Skincare Review: Bliss Pumpkin Powerhouse Mask, Drench and Quench, and Green Tea Wonder Mask

Some Bliss tubs I’ve been testing the past few months.

The Pumpkin Powerhouse Mask promises to exfoliate and resurface the skin using pumpkin puree, lemon and rice powders, and sodium hyaluronate, and shea butter. This is a creamy mask with tiny bits that feels soft and not at all scratchy. It almost feels likes tiny fibers. It just that lightly exfoliates the skin. The masks sting a bit but it does soften the skin. After every application, this helped with my skin’s texture a bit.

To moisturize, the Drench & Quench promises to hydrate and balance the skin with purified microalgae, hydrozome, vitamin c, milk thistle oil, passion fruit seed oil, and german chamomile. As expected, this gel moisturizer feels like a burst of water when you apply it to the skin. It also has a fresh floral scent that’s similar to body moisturizers my aunt used to use when I was a kid. It settles into this slightly creamy, silky texture as it dries. It feels hydrating, which didn’t really surprise me. It’s just not as hydrating as I would like.

I have never encountered a cuter overnight mask than the Green Tea Wonder Mask. It glistens on my hands on my face when applied. Aside from how it looks, this overnight mask also aims to balance and smooth the skin while absorbing excess oil using azelaic acid, fermented green tea oil, green tea extract, aloe leaf juice, and rosa canica extract. This feels so good on the skin. It feels soothing and rejuvenating so I use this after exfoliating or when my skin is feeling sensitive. Most of my overnight masks focus on hydration so this is a welcome addition in my stash.

The Bliss Pumpkin Powerhouse Mask, Drench and Quench, and Green Tea Wonder Mask were provided by @bliss. Available at blissworld.com

Cult Favorite: Onekind Pore-fectionist Refining Facial

Looking at the ingredients of the Pore-fectionist Refining Facial from Onekind (pink clay, aha, BHA, pink kaolin clay, bentonite clay, salicylic acid, lactic acid, and barley seed extract), it looks like it’s meant to be in my breakout bin. This mask promises to detoxify, smooth, brighten, and reduce redness and irritation of the skin.

I was right. I have put off using this before because my skin didn’t need it but now that it’s warmer and my skin is feeling congested recently. In fact, I just got a few blemishes even if I’m staying at home and I’m not wearing makeup that much. It’s because of the weather and to be honest, my oily skin loves being in winter more. Anyway, I have been using this once a week for a few months now and it helps clear and brighten my skin. It also helped calm blemishes and prevented them from becoming full-blown pimples. It’s recommended for use twice a week but I find it a bit strong so I only use this once a week. I also like following this with hydrating and soothing products to prevent my skin from feeling dry and tight. I would file this mask as something to pull out for emergencies.

This product is also cruelty-free and is formulated without synthetic fragrance, silicones, parabens, PEGs, phthalates, and petroleum/mineral oil. Also, according to their site, the packaging is made in a 75% post-recycled plastic (PCR) tube with a 100% PCR cap. It’s nice to know and I like the fact that they put it there for everyone’s reference.

The Onekind Pore-fectionist Refining Facial was provided by @onekind.us. Available at onekind.us

Skincare Review: 23.5°N Oriental Beauty Tea Balancing Facial Cleanser, Balancing Gel Mask, and Balancing Toner

My actives and I are one and the same person but, I have been looking for gentler and more nourishing products. I felt like they are what my skin’s looking for and, of course, I’ll oblige.

23.5°N is a brand I have recently been curious about and thankfully, Glowie Co sent over some of their products for me to try. Using ingredients from natural farming in Taiwan, 23.5°N offers gentle formulations that are cruelty-free and are made without artificial coloring, fragrance, alcohol, and parabens. All the products I tried contains Oriental Beauty Tea, a plant indigenous to Taiwan. It’s farmed from the Emei Township in Hsinchu County, Taiwan. This extract is rich in polyphenols and promises to balance oil and moisture levels in the skin.

I have been using the Oriental Beauty Tea Balancing Facial Cleanser ($22) for a few months now and my skin is loving it. It uses glycerin, camellia leaf extract, and hyaluronic acid to gently cleanse the skin. It’s a foaming cleanser that has a thick whipped texture. It mildly lathers and gets rid of all oils on my skin without leaving it stripped or dry.

