Gentle Clay: Review of Freeman Sparkling Pear Pore Cleansing Mask

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In my previous post I mentioned that I'm going to finish up my current clay mask before I repurchase my old favorite. The product I'm currently working on in the Freeman Feeling Beautiful Sparkling Pear Pore Cleansing mask, which is described on the tube as "whipped clay." When I googled this stuff to find the ingredients, I found that it's no longer available on ULTA or the other usual spots, though you can still find it on Amazon, and you can get the small packet version from Walmart. This is what happens when I take months to test something before reviewing it. But I took photos, so I'm going to post them, damnit! I'll try to keep it brief.

The texture of this mask is certainly lighter than most clay masks, and you can see in the photo below why. It's definitely "whipped"--there are little air bubbles throughout.

The texture makes it easy to spread, but it also means that I need to use more to get the same even layer I would from another mask. As a result, I've been going through this tube pretty quickly.

The lumps below are bubbles, not chunks.

It doesn't feel bubbly or anything on the skin (i.e. no "sparkling"). It feels like your usual oil-absorbing clay mask, except it never quite dries completely, and you don't get that tight feeling in your skin as it dries as a result. On the plus side, I also don't get the sting in my eyes as the moisture evaporates that I get from many other masks. It's also easier to rinse than a really dry clay mask.

So the application is pleasant, but because it's not as dry, I haven't found it as effective as some other options. It does absorb surface oil and make me feel less greasy for a while, but it doesn't quite suck out the dark goop from my pores the way Freeman's Avocado and Oatmeal mask does, for instance.

It's also highly fragranced. I was expecting (i.e. dreading) a fake apple/pear scent, but fortunately for me, it smells more like rose. That might be a deal breaker for some, although the fragrance rinses away with the mask.

Overall, if you can find a tube of this, you might like it if you find most oil-absorbing masks to be too aggressive. Personally, I much more highly recommend the Freeman Avocado and Oatmeal clay mask (reviewed here), for the same price, to get more effective oil absorption and temporary pore minimizing, without drying out your skin.

Have you tried any new masks lately that I should know about?

Summer moisture for oily or combination skin: Review of Simple Ultra-Light Gel Moisturizer

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I've liked most of the skincare products from the Simple brand that I've tried so far (like the ones reviewed here). They always seem to be exactly as described. No frills, but effective. So when I wanted to find a cheaper alternative to the Paula's Choice Invisible Finish Moisture Gel (reviewed here) that I've been using for about a decade now, this Simple Ultra-Light Gel Moisturizer seemed like a good place to start. I still really like the Paula's Choice stuff, but I'm pretty sure that when I started using it, it only cost $15-18 (Canadian!), and it is now a borderline outrageous $28 a tube. I'll complain about that and other reasons I've been annoyed by Paula's Choice recently in another post, but for now suffice to say that I have been hoping to find a reasonable substitute--reasonable both in performance and price. The Simple Ultra-Light Gel Moisturizer fits the bill at under $10.

Gel moisturizers are wonderful if you have skin like mine: combination, leaning more toward oily than dry, and often dehydrated. My skin regularly feels tight and sort of shriveled while still being oily in places, which is a sign that it needs moisture. (For a really useful explanation of the difference between dry and dehydrated skin, check out this great post from Lab Muffin.) Especially in the summer, traditional lotion or cream moisturizers will feel too heavy and leave my skin greasy as the day progresses. A gel feels lighter and often leaves a more matte finish.

In the winter, however, and as I've got older, my skin has become drier, and I find that lotions are just fine. So when I first tested out this Simple gel moisturizer back in December, I wasn't impressed. Here are the notes I jotted down: "spreads easy, doesn't sting near eyes, very little actual moisturizing--doesn't seem to sink in and hydrate, just smooths a little, skin feels a little tight." So I stuck it back on the shelf and ignored it for several months.

A couple of weeks ago my face started to transition into its usual summer oil slick, and my winter lotion felt too heavy, so I pulled the Simple gel back out. Suddenly it's perfect. Just enough moisture without any greasiness. It's exactly what I need right now. Another thing that is really nice about gel products in the summer is that they feel amazingly refreshing on my skin. Almost like splashing my face with water.

Here's what the Simple gel itself looks like (right), compared to the Paula's Choice gel moisturizer (left). While most gel moisturizers I've tried are translucent like the PC version, the Simple moisturizer is transparent, like hair gel (but not sticky!).

Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Moisture Gel (left) and Simple Ultra-Light Gel Moisturizer (right)

This isn't what I would call a "dupe" for the Paula's Choice moisturizer. The two main things they have in common are the gel formula and the lack of fragrance, which I appreciate. The Paula's Choice moisturizer has a little more slip when you spread it, and it soaks in to create a smooth, matte finish quickly. The Simple moisturizer is just a little tackier. On the other hand, I have to be careful not to apply the Paula's Choice gel too close to my eyes, because it will sting, and I've had no problems like that with the Simple gel. That's a definite advantage.

The Paula's Choice moisturizer has some fancier ingredients like niacinamide,  sodium hyaluronate, and a bunch of antioxidants. The Simple moisturizer does have vitamin E and glycerin, but it's sort of a step down in that sense. Personally, that doesn't bother me too much, because I use other products with more advanced shit in them, and I mainly want my moisturizer to just moisturize. But if you want to limit the number of products you use or buy, maybe a more sophisticated moisturizer is your style.

