Boscia Luminizing Peel Off Black Mask

product test kit

 

Luminizing Black Mask

product out of the tube and after peeled from your skin

Happy Friday my gorgeous readers! Before I get into today's post I want to wish everyone living here on the East Coast in the path of Hurricane Irene a very safe weekend! Especially you guys in Long island, New Jersey and The Rockaways. I'm actually kind of freaked because Mayor Bloomberg evacuated residents of Coney Island in Brooklyn into city shelters if they didn't have relatives they could stay with. Although I'm away from that area it's not far from the water. First an earthquake, a tornado in New York this past winter and now this! What's up Mother Nature??? So here's hoping I'll be around next Monday if Me and Toto aren't blown away to the Land of Oz! Fingers crossed XOXO

I was recently given the opportunity to test out a full size product line from the Japanese natural skin care brand Boscia. Publiicty sent me a variety of skin care cleansers, moistuirizers, exfoliators, etc. as well as some other natural brand lip care products and sanitaizing sprays. I'll get to all of them as soon as I can but for now I'm ready to review Boscia's Luminizing Black Mask Peel Off.  This mask is outrageously fabulous! I never tried Boscia before and am gratfeul fro the opportunity so I can pass along my results to my subscribers. Product info below before getting to my results.

Boscia Luminizing Black Mask-Peel Off: 

What it is: 

A groundbreaking, mineral-rich mask that peels off to deliver powerful detoxifying, purifying, and brightening effects.  

What it is formulated to do: 

This jet-black, mineral-rich mask creates a unique peel-off effect that delivers powerful detoxifying, purifying, and brightening results. Made with a premiere-quality clay, its deep-cleansing properties draw out dirt and oil. Other natural ingredients go to work exfoliating skin and refining pores. Powerful antioxidants shrink pores, firm skin, and reduce inflammation. Once dried, the mask strips away dead skin, impurities and excess oil to reveal immediate and visible results.

Pro: cruelty free, vegan, natural, very exfokiating, cleanses skin, softens skin, clears skin of debris, non irritating, travel friendly, skin glowing qualities, pore size appears to reduce, neutral scent, skin feels nice  and firm and skin redness appears lessened, helps with ingrown hairs

Con: pricey! you need a large amount of product to cover your skin allowing a thick layer to form or it will not peel properly, this tube should have double the amount for this reason.

My results: I have to say hands down this is the best peel off mask I tried so far! When I removed it from my face I found all the debris and dead skin peeled away! It unclogs the ingrown hairs trapped under your skin as well. The only fault this product has is it's size and price. It's 2.8 ounce and normally that's not bad for a mask since you need a little to cover your face but with this mask you need a large quantity of product which I found out the first time around. Since this is a peel off mask you need a lot of product to form a thick layer so you are actually able to peel it off  your skin. If you don't apply the right amount when it dry's on your skin you can't peel it off in one sweep. You have to sort of crack a smile and allow it to peel on your face then grab layers wherever you can and peel away. The rest that does not come off you can just wash it with warm water. I stopped adding product when I realized I was emptying out the tube but I did need to add more. Next time I use this I will add a super thick layer allowing me the ability to peel it off in one swoop rather than bits and pieces. You can see from my photo swatch that it peeled of in little bits rather than a whole mask because I didn't apply more product. For this reason the product might last you 4 uses if your lucky, that's awfully expensive even though it's a amazing product.

Packaging: This is packaged in a sleek black plastic tube and is a travel friendly container. I feel this is more of a sample size than an actual full size because you need so much product to form the mask properly.

Formula: What is unique about this mask is that it is black, not green or mud like the typical peel offs on the market. The formula has a creamy gel like consistency and is a little sticky. It dry's up fast so you have to work fast with this. You need to apply loads of the product on your face especially around the top of the forehead , under the chin and on all the corners that will serve as the peel away spots. Avoid around the eye area, around the lip and the nostrils. The box includes a picture showing exactly how to apply it and in what areas. It has a neutral scent which is nice and does not irritate at all. Your skin will feel refreshed, cleansed, exfoliated and very soft. And your pores appear to be minimized. It's an amazing formula!

