St. Ives is good, don't get me wrong! It's just that now I know there are options out there and as lovely as LUSH Cupcake is, it's hard for me to obtain because my LUSH always runs out of it. In any case, I've been on the hunt for a new & improved clay mask for my combination/oily skin.
Enter Montagne Jeunesse. I stumbled across their display at the end of the skincare aisle and let's just say I got excited. I hadn't seen or used these masks since high school but have fond memories of them so I decided to pick one up. (sidenote: sheet masks = *so much fun* at sleepovers!)
Montagne Jeunesse have quite a large selection of face masks, from peel-offs to ones that self-warm, sheet masks and several kinds of clay masks. Needless to say it was hard to make a choice but I was very stoked when I spotted the chocolate mask. I've read blogs and reviews comparing this mask to my beloved LUSH Cupcake FFM so I had to find out for myself.
For Science! ^_^
The packaging itself is a simple pouch/envelope design which in some ways is convenient and in other ways is inconvenient. I like that there isn't a ton of wasteful packaging and that the pouch is sanitary however it's a bit difficult to dispense the product. This can be kind of frustrating especially since I found there was enough product for several applications. It would be nice to see some kind of perforation to divide the envelope into two halves. Just a wacky idea...
The ingredients are -for the most part- natural which is always a bonus and another awesome feature of Montagne Jeunesse products. Vegetarian approved, mostly vegan friendly, not tested on animals, paraben free. What's not to love?!
The two most distinct features of this mask are #1: the colour & #2: the scent. The chocolate mask is brown which, for me was... interesting to apply. Brown is definitely not my favorite colour so putting this on my face felt a little awkward but the texture and scent more than make up for the colour! Literally, this mask looks, feels and smells like chocolate mousse. Yum, right?!
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| Ingredients: purified water, kaolin clay, illite / mediterranean clay, glycerin, glyceryle stearate SE, bentonite clay, theobroma cacao seed butter, ceteareth -20, shea butter, cocoa shell powder, sea salt, glucose, lactoperoxidase, citric acid, glucose oxidase, CI77419, CI177492, CI177499 (iron oxides) |
Before I applied the mask, I went through my regular skincare routine of removing my makeup, using a foaming cream cleanser and Olay Professional Face Brush. Next, I exfoliated further with St. Ives Apricot Scrub to clear any dead skin and prep for the mask.
The mask texture was very smooth and creamy and applied easily. Compared to Cupcake, this one is not lumpy or as dry in texture. After I applied a generous layer it took about 15 minutes to set and harden but it wasn't too tight or uncomfortable.
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| EXTREME CLOSEUP 0__0 |
When it came to rinsing my face, this is where things got messy. The colour of the mask seemed to stain my wash cloth and the sink was also a bit dirty looking but it really was no big deal. I followed up with my witch hazel toner and let my face dry naturally without any moisturizer.
Points To Mention:
- Scent is amazing!
- Texture is lovely and smooth.
- Sets/dries fairly well.
- Perfect for normal, combination and oily skin types.
- Clears pores & reduces visibility.
- Would *NOT* recommend for sensitive or allergic skin types.
The result:
My face felt *extremely* soft and smooth! My pores were visibly & significantly cleared and my skin felt tighter without feeling uncomfortable or overly dry. I must admit I was really happy with the results and will be certainly picking up more of these masks!
Overall, I was very impressed by this little envelope and would recommend everyone go check these masks out!
Find out more about Montagne Jeunesse at their website here: http://www.montagnejeunesse.com/