skin care week: generation clay + purlisse face masks (review)

Samples are a girl's best friend. Especially skin care samples! It is a wonderful way to test out different items and determine which ones are worth purchasing. More recently, the two samples (shown above) have been put to the test. One is from Generation Clay and the other is from Purlisse. Neither are brands that I have tried in the past...so it was extra exciting to see how these brands would perform. Ready to find out how they did? Keep reading for all of the details. 

Generation Clay Ultra Violet Brightening Purple Clay Mask: Wow. And I don't mean that in a good way. Honestly, I was very excited to try out this clay mask. First of all, the packaging was sleek, simple, and colourful. I also loved the idea of a purple face mask. Unfortunately, this is easily the worst skin care product I have ever put on my face. The Generation Clay Ultra Violet Brightening Purple Clay Mask claims to nourish, brighten, refine and add radiance to the skin. Uhhh...not so much. Not only did the mask do none of those things but it failed in many other areas as well. The mask was not so much purple as a purple-toned grey. The mask made my skin feel uncomfortably tight even after I removed the product. Oh, and it was quite difficult to remove. And the smell. I can't quite find words to describe how putrid the smell of this clay mask is. It smells like flowers that were left to rot and mold in a vase for a year and a half. The worst part? Even after removing the mask and washing my face with other products, the smell remained. It didn't fade for literally an entire day, no matter what I did. The scent is just sickening. Needless to say, I tossed this mask into the trash where it belongs. I would not recommend this at all.

Rating: 0 / 5

Purlisse Matcha Green Tea + Lemon Detoxifying Charcoal Mask: Next up was a mask from Purlisse. Right off the bat, this one is superior to the Generation Clay mask. The smell is bright, fresh, and clean. The lemon comes through in a pleasant way. Not too overwhelming but still noticeable. This particular mask claims to gently detoxify, clarify, brighten, exfoliate and purify. It contains green tea, lemon, vitamin c, and white tea. How did it work? Not badly. The clay has a rough texture, which helps to exfoliate, but can be a little too abrasive for sensitive skin. My skin was quite red and irritated immediately afterwards... but it didn't take too long to return to normal. (Maybe 20 minutes.) After that, my skin felt much tighter and smoother. I do think this lived up to the product claims for the most part. The results were decent but I think this is a bit too rough to use regularly. At least it would be for my skin! 

Rating: 3.5 / 5

On another note! This is the last skin care week post here on the creation of beauty is art. It has certainly been a lot of fun reviewing a few of the recent skin care products in my routine. Some have been better than others....but they have all been beneficial. At least my New Year's Resolution to take better care of my skin is off to a good start. 

Have you tried either of these masks? What did you think of them?