Review: REN Glycol Lactic Radiance Renewal Mask

If there is a product that I struggle with, it is definitely this one. It's so well-loved by anyone and everyone who tries it that I was convinced that I would love it. I tried a sample, and just didn't understand it, in part because of Sephora's directions on how to use this product. But we'll get to that in a minute.

This REN mask is encased in their familiar packaging: a bag inside a bottle, so your product stays bacteria-free and so you use up as much of it as possible.

One of my favorite parts of REN's mask packaging is this cap--it keeps your mask from drying out.

The goop itself is orange. It's very citrus-y, but not in an unnatural way. The scent comes from the ingredients, not from some added fragrance (think the difference between smelling Bath and Body Works pumpkin soap versus smelling pumpkin puree). It's not a uniform consistency, so it feels very much like putting a high-end jelly on your face.

Now, let's cover the discrepancies among the directions for using this, because if there's one thing that drives me crazy, it's that I don't have nailed down directions on using it.

The Sephora website page reads: "Apply a generous amount to clean skin. Leave for 10 minutes. Pat and 'lift' with fingertips to raise up exfoliated layer of dead skin cells. Rinse thoroughly with warm water," (Sephora page for Glycol Lactic Mask).

So the first time that I used this mask, I followed those directions exactly, because that's what the nice Sephora consultant told me to do and I have a problem disobeying authority figures. It did sound silly to me to pat at a gooey mask, but like I said, I utterly fail at disobeying given instructions. I absolutely hated this mask. It felt fine on my face, but the removal process felt so bizarre and I didn't feel like it was doing anything and it took forever to lift enough of this stuff off of my face that it seemed effective.

I went all ranting and raving to my sister. We were both so confused about why I hated it so much, given that it's one of the most loved masks out there, among Sephora-goers and beauty bloggers alike.

Then fate stepped in. I became obsessed with REN's website (RenSkincare.com). It's adorably designed, I love the idea that they'll send you samples of your choosing (and because I love REN it gives me the chance to try out new products I'll probably like as opposed to picking out samples from Sephora, where I can choose between six shades of foundation and six fragrance samples I'll never use). REN also gives you 10% off your first order and 10% off your favorite product for life.

So I was perusing the REN website, and decided to take a look at the REN page for the Glycol Lactic mask (REN page for Glycol Lactic Mask). The directions are different. Yeah, you read and understood that correctly. Sephora and REN give different directions for using this mask. REN's directions read: "Apply a generous amount to clean skin over the face and neck, avoiding the eye area. Leave for 10 minutes. Dampen enclosed cloth and gently wipe off mask. Rinse with warm water."

WHAT SORT OF COMPANIES ARE THESE, GIVING ME CONTRADICTORY DIRECTIONS. Obviously, this whole experience turned me into a troll and made me really freaking mad.

I went to Sephora and got a second sample of this mask, because darnit, I was going to love it even if it was the last thing I did. I followed REN's directions this time, and was significantly more pleased.

I even looked more pleased in this picture. Or I look like someone who really needs to get some sleep but instead finds herself doing masks after midnight when she has class in the morning.

Moral of the story: don't trust websites. Don't trust Sephora (which is something I never thought that I would say). Read directions for products both on Sephora's website, and on the website of the maker (in this case, REN). Read beauty blogger reviews of the product. Do all of the research that you can, or ask me to do it (this experience has made me a pro in spending hours looking into a single product).

All of that being said, this still doesn't feel like a holy grail product for me. I need to use it with more frequency, and then hopefully I'll come to a final conclusion on the matter. It's also really expensive. It's $55 for 1.7 oz of mask. The crux of the issue comes in that this is a really unique mask. It's the only mask I've seen at Sephora that is citrusy and uses glycolic acid. I'm going to have to do a few more thorough searches on Sephora's website, then I may find some cheaper alternatives that do similar things.

