Tag: Masks

Spoil Me Sunday: So Fresh

sarah.elizabeth614Leave a comment

Hey, y’all!

My skin has been a little red and uneven the past few days (probably not enough sleep or water), so I finally got around to trying this green tea mask that I bought a few months ago.

Green Tea Detox Mask

from Teami

Photo of Detox Mask Green Tea Blend from Teami
$29.99 for 4 fl. oz.; Teami

Before I even peeled the foil off the top of the jar, I could already smell the fresh, clean scent of this mask–perfect for a lazy, sunny afternoon. I used my mask spatula to apply, and the coolness of the product was soooo soothing on my skin. Popped it on for 15 minutes, then gently rinsed it off with a washcloth. It would have been a lot more difficult with just my fingertips. My skin felt clean and refreshed afterwards, and the redness was visibly reduced. I went ahead and used my skin scrubber on my nose afterwards–definitely productive.

Key Ingredients:

  • Organic Matcha Green Tea–detoxes skin, reduces redness, and gives your skin some yummy antioxidants that help with reducing and preventing signs of aging
  • Lemongrass–brightens skin
  • Betonite & Kaolin Clays–soothe and nourish your skin

This mask is great for all skin types, and I love that it comes in a jar, which I can re-purpose when I use the product up. If you’re looking for a clay mask to try, I recommend this one.

How often do you use products that contain green tea? What are some of your favorites? Do you see a difference in your skin afterwards?

Hope you have a great week!

Love,

Sarah xoxo

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Spoil Me Sunday: Polish, Spice, and Everything Nice

sarah.elizabeth6141 Comment

Hey, y’all!

I got this mask in my January ipsy bag, and I was totally excited to try it out.

Pumpkin Turmeric 2-in-1 Radiance Polishing Mask

from Yensa

Photo of sample size Pumpkin Turmeric 2-in-1 Radiance Polishing Mask from Yensa
$45 for 2.5 fl. oz.; Yensa

Turmeric is a great part of a healthy diet: it’s an excellent source of manganese, iron, fiber, potassium, Vitamin B6, magnesium, and Vitamin C. Did you know it can do wonders for your skin, too? Benefits include:

  • Anti-inflammation–reduces redness and calms skin conditions like eczema and rosacea
  • Antiseptic–helps to stop spread of bacteria, so it can help control acne
  • Reduces dark circles–stimulates circulation
  • Fights UV damage–improves appearance of fine lines and brown spots; improves elasticity loss caused by long-term sun exposure (that doesn’t mean you can skin on your sunscreen, though!)
  • Treats and prevents stretch marks–improves the function of skin membrane cells
  • Improves dry skin–speeds up the removal of dead skin cells and protects healthy cells from future damage

In other words, we can all afford to get a little more turmeric in our lives!

This mask is packed with great-for-you ingredients that will make your skin glow:

  • Pumpkin–boosts collagen production
  • Turmeric–(see list above)
  • Papaya–helps reduce discolorization
  • Grapefruit–brightens skin
  • Ginger–evens skin tone
  • Carrot–packed with Vitamin C and Beta-carotene, which your body converts to Vitamin A
  • Honey–anti-bacterial and soothing properties
  • Orange–more Vitamin C, plus citric acid to exfoliate

This mask had me at hello. It has a gel texture with lots of exfoliating granules (I think it’s cocoa shell powder.) I could smell the cinnamon, too, which reminded me of ExfoliKate. After washing your face, leave your skin damp, and massage a thin layer of the mask all over. Leave it on for 5-10 minutes (I did 10), then wet your fingers with warm water and massage the mask into your skin for 30 seconds before rinsing off.

My skin felt so clean, refreshed, smooth, and soft afterwards. I have a painful pimple on my upper lip right now, and I’m hoping that this mask plus my skin scrubber tonight will help me get rid of it. I would definitely recommend this mask if you’re looking for one product to address multiple skin issues.

Have you used skincare products with turmeric before? What did you think? Tell me about your favorite in the comments! Hope you have a great week.

Love,

Sarah xoxo

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Spoil Me Sunday: Feeling Fresh for the First Day Back

sarah.elizabeth6141 Comment

Hey, y’all!

We’re back from our honeymoon in Ireland, and tomorrow it’s back to work, the gym, and all those other real world things. (sigh) I’ll be posting about our trip soon, but there are about 850 photos to go through.

We got back on Wednesday and took the rest of the week off from work, so we had time to get over the jet lag, do our grocery shopping, etc. Now it’s feeling like the night before the first day of school all over again. We’ve only been gone for 2 weeks, but it feels like a lot longer.

