Primark’s beauty department has been going from strength to strength recently. My local branch used to have a small counter with a few pairs of eyelashes, nail polishes, travel-sized holiday toiletries and makeup bags, now there’s everything from colour correcting crayons, contour sets, eyebrow stencils and beauty blender dupes. Just recently I shared my Primark beauty haul and reviewed their Illuminate Cream Highlighting Palette. Today, it’s time to look at their range of pampering face and hand treats. I picked up: the 3D Moisture Mask (80p), Skin Revitalise Chocolate Mask (80p), One-Step Cleansing Nose Pore Strips (£1) and Nourish & Moisturising Oatmeal Hand Mask (£1.50).
3D Moisture Mask
Sheet masks, although they’ve been around for years, are the new trend every skincare brand seem to be releasing. I’m a huge fan of the Garnier Moisture Bomb Tissue Mask and I’ve just ordered a bundle of Tony Moly ones from Amazon too. Primark’s version is called a ‘3D mask’. The mask was saturated in product which I really appreciate and although it’s a little tricky to unfold (what sheet mask isn’t?) it clung to the contours of my face perfectly, it even had a long section at the bottom to cover my neck. I left the mask to get to work while I sat in the bath and then gently peeled off after 20 minutes. The mask didn’t necessary leave my skin feeling moisturised, but it did leave it feeling refreshed. The cooling effect of the serum was very calming and rejuvenating. Whether you want to or not, sheet masks really require you to be perfectly still due to the fear of them falling off. This is actually why I love them, they force you to take a few minutes to relax with your thoughts. I would buy this mask again, I don’t expect you’d see any long-term significant benefits to your skin but it does serve as a lovely mid-week pick-me-up.
Vitalising & Nourishing Chocolate Skin Revitalising Skin Mask
This mask claims to do a lot on the packet, but I was actually hoping it would give a deep cleanse and draw out dirt and impurities like my all time favourite, Cupcake from Lush. The smell of this mask is intense. I love chocolate and I really don’t mind fragranced products (the Tarte Tartelette Tease Palette is a good example of this), but this mask smells really artificial and overpowering. It’s also very runny and messy, there is more than enough for two uses in the sachet if you don’t obliterate the packaging like I did. I applied the mask for 15 minutes and rinsed it off and, even though this is clearly a first impressions post, I didn’t see or feel any noticeable improvement to my skin. The next morning, however, I woke up with the greasiest, shiniest skin that I’ve had in a long time. I don’t know why or how this product triggered this reaction, but the mask was the only new addition to my skincare routine so I’m pretty sure it’s the culprit.
One-Step Cleansing Aloe Nose Pore Strips
It’s been years since I’ve tried a nose strip, and now I remember why. First of all, let’s talk about the positives. I like that each one is individually wrapped and that you get four of them, and that’s about it. I’m one of those freaks who loves looking inside the strip once it’s removed to see what’s stuck to the inside. This strip removed nothing, and my skin is less than perfect right now. I’m not sure how that is even possible because once dried the strip felt like it was super glued on. Removing it felt like I was waxing my nose. Afterwards, my nose was sore and red with a slight burning sensation. Definitely not a product I’d recommend trying.
Nourishing & Moisturising Oatmeal Hand Mask
First of all, I thought finding 30 minutes where I didn’t need to use my hands would be a real challenge. Thankfully, the gloves are made from a sturdy plastic and seal in all the product inside. You might not be able to type, but you can still make yourself a cuppa and other simple tasks. I left mine on whilst watching RuPauls Drag Race (#teamkatya). Once I removed the gloves my hands were lightly fragranced and still covered in excess product which I tried to rub in, however, the cream isn’t very absorbent and left a greasy coating that I had to wash. My hands felt baby soft all day! I love the idea behind this treatment and even though £1.50 hardly broke the bank, I think instead of repurchasing these I’ll pick up a reusable pair from The Body Shop. This way I can use my favourite hand cream (Almond Delicious Hands by L’Occitane) which is more absorbent and long lasting for a more intense treatment.
Well, this was a really mixed bag of products from Primark. The only one I would repurchase is the 3D Mask. These are supposed to be relaxing at home spa treatments and the majority left me more stressed out than I was to begin with!
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