The only fault for this mask is it's price and size. It should be twice the size or larger which would make the price more valid. I think for this size this price point is way to high and even if you splurge on it the tube will not last you a month if you use it weekly. It's too bad because I need to use this every week or even bi-weekly, it's that great! I'm hooked on it. I really hope Boscia improves on this in the future because people would try it once and keep coming back for it. I think the price may affect that. Of course if you can afford to splurge then you probably wont mind. I can't splurge on this but I will save up for it and use it less because it's that wonderful on your skin. You have to try it for yourself to understand what I mean. I would definitely recommend this product as promising what it says to do but giving it a little lower rating because of the price.This gets a fabulous 4.5 starfish rating for quality, cruelty free, vegan ingredients and it's overall ability to exfoliate and soften your skin. Any try this? Opinions? Stay beautiful! Stay safe this weekend  XOXO

Availability: Sephora $34 2.8 ounce 

1 RATING=WORSE 5 RATING=BEST SUPER STAR=SUPER PRODUCT!

EXFOLIATING QUALITY:: 5 stars

PACKAGING:: 5 stars

CLEAN & SOFT SKIN:: 5 stars

FORMULA:: 5 stars

PRICE & VALUE:: 4.5 stars
OVERALL PRODUCT:: 4.5 stars

Montagne Jeunesse Facials!

Today's review is for the Apricot scrub 

apricot scrub-very creamy with micro fine scrub particles 

One packet gave me 3 separate uses

I'm absolutely thrilled to bring you today's product review of Montagne Jeunesse Crushed Apricot & Mango  Exfoliating Scrub. This was sent along as a part of a very generous sample package from the wonderful publicity department of Montagne Jeunesse USA office. They are located and sell in the United Kingdom but they do offer retail here in the states and abroad as well. They even have some American exclusive products that can be purchased only here. I received a bundle of eight full size different types of facials, tonic masques, peel off masques and exfoliators in my package of which the apricot scrub will be reviewed below. I'll post a separate review for each type as to bring you the results experienced with each different product.

Facial Packs  I received were

	Montagne Jeunesse Chocolate Mud Masque Deep cleanses to help to unblock pores, allowing impurities to be drawn out.

	Montagne Jeunesse Dead Sea Anti-Stress Face Tonic with Dead Sea Minerals When you are in a rush to look your best or when you just want to recondition tired, stressed-out skin.

	Montagne Jeunesse Deep Cleansing Passion Peel Off Deep cleansing masque cleans, purifies and protects your skin

	Montagne Jeunesse Clean-Up Mud Masque NEW!!! Naturally targets your problem areas for a squeaky clean complexion. Contains Aloe Juice for blemish-prone skin.

	Montagne Jeunesse Ultra Fast Pore Cleansing Tonic with Spearmint and Tea Tree Feel the lift & zing of Spearmint & Tea Tree for deep pore cleansing. Reduces excess oil, deep cleanses & clarifies.

	Montagne Jeunesse Warm Exfoliating Crystal Masque A warm exfoliating masque sparkling with Honey & Sugar Cane crystals.

     Apricot Scrub: A "skin-friendly" natural exfoliant, 

      helps remove impurities for clearer skin.

	Montagne Jeunesse Pore Cleansing Fruit Smoothie Crushed Raspberry and Mango leaves skin fresh, clean and smooth.

Item I'm reviewing today 

Apricot Scrub Exfoliate with our new Apricot Scrub as part of your regime for a radiant, glowing complexion. Bursting with sweet mango this rich facial scrub deep cleanses & revitalises. Crushed Apricot Kernels removes dead skin cells whilst Aloe Vera softens & soothes leaving skin super soft. Tired, dull looking skin will be radically transformed to smooth, bright looking healthier skin. Suitable For Vegans Gluten Free Dairy Free No Added Parabens KEY INGREDIENTS Crushed Apricot Kernel - A "skin-friendly" natural exfoliant, helps remove impurities for clearer skin. Apricot Kernel Oil - Excellent moisturiser, devitalises wrinkles and penetrates the skin without leaving an oily feel. Mango - Contains high amounts of antioxidants which play a vital role to protect & repair of skin cells.