Ultimately, I don't know that I'll be repurchasing this. The direction-discrepancy definitely tainted my opinion, then there was all of the hype surrounding it. But I know for sure that I won't be returning it.

Review: Boscia Clarifying Detox Mask

Last night I was doing my homework, hopped up on coffee and quesadillas, when I took a moment to wash off my makeup. After I did so, I took a good look at my face and realized how congested my pores looked. So I opened my medicine cabinet, trying to decide which mask to use. I settled on this Boscia Clarifying Detox Mask. I tried a sample of this mask months ago, really liked it, bought it, then promptly forgot it existed at all. It sat, gathering dust in the back of my medicine cabinet for months. After pulling it out last night, I'm really glad to report that it is amazing, and I honestly have no idea how I could have forgotten how great this mask is.

I really like the design of Boscia's masks. They all come in the same size bottle, most have a color associated with them that appears on the bottle, fading from colored on the bottom to white on the top. For example, the Green Tea Oil Control Mask is green, the Bright White Mask is sliver, and the Cool Blue Calming Mask is (you guessed it) blue. This is the only one of Boscia's masks to be contained in an entirely white bottle. I sort of really wish that it had a color to it like the other ones.

It's just a squeeze tube, which works fine for me. I guess I'll see if I have any difficulty with getting product out when I get toward the end of the bottle, but for now, it's great. You can sort of tell from the photo: the mask itself isn't quite white. It almost has just the slightest hint of blue/green/grey to it.

It's smooth, with the slightest scent of mint to it. It feels sort of like The Body Shop Tea Tree Face Mask, but this one will actually dry down on your face, whereas the Tea Tree Face Mask dries, it just doesn't crack.

I think that out of all of my face masks, this one provides my favorite mask-feeling. It tingles, but in a super minty delicious way. Sometimes the Tea Tree Face Mask will tingle too much, then stop entirely. But this Boscia mask tingled pleasantly until I took it off.

It left my face feeling much less congested, and just generally clean. It also didn't give me an issue with my nighttime moisturizer. Sometimes after using a mask, I have to be careful which moisturizer I use because the moisturizer can end up stinging my face, but I didn't have that problem after using this Clarifying Detox Mask. I ended up moisturizing with Origins Night-A-Mins, a product I'm trying out to decide if I'm going to purchase it.

Overall, I loved this mask. I'm definitely going to find a way to show it the love it deserves and work it into my weekly routine.

I'm also in love with the price of this mask. Lately I've been purchasing and using a lot of REN's masks, which come at a pretty whopping price point. They range from $34-$55 for 1.7 oz. In comparison, this Boscia mask is $25 for 2.8 oz.

Finally, just let me say that I hate air conditioning. I'm sitting at work right now, freezing my butt of, actually wishing I was outside in the 90+ degree weather. You know I'm struggling when I would rather sweat that shiver.

Review: REN Clearcalm 3 Clarifying Clay Cleanser

In the last couple of weeks, my skin has been acting up. I'm going to go ahead and make a totally crazy assumption, and say that it has to do with going back to school. I'm waking up early, I'm constantly on the run, I have what feels like a never-ending supply of homework, I'm staying up later to finish said homework, I'm probably not eating the best, and I'm drinking between three and five cups of coffee a day. And my skin looks as stressed out as I feel.

In comes the REN Clearcalm 3 Clarifying Clay Cleanser.

I'll be honest, before this cleanser entered my life, the idea of a cleanser that didn't foam was an entirely foreign concept. Before I got into higher end skincare, I just used Neutrogena and Clean and Clear cleansers. And they stripped my face of every natural oil that I had. I'm so glad I've been introduced to nice products since then.

Anyways, I was relying entirely on gel cleansers. My favorite was my Clinique cleanser (Liquid Facial Soap). I used it in conjunction with my Clarisonic. But then I got bored and I had some money sitting around, so I bought ALL the skincare. This one one of the face washes that I was drawn to, but I didn't really understand how it worked without foaming. I know, I can be dense sometimes.