My favorite out of the bunch is the Oriental Beauty Tea Balancing Gel Mask ($29) which aims to detoxify and hydrate the skin while controlling oil using niacinamide, peppermint extract, and hyaluronic acid. I seriously enjoy this. It’s a gel mask that dries on the skin. The green tea smell is calming and the actual product feels soothing to the skin. It helps hydrate my skin and it feels gentle too. I like using this after exfoliating or on days when I just feel like giving my skin extra hydration.

The Oriental Beauty Tea Balancing Toner ($22) claims to clarify, hydrate, and control oil using peppermint extract and hyaluronic acid. This smells like iced tea, which I really like. It’s very watery and it sinks in quickly onto the skin. I’ve had more hydrating and nourishing toners than this one but this might work for those who want a gentle and soothing toner.

Overall, I enjoyed how these vegan products are extremely gentle and soothing on the skin. The Oriental Beauty Tea Balancing Gel Mask, especially, has been part of my weekly ritual. It was, at first, because of how it made my skin feel afterward. After a few weeks, however, I noticed how it helped balance and detoxify my skin. I love it.

The 23.5°N Oriental Beauty Tea Balancing Facial Cleanser, Balancing Gel Mask, and Balancing Toner were provided by @235n and @glowieco. Available at glowieco.com

Skincare Review: I Dew Care Scoop Shop Hydrating Duo

It’s always fun to try products from I Dew Care because they are just too cute. Take these ice-cream inspired products from their Scoop Shop Hydrating Duo.

The Berry Melting ($23) is a cleansing balm cleanser that has blueberry fruit extract, jojoba oil, and glacial water to cleanse the skin while leaving it soft, smooth, and moisturized. Its texture is similar to the solid cleansing balms I like.

Once massaged onto the skin, however, it turns into a very thick oil. It retains the purple tint once mixed with water, which is fun. It smells like sweet berries as well. What I had a hard time, though, was rinsing it off. I think this is might be best removed with a cleansing cloth instead of water as it takes a few rounds of rinsing to remove and even then, it leaves a thick film on the skin. It does remove dirt and makeup though, even stubborn eye make up. It leaves the skin feeling soft and smooth but I like my cleansing balms to leave no trace and oil once rinsed.

Cake My Day ($25) is exactly like a birthday. It smells and looks like the cake you blow the candle on when you were a kid. It’s actually a wash-off mask that promises to nourish, hydrate, and balance the skin using hyaluronic acid and squalene.

It’s a creamy mask, the texture similar to ice cream, and it doesn’t completely dry. Due to the creaminess, this also takes a few rinses to wash off. I find it easier to wipe off before rinsing. The “sprinkles” also don’t melt but it doesn’t feel harsh on the skin due to its smooth texture. What I really like about this though is how plump and moisturized my skin feels afterward. No mask has ever done that at the same level for me so, I like using this when my skin is feeling dry and tight.

In this set, I like the Cake My Day whenever I want additional moisture and extra softness for my skin. The Berry Melting is something I wouldn’t really go for but those with drier skin might enjoy it.

The I Dew Care Scoop Shop Hydrating Duo was provided by @idewcare. Available for $29 at us.memebox.com

Skincare Review: BareMinerals Little Gems Mini Metallic Mask Set

I had fun using the masks from the Little Gems: Mini Metallic Mask Set of BareMinerals. Infused with natural gemstones, the mask has a metallic shine to them. There are also easy to apply and are just so fun to use and look at.

The Metallic Mask in Gold promises to help hydrate with hyaluronic acid. Unfortunately, this felt a bit drying than expected. The Metallic Mask in Amethyst aims to revitalize tired-looking skin and it did leave my skin radiant it has to be used more often to keep that dullness at bay. Meanwhile, Metallic Mask in Sapphire Blue works to detoxify skin and helped quicken to dry out some of my blemishes. This worked best for my oily skin. Lastly, the Metallic Mask in Pink Diamond claims to give skin a radiant, healthy look. I also enjoyed using this as it left my skin looking plump and it left a glow in my skin that last hours after application.

Overall, the metallic color of the masks made them a joy to apply. However, all the masks were a bit difficult to rinse due to their sticky consistency. The shimmers in the mask were also hard to remove, even after I have completely rinsed the mask. I enjoyed the benefits of the Pink Diamond and Sapphire Blue masks. I just hope they remove the shimmer in the formulation.

The BareMinerals Little Gems: Mini Metallic Mask Set was provided by @baremineralsuk. Available at bareminerals.com