Review / Dirty Works Power Berry Detox Mask

It's no secret that I love Dirty Works skincare! Their Wake Up Call Face Wash, in particular, is one of my all time favourite cleanser and I'm already on my third bottle.
When I heard about Dirty Works Power Berry Detox Mask*, I knew it was going to be another great product, bound to be added to my must-have list.

This is a purifying mask, thanks to the green clay that detoxes the skin drawing out impurities but with added benefits of superfood berries!
I'm  quite the connoisseur when it comes to clay/charcoal masks: I've been using them since I was a teenager and tried many brands. They are very effective but can also be pretty aggressive and leave the skin feeling tight.
The Dirty Works Power Berry Detox Mask is a totally different experience!
It feels really fresh on the skin, like a splash of water thanks to the blueberry extracts which are rich in antioxidant that protect and nourish the skin, too.

I go to say that this product has been my saviour, recently.
As mentioned in my Monday's post, I've been having some skin trouble, due to the Konjac sponge. It's been pretty upsetting and worrying since I don't usually have skin issues - blemishwise. 

My skin felt very congested and unclean - I wasn't really sure what to do to get rid of impurities without being too aggressive.
This mask just came at the right time and is doing wonders to restore the balance in my 'tender' skin, calming it down and banishing spots.
I really can't recommend it enough and for £4.99 you're getting a great bargain, too. Available in Sainsbury's nationwide now.

Update / Konjac Sponge

Bad news - the Konjac Sponge has been playing havoc with my skin and I have now stopped using it completely.

As mentioned in my haul post, I have been using it exclusively as my daily detergent as directed, but around the 4/5 days mark I started noticing some bumps on my cheeks and clogged pores around my nose; the bumps then turned into spots and I never get spots on my cheeks so it was really unusual and upsetting for me.
Although I liked how it left my face straight after use (apparently clean), I  definitely noticed an increase in oiliness throughout the day, that I wouldn't normally get  using other routines.
And mind you, I still kept up my weekly mask sessions as usual - and thank God - but I have come to realised that it's simply not enough on its own and a pretty superficial performer.
I don't even think it was some purging incident since my skin is quite resilient and 'open to new products', in fact I didn't even get any purging when I started using the Clarisonic, which is more invasive.

I would normally give a product another go - after few months - but I don't fancy leaving it around to gather more germs and then placing it on my face again, you know what I mean?!

...so time for the bin, me think. :(

Have you ever used the Konjac Sponge? What's your experience?
x

Haul / Cult Beauty

I placed a cheeky order on Cultbeauty.co.uk a couple of weeks ago - I had a few items on my wishlist that I wanted to try but not easily available on the high street and also took advantage of a £5 off voucher.

Cor The Silver Soap: I got the smaller size because this is pretty pricey and I have no idea if I'll like it since I have never used it before. Sorry it's still wrapped but I'm gonna keep it sealed until I'm ready to use it - I'm currently testing out the Konjac Sponge first, see below. Review to follow, as always.

The Konjac Sponge with French Pink Clay: I've been interested in this sponge for a while but since I got the Clarisonic last Christmas, I really didn't see the point of mixing too many new things at once. I finally decided to give it a go and got the pink clay version which is targeted for sensitive skin.

So basically with this sponge, you don't need to use any cleanser or detergent but just water; they are made from a special natural fibre, similar to potato, that is ph balanced and should naturally deep cleanse and gently exfoliate the skin (we'll see). 

I've been using it for 3 days now both morning and evening - as directed, au naturel; so far I'm liking the low maintenance and simplicity but it's too early to tell if this new routine, it's gonna upset my skin.

For what I've heard, the most important thing is to rinse it really, really well after each use and it should last 3 months. Anybody used this sponge before? Any tips? 

dry

wet

Ginvera Green Tea Whitening Marvel Gel: I tried this more than a year ago but I couldn't really tell the different because the sample was too small (link). Then, I read about people raving about it and I've been intrigued to try it out properly. I'm curious about the 'mechanics' of how it works (if it does work), I haven't see anything else similar on the market. You're supposed to use it every day: apply to dry skin and massage the gel until it dries out and starts to form wee balls/flakes (a bit like an eraser on paper) and finally rinse with water. I don't know, sounds a bit rubbish and I've already regretted buying it... all I can add is: I-really-hope-it-works! 

Finally, the website also lets you choose your samples which is nice: I got a couple of cleansers 'cause I'm always on the hunt for a good one and some Rahua that are the best shampoo and conditioner that I have ever used.

Have you used of these products before? Yay or Nay?
xxx