Yeow! My face feels like it's on fire. Okay, maybe not a full-blown blaze, but there's definitely some tingly heat going on thanks to the Astara Activated Sea Mineral Mask ($25–$42) I just applied. I'd always heard good things about Astara, and after using this mask I understand why there's so much buzz.
The mask has an unusual sort of sea smell, and that's not surprising. It features a lot of natural (and in some cases, organic) ingredients: oatmeal extract, five different kinds of mineral-rich seaweed, kaolin clay, and citrus extracts just to name a few. It also has menthol to cool skin, but as I said before, it tends to warm mine up more than anything. In fact, every time I've used this mask, it has one side effect I'm not crazy about. For a picture of that, read more
Well, there's no getting around this: This mask makes my face tomato-red for about 45 minutes to an hour. Sexy! The first time I used it was before Mr. Bella was taking me out for dinner, and I was nearly too embarrassed by my lobsterface to leave the house. So learn from my mistake: Use this mask only when you don't need to go anywhere immediately. Fortunately, the redness fades after a while, and then you get to enjoy the results.
And what results they are. Immediately after rinsing off this mask, my skin always feels incredibly soft and smooth—just like a baby's dupa. It also brings burgeoning pimples to a head sooner, and it definitely helps with blackheads. Makeup artist Charlie Green uses this mask on models at photo shoots to make the skin radiant, and I can see why. After the redness dies down, you get to bask in clear, healthy-looking skin. So is a little stinging and redness a fair exchange for the effects of this mask? I say yes.
Ed Hardy
Sofa Workshop
Psssy
Oooo yes, your face was red...
1I don't like when products turn my face red, it makes me feel like they shouldn't go on your face...
Cool, I might try it.
2And god what beautiful skin you have Bella!
Ouch...
3Aw, thanks, Candyhunnie. That's kind of you to say!
And yes, if the results were just so-so, I'd be really upset about the redness. But since it goes away after an hour, and my face remains soft this morning, I figure it's worth it. (Plus, my dermatologist has a mask that smells a lot like this one, and that one leaves me red, too—and both have great results.)
If you have very sensitive skin, though, I'd probably take a pass.
4thank you for answering my question bella! I have sensitive skin and just looking at your redness made my skin ache in sympathy! lol. I get red just from using differin and benzaclin products. you do have great skin though. *jealous*
5Bueaty is painfull isn't it.
6I don't know if I'd use this...
7a great mask that i use: Osea black algae mask. no redness. just works GREAT! everyone should try it.
8I haven't used this mask before, but the moisturizing mask is amazing.
9I wonder how thinly can you apply it and still make it work. I have sensitive skin but I can usually get away with it if I use extra thin layers of everything (blending everything with foundation brushes).
10my skin is really sensitive so there is no way I'd want to put this on my skin. I'm sure there are other products I can use that will work for me just as well as this.
11Your skin looks awesome! Even with the redness
12ooh i am personally going to stay away from this one. even though it gives such good results.. i have super sensitive skin. if a biore pore strip bruises my face, i dont want to think about what a product which burns faces will do! this reminds me of that sex and the city when samantha gets a chemical peel the night of carrie's book launch party. OUCH!
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