I don’t know about you, but when I was in middle school and high school, I always liked to do a mini home spa day the day before the first day of school. I’d give myself a facial, do my nails, and all that jazz. I didn’t have the energy to do the full shebang this time, but I tried out one of the items from my October ipsy bag:

Olive Oil Deep Cleansing Face Mask

from Aphrodite

Photo of sample size Olive Oil Deep Cleansing Face Mask from Aphrodite
$16.99* for 2.53 oz.; Aphrodite

I’ve got to say, Ireland agrees with my skin. My complexion cleared up noticeably (I think not using cleansing conditioner and getting more sleep both helped), and my skin felt healthy and moisturized throughout the trip. The one exception to that feeling was when we were flying. A total of 10 hours on planes each way dried my skin out like crazy. I brought some refreshing spray to mitigate it, but that could only do so much. Needless to say I was very excited to get this mask in my ipsy bag this month!

To start off with, I liked the fact that this mask has a very subtle scent that doesn’t smell artificial. Its thin texture meant that it applied easily, dried quickly, and washed off easily. After washing it off, I splashed cold water on my face to close up my pores. My skin feels so soft and fresh! I followed up with my normal nighttime skincare regimen, but I skipped the toner this time.

Key Ingredients:

  • Olive Oil: fabulous for your skin because it’s chock full of Vitamins A & E plus antioxidants that protect your skin
  • Witch Hazel: reduces inflammation
  • Aloe Vera: soothes skin
  • Spirulina Extract: draws out toxins from your skin
  • Chamomile: soothes skin
  • White Lotus: source of vitamin C, B complex, antioxidants, and several minerals that nourish and brighten your complexion. It can also help control sebum production, hydrate, improve elasticity, reduce inflammation, and promote healing. (Wow, that’s like a superfood for your skin!)

Once I get through the sizable collection of masks I have, I would definitely consider buying this one!

* At the time of writing this post, this mask is currently on sale for $10.99 on the Aphrodite website.

Do you incorporate olive oil into your beauty regimen in any way? How about lotus? Tell me about some of your favorite products in the comments below!

Hope you have a great week. Stay tuned for my monthly ipsy post, as well as posts about Ireland!

Love,

Sarah xoxo

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Spoil Me Sunday: The Answer is in the Tea Leaves

sarah.elizabeth6141 Comment

Hey, y’all!

It’s been raining a lot for the past week here in Orlando, and in addition to making my old back injury hurt, this weather makes me sleepy and a little lazy. I was excited to try out the mask I got in my ipsy bag this month while I was hanging around the house.

Centella 65 Green Tea Pack

from PureHeals by Nature Village

Photo of sample size Centella 65 Green Tea Pack Calming Mask from Pure Heals by Nature Village
$32 for 4.58 oz.; Ulta

My skin is healing from some hormonal breakouts, so I was all about a calming mask. I’m a huge fan of green tea when it comes to drinking it, as well as in my skincare products. The antioxidants are so good for your skin, and their anti-aging benefits are nothing to sneeze at. Some of the active ingredients include:

  • 65% pure Centella Asiatica extract–helps to reduce redness
  • Kaolin Clay–balances oil production without drying
  • Green Tea Leaves–tighten skin and soften fine lines thanks to antioxidants
  • Salicylic Acid–fades blemishes, exfoliates skin, reduces inflammation
  • Glycolic Acid–exfoliates skin, anti-aging benefits

When I opened the sample pod, all I smelled was green tea. No perfumes, no artificial fragrances–it was perfect. I used my mask spatula to apply it evenly all over my face and then let it sit for about 15 minutes. It felt really refreshing and left my skin feeling hydrated after I washed it off. The tea leaves did make it a little tricky to rinse off, so I used a washcloth.

When I was looking up where I can buy the full-size product, I was glad to see that it’s available online from Ulta and that it comes in a jar that I assume is recyclable. I can’t find any concrete information on whether or not this brand is cruelty-free, so that’s still a question I have.

Have you tried any products from PureHeals before? I’d love to hear about it in the comments!

Have a great week!

Love,

Sarah xoxo

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Spoil Me Sunday: Green Tea

sarah.elizabeth614Leave a comment

Hey, y’all!

This week left me exhausted to the point where I slept for 15 hours last night. I had planned to give myself a pedicure and do a mini spa day, but waking up at 2pm didn’t give me much time, so I tried out a new mask instead.