*** If there is any particular one you want reviewed next please drop a comment below and let me know. And please allow me some time to get to all of these wonderful facials.

I have always seen these on other blogs and was extremely curious about them, especially the chocolate mask which seems to be a popular one so I'm excited to have had the opportunity myself in trying these products. These are made with natural ingredients and are cruelty free as well. The prices for the products are outrageous crazy so there is no excuse for you guys not to try them! And each pack can give you up to 3 uses unless it's a facial peel off pack which is a single use. The brand also carries lip products, body care and anti aging items as well. I'm posting some product info below and am adding a link to the Montage Jeunesse Facebook page at end of the review so you can join & like them.

Since we began in 1988, Montagne Jeunesse has been passionately against animal testing. We believe that the best way to test the safety of our products on humans is to test on humans, so this is what we do! The Montagne Jeunesse Promise: We guarantee that none of our products have been tested on animals since 1978: 

We don't buy any ingredients that have been tested on animals. We operate a Fixed Date Cut Off Policy of the 31st December 1978 - which means that no materials that have been tested on animals from this date can become a Montagne Jeunesse product!

We do not do any form of animal testing, or get others to do it for us. We never have and never will. The only guinea pigs we use are human!

Our suppliers must also not test specific ingredients on animals or use others to do it for them - this ensures that none of our, or your money funds cruelty to animals! 

So simple, so fresh… keep Montagne Jeunesse products part of your everyday routine by purchasing your favourite top-to-toe treats online in one quick step. All your natural beauty care needs are just one click away, perfect for part of your daily detox program or just natural living – an essential shopping item! products are made with natural ingredients and paraben, gluten free.

Pro: quick easy to use sealed product packs- extremely affordable- decent size 12 to 20 grams-exfoliators can be used about 3 times while remaining fresh in packet-( just store in a ziploc baggie)- fantastic variety's and a plethora of scents-skin feels refreshed and soft-cruelty free- natural ingredients-travel friendly-no parabens or gluten-large assortment for different skin types and skin issues

Con: I can't think of any....

My results: This result is for the Apricot & Mango exfoliating scrub pack and from the moment I teared opened the seal getting a whiff of that fresh fruit scent I was hooked. The results were my skin was very smooth from being properly exfoliated without any irritations or redness. I have sensitive skin and found no problems using this. You can really get a sense of how fresh it is and you almost want to dip your finger into the product and eat it. It smells like fruit smoothie!

The packaging: The way these are packaged are in sealed foil time packets with a fill weight anywhere from 12 to 20 grams depending on which item you buy. The Apricot scrub was 12 grams and gave me three separate uses. For about $2.25 a pack, that's awesome! And if your wondering if it went dry or bad after the first use, it did not. All I had to do was roll the foil down and place the pack in a small snack size Ziploc baggie. It stayed fresh all week and none of the product evaporated. The convenient packaging is great because you can travel with tons of them in your bag and pick and choose which products you need without taking up space. For instance- you can grab an exfoliator, a peel off masque, anti aging product and bring them all along without having to carry three different size jars. Awesome! It also ensure you get fresh product all the time seeing that natural fruit ingredients are used without chemicals large size jars might go sour fast.

The Formula: the formula for the apricot mango scrub is very thick and creamy. It easily spreads over your face without any heaviness. The formula contains apricot, mango and aloe vera along with these tiny gentle micro scrubbing beads. It's real easy to use: clean your face first then spread the product all over your face and gently massage in the beads. Then you let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes and rinse off. I have to mention that it tightens on your skin in a very firm way so if your using this makes sure you wont be interrupted because you wont be able to speak as it has a firming effect on your face and around your mouth. It's pointless to have it on then crack it up while taking. So sit back and relax with it. I went to full 10 minutes and splurged in the "me time" I seldom have soaking in the delicious fruity scent.

