
Normally I stick to sheet masks for my mid week masking moments but as i skipped last week’s face mask Friday, I felt that a little something extra was called for. And then i remembered that I set aside a couple of 3-5 minute masks Somehow they don’t tend to feel right for my moment of Friday relaxation. Perhaps because they take only 3-5 minutes instead of giving me the full fifteen to take a breather and regroup before the final push to end the work week and stat the weekend.
I do like these sorts of masks, but they are more suited to the work day trial. And now that I have whittled down my sheet mask collection to something more manageable, I feel that the time is right. And so today we have the Borghese Roma Advanced Fango Active Mud Mask for Face and Body. I opted for just the face today. i did test it on my arm though (on Monday) just to make sure there was no adverse reaction.

I always think of Flash masks as being a little stronger because they require so little time on the skin, so they are ones i will always test on my inner arm before using on my face. I also left it on my arm for ten minutes (well past the time of the mask). I’d like to say that part of that was to really make sure it wouldn’t cause problems but in all honesty the phone rang and by the time I dealt with the call it was ten minutes. So, not really intentional but because there was no adverse reaction I felt it would be okay.
Let’s look at our 3-5 minute wear time flash mask from Borghese…

Everything you love about our Italian spa inspired Classic Fango Active Mud, with added advanced benefits! This detoxifying mud mask helps counteract environmental pollution with a blend of powerful survivalist plant extracts. Exfoliates skin and helps minimize the appearance of pores and fine lines.
I have a sample size that came in a subscription box (either Look Fantastic or Glossy Box, I can’t remember.) It is 0.5 ounces. On the website there is a 2.7 oz version sold for $20 and there is also a 7.5 ounce jar of the mask offered for $50. The largest one is in a glass jar with a mason jar like lid on it. I think if I were getting it to use as a body mask that would appeal to me. The 2.7 ounce mask is in a container that looks like a larger version of the sample size. Personally I like the look of this jar. I don’t know why but the jars with the slightly pinched in sides so it is a little more hourglass shaped always just look a little classier to me. I have no idea why. Perhaps i just like the shape.

Regardless of how I feel about the jar, it is what is inside that counts.
In the other flash masks I have tried, they were either a gel like consistency or they were charcoal based. I don’t know why but the fact that this one was bright green sort of surprised me. In the ingredients there is ginseng root and avocado listed which is where I think the green comes from. The bentonite clay is sort of a grayish color as would be the mushrooms in the mix I would think. There is also almond oil in the blend. I say that because you can sort of smell the almond in the mix. The scent has almond and ginseng as the forward notes with a sort of back note of avocado. It is a very fresh and clean scent.

I did notice that when I first opened it the mask was a brighter green and it turned a little bit darker by the time I finished applying it. While I don’t think it will go bad as fast as an avocado as there are stabilizers in it, the slight change makes me think this isn’t a mask I want to let sit around too long. It does have a 12 month shelf life listed on the bottom of the jar though. So we will see.
Applying it on the face was quick and easy. It smoothed on well. There are no solid particulates and it is a smooth and creamy mask. I was very impressed not only by how easy it was to apply but by how little I actually needed to use in order to cover my face. Usually with sample sized masks I can get one or two uses out of them and that’s it. This one I think I will be able to get significantly more from.
The three minute wear time also makes it really good for mid day masking. I applied the mask and set the timer, then I actually made the bed and took out the trash. By then the timer was going off so i was able to take the mask off. It doesn’t really dry down all that much. I think that between the almond oil and the avocado there is enough oily fats to keep it from drying down. It stays in place while moving around with the mask on and then wipes off with a damp wash cloth. This made it easy to wear while doing things and quick and easy to remove.
When I took it off, my skin felt fresh and clean. It was a very good first use. While it didn’t magically erase the lines that time is starting to etch into my skin, it did make my skin look and feel really good. Certainly good enough that i will have no problem using this mask again. In fact I might continue using this mask (as recommended) until the container is empty just to see if there are any longer term results. As it is just the way my face feels will have me coming back to this mask. Over all the Borghese Advanced Fango Active Mud Mask is a hit, even if i still don’t know why there is Fango in the name. If anyone knows could you let me know in the comments, I looked all over the website and can’t find a single clue. And that will bug me. the mask however was very nice for a mid-week masking moment. Since I plan to continue using the mask to see if there are longer results, we’ll also call this a first review post. we’ll talk again when I have reached the bottom of the jar. Hopefully by then I will have uncovered the Fango mystery as well. Stay tuned my darlings.