Mud Wrestling: 3 Clay Masks Tried,Tested & Compared ft Voya, Skinician & Glam Glow

Being an avid beauty junkie it's very natural that I can get caught up in obsession with certain products or treatments. More often than not it's make up, lip gloss or nail polish but this past couple of months it's been clay face masks. 

Thankfully for this new obsesh there happens to have been a couple of press launches of late that have allowed me to test out some of the best. Behold, beauty lovers, Voya's Get Glowing, Skinician's Purifying Mask and Glam Glow's Tingling and Exfoliating Mud Mask. 

Voya's Get Glowing Illuminating Clay Mask: €38

I'm a big lover of home grown products and the organic, sea weed based brand, Voya is right up the top of that list. Their newest beauty offering, the Illuminating Clay Mask is over 70% organic and made from hand harvested seaweed. 

The scent of clay is infused with rosemary and patchouli and of course seaweed. This mask never fully hardens, instead it feels as though your skin drinks in it's organic goodness and after ten minutes washes off to leave a seriously luminous visage. (The ideal mud mask to answer the door in and not risk inadvertent heart attacks)

While my pores were sparkling and skin brighter than before, a word of warning for sensitive skinned ladies here: I had a brief slight reaction (read lobster chops) so I'd recommend a patch test first should you be considering this for easily agitated faces. 

Skinician Purifying Mask: €27

Skinician, the new skincare range from the makers of He-Shi is showing serious promise so far. The Purifying mask is just the first product I've trialed and I'm genuinely impressed. 

Designed to balance sebum production, tighten pores and reduce fine lines, this one would be my recommendation for the oilier ladies amongst us. With green clay, shea butter and Japanese seaweed, this is one of the most moisturising clay masks I've used. 

Again the Purifying Mask didn't set on the skin as most clay masks tend to. It's a creamy, smooth texture that leaves a slight tingle on washing off but the difference on my schnozz pores was definitely notable and has meant that I'm not reaching for primer as often when using it. Very handy. 

Glam Glow Tingling & Exfoliating Mud Mask: €40 for (.5floz!)

Much like it's Super descendant Glam Glow Super Mud that I reviewed here  Glam Glow Tingling & Exfoliating was designed to be a 10 minute wonder mask for the Hollywood elite before they faced the cameras. 

Designed and suitable for all skin types, Glam Glow is the grittiest of the three, with actual pieces of green tea leaf visible in the mud. This mask dries solid, leaving you with limited gurning abilities and limitless scaring possibilities for the ten minutes it's in situ. (I had the kitten terrified) (That could have been the jumping out with jazz hands). 

Made with volcanic rock, French sea clay and active green tea leaf, you'll get the biggest bang for your buck with this little black pot. The brightening and tightening results are much more exaggerated and if it weren't for Glam Glow Super Mud, this would be the pinnacle of my current clay mask stash. 

All masks are available now online and the links in the photo captions are the cheapest I could find them at the time of publishing, though do please let me know if you've seen 'em cheaper and I'll amend. 

Are you a clay mask lover? Are there any others I should be casting my beady eye over? 

May Favourites ft L'Oreal, Pixy, Real Techniques, Glam Glow, Body Shop, Smashbox, Garnier, Origins & Tinchy Stryder(!) (Pic Heavy)

Can you believe May is over? Nope, me either! Time for a little looksie at what's been making my life easier and stuff I be lovin' this past month. There's some doozies. 

GLOWING BODY BUTTER €12.99

First up, I was convinced that I'd been duped when Pixy's Glowing Body Butter landed on my mat. The whipped light & fluffy mousse of cocoa and shea butters feels like air in the tin and most pleasingly, on the skin. With Coconut, Vitamin E and Sweet Almond oils to sweeten this beaut my skin has never looked brighter. 

Keep an eye out as Pixy's Glowing Body Butter will have pride of place in an upcoming feature where you can have a closer look. 

Origins Plantscription Anti-Aging Cream €62

Boasting brand new Rasberry Plant Stem Cell Technology, Origins Plantscripstions Anti Aging Cream has rocketed to the top of my visage creams of choice this past month. 

The thick and ridiculously moisturising cream plumps my skin more than any other and I detected a noticeable decline in my skins brightness when I forgot this little gem on a weekend away. 

So impressed am I with this new face love that I've featured it in my first beauty column for the Fingal Raven magazine (more deets on that very soon). 

L'Oreal Fresh Dust Dry Shampoo - €11.85

 'Dust, anybody? no? DUST' honestly, Marjorie Dawes goes through my head every single time I pick up L'Oreal's Fresh Dust dry shampoo and that's been hella lot this past month. 

The only dry shampoo to cure my bereavement at not being able to find Batiste's Gold Shimmer ANYWHERE, this version is actually worth the extra sheckles for lack of build up and continual shine (not the greasy kind) when I'm using it. I'll be definitely repurchasing in the next day or so. 

Real Techniques Duo Fiber Face Brush (Set of three €19.99) (or €11.38 from iHerb.com)

I never was a big user of setting or finishing powder, preferring instead to set my visage with a spray of Thermal Spring Water instead. Those times have changed thanks to Real Techniques. 

I'm all about this Duo Fiber Face Brush since purchase last month and the air brushed effect I can achieve with Smashbox's Halo Finishing Powder. 

I'm a complete convert & wouldn't be without it now. 

Smashbox Halo Highlighting Wand €32

I mentioned this pen of wonder in a recent Instagram pic as one of my go to products when I want to look less dead in 5 minutes when I'm flying from work straight into town. 

With a design similar to Touch Éclat but with a wider brush and some form of witchcraft in it's pearlescent pinky highlighting cream, this highlighting wand is certainly aptly named. 

Garnier Perfect Blur €15

I'm all about speed when it comes to make up so when Garnier promised instant results with their 5 Sec Perfect Blur I was all over it, if a little dubious at the same time. 

I needn't have doubted 'em though as Perfect blur does 'sactly what it says on the tube. 

My face appears smoother even without make up on top and this here tube has replaced my beloved Smashbox Photo Finish primer for evening jaunts out. Unheard of!

Body Shop Brazil Nut Dry Oil €15

I can't get enough of this wonderful stuff! Body Shop's newest (returning) dry oil  is brazil nut and I can't describe the vanilla/chocolate/deliciousness of it's scent. It reminds me of warm candy floss without the sickly sweetness. 

I'm using this dry oil on my bod, on my cuticles, to tame flyaway hairs and even to remove makeup in a pinch. It's truly, truly wonderbar! 

Glam Glow Super Mud Clearing Treatment €45

I've reviewed this little pot of mucky goodness here  but couldn't let May faves go by without an enormous shout out for Glam Glow Super Mud Clearing Treatment. 

Not only has it vastly improved the brightness & tightness of my visage but as an on the spot treatment it has saved my skin (literally) from 3 mini Mt Vesuvius' already! 

Astonishing stuff. 

Tinchy Stryder in Ear Headphones €49 (on sale for €29 in Curry's) 

Last but by no means least one of my favourite additions to my collection of schtuff this month has to be these weenchy teenchy headphones. 

Noise cancelling and ridiculously comfortable to wear (even for a small lug holed user like me) these in ear headphones are stupidly good for pumping out the choons. 

So much so that I've even done extra laps in the park at lunchtime just to continue to listen. 

Now that's good! 

Wheweeee, that was a long post - tell me, what's been tickling your pickle this past month, eh?