So I got a sample of it from my local Sephora, and honestly, the second that I smelled it, I knew it was over. I needed to own it. Like with most products that don't have an immediately obvious scent, I can't tell you what in the heck this smells like. But it smells delicious. Earthy and clay-like, the smell is almost edible. I probably shouldn't eat this, though, so I can't really tell you what it tastes like.

I've said it about REN before and I'll say it again. I love REN packaging. Love, love, love. Even the boxes that the products come in are beautiful. The first time I opened a REN box was when I bought this cleanser, and this beautiful, flow-y, sort of flowery inner packaging appeared. True love.

If you're interested in the ingredients, here they are! What strikes me is that the first ingredient is chamomile, so this is definitely a soothing wash (something I can definitely attest to).

One thing that people love about REN is that it's "clean" skincare. It doesn't contain any sulfates, parabens, or synthetic fragrance, etc. I think it's pretty cool, but it isn't a deal breaker for me. But it does help to explain the high price we pay for REN (in addition to it being a British brand--I feel like they hike up prices when they send things overseas--think Soap and Glory, a British drugstore brand that we pay Sephora prices for).

Anyways, the Clearcalm 3 Clay Cleanser has a thick, creamy consistency. It has a slight brown-grey color to it. As I've said, it doesn't foam, but it definitely leaves my skin feeling clean and more soothed. Knowing that I have this product on my side makes me feel a lot better about my skin acting up.

I will give one criticism, although I don't think it even counts as a criticism. I wouldn't use it to remove makeup. That just isn't the function that it's meant to do. Women complain about it, but there's a simple solution. Take off your makeup before using this, or use this as your morning cleanser. Personally, I never wash my face with makeup on. I either use a makeup removing wipe or I use a cleansing balm (the one I really like lately is Julep's new Bare Face Cleansing Oil). I think that expecting your face wash to be able to do everything is just not realistic. Your face wash can remove makeup, or combat acne, or brighten your skin, or exfoliate. But it can't do everything at once. It's sort of like mascara. Mascaras that focus on one thing (lengthening, volumizing, water-proofing) are the most effective. Expecting one mascara to do everything under the sun is just going to leave you disappointed.

Now that I've waxed poetic on mascara uses, this REN cleanser retails for $32 for 5.1 oz. I love it. I'll recommend it to anyone asking what face wash they should use for acne prone skin. I even used it with my Clarisonic the other night! It felt strange, because there was no foam/anything even remotely like foam involved. But after I washed the clay cleanser off, I can honestly say that my face felt more clean and smooth and soft than it does any time I use a foaming gel cleanser. I'm a convert to the Clarisonic with clay cleanser!

Review: REN Invisible Pores Detox Mask

Like all of us humans out there, I have pores. And while most of them don't feel the need to get clogged/be obnoxious/get all gross, some of them give me issues. Namely, the pores on my nose. I also occasionally have trouble with the area directly around my nose, my right cheek (is it from my phone? I'm disturbed to think about bacteria growing on my phone and causing acne), and the sides-of-my-chin area.

And even though I wash my face twice a day, exfoliate, and moisturize properly, sometimes I need to detox my pores via a nice mask. I like clay masks, but sometimes I like to mix it up. Thus, my love affair with the REN Invisible Pores Detox Mask began.

I've been wanting to try this mask for at least the last three months. But there were a lot of damn road blocks, considering that I live near two Sephoras and regularly visit the Knoxville Sephoras, too. First, my local Sephora didn't seem to have it in stock (in reality, REN had changed the name of the mask from Pore Minimizing Detox Mask to Invisible Pores Detox Mask. They also changed the color of the packaging, from a dark blue to this olive-y green. The color change threw me off, so I thought they were different masks).

Then I went to the Sephora at Carriage Crossing, and I wasn't paying attention, so I asked for a sample of the wrong mask, one that I already own.

