Affordable Face Masks for Deep Cleansing your Skin

deep cleansing face masks

A few affordable and effective deep cleansing masks that I’ve been testing out over the past few months. Actually, two of these are established “fixtures” in my beauty cupboard – the Neutrogena Visibly Clear mask and the Deep Cleansing Mask from Liz Earle – but I thought that I’d revisit them and see if they were as good as I seemed to remember. My favourite deep cleansers and clay-based masks tend to be on the pricey side (Omorovicza comes in at number one, I think, in terms of effectiveness, and I adore the Multi-Use Clay from Diptyque) and so I thought that I’d explore some options that won’t break the bank. If you want a weekly treatment that makes your skin feel de-clogged, deep-cleansed and nicely purified then one of the below might just float your boat…

Neutrogena Visibly Clear 2-in-1 Wash and Mask. When it comes to face masks for oily skin, there are hundreds of clay-based versions out there that will do the trick in terms of purifying and helping to keep skin a little clearer. What I like about the Neutrogena one is that it’s quick to work, so you can use it in the shower if you don’t have time to luxuriate in a full-length treatment, and it doesn’t feel harsh or drying. Some of the cheaper wash/masks that I’ve tried have bits of scrub in them, or a strong-smelling “antibacterial” kind of vibe, and the Neutrogena feels positively gentle in comparison! I actually think that it’s rubbish as a “wash” – Neutrogena should just market this as a mask and be done with it. As a wash, I can’t see how you get the benefits of the clay and the salicylic acid, and it’s a faff to rinse off if you’re just looking for a quick cleanse. As a clay-based mask, it’s great. It’s also only £3.50 at Boots.com, which makes it a total bargain.

Read more Deep Cleansing Mask reviews…

Sanctuary Spa 5 Minute Thermal Detox Mask is a newish discovery for me – I started to use it at the beginning of summer. It’s something of a revelation, for a clay treatment, because it’s bouncy and plump and almost gel-like in texture, never setting hard or completely drying. It warms up on contact with the skin, but never mind that – it’s the beautiful texture that does it for me! If you’re looking for a gentle deep cleanse that won’t dry out your skin, this is just gorgeous. Those who are spot-prone but don’t have particularly oily skin, this is a nice, inexpensive treat that’s non-aggressive and actually quite soothing, despite the scary name. £10.50 at Boots.com

Liz Earle Deep Cleansing Mask. This was one of the first product I tested when I started A Model Recommends, so it holds a special place in my beauty heart. I think that it smells like black olive tapenade, but it’s actually a clay mask with added manuka honey and propolis and rose-scented geranium. I get a distinct tingle with this one, and that’s with my AHA-hardened skin, so I’d personally go easy with it if I had sensitive skin, but it’s one of my favourite deep cleansing masks for PMT weeks and for when my skin is generally down in the dumps. It’s £14.50 from Liz Earle.

face masks for acne review

Have you tried any of the above? I’m about to give Lush’s Cosmetic Warrior mask a whirl this week, so I’ll let you know how I get on with that one, too. It smells rather strong, but I have it on good authority that it’s a nice little number. Any Cosmetic Warrior fans out there?

More skincare reviews….

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The Sunday Tittle Tattle: Book Fatigue and Inner Strength Candles

the goldfinch book recommendations

1) I must say that I am struggling slightly with The Goldfinch. It is taking a hell of a lot of time and effort to wade through it, and I’m starting to lose heart! I know that it’s probably sacrilege to say so, because this was “book of the century” or what have you, but I’m actually getting just a little bit bored! It’s beautifully written and the characters are superb, but there’s just not quite enough going on in the action department to hold my attention. Anyone else feeling that way with The Goldfinch? Who’s finished it and loved it? Give me some hope – I’m determined to get through to the end, but I need to know that it livens up a bit – I’m just over half way through at the moment….

aromatherapy associates inner strength candle

2) Currently burning away in my dining room; the Inner Strength candle from luxury beauty brand Aromatherapy Associates. I have always found the brand’s aromatherapy oils and unguents to be incredibly effective – the Deep Relax bath oil especially. These are clever blends that do what they say on the tin – revive, support, nourish, de-stress… Inner Strength has a beautiful combination of frankincense and cardamom to “uplift and inspire” and 10% of the proceeds go to the charity Defence Against Cancer. You can find it at Aromatherapy Associates.

mr bear

3) Pets. Mr Bear having a weekend snooze, above. Actually, who am I kidding? He’s like this most of the time! Below, Dexter the Cockapoo. Taken from a a bit of a weird angle… I must try harder with next week’s pet photos – maybe something Halloween themed?!

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Jo Malone Orris & Sandalwood Cologne Intense

jo malone orris and sandalwood cologne intense

Strange coincidences aplenty this week, one of them being that I needed an extra “something that smells of violets” for a post and along came – well – something that smells of violets. I have this odd habit, when it comes to compiling blog posts, that I can’t just ever think about a singular product; I have to find similar things, alternative versions, products that are (sometimes quite tenuously!) linked by virtue of scent, ingredients, effects or even the colour of the packaging. I think that this habit is an annoying hangover from my university days when I was continually encouraged to compare and contrast! Compare and contrast! 

So yes, I was looking for an extra “thing” that was violet-scented for a post – a post that will likely never see the light of day, because I’m quite useless like that, lots of thinking and not much doing* – and what popped through the letterbox? The new Orris & Sandalwood Cologne Intense from Jo Malone. A beast of a scent, if I may call it that, considering its floral nature. A beast because it’s a Cologne Intense and so has a bit more bravado and staying-power than the flimsier Colognes, which last all of about ten minutes on me. Give me the Intense any day of the week.