7th Heaven Green Tea Peel-Off Mask

from Montagne Jeunesse

Photo of 7th Heaven Green Tea Peel-Off Mask from Montagne Jeunesse
$1.99; Ulta

Some of the key ingredients in this mask include:

  • Ginger–anti-inflammatory, anti-aging, and antibacterial properties
  • Lemon–antibacterial and antiseptic properties, plus brightens skin
  • Green Tea–antioxidants to protect skin from free radicals

Thanks to these ingredients, the mask had a very clean scent and left my skin feeling refreshed after I took it off. My one complaint about it is that the consistency is very runny for a peel-off mask. It got drippy around my jawline, and it ended up running into my eyebrows. Considering all of the other peel masks I’ve tried and liked, I don’t think I’d repurchase this one. I’ve liked the other masks I’ve tried from this brand, the 2-in-1 being my favorite. This one just didn’t quite do it for me.

Do you like peel-off masks? What’s your favorite?

Have a great week!

Love,

Sarah

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Spoil Me Sunday: Bubbles!

sarah.elizabeth614Leave a comment

Hey, y’all!

How are you? It’s been another busy week, and the weather here is getting hotter by the day. I may hail from Central Texas, but that doesn’t mean I’m a fan of the heat. Anyway, I wanted to give my skin a boost, and I was eager to try out a new mask today!

Rapids Soothing Probiotic Bubble Mask

from H20+ Beauty

Photo of Rapids Soothing Probiotic Bubble Mask from H20+ Beauty
$6 for 1 fl. oz.; H20+ Beauty

I had heard about bubble masks but had never tried one. I had also never tried anything from H20+ Beauty before, either. I picked this mask up on a whim during Ulta’s 21 Days of Beauty, and I thought I’d give it a whirl. According to the website, active ingredients and their benefits include:

  • Champagne Extract–promotes an even complexion
  • Oat Derived Active–reduces signs of irritation and leaves skin feeling soft
  • Yuzu Extract–rich in Flavonoids and Vitamin C = radiance
  • Probiotics–promote water and nutrient retention for improved suppleness

Apply to clean skin–the package says a thick layer, the website says a dime-sized amount…who knows how much? You do you. You massage the gel into your skin, and it starts foaming almost instantly. It had a nice fresh, somewhat floral, scent to it. Sit back and relax for 10-12 minutes (website says up to 15) while the bubbles fizz away. It was a fun sensation, even though it tickled my nose. I got my husband to do it with me, and he described it as “Pop Rocks for your face.” hahaha I personally think Pop Rocks are more intense than this; I would describe it as what it would be like to stick your face in a glass of champagne.

By the end, all of the bubbles are gone, and you’re just left with the gel texture. You massage the gel into your skin for 30 seconds before rinsing it off with warm water. My skin felt so soft and healthy afterwards; I absolutely loved it! Recommended use is 2-3 times per week. After 2 weeks of use, you should see reduced occurrences of blackheads. Judging by how much I have left, I think you could easily get 2 or 3 uses out of a single 1 oz. packet, possibly 4. I would definitely recommend this for when your skin needs a calming boost!

Have you tried a bubble mask before? What did you think? Let me know if there’s one you think I should try!

Have a great week!

Love,

Sarah xoxo

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Spoil Me Sunday: Detox

sarah.elizabeth614Leave a comment

Hey, y’all!

Just got back from a super fun wedding weekend in Tampa. I was part of the bridal party, and we all did our fair share of eating delicious foods, drinking too much, and having a blast. Like the rest of my body, my face could use a good detox right about now.

Daily Wonders Detox and Chill Charcoal Purifying Mask

from Leaders Cosmetics USA

Photo of Detox and Chill Charcoal Purifying Mask from Leaders Cosmetics USA
$9 for 2; Ulta

I’m thinking next weekend will be perfect for head to toe pampering, but with the unpacking and laundry and such, I just wanted a quick boost for my skin today. I figured I’d give this sheet mask a whirl. It’s black (not too surprising), but the serum on it is still clear. The activated charcoal and volcanic ash work to draw out impurities, while the green tea extract and chlorella hydrate the skin. The active ingredients also help remove dead skin cells. I do prefer the gel sheet masks over the fabric ones, but this did leave my skin feeling a little fresher when I took it off. I got a 2-pack for half price, so I’ll use the other one at some point, but I probably won’t repurchase.

How do you like to reset after overindulging? Leave me some ideas in the comments!

Have a great week!

Love,

Sarah xoxo

If you’d like to be notified when new posts go up, please subscribe to Balanced Life Beauty.

Instagram: sarah.elizabeth614 (You can also click the icon at the top of this page.)

Twitter: @SarahLiz614 (You can also click the icon at the top of this page.)

Yes, Oh Yas!: Get 3-7 full-size beauty products worth $65+ delivered to you each month for $14.99 + shipping. Use coupon code SARAH614 at checkout for 10% off your first box!