I don't know what my skin's problem is at the moment. It's gone rogue in a big way - I pretty much had a mountain range growing on my cheek at one stage. And these breakouts always time themselves perfectly; causing havoc on my face just before a rare night out or event where I will see other humans. Nice one, life. You joker.
I blogged a short while ago about discovering Vichy (here #ShamelessPlug) and how this revelation had began turning my sick joke of a skin situation around - so when they contacted me recently to see if I'd like to try one of their face masks, I was game as a badger. Sort me out, Vichy! My skin's been like a frigging dot-to-dot puzzle recently, with mad toddler-esque scribbling between the lines too - I swear! I do paint a pretty picture, don't I haha?!
Due to the fact that my skin seems to be having a massive laugh at my expense at the moment, I decided I'd like to try the Pore Purifying Clay Mask*; which is formulated with two types of white clay to absorb impurities and excess sebum, minimise pores and purify the skin. This mask is designed specifically for combination to oily skin types, with congested and blocked pores - which is pretty much me, down to a tee.
This bad boy comes from Vichy's first ever range of face masks [how exciting?!] which all contain super charged minerals taken from the Earth, Water and Rock; combined with their famous Vichy Mineralizing Thermal Water. They're perfect for all skin types [including sensitive skin], gentle on the old face and get to work in just 5 minutes.
I've wanted to try clay masks for ages after seeing all your face mask selfies on Instagram, so this one - from a brand which I know works well with my skin, was like, the best thing I've ever received through the mail. Ever.
It comes in a gorgeous glass pot, with a cleverly designed mirror lid - so you can see where exactly you're applying the mask. I'm a sucker for a nice bitta packaging and love making mini bathroom flatlays [for my own, personal enjoyment haha] with my fave products [tragic I know!] and this looks amaze. It's a dead clever idea and means that when I'm in the bath during a pamper sesh [when am I not in the bath, to be fair?!] I can see exactly what stage my face is up to.
Consistency wise, it applies really nicely to the face and you only need a thin layer, meaning that it should last you for aaaaages if you use it twice a week, like Vichy recommend. It has a clean, spa-esque smell which is quite relaxing and very natural. It's a very soft cream texture, which is easy to spread on the skin. To use the mask, you simply smooth a thin layer all over your face and let it dry for 3-5 minutes, before rinsing off.
Vichy claim that immediately after application, your skin will feel purified and soft to the touch and that in 1 month, your pores will look less visible and your skin will be more balanced. But is this the case?
In a word - yes. As soon as the mask begins to dry, your face gets this pleasant warm, invigorating feeling - a little like a heated facemask, but not at all unpleasant or burny. To me, it feels like the mask is pure stimulating circulation in my face, and [although this is cheesy as hell] it really makes my skin feel alive. Here's a cheesy bathtub, fresh faced selfie of me enjoying this sensation.
As soon as you wash the mask off, your skin feels simply amazing. Soft, tighter somehow [guess that's my raging pores being minimised?] and super reinvigorated. Basically, it doesn't feel like my face at all. And that's defo a good thing, with my combo skin probs!
I've only used this mask a couple of times so far, but my skin has felt smooth, refreshed and revitalised every time. It also looks a lot less patchy and although [as with all face masks] it has brought a few impurities to the surface, it's also helped clear up a lot of old ones. And it feels good to know I'm avoiding future spots by drawing all the badness out now!
I'll probably post again on this stuff after I've used it for a month, to see what difference I notice - but first impressions are that I flipping well love it! Vichy, you've done it again!
/
If you're intrigued, you can buy this clay mask here [rrp £14.00] or check out Vichy's other mask options if your skin isn't quite as combination / oily / much of a sick joke as mine is. I honestly swear by Vichy to sort me out these days - and that doesn't look set to change anytime soon!
Have you tried anything from Vichy's skincare range that you love in a big way? Have you tried any of their clay masks before? What do you use to keep your skin in check?
Have you tried anything from Vichy's skincare range that you love in a big way? Have you tried any of their clay masks before? What do you use to keep your skin in check?
*This post contains items I was gifted for the purpose of review. As always though, all opinions are my own - I wouldn't lie to you guys, as it's not big and it's not clever!
Add your comment