Rant or Rave?

Winter Wonder

Origins Drink Up Mask review 

The word dehydrated is not often found chilling in the same sentence as my name. I have such an acute fear of the d word that I have most likely drowned my 2 liters by lunch time, with the tally racking up to 4 going on 5 by bed time. 

Me and my best friend have coined the phrase 'the point of no return'. The somewhat apocalyptic sentiment refers to the feeling of utmost thirst that no amount of water can quench. This highly stressful corner of the world is somewhere I do my most to avoid. 

So cutting to the chase dehydrated skin is not typically one of my (many, many, many) concerns. However. I have just returned from a weekend skiing in France (picture Bambi on skis, a drunk Bambi on skis- who also fears heights and speed- and enjoy the mental image of me tackling the mountains) where I was fighting wars on several fronts. Frankie vs the slopes, Frankie vs crazy fast Europeans, Frankie vs fitness (or lack of), and Frankie vs dry, dehydrated skin.

My normally obsessive water consumption literally fell by the wayside. Breakfast water was replaced by coffee (I needed all the energy I could get), lunch time by hot chocolate (who can resist a steaming cuppa warmth in sub zero temperatures) and dinner by coke (it was a holiday after all). Needless to say the freezing cold weather combined with mine and waters time apart could have ended in catastrophe. 

Whilst I may not have won Frankie vs the slopes, the crazy fast Europeans, or fitness, and I have the aching bruised body to show for it, I did kick the butt of dry, dehydrated skin.

This was mainly thanks to having Origins Drink Up mask fighting firmly in my corner. The mask is designed to be used when skin 'faces a marathon of dehydrating circumstances' and fluid levels are running low- sounds exactly like my predicament non?

Forget all you can eat. This is all you can drink. Nature's very own cocktail quenches even the thirstiest of skins, leaving skin hydrated, soft and supple. You are meant to apply the mask to clean dry skin, leave on for 10 minutes then wash or rinse off. I applied the mask every night whilst I was battling the elements and washed off in the morning. By that time there was not a speck left on my face, my skin had literally lapped it up over night. In the past I have been weary of moisturizing creams, fearing a pore clogging breakout inducing mess. But for once that was not the case. 

I may not have won all my ski related battles but I won the war against dry skin. 

As I have said I am not a frequent flyer to the land of dry skin, but this mask gets a gloved thumbs up from me. Whilst this mask is ideal for those drier skin types I think anyone and everyone could and should use it. Your skin can always do with a little extra moisture, especially this time of year- seriously there was basically no difference in snow levels between the French mountains and London's streets! I plan on using it once a week now I am home and don't need such intense moisturizing- but it will work well to counteract any dryness from my gang of acne busters.

If you are suffering any pesky dry patches all you need is a gulp of Origins Drink Up mask to wipe the floor with winter skin.

Origins Drink Up Mask is £20 and available from John Lewis, larger Boots stores and online

What do you use to combat winter skin woes?

Rant or Rave?

Malin and Goetz Detox Face Mask Review

£29.00 from Space NK

What They Say: Detox Face Mask is a five minute foaming gel mask. Its combination of oxygenating cleansing agents lift dirt, oil and makeup up, deeply cleansing the pores without irritation, drying or using harsh detergents, whilst creating a physical barrier to seal hydration. Containing amino acids and natural almond extract the mask effectively cleanses, purifies and soothes whilst Vitamin C, Vitamin E and Soy Protein help firm the skin, helping prevent ageing.

For deep cleansing and hydration, a thick layer of gel applied for 5 minutes in place of cleanser, one to two times per week. Oilier skin may use a thin layer daily for night-time deep cleansing and oil control. Remove with warm wash cloth and water upon oxygenation.

What I Say: First off I LOVE the smell of this product. It reminds me of marzipan and I could literally spend all day just sniffing my bottle. I probably need to get out more. 

You get quite a lot of product for your money, 118ml to be precise. I've had mine for about 3 months now and the bottle still feels full. You only need one pump to cover your entire face.

I love love love applying this mask. It comes out as white, thick, gloopy gloop. My old English Teacher would be turning in his grave at my excellent descriptive skills right now. But gloopy really is the most apt word! You apply a thick layer to your face, if you are using it as a mask but more on that later, and wait for the oxygenation. Oxygenation basically means the mask foams up and turns all lovely and bubbly. You can hear and feel in puffing up, I find the tingling sensation really enjoyable, I like to feel products working on my skin. Once the product has oxygenated your face will look as frothy as a Cappuccino, do I get a point for my sneaky little simile there? 

When your skin looks a face full of cotton candy, I'm on a roll, you can either wash or tissue the mask off. A really nice thing about this mask is that it doesn't leave a tight feeling afterwards. It doesn't work its magic and then hop foot it out the door. It leaves your skin feeling soft, supple, and hydrated. All Malin and Goetz products work really well for sensitive skin types. Now I don't have particularly sensitive skin at all but with all those other harsh acne ass kicking acids I use it is nice to have something more gentle to use, and this mask really does feel like a hug for your face. 

This does leave your skin super super super clean. And you can use a thin layer of it every night as a face wash if you wish. I like this multi-fuctional aspect of the mask, once you've wash it off your good to go, you don't have to cleanse again. It only takes five minutes to work its magic. So you can apply it in the morning or evening, and by the time you've brushed your teeth and faffed around in the bathroom like we all love to do it's ready to be washed off!

Now this mask is no match for the big guns. Those angry red lumps and bumps are quite indifferent to it, at least mine are. My spots are a bit like nice try mate but we aint budging. Whilst I have loved how this mask felt on my skin for the past couple months I haven't been raving about it. It made my skin feel soft and clean  but it didn't seem to be doing anything to shout and scream about.

HOWEVER I have had quite a few blackheads on my cheeks the past week or so. I may have huge pores but they are normally quite clear pores. Alas for some reason this all went tits up. I popped this one twice a week and the blackheads were completely gone. I kept inspecting my face in one of those, they make you want to kill yourself because they are so up close, magnifying mirrors because I just didn't believe they had gone so quickly. But they had. The crater sized pores are still there but these craters are blissfully empty. 

It won't clear acne, dry or shrink your spots. BUT IT WILL CLEAR YOUR PORES. I have tried sooooo many masks that claim to do this and all of them have failed horribly. But not this little sweet treat. If your skin's congestion makes commuters during rush hour think they don't really have it that bad give this mask a go and you won't be disappointed!

Malin and Goetz's whole range is unisex and perfect for all skin types.

Have you tried this mask before, what do you think? What are your favourite masks?