Product Review: Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque

So I know that makeup is a ton of fun, but it's also important to have a good "canvas" to apply makeup to, ie. your face.  Therefore, skincare is a very important part of proper makeup application.  I'm going to arbitrarily start with a product that I use from time to time in order to maintain my complexion: Mint Julep Masque by Queen Helene.

I didn't discover this product myself.  I give full credit to one of my sisters' best friends.  This clay-like mask is cheap and works pretty well.  I got it for less than $5 at Walgreens.  You basically slather it all over your face and it sucks the oils and impurities out of your pores as it dries, leaving your skin clean and soft.  Here is photo documentation of me using it:

Yep, that's me in my comfy VS pj's.  Just got off work, had dinner, and am all ready to get my mask on!  Before doing so, however, I made sure to properly cleanse all traces of makeup off my face in order to prep for the mask.

Okies!  All ready to go.  I find it helpful to twist my hair up in a towel in order to protect my hair from the thick mask cream.  I have a set of those twisty towels made just for piling your hair up into a turban.  VERY USEFUL!  I don't know what I'd do without them.  You can get a pair for $10 at Bed Bath & Beyond.

Next, slather on a thick layer of mask.  WARNING!  This could get pretty messy.  I suggest you use one hand to squeeze product from the tube and the other to smear the stuff on your face.  That way, you reduce the risk of accidentally getting it on your clothes and other items.  Mint Julep Masque smells like toothpaste and pretty much tingles/stings the way I imagine toothpaste would if you smeared it on your face.  Don't be alarmed, it goes away after a few minutes.  You'll want to leave it on for about 15 minutes in order to let it dry out and suck the gunk out of your pores.  After about 15 minutes, it's gonna look like this:

Yeah, I would have smiled a little bit more if I didn't feel like the mask was going to crack if I did.  You'll find, at this point, that the mask will have dried into what looks like a desert wasteland on your face.  If you look closely, you'll see the oil that the mask has extracted from your skin, especially in your t-zone, ie. nose, forehead, etc.  Your mask is now ready to remove!  I like to soak a washcloth in warm water and wipe it off my face.  Then I do a second rinse with warm water running from the sink just to be sure I've removed every trace of the mask off.  I finish with Night of Olay face cream to keep my skin hydrated.

Tada!  Clean, happy face with soft, smooth skin.  Sorry about the blurry pic.  I took all of my photos with my iPhone.  The instructions on the mask say to use it once a week, but being the inconsistent person I am, I use it less than once a month.  I should definitely try using it more regularly though.  For the most part, I really like the immediate results I get after using it.  5 stars for this one!  Hope ya'll found this helpful!

Hugs,

Cat