Then I went back to my local Sephora at Wolfchase, realized the mask/packaging/name discrepancy, asked for a sample, and was promptly told that they were out. Well, it was worse than that, really. She managed to get the SMALLEST bit of product imaginable out of the bottle and acted like that would totally work for testing a mask! It was probably enough product to cover a pencil eraser.

Then, I went home to Knoxville. My mom and I went to the Sephora in the West Town mall, where I asked for a sample of this mask. The poor beauty consultant spent like thirty minutes trying to get some product out of the bottle. It was entirely full, but the pump must've been malfunctioning.

So finally, I just bought it. I could always return it. I just feel so bad returning products: they just get returned to the manufacturer and don't get any love.

Anyways, so now I own this mask! Success. First off, I love REN's packaging. Truly. It's beautiful and practical and just awesome.

I also love the system that REN utilizes for their products. Within the plastic, there's a vacuum sealed bag. The product (in this case a mask) is stored in that bag. Every time you pump some out, the bag contracts. This method results in a cleaner product for you--you're not dipping fingers in, and there's no contamination of the product with the air, so the risk of bacterial growth is almost entirely non-existent. And to prevent the mask from drying out in the pump and making it more difficult to use the next time, there's this little cap attached to the pump. Then there's the clear plastic body. You can see how much product you have left so that you know when you should repurchase it!

Long story short, REN has packaging their products down to a science.

This mask has a beautifully natural smell to it. I'm not sure that I can describe it, but it's the sort of clean-smelling product that I could just sit around smelling it for hours. Okay, I'll be honest. Right in the middle of writing this post, I sat around for 20 minutes with the pump of this mask held up to my nose. Beauty blogger struggles, right there.

So, the instructions for using this:
1. Apply generously.
2. Allow to dry.
3. Remove by rubbing with fingers.

"Wait, what? You remove this mask by rubbing it with your fingers?" You may find yourself asking these totally expected questions.

It's true. You remove it by rubbing it with your fingertips. It's super cool and unique. I think it's a particularly effective method, as well. Think about it: if you're trying to pull gunk out of your pores, is wetting the mask to remove it going to help? No. With this REN mask, it's like the mask itself adheres to the gunk in your pores, then when you rub it, the gunk comes out and off of your face. There's a noticeable difference when I look closely at my pores.

That being said, it's not a miracle product. No product is a miracle. But ones that claim to do absurd things bother me. This mask doesn't make any crazy claims, which I enjoy. The Sephora page says, "This mask reduces the appearance of pore size and leaves the skin purified, smoothed, and toned. It draws out impurities, helping to eliminate blackheads."


I've heard a couple of criticisms of this mask, one being that it flakes while it dries. I don't know what these women are doing while waiting for this mask to dry, I don't think it would flake unless you were doing some sort of weird facial exercises. In fact, the last time I used it, I tried to get it to flake by doing just that: I contorted my face all sorts of weird ways. And not a single bit of this mask came off. So until you're actually rubbing at it, I've concluded that it isn't going to randomly start falling off of your face.

The other criticism that I've heard is that it doesn't have any lasting effects. Women basically say that it shrinks their pores for a few hours, but then it wears off. This going back to the miracle theory. There isn't a product out there that will actually shrink your pores. It simply doesn't exist. But with regular bi-weekly use, this mask will clear out your pores and help keep blackheads at bay. And that's more than enough for me.

This mask retails for $34 for 1.7 oz. It's not a cheap product, there's no way around that. But it's still one of my favorite masks, so I'm not dissuaded by the price. If you look at it in terms of other REN masks, it's on the cheap side. All of REN's masks are 1.7 oz, and the Clearcalm 3 Mask is $45, the Radiance Renewal Mask is $55, and the Smooth and Renew Mask is $37.

Overall, I really enjoy this mask. It smells great, I love the packaging of the product, it has a unique removal method, and it does exactly what it claims to.

