Face masks are, for me, a real treat. I don't often have the time nor patience to actually put one on, so when I do I like to make a real relaxing experience out of it! An opportunity came up recently for me to review some Montagne Jeunesse face masks, and with an upcoming long weekend away in mind, I thought what better chance to give these masks a try? The lady I was in contact with asked me for my skintype, which is combination (Very oily in the t-zone and dry everywhere else - I know, I got it lucky), and a few days later these three face masks arrived. Being a fan of the Montagne Jeunesse face masks, I had actually tried the Red Earth Clay Spa* one before, but the other two, Aloe Vera Face Spa* and Hot Spring Sauna*, were new to me. So, over the last few weeks, I have given these masks a go - the most recent of which was when me and Martin went away to Scarborough and Whitby last weekend.




The first mask that I tried out of the three was the Aloe Vera Face Spa, which is aimed for those with sensitive skin; yet another skin concern for me that I struggle with on a daily basis. I have actually used pure Aloe Vera gel in the past to help treat my irritated skin, and for me it works wonders to calm my redness down. Boasting a blend of Aloe Vera juice and freshly picked Green Tea, this mask aims to soothe, cleanse and leave it feeling invigorated and refreshed. This one is a sheet mask, which I really like as it is easy to apply, remove and discard - and they tend to be a lot less messier too. However, a problem that I find with Montagne Jeunesse masks in particular is that they really do not fit my face! They're far too big, and the nose piece is incredibly small, which means that the skin in that area never sees the full benefit of the product. I understand that it needs to fit a variety of face shapes, but the nose piece in particular I think is a real issue that could so easily be fixed. The first thing that I noticed about this face mask was how cold it was; the fabric is infused with a liquid-gel that is immediately very cooling as soon as it touches your skin. I have to admit that this effect was too strong for me - after a few minutes, it felt like my skin was burning and I had to remove it. That being said, my skin didn't look red and felt very soft after I had washed the residue off - so perhaps I was being a bit overcautious with this one!




A couple of weeks later, I tried the Red Earth Clay Spa mask when my t-zone was behaving particularly badly. As you can probably guess by the name, this sheet face mask uses the oil-controlling properties of Mediterranean Clay, with added Cinnamon and Pomegranates to provide the ultimate deep cleanse. Now, having used this mask before, I remembered it to be a bit terrifying to look at once it was on - and as you can see from the picture, I do look like a star in a horror film! This mask had the same problem as the Aloe Vera one, in terms of size - but this one was particularly a problem for me, as the area where I wanted to concentrate the product, my nose, ended up having barely anything on it! I did manage to remove a bit of the product from the fabric and apply to the skin where needed, but it was a bit of a faff if I'm honest. I noticed that as I was manipulating the fabric to fit my face, that the product was sticking to my fingers and had dried pretty much instantly. This happened on my face too, and after the ten minutes was up, I could see very clearly where the mask had been in contact with my skin. Because it was setting so quickly, the fabric kept coming away from my chin and I kept having to smooth it back on - a bit annoying! With it being a full face clay mask, I expected the dry parts of my skin to feel even drier, but I was happy to see that this wasn't the case. The best way too describe my skin afterwards is thoroughly cleansed, but not stripped - my skin didn't feel tight or uncomfortable, just very clean indeed.




I saved the most exciting mask for last - and I deliberately waited until me and Martin were going away to use it! The Hot Spring Sauna face mask is the odd one out of this trio, as it is a "traditional" mask; meaning that you have to apply it with your fingers. After struggling with the previous two, I can't tell you how much I appreciated being able to cover all of my skin in product! This mask calls on a variety of ingredients for a true sauna experience; Volcanic Spring Powder, chopped Ginger and Bamboo, which work together to remove dead cells and polish the skin. Not only that, but this mask heats itself up too, which helps to open pores so you're getting as much benefits out of the ingredients as possible. When I applied this I was surprised at how warm this mask actually gets - I was expecting a slight warming sensation, but however they've done it, this packs some serious punch! It was a thick, gloopy gel formula with a gritty texture, that was easier to spread around the skin than you might think. The scent was pretty intense, too; you could really smell the ginger! I left this on for about fifteen minutes whilst having a hot bath (I thought that the steam might help keep the warming property of the mask going for longer), and it really made for an incredibly relaxing experience. I managed to wash it off easily with a wet facecloth and was left with noticably smoother skin - even Martin commented on it, which counts for a lot! Despite the warming element, my skin wasn't left red at all and in fact felt very comfortable. This mask was the clear winner for me, and one that I will be looking out for next time that I need to buy a face mask!