  

When it was all over my skin felt tightened, fresh and super clean! It was nice that three entire uses came out of one package while covering my  face completely each time. I'm excited to try all the other packs especially the chocolate and peel off masque. I just love peel off masques! While there might be all kinds of facial products on the market they can't compare to the prices for this brand. I used to buy Rachel Perry since discovering it in high school but the prices were too high for me. This brand starts at $2.25! Wow! But more importantly they are natural, cruelty free and paraben free so this gets a super starfish rating from me! Seriously people...A couple of dollars to get fresh clean skin for whatever skin  issues you might have from acne to anti-aging issues. There is no reason you shouldn't be able to try all of them. I'm thrilled to discover amazing cruelty free natural brands and pass the discovery on to my subscribers. Has anyone tried this brand yet? If not step to it! Stay natural... Stay beautiful! XOXO

Availability: Montagne Jeunesse.com 1 GBP

In USA: Neotericcosmetics $2.25

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1 RATING=WORSE 5 RATING=BEST SUPER STAR=SUPER PRODUCT!

NATURAL INGREDIENTS:: 5 stars

PACKAGING:: 5 stars

EASE OF USE:: 5 stars

FORMULA:: 5stars

PRICE & VALUE:: 5 stars

OVERALL PRODUCT:: SUPER STAR: 5 stars plus +

Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Daily Face Peel

One down in my bonus bag...The first item I'll be reviewing from my Sephora Bonus Bag Project-original post can be found here-is this amazing product from Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Daily Face peel Wipes. As you might remember my recent skin challenge with Serious Skin Care Detailer was less than successful, no worries though because I found a product which does the same job better in half the time without the fuss and mess. What this product is mean to do is gently micro-exfoliate your skin without harsh skin irritations. Using this system is obnoxiously easy! It's a two step process using two pre-moistened wipes with the product all ready infused onto the cloth. First you peel the first packet that says step one and wipe it all over your face and neck after you have cleansed your face. There is enough moisture to cover your entire face and neck area and you keep using it until it becomes dry. Then after two minutes open packet that says step 2 and do the same thing until the cloth has dried up. Don't rinse your face off during any of the steps! Then your free to add your moisturizer just don't add products with alcohol on your face as not to cause irritations. I know I only tried this once but once was enough to discover how this peel works wonderfully! The dead skin comes off, helps with ingrown hairs, softens your skin and all without burning or irritations. My skin is super sensitive so having it be so gentle is a plus. The best part you don't have to mix anything, rinse anything,  dirty your hands with gooey stuff, just wipe and go. I also love how they are completely travel friendly and takes up virtually no space so when you travel you can literally just slip them into a tiny cosmetic bag or even carry a few packets in your back pocket. This is a very important must have system as part of your skin care routine because it's so gentle you can use it every day versus peel treatments you use only once or 3 times per week. Daily use ensures your skin is always free of dullness and luminous. The only bad quality is the price...It can become quite an expensive habit if you get hooked! I definitely want to purchase these in the future and will have to make them my indulgent splurge right after I save up for them, some other crave product of mine is going to have to be sacrificed in order for me to afford these. I'm glad this sample was sent to me because now I have my eyes on trying out all the other Dr. Gross products available at Sephora. If anyone uses these I would love to hear from you, just post your comments below. Stay beautiful! XOXO