I Have a Problem

To begin, I just finished up my first full week of classes at Rhodes. And let me say, this semester is going to HURT. Currently, I'm trying to force my way through Christopher Clark's new book, The Sleepwalkers. I have to have the entire 560+ pages read for Thursday, so I'm reading 80 pages per day. That's like 3 hours of reading. For ONE of my classes. Basically, I need to crawl under a rock and never come out.

It's a good book, but it's kicking my ass. But I will go down fighting (and posting blog posts).

To the actual topic of this post: I have a problem. At some point during the summer, I began purchasing cleansers/exfoliators/masks at an alarming rate. And now, I don't really have the space to store them.

 It's a miracle I could even fit it all on that entertainment unit thing.

First, the cleansers. I have two bottles of the Clinique Liquid Face Soap Oily Skin Formula. I know, I know. Who needs two bottles of the same cleanser? Apparently, the answer is me. This was my first real cleanser purchase, and I had two bottles because one stayed in my shower caddy and one stayed in my room by my sink back in the day when I was living in a traditional dorm without my own shower. Now, though, I'm just annoyed that I have that much more cleanser to go through. I recently received samples of the Ole Henriksen African Red Tea Foaming Cleanser, the Murad Clarifying Cleanser, and the First Aid Beauty Facial Cleanser. Then there's The Body Shop Seaweed Deep Cleansing Facial Wash and Tea Tree Cool & Creamy Wash. Finally, the REN. My favorite. I have the Clearcalm 3 Clarifying Clay Cleanser (one of my favorites) and I just bought the Ultra Moisture Cleansing Milk. I know, I have a problem.

Then there are the exfoliators. Right to left there's the Aveeno Positively Radiant Skin Brightening Daily Scrub. I'm trying to use this one up (so close!!). Then there's the Korres Pomegranate Deep Cleansing Scrub, the Lush Ocean Salt and Herbalism, The Body Shop Seaweed Pore Cleansing Facial Exfoliator, the Yes to Blueberries Age Refresh Softening Facial Exfoliator, the Kate Somerville ExfoliKate, and the REN Micro Polish Cleanser.

Finally, the masks. Left to right: REN Glycol Lactic Radiance Renewal Mask, the Clearcalm 3 Acne Treatment Mask, and the Invisible Pores Detox Mask. Then there are The Body Shop Tea Tree Face Mask, Seaweek Ionic Clay Mask, and the Blue Corn 3-in-1 Deep Cleansing Mask. Origins Clear Improvements Mask in next, followed up with the Boscia Clarifying Detox Mask, and finally the Garnier The Ultimate Cleanser 3-Way Clean. 

I know, guys. I have a problem. My goal over the next month or so is to review all of these products, then to use them up so I stop feeling like a crazy person. Seriously, I don't have eight faces, I only have one. And a person with only one face simply does not need this number of washes/exfoliators/masks. 

Is there a skincare anonymous I can join?

Lush BB Seaweed Fresh Face Mask

A couple of weeks ago I visited a friend in St Louis, and I picked up this Fresh Face Mask at a mall lucky enough to have a a Lush!!

I've used it a couple of times, this time being the third, and I think there's enough product in there for one more mask in a couple of days! I don't mind paying $6.95 for four uses.

Lush describes this mask: BB Seaweed is a best-seller for its ability to turn every rough patch into smooth, supple skin. No surprises here, BB Seaweed is packed full of none other than the ocean greenery itself! Seven pounds of it in each batch, in fact. Finely ground almonds gently slough away dry skin, rose absolute balances skin tone and organic extra virgin olive oil moisturizes.

I think this mask was the perfect introduction to the Lush Fresh Face Mask line! It smells delicious, and just like the description, it moisturizes my face and doesn't bother my skin at all. Additionally, I love that you have to refrigerate these masks: putting something chilly on my face just feels great! Lush suggests washing it off after 10 minutes, I usually leave mine on for between 15 and 20 minutes.

