Now second semester is under way, dissertation deadlines are in sight and free time has become a distant but fond memory, it’s especially important for you to find the time to fit in a bit of self-love. Here are the 3 best face masks to bring those bag-stricken eyes back to life after an arduous day of uni:
1. Lush BB Seaweed
Albeit a little more on the pricey side, this face mask is a lovely one to use every now and then to treat yourself to something that bit fancier. I was gifted it just before coming to university in 1st year and have used it ever since. Granted, I was skeptical about the whole seaweed thing to begin with. Conjuring up images of gloopy piles of it on beaches from family holidays to Wales didn't leave me particularly bawled over at the prospect of putting that stuff on my face. But I sucked it up, put my faith in Lush and gave it a whirl. The bits in it made it a little challenging to smear on your face easily, but the mask leaves you with refreshingly smooth skin. And to top it all off, with Lush products it’s lovely to know that everything you’ve had on your mug is nice and natural.
2. L’Oreal Pure Clay masks
L’Oreal released their Pure Clay mask line in 2016. The masks come in pots, which is handy if you’re someone like me with combined skin because you can buy all 3 and “mix and match” which one is best suited to different parts of your face. My favorite by a long way is the Detox Mask. It’s a bit harsher than the other two (the Purity and Bright masks) on the skin, but that’s just because it really works into your skin and cleanses out your pores. The one slightly heartbreaking feature of it is that when it dries it leaves you with visible dark dots which point out all your pores, but this is also useful as it highlights which areas of your face could use a little more exfoliation & TLC. The masks are so smooth and easy to apply and even though the products say that you can only get 10 applications out of each pot, I usually manage to make the product stretch a little further. They may be considered as, again, on the slightly more expensive side but you can frequently find them on offer in Boots or Superdrug, and if you do, I urge you to snap them up and give them a go.
3. Burt’s Bees Hydrating Sheet Mask
You’ve probably tried their lip balms, why not give their face masks a go? Sheet masks are a cheaper, single-use way of giving your face a cleanse. Different to “potted” masks, sheer masks can be quite watery so be careful when applying. Although you can’t really do much whilst you have it on, it provides you with a perfect excuse to sit back, relax and do absolutely nothing whilst the masks gets to work. These masks leave you with a lasting fresh feeling which sticks with you for a few days; making those late library nights seem not as bad.