Liz Earle is a UK-based skincare brand that has been steadily gaining attention for its quality skincare products, most of which are made of natural, plant-derived ingredients. Even if you don't particularly care about whether the ingredients in your products are naturally-derived or not, you can't fault the care and quality that goes into them. And I actually had the fortune to meet Liz herself once (well, to be honest, bumped into her for five seconds is more like it), and she has absolutely gorgeous skin - possibly the best testament to her products.
One that I've tried and really liked is the Brightening Treatment Mask. This is a mask for dull skin, and is meant as a "quick fix" for skin that needs a bit of radiance. The instructions say to leave it on for between 30 seconds to 2 minutes, so this is really a mask that you can literally use every morning - just slather, pause, and rinse! Cool, huh?
I got the starter kit, which comes really nicely packaged with a little zipper bag containing the Brightening Treatment Mask and a muslin face cloth for removing the mask.
The Brightening Treatment mask comes in a plastic pump bottle, which I really like, because it ensures that the product remains as clean as possible inside the packaging, and minimal mess during usage (unlike jars, which I have to continually dip my fingers into). It comes in a 50ml size, which is quite sufficient, since a little of this mask goes a long way.
The muslin cloth that is provided is the typical Liz Earle muslin cloth. I really love these cloths, as they are god for exfoliating the face slighty, without making them feel sensitive or sore. I used to use the Buf-Puf Facial Sponges for washing my face, but I always had trouble finding the right degree of abrasion. The "Gentle" ones were always abit too rough, while the "Extra Gentle" ones were too soft and went out of shape easily. I prefer these clothes in a way, because they still provide some exfoliating action without being too harsh, and wipe off the mask easily.
The muslin cloths are also quite porous, as you can see in the photo below, which lets them air-dry easily for use the next day. They don't stay soggy wet for too long, and you could wash them by throwing them in the washing machine.
The Brightening Treatment Mask itself consists of white clay, and feels a bit thicker, grainier and less moist than most masks I've tried. I guess this is because of the clay content. And although one of the ingredients is sweet almond oil, it doesn't actually feel oily in anyway. In fact, I only realized there was sweet almond oil in it by reading the ingredients list.
The mask doesn't have any particular smell, but it does give the skin a slight tingling sensation upon application, which fades rather quickly. Although Liz Earle says that the Brightening Treatment Mask shouldn't be used for sensitive skin, I didn't feel like it made my skin react, and I have pretty sensitive skin.
The mask also washed off easily without leaving any residue, although removal is aided by using the muslin cloth that comes with the set. Just wet the cloth, wipe over your face, and repeat til most of the mask is gone. I usually splash my skin with water afterwards. After usage, I did feel like my skin looked a bit brighter and less tired, which was pretty good, considering that the mask was probably only on my skin for two minutes or so.
I really like this mask for its effectiveness and its ease of use, and I'd recommend this to anyone looking for a quick and easy pick-me-up for their skin, or for someone who wants to work some skincare into her everyday routine without adding to the fuss.
(Product was sent for review. Review is my complete and honest opinion. I am not affiliated with/compensated by the company.)
