It's Not Cheap Being Green: Lush's Mask of Magnaminty

Rusty

You ever have those products that you put down for months or even a year at a time and then when you get some again and you use it and think “Oh my god, why the hell haven’t I been keeping up with this all along?!? This is great!” Probably not, because it doesn’t make a damn bit of sense. But I do, and one of the products that I’ll inadvertently abandon and then come back to is Lush’s Mask of Magnaminty face mask.

I’ve used this mask on freshly washed skin and over 24 hours since I last washed my face. I’ve used it in summer and winter, and everything in between. I get the same results every time and this is one of the few skin care products I can say that about given the way season changes affect my skin.

The mask is very thick so it takes a little work to spