of the purifying masks in general. Either way this mask from Annmarie Skin Care is a keeper. well actually it is an empty sample jar at the moment. But it will go on my to be ordered list, then it will be a keeper.

The mask wasn’t cold like other clay masks either, but it definitely cleaned out my pores. Now relaxed and refreshed I am ready to face the rest of my Friday.   I hope everyone out there takes some time to unwind for a moment and breath between the week’s work load and the chaos  of the weekend. I’ll see you on Monday.

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