Availability:Sephora Dr.Gross Alpha Beta Face Peel $28 10 Application

My Brighter Complexion Skin Challenge:Final Results

After one month,one week with a total of five treatments my final results are ready to be posted for the Brighter Complexion Skin Challenge Part 2. If you remember the first part  of my challenge was with Avon Luminosity Serum which unfortunately showed no results. The second product in that challenge was for the newly released Serious Skin Care Detailer of which my initial findings were posted here for you to read. I'm going to sum up everything I experienced with this product and if I think it's worth purchasing again. First I want to start by stating how over rated this system really is and by that I mean when they aired the kit's first launch show, the HSN hostess, J. Flavin and her partner CC stressed the point of how much younger CC looked after using this for one month. She looked the same to me, as beautiful as ever. But since she went on to talk about her invisible shrinking pores, tighter skin, more lift, fine lines dissolving etc. I figured hey if this is the same exact treatment that celebs get for a fraction of the cost, why not try it? It's not a bad product but it's not miraculous either. The results I experienced were temporary and no real difference to my skin other than how soft and smooth it made my face feel after the treatment. And here is a refresher description on what this kit is supposed to do: The kit has three steps to follow with three different products. The first step is mini peel, second step is to brighten and the third step is to tighten pores. The kit also includes a mini plastic mixing dish and a mini facial brush for the serum application. The process is done once a week for ten minutes, a little more with clean up but it's under twenty minutes total. The creator of this product said it's identical to the skin detailing treatments that celebrity's have done before hitting the red carpet which can cost up to $200 per treatment. How you use this: First you add a dropper and a half of the first serum labeled step one in the included plastic dish and apply it to your skin with the included brush and leave on for about three minutes. While you wait you rinse out the dish and brush and add a dropper and a half of the serum labeled step 2. Then you layer that serum over the first serum already on your face for another three minutes. When the time is up you gently rinse the product off your face with a damp washcloth in circular motions. When the product is off you immediately apply the mask cream in the tube evenly all over your face and let it set for five minutes then rinse it off and your done. This is meant to be used once a week or when you need your skin to look good for a special occasion. Let me tell you what I think the positive qualities of this system are. The cost is pricey for an exfoliating system but you get more product which should last you at least two months.Some drug store exfoliators and skin peels have less product even though they cost half the price. You also get the plate and brush and a huge tube of the mask for added convenience. Your face will feel really soft and smooth while removing dry, dead skin cells. Your pores will seem less visible but note that it's only a temporary effect. I found that after  you give yourself a treatment and a couple of days pass your pores will have the same appearance they always do. Despite what claims some brands make, pores will never shrink permanently. It's also nice to know that people with sensitive skin such as myself can use these products without any burns or irritations, I only felt a little tingle in step two.  It's so gentle that sometimes I left the products on my face for seven minutes instead of three. Other than soft, smooth skin no other results were noticeable on my face which included no brighter complexion or fading of discolorations. How very disappointing. The negative quality's in this kit was the first step serum, it didn't flow off the dropper I had to use my fingers to push the gooey serum off. It was annoying to say the least as well as the fact that step one serum wasn't even filled as the step two bottle. What happens when the first serum is finished and you still have the other serum and the mask left because they work in conjunction with each other. It doesn't make sense to me not to have equal amounts. Especially since a dropper and a half was just barely enough to cover my face and under my jaw line. The mask that's supposed to tighten your skin does absolutely nothing but soften your skin. I also don't really believe this is the same exact strength and formula as you get from a professional spa or doctor because there really is no difference that you can see on the surface. They also could have added a second plate so you can fill up both dishes beforehand but that's a minor issue. So do I think it's worth it? It's a decent exfoliator which is a good value for the amount of treatments you get as opposed to drug store kits if your willing to dish the pay up front difference. It has the benefit of being gentle on sensitive skin without burning or irritations. But it's far from being as phenomenal as advertised and if I could get this at discount or on sale I might purchase it again. The price I paid when it first launched was only $59.95 but now it sells at it's regular price of $69.95 plus ship and tax. The  first amount seems a bit steep for me the $70 makes it not worth it at all for just softening your skin, that's what moisturizer is for. I don't think I'll get this again unless it goes on mark down. I mean really mark down... Yet another treatment that has let me down. I just want to say I love  the way J. Flavin and her partner look but how much of that is due to using her own products? Just like Cindy Crawford who admitted in an interview when asked about using her products, she stated she has professional skin peels and laser treatments as part of her routine. It makes me feel dumb to have jumped on the bandwagon of this kit because the creators have amazing skin which they credit to the fabulous Serious Skin Care products. I used SSK in the past and there okay but nothing more. Are the women who leave the comments on HSN drugged up to make some ridiculous claims on these products or have they just never ever exfoliated their skin before that when the did it for the first time it's amazing to them! Believe it or not most women don't wash or exfoliate their skin every morning and night so to have freshly peeled dead debris off of their face must be the reason they call this a miracle. Well there you have it, my honest opinion on what I experienced. We all have different skin so if your willing to splurge on this and try it for yourself feel free because it's not that bad, just pricey and over rated. Stay beautiful! XOXO 

