Skin Care | Beauty and Fashion Tech

Apr 29, 2013

Makeup Wars, The Best Facial Masks

April 29, 2013 By Carleenp 14 Comments

This week the Makeup Wars group looks at the best facial masks. It is also an opportunity to see us in a different state (wearing masks instead of makeup)!

Yep, here I am just out of the shower, with wet hair and facial mask! I don’t plan to pin this photo, LOL!

I have three favorite masks, one of which is ultra affordable. Here they are:

(1) DDF Sulfur Therapeutic Mask , can substitute with Vibrant Skin Sulfur Clay Mask.

This is my go to mask for adult acne treatment. It is a quality clay mask for cleaning out pores and it contains 10% sulfur to kill acne causing bacteria. As long as I use this once per week, I tend to be able to keep a lot of my adult acne issues at bay. It also is great as a spot treatment. Put it on a blemish overnight and it will help dry it up and kill the bacteria from it. It is the mask that I am wearing in the photo.

Here is the sad thing though. When writing this, I discovered that DDF discontinued this item, despite it getting glowing reviews on most websites! However, Vibrant Skin Sulfur Clay Mask looks like a nearly identical product and I will be ordering it to try when my current tub of DDF runs out.

(2) Astara Green Papaya Mask

I hardly ever see anyone review Astara, which is too bad since it is a quality line of skin care products. Astara also makes particularly good masks, including my favorite mask for anti-aging and exfoliation, the Green Papaya Mask. This clay mask uses papaya enzymes to really work your skin and exfoliate. When you put this mask on you can feel it going to work. The results are also fabulous. It is kind of like getting a mini peel. I do one of these masks every couple of weeks or so.

(3) Queen Helene Mint Julep Mask

This is a super affordable quality clay mask for time when you just want a nice standard mask to help clean out the pores, absorb oil, and smooth your skin. You can find a good sized tube of it at any drugstore, usually for under $5. It has long been my fall back mask for when I don’t need the sulfur in the acne mask and don’t want the enzyme action from the Astara mask. If you like just plain old clay masks, there is no need to bother with high end brands, you can get the same results with Mint Julep for cheap!

Want to know the rest of the favorites? Click on through below to see what the other bloggers list as their favorite facial masks!

Disclosures: Beauty and Fashion Tech at times reviews products provided by a representative of the company. When we do so, we specifically state so. We also use affiliate links. For more, please see the disclosure page

Filed Under: Makeup Wars, Skin Care Tagged With: Astara, DDF, Makeup Wars, Queen Helene, Skin Care

Apr 26, 2013

Spa Sonic Skin Care Review

April 26, 2013 By Carleenp Leave a Comment

Press Sample Affiliate Links

The Spa Sonic Skin Care System is an affordable rival to more expensive systems such as the Clarisonic. The system includes multiple attachments and operates on battery power. It is fairly compact and easy to use. I was sent one to test.

Among the brushes included are:
• Facial Brush Head (2)
• Body Brush
• Pumice Stone Attachment
• Microdermabrasion Sponge Attachment

The unit worked well for me. I especially like using the pumice stone on my runner’s feet, which need some serious help. The large brush is effective for body use, and the facial brush cleansed well, although the Spa Sonic it does not have separate rotating internal bristles like the Clarisonic does. Of course you also save quite a bit of money with this system over the Clarisonic.

Side view.

Here is a view of the smaller brush. This provides good cleansing and also some gentle exfoliation. If you have acne, this is a particularly good type of cleansing system and brush to use.

The pumice head is a nice bonus. It is small, which I prefer for getting into the contours of the feet.

The exfoliating facial pad is another nice bonus. I used to have a cleanser meant for these way back and really liked it. Pair this up with a light exfoliating cream and you can get some excellent exfoliation from it.

There is a Target daily deal going on with this through April 30, 2013 if you are interested in saving a bit on it.

Buy it at Target

Filed Under: Bath and Body, Skin Care Tagged With: Clarisonic, Skin Care, Spa Sonic

Mar 18, 2013

Makeup Wars: At Home Pampering

March 18, 2013 By Carleenp 14 Comments

Press Samples Affiliate Links

What do the Makeup Wars bloggers do to pamper themselves at home? This week you can find out!

My Top Pampering Tips

(1) Use Epsom Salts, A Lot of Them! As a distance runner, my pampering routines almost always involve soothing sore and tired legs, and trying to improve the appearance of my feet. Something I found over time that works great for tired muscles is adding Epsom Salt to a hot bath. A lot of runners swear by it for reducing inflammation. The key though it to add A LOT, as in at least four bags or quart cartons. Fortunately it is fairly cheap, especially if you buy it in bulk at Sam’s or Costco.

(2) Pumice Stones Are Awesome. I like a regular pumice stone for working on calluses on my feet over just about everything else. They are affordable and work well without tearing up your skin.

(3) For Tough Calluses, Grab a Ped Egg. Sometimes the pumice stone doesn’t do the trick. then, I grab my Ped Egg. The Ped Egg can shave off calluses very quickly, yet safely, and it catches the dead skin so there is no mess. I love mine, which was originally sent to me as a press sample for review.

(4) Awesome Hair Conditioning. Another way I like to pamper myself is with deep conditioning hair treatments. I like to take Ojon and put it in my hair for a full day. Simply add it to dry hair, and then pull your hair up under an old hat for the day. Yes, it is greasy, and it does have a strong fragrance, but after a day of it in your hair, you will be left with silky smooth tresses. You can also do this with Coconut Oil, or even Olive Oil for a cheaper version. In addition, I recently tried it with DermOrganic Hair Masque (another press sample) applied to damp hair and that worked very well.

(5) Weekly Peels. I do weekly glycolic peels with either Brazilian Peel or Kate Somerville Clinic to Go. These help keep my skin looking brighter and I enjoy the tingling feel that I get from them.

Want to see more home pampering tips? Click on through the sites below!