It's thick, sort of oatmeal colored, with chunks of seaweed and ground almond. Because it's aim is to soften skin, I don't apply it as a spot treatment mask, instead I go with a all-over the face method.

I've heard people complain that it flakes off and is generally messy, but I disagree entirely. This mask is chunky, without a doubt. But as long as you're careful applying it (as in, not rushing it), the seaweed chunks get attached enough to your face that they don't fall off during the drying process.

I recommend avoiding getting this stuff in your hair. That's particularly difficult for me because I sort of have baby hairs everywhere, as you can see in the photo of my whole face. Usually I use a hair band to hold back those baby hairs, but I forgot this time. I've also tried to avoid my eyebrows.

Here's a photo of the same area right before I rinsed the mask off. I think the color of the mask changes a bit as it dries; it becomes a little bit more yellow. I don't wait for it to fully dry before I remove it, I think it would be too difficult to wash off if it dried completely. As is, I sort of use it as a semi-exfoliator. The ground almond works to slough off any dead skin.

Overall, I've loved using this mask. It's really gentle and has definitely softened my skin. Next time I'm lucky enough to happen upon a lush store (and have a cooler to transport a Fresh Face Mask back to Memphis), I'm definitely going to try either the Cupcake mask or the Cosmetic Warrior mask.

Review: Origins GinZing

About a month ago, I was wasting time on various beauty/lifestyle websites (allure.com, marieclaire.com, cosmopolitan.com) and I came across a post that provoked some serious stress in me. It was a post about eye care, particularly at what age a woman should become concerned about their eyes enough to begin regularly using eye cream. The article suggested that women in their 20s start using eye cream. WAIT. IN THEIR 20S?!? I'm in my 20s!!!

Thus, I became way too over-concerned with the state of my eyes. I mean, my God, I had never used an eye cream in my life! Dry skin around the eyes? I still have no idea what that feels like/what the signs of it are.

So I went to Sephora, convinced that any day I would look in the mirror and my eyes would be those of an octogenarian. The very kind sales associate calmed me down, probably halting an epic meltdown, and steered me towards some eye creams she thought would best suit a girl in her (very) early 20s. I left with four samples (Origins GinZing Refreshing Eye Cream, Fresh Lotus Eye Gel, Caudalie Vinosource SOS Morning Eye Rescue, and Korres Wild Rose Instant Brightening Eye Treatment).

Of the four, I decided the Caudalie eye cream had a weird scent that I didn't want near my eyes every day, the Fresh gel also had too strong of a scent (as well as a price point I wasn't comfortable with), and the Korres and Origins were a close enough call that I just flipped a coin, and luck got me the Origins GinZing, which I am wildly happy with. That being said, when I have $35 I'm not immediately doing something with, it'll likely go directly to purchasing the Korres product.

Origins GinZing Refreshing Eye Cream comes in an adorable green Origins box, but I like the color of the glass jar even more. It's sort of a deep, dark-ish orange. It reminds me a lot of a sunset. 

The product itself is slightly shimmery, and a very light champagne pink color. Between the light shimmer and the pigment, it immediately makes my tired eyes look brighter. My favorite thing to do in the morning is apply it to one eye, then just look at the difference between my eyes for a while before applying it to my second eye. 

Overall, I love the eye cream that I chose, and it's definitely helped assuage my concern regarding future crepey eyes. I would definitely recommend it to someone who spends a lot of time studying/living it up late night style. If you're looking for something that has hardcore anti-aging effects, this probably isn't the product for you (or you should use this in the morning and a stronger anti-aging cream at night).

In terms of overall value, it's not cheap, but at the same time, it's priced considerably well for what you get. It's $30 for .5 oz ($60 per oz). For comparison, the Korres Wild Rose Instant Brightening Eye Treatment is $35 for .5 oz ($70 per oz), the Caudalie Vinosource SOS Morning Eye Rescue is $34 for .5 oz ($68 per oz), and the Fresh Lotus Eye Gel is $48 for .5 oz ($94 per oz).