Orris & Sandalwood, then. A floral, but not as we know it. Sweet, sugary violets to start with (Parma Violets, yes please) and then the Orris, which I had never heard of before but is the root of the Iris plant. The “tasting notes” describe the Orris as having a “unique duality”: both “woody and powdery, floral and deep”. That just about sums up this fragrance nicely, for me; along with the Sandalwood, which I always find to be a beautifully soft and gentle kind of wood, reminiscent of long summer evenings somewhere hot, the Orris is just superbly sultry and come-hither. Warm and enveloping without being overpowering or “talcum-powdery” and then these gorgeous flashes of sweet violet spiking through when you least expect them to.

If you like your florals non-girly and warm then this, scent-hunters, is for you. The notes recommend to layer with Mimosa & Cardamom (didn’t like that one) and Dark Amber & Ginger Lily (I’m struggling with that at the moment after spending a year burning candles of the same scent – wearing the fragrance makes me feel odd) but I say it’s just perfect worn alone. It has enough heft to cut it as a winter perfume, but I imagine it will be equally as irresistible once the summer kicks in.

You can find the new Orris & Sandalwood Cologne Intense at Selfridges here – it’s £105 for 100ml.

Read more fragrance reviews here…

*by the way, just in case the aforementioned post never materialises and you’re a Violet-Lover, the other products were the Guerlain Meteorites Oxygen Care Moisturiser (20% off here with code ESCENTUAL20), the Alex Simone Violet & Blackberry Candle (here) and the Patisserie de Bain Sugared Violet Hand Cream, £3.99 here.

**the paper in the background of the photograph is Cole & Son Hicks Hexagon in Gold/Taupe, find it here.

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Treat Day, M&S and Sali Hughes in my Bathroom…

ruth crilly a model recommends

I “vlogged”. I really can’t stand writing – or saying -that word. I think I said on Twitter that “vlogging” sounds like a Klingon coughing up a lung. Anyway, until someone comes up with something better we’re stuck with it. Vlog. Rhymes with bog, frog and hog.  Nice.

In this random edition of video diary, Dexter the dog goes to the groomers, I go to M&S to look at the new Rosie makeup and end up buying pans, towels and baby clothes and I have a little treat day in town. And most importantly, I entertain Sali Hughes in my bathroom. By entertain, I don’t mean that I served canapés and champagne, we just had a bit of a laugh and a chat about beauty – the resulting videos will be up on her Youtube channel soon.

Watch previous vlogs…

It was quite a full week, really, and I must have exhausted myself because on Monday I fell ill. I’m in bed typing this – apologies to those who were waiting for the winners of the Alpha-H giveaway, I shall post them up either later on today or first thing tomorrow. For now, here’s the vid – apparently the musical interludes are rather loud, so don’t have a heart attack when the first one kicks in. I’ll try and do better with the next vlog edit…

Sali Hughes Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/salihugh…

M&S Baby: http://tidd.ly/81f671bd

M&S Towels: http://tidd.ly/5a013852

Rosie Cream Blush: http://tidd.ly/44e7877c

Wildfox Sweatshirt: http://tidd.ly/a2ab5963

Silken Favours: http://silkenfavours.bigcartel.com

Mark Hill Wicked Waver: http://tidd.ly/e0febdac

Colab Extreme Volume: http://tidd.ly/4b96aabe

L’Oreal Color Riche Nail Polish in Cafe de Nuit: http://tidd.ly/3d34b5e8

Anastasia Achilleos: https://twitter.com/Anastasiafacial

Abercrombie Jeans: http://tidd.ly/2580e302

Disclaimer: this post is not sponsored. Links may be affiliate links. All of the items in the video were purchased with my own money apart from the Wicked Waver, the L’Oreal nail polish and Isle of Roses hair oil which are press samples. I am a co-founder and spokesmodel for the Colab Dry Shampoo brand.

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Instant Skin Lift: Creme Puff in Seductive Pink

Max Factor Creme Puff Blush in Seductive Pink

There have been lots of comments about my blusher in the Empties video that I posted last week: it’s the Creme Puff Blush in Seductive Pink from Max Factor. Rather more pinkish than I would ever usually go, but I was filming one of my Beauty Recommended videos and this was one of the shades to experiment with.

ruth crilly a model recommends

I think that it gives a real lift to the skin, don’t you think? Good for tired days when bronzer just looks a bit flat and drab. Excuse the moody face in my photo – as usual, I forgot to take a proper picture and this is a still that I grabbed from the video. You’d think someone had kidnapped my hamster…

I swept Seductive Pink on to the apples of my cheeks using the Zoeva Luxe Face Definer Brush – just the tip of it, and very lightly, because it’s not really a blush brush, I just couldn’t find my Bobbi Brown one.

I find the Creme Puff blushers so easy to use – very natural and glowing. Each blush has a few slightly different shades swirled in, so you don’t just get one flat colour, it’s a wash of beautiful tones. I’ve reviewed the Creme Puff blushers before here, but as a quick reference, if you love the Hourglass powders then you’ll get on very well with Creme Puff. And they’re a fraction of the price.

You can find Creme Puff Blushers at Boots here – they’re £8.99 each. If you catch them on a 3-for-2 then my all-time favourite is Nude Mauve and I have a new crush on Alluring Rose, too.

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