Availability: Serious Skin Care Detailer $69.95

My Brighter Complexion Skin Challenge:Part 2

After failing to see any results from my first Brighter Complexion Skin Challenge here's the next product being served up for round two. This time I'm not setting my hopes up so high and hopefully some results will surface as this product is more expensive than the Avon Luminosity. Both of those items were purchased by myself. The product is Serious Skin Care Detailer Kit that recently launched over at HSN so it's a fairly new item. The kit has three steps to follow with three different products. The first step is mini peel, second step is to brighten and the third step is to tighten pores. The kit also includes a mini plastic mixing dish and a mini facial brush for the serum application. The process is done once a week for ten minutes, a little more with clean up but it's under twenty minutes total. The creator of this product said it's identical to the skin detailing treatments that celebrity's have done before hitting the red carpet. My first experience with this detailer was this past Saturday so there's no detail review yet but right upfront the experience wasn't that bad. Although it doesn't take up a lot of your time make sure no one will bother you so you can at least enjoy a tranquil spa-like moment. It burns a little on the second step but it's supposed to tingle on that stage because that means it's working. I was annoyed that the product doesn't come up in the stopper the full amount it's supposed to but that's not an issue as it was more than enough to cover my entire face and jaw line. The smell could be improved on,it's rather like a strong chemical and they were really cheap with the plastic plate. There are two steps that require the dish so why not add another plate? They sell for like 20 cents at those beauty depot suppliers so they should have added another dish considering the price of the kit. It does smooth your skin and clean the debris out. That's the only initial result that I saw on my face.  Actually I also noticed that my foundation flakes more probably because of the peeling effect to my skin meaning less foundation should be applied on my face. This happened to me before using on Olay product because it smoothed my skin so nicely that less foundation was needed. So I guess I need to use even less of my liquid foundation which is already less than applied by me previously. That's always a plus! Well there is  my mini take on this product for now but stay tuned for updates in weeks to come. I'm also interested in how long these serums and the mask lasts because the rep over at HSN said I should have it for well over a month. Stay beautiful! XOXO

Availability: Serious Skin Care Detailer $59.95

Shiseido Pureness Pore Purifying Warm Scrub

 Here goes another review for today because I'm trying to post all the older products that I tested out so I can start adding more of the new items.Hopefully I can get most of them up if not all.Shiseido Pureness Pore Purifying Warming Scrub is a great little product.I received a travel size sample but it lasted me a couple of weeks as I felt only a small amount was needed plus it should be used only a couple of times a week.The formula has gentle micro-granules that didn't irritate my skin.And no weird smell! Shiseido has a habit of over fragrance products.You get a nice warming sensation while massaging this all over your face and your skin feels soft and exfoliated when you pat dry.It thoroughly removed all the makeup on my skin leaving no oiliness behind although I didn't notice any change in pore size which is what this scrub is supposed to help with.It's great to have in your beauty cabinet as a weekly treatment and while it suggests it's for blemish prone skin if you have normal or sensitve skin it's gentle enough. Have a great weekend!

Availability:Macy's $23  1.7 ounce tube

Patricia Wexler Exfoliating Cleanser

It's that time of year again when brutal humidity overtakes Manhattan,it's sooo not pleasant for your skin.For me this signals that it's time to switch cleansers, my product of choice is Patricia Wexler Exfoliating Cleanser.I don't have an acne problem but I always keep a few of these on hand because I find this product is the best for giving your skin that cool squeaky clean fresh feeling in summer weather at the same time allowing your skin to be prepped & primed for a more flawless matte application for your foundation.This brand doesn't strip my sensitive skin of moisture while soothing any redness.You'll find this creamy foamy cleanser doesn't irritate either while keeping the breakouts at bay.Your face will feel clean and clear.Plus it has the added benefit of the exclusive anti-aging formula that plumps up your skin from New York's leading dermatologist to the stars.If you never tried Wexler products you should, they genuinely work.
Availability:Bath & Body Works 5.1 0z $10 reduced from $16.