Food for your skin. Lush fresh face masks review

I find it very hard to walk by a Lush shop without going in and getting at least a peek of the sweet-smelling products. Their fresh face masks were on my radar for a long time already, but it took a while to get round trying them.

Finally, in May I managed to take part in one of Lush's fresh face mask making workshops in their Tallinn shop. We were given the ready measured ingredients and in an hour we had learned how to make a fresh face mask and Angels On Bare Skin facial cleanser (separate post to come!). Then the freshly made products were divided into little black Lush containers and we could take these home for free! Besides that, the kind Lush people gave us some generous samples of other fresh masks, scrubs, creams, etc. So my acquaintance with the Lush fresh face masks began.

What are the fresh face masks? According to Lush, these face masks are made weekly in Lush kitchens, using fresh fruit, veggies, deep cleansing clays, nutrient rich herbs and effective essential oils. They are said to be “food” for the skin. The masks are kept completely preservative-free, that's why you need to store them in the fridge. The concept reminds me of those natural homemade beauty treatments our grandmothers used to pamper themselves with – cucumber slices for the eyes, oatmeal mix for the face, egg yolk for the hair and so on. Only the fresh masks use more expensive and not so common ingredients than our grannies used to :)

They are used as usual face masks: applied on clean skin avoiding the eyes, left on for approximately ten minutes and washed off with water.

The mask we got to make at the workshop was Catastrophe Cosmetic, their most popular fresh face mask. It is said to be calming, freshening, softening and deep cleansing. It contains calamine powder (zinc oxide in another words), talc, fresh blueberries, glycerine and several essential oils. (If you want to find out the exact ingredients and what they are good for, check the links.) Making it was very simple: the blueberries were crushed and then all the ingredients were mixed together well, forming a thick paste.

Catastrophe Cosmetics is not the average harsh purifying mask. The mask feels very soft and smooth on the skin, probably because of the calamine and talc. When it dries on your skin, it begans to crumble off somewhat. The result is exactly like promised – skin feels refreshed, toned and soft afterwards. I'm not sure it helps to heal the pimples as zinc oxide should, but I guess it does. The mask has a faint fresh smell, nothing overpowering.

Overall it is a good product, if you want something versatile and not too drying. I was a bit bothered about big blueberry chunks in it that kept falling off the face, I think the berries should be pureed better or something, but that is this mask's only fault.

Cupcake is a real treat for choco lovers. The deep brown chocolatey-smelling mask contains rhassoul mud, linseed infusion, real cocoa powder and cocoa butter, fresh mint and several essential oils. It deep cleanses the skin, absorbs impurirties and gently scrubs the skin. 

Cupcake was created especially for teenagers, but suits all others too. This is so far one of my favourites for the great smell and purifying but not moisture-stripping action. Funny, but it's deep brown colour does not look off-putting or indecent to me. Maybe because it reminds me of cookie batter, not sewage :)

Ayesha is my other favourite, nothing short of HG status. This is meant for perking up somewhat more mature skins, no age limit though. It is especially good if you want to look your best for a party or some kind of other important event. It makes your skin look brighter and smoother, tightens, refreshes and gives your skin this extra glow and smooth appearance. It really works! I even feel if I use Ayesha before doing my face it makes makeup application easier and smoother.

Ayesha contains fuller's earth (a kind of clay), honey, elderflower, fresh asparagus (one of my favourite veggies!), fresh kiwies and a lot of other things. It looks and smells like some kind of dirt, but it really does miracles to your skin. Recommended!

I have tried Love Lettuce and Cosmetic Warrior masks from Lush too. I can't show you the pictures, as I only had a sample of each and will buy neither in full size. Love Lettuce didn't really have any effects on me. It felt a little bit too grainy, but not well exfoliating at the same time. Weird.

Cosmetic Warrior was outright offputting, I would say the worst of the bunch! It hated it's weird garlick-y smell and hu-uuuge chunks of garlic in the mask that kept falling off my cheeks. I would even say it irritated my skin a bit and would not recommend this to anyone (or maybe only in the case if you need to keep the vampires away :)).

The masks cost eur 7.50 for 75 g. Mask pots last about ten applications for me, even if applied generously. They all are suitable for vegans and not tested on animals (of course!) There are four other fresh masks in Lush range, I'm going to try them as soon as the others run out.

If you want to try these masks or the cleanser without committing to buy, ask the Lush people for a sample. They give out generous samples willingly!

Yours Truly,

Tolmu Rull

For my lovely Estonian beauties:

Olen tahtnud juba ammu Lushi värskeid, säilitusaineteta näomaske proovida. Kevadel osalesin Tallinna Lushi poes maskitegemise töötoas ja avaneski võimalus värskete maskide maailmaga tutvuda (vihje: kui Lush uuesti selliseid töötubasid korraldama peaks, minge! On põnev ja saab palju infot ning tasuta näidiseid).

Värsketest maskidest soovitan eelkõige puhastavat-koorivat Cupcake'i maski, mis on šokolõhnaline ja mõeldud teismeliste ning noorte nahale. Vanusepiiri õnneks pole :) Teine suur lemmik on Ayesha, mis on pinguldava-toniseeriva toimega ja mõeldud jume värskendamiseks enne pidu või ka lihtsalt niisama. Lushi kõige popim mask, värskendav ja puhastav Catastrophe Cosmetics pole ka paha.

Cosmetic Warrior'ist ja Love Lettuce'st hoiaksin pigem eemale. Ei täheldanud mingit mõju ja Warriori lõhn ja suured pudenevad küüslaugutükid näol on lihtsalt jälgid. Sädelevaid vampiiripoisse pole lootustki võluda kui sellist maski kasutad :P

Lushi poest läbi astudes ärge häbenege maskinäidiseid küsida. Oht uusi lemmikuid leida on suur! Vahepeal olid värsked maskid Eestist otsas, aga nüüd jälle olemas.

Kahjuks sulges Lush alates 1. novembrist oma Tartu poe, aga selle-eest saab värskeid näomaske talvekuudel Lush.ee-st ka neti teel tellida. Tavaliselt neid netist tellida ei saa, sest hoiutingimused pole tagatud ning maskid võivad rikneda – värskeid maske tuleb nimelt säilitada külmikus. 

Siiralt Teie,

Tolmu Rull