I also like the packaging of the Simple Ultra-Light Gel, which is a pump bottle. Like this:

Most of the other gel moisturizers I've tried, like the ones from Marcelle and Laneige, come in jars, which I assume is to show off their pretty, translucent texture. I just don't like jars for this type of product. Sure, my hands are clean when I use it, and the preservatives are going to keep it fairly stable, but why not have have as airtight and protected a container as possible? I do actually prefer the Paula's Choice tube, though--it's easier to tell how much product is left, and you can even cut it open to scoop out the last traces if you want to.

If you have skin like mine--not dry, but prone to dehydration--I definitely recommend this moisturizer. I'm extremely happy with it. I just needed to use it during the right season to appreciate it! It's effective, and it feels really fucking nice soaking into my skin on a hot summer day. And it's very affordable. The cheapest I've seen it is on Amazon for $5.56 for 1.5 oz. (i.e. $3.77 per oz. compared to Paula's Choice's $14 per ounce).

Do you find that your skin's behavior also changes pretty dramatically with the seasons, to the point that you have to change products? Any suggestions for keeping the oil at bay would be very welcome!

Can your skin sense how oily it is and adjust its oil production accordingly? (from Lab Muffin)

No.

Addendum to yesterday's perfect sunscreen post (yes, it mattifies)

Harley Quinn asked on yesterday's sunscreen post: How mattifying is it?

I don't remember ever having problems with shininess when I used this, but today I decided to put some on at about 4 pm when I was already a little oily from just sitting around all day with my skin doing what it does. Not only did it not make my face look any greasier, it got rid of most of the shine that was there. That makes sense, since it has a silicone base, which is what a lot of mattifying primers are made of, though this is a thin liquid rather than a gel.

The silicone is also one of the things that makes it so wonderful to apply. I can just slide it over my whole face in a matter of seconds. It's slippery, and that makes putting on sunscreen so much less of a chore. Impatience is basically one of the top factors in deciding whether I like something or not. This is fucking quick and easy.

I swear I don't work for a sunscreen company or anything. I just really like this shit.

ETA: The mattifying effect didn't last more than a few hours on my oilyish skin without any powder or anything else on top of it. It went back to normal eventually. But that isn't its primary function, of course.

Review of Freeman Feeling Beautiful Dead Sea Minerals Facial Anti-Stress Mask (Freeman masks BOGO free at ULTA until June 29)

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.
I picked this up recently, and I thought I'd give you an overview of my thoughts on it, since Freeman masks are on BOGO free from ULTA until June 29. I absolutely loved the first Freeman mask I tried, so I wanted to branch out, and the Dead Sea Minerals Anti-Stress Mask looked promising. It has clay to absorb oil like the Avocado & Oatmeal Clay Mask that worked so well. There were some other ingredients I was less sure about, but it was rated as highly as the avocado mask, so I went for it.

Here's the description from ULTA's website, which sounds pretty good (I've underlined the parts that I tested for):

Description

Unwind from the grid by treating skin to a much needed respite with this nutrient rich mask. Dead Sea Minerals and sea salts replenish and balance moisture while purging clogged pores. Lavender and Bergamot help achieve an aroma-therapeutic bliss to rinse away stress for smooth and radiant skin. Perfect for all skin types.

Let's look at the ingredients first:

Quick Review: Simple Protecting Light Moisturizer SPF 15 (good for oily/combination skin)

Disclosure: I got this product for free in the mail. I have no idea why - it just appeared on my doorstep one day. It's possible that I requested it from a free sample site, but I got a full-size bottle. There was no accompanying information with it. No one asked me to review it. This post contains an Amazon affiliate link.

I've been recommending this stuff to friends for at least a month now, so I figured I should probably get around to reviewing it here already. This is a nice, light moisturizer that is ideal for oily/combination skin like mine. Sometimes when I get out of the shower, my skin is a little tight and dry, and this adds just the right amount of moisture. It starts to absorb immediately, and after about 2 minutes, you're left with a completely matte finish and no greasiness. But softer skin. It feels really good.

Wait, a mask that actually does something for oily skin and blackheads? Review of Freeman Feeling Beautiful Avocado and Oatmeal Facial Clay Mask

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So, I really just bought this shit on a whim. I was trying to pick out enough stuff to get free shipping on an Ulta order when I was buying some gifts for my sister and mother. I figured I'd compare it to Queen Helen's Mint Julep mask, another cheap clay mask, which I actually really don't like.

As you may know, the Mint Julep mask is a sort of cheap cult favorite. I was really disappointed with it, though. First of all, the mint is pointless. It's just there to make your skin tingle, so that you think you can "feel it working", when actually it doesn't do you any good. It just causes low-grade irritation (or burning, if you're sensitive), which damages the skin. Beyond that annoyance, it didn't do anything for me. My skin didn't look or feel any better after I used it. It just felt tight and dry and needed moisturizing.

Clean Up: My Skincare Routine

Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links.
By no means do I have perfect skin, but I’ve settled on a routine that keeps things under control most of the time. Some of the things I use are really cheap as fuck, others aren’t, but nothing is expensive as fuck. Note that I have oily skin that’s prone to breakouts and blackheads, but not extreme acne. So if you have a similar skin type, you might want to try some of this out. It might not work for you, but it works for me.