Older Girl Beauty » mask

Actifirm and Bliss masks aren’t for Halloween

Paula — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 15:30:53 +0000

I love a good mask, or a masque – even a sheet mask, but not so much an “Eyes Wide Shut” kind of mask. Luckily, there are so many masks out there that so many different things, I can find one that does what I want, when I want.

One of the latest ones I’ve tried is the Actifirm® ActiLift™ Firming Mask (currently $49.30USD/4oz). When they say firming, they mean it. As you can see, it comes out as a green gel, thanks to the main ingredient of Aloe Leaf Juice. It spreads on easy enough, but, man, this is the only gel based mask I have ever had that dried and cracked on me, it was *that* tightening. It didn’t hurt, was just surprisingly tight. After I used warm water to rub it off, my skin was smooth and taut. I would definitely say this would be a good mask to use when you have a big night out planned. But, I would def suggest you do it a few hours before you leave, so that any redness you may experience can reduce. After that, you are good to go!

The other mask I tried allowed me to be a pretend mad scientist my mixing my own bliss fabulous skin-reviving rubberizing mask ($38USD/6pk .5oz) like they do at the bliss spas. The 6-pack box comes with individual packets chock full of seaweed and antioxidants like Bilberry + vitamin C, individual spatulas (*which I didn’t see – oops!) and a scoop for water. Just mix one packet with one scoop-full of water until the powder is all moistened, then spread all over your face – there was enough for me to spread it on thick, but be careful of big drips until it starts to set. Then, after 15-20min, or so, it should be set enough for you to peel off and throw away – do *NOT* rinse down a sink.

Now, I don’t know if I didn’t apply it good enough in some areas, or if I didn’t let it dry long enough, but I had some areas that dried up white & never rubberized. Those areas came off with a little bit of water, so it wasn’t a big deal, and the rubberizing effect was not tightening to me. Afterwards, my skin felt soft and bright, which is exactly what this mask is good for – giving your skin a boost when it is dull and in need of brightening.

Have you tried either of these masks? Do you have a favorite go-to mask or do you have a variety for different needs? Or are you one that doesn’t bother with a mask any time?

*Disclaimer: I received these products from their PR for editorial consideration.

Triple shot of oxygen bliss!

Paula — Tue, 03 May 2011 17:13:00 +0000

Ever have a time where your face just feel dull, maybe acting up a bit, just kind of out of sorts, but not really with a specific cause? I had one of those a couple of weeks ago. I just couldn’t figure out what was wrong, I just knew it felt kind of lifeless. Luckily, right around that time I had a chance to try several items from the bliss line of products & decided to give myself an at-home version of their famous triple oxygen facials to see if that would help anything.

The products I used were the bliss triple oxygen™ instant energizing mask ($52), the bliss triple oxygen instant energizing eye mask ($54) and the bliss triple oxygen™ + C energizing cream ($54).

The oxygen mask bubbles up (*and it tickles!) and after the bubbles die down, about 5min later, you just rinse it off. After that, my skin seemed brighter, a little tingly, but not tighter. I’ve used this a couple of times a week since then for a nice boost on blah days.

I then went to use the eye masks, which come in packaging that you squeeze the liquid into the sealed section of the eye pads so this “allows their active ingredients to remain in their purest form, so they have maximum potency when placed on your peepers”. I’ll tell you – this wasn’t my favorite part. I may have been too rough on the pads, as they seems to tear apart easily after being soaked, when I was trying to separate the two pads for application, so they went on kinda funky, and not one sleek pad under each eye. Also, I don’t know if my face was too sensitive from the oxygen mask, but my upper cheeks/under eye area became irritated and stingy after just a few minutes of being on (*they are supposed to be left on for at least 15min). You may not have this reaction at all, but personally, I think I will only use these on their own to combat a bout of puffiness and not in a full facial session again.

I will say that when I used the energizing cream afterwards, it helped soothe the tingling and felt nice after drydown. I was concerned that the “energizing” feel of it might be too much, but there wasn’t any of the sort with this. It felt gentle going on and absorbed quickly. It didn’t leave a film to give it a “brightening” look to it, but my face did indeed look brighter then when I started. I use this in the mornings on days when I may not have slept so well, or was up too late and needed a quick boost to look fresher for the day.

You can pick any of these up individually, but you can get the bliss triple oxygen trio over on QVC for $99 (plus s&H) right now, which would be less than just the mask and cream & get to try the eye masks out for yourself for free.

Have any of you tried any of these triple oxygen products, or even any bliss products? I would love to know if you have, and what you thought.

*Disclaimer: I received these products from their PR for editorial consideration.

Holy crap, it’s hot.

Paula — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 13:18:00 +0000

I am not even playing. These triple digit temps here in Oklahoma have been miserable. (*what did I say the other day? 104 should only be the answer to what is 52 + 52.) Granted, while it’s a chilly 94 today, I *know* that the triple digits will be back. It’s Oklahoma. It’s what we do. But, since I have lived here my whole life, I’ve picked up a few ways to beat the heat at the end of the day. And, while the products may change, the thought remains the same.

I have an extra fridge out in the garage, and I have a shelf in the door that I keep a bunch of beauty products that feel oh so good when put on cold.

The things I have in there currently range from toner, to masks, to masque, lotions, sprit and scent:

In addition I have a couple of other items that doesn’t go in the fridge, but are still important for summer use:

I’ll let you know in the next few posts why I like this stuff enough to give it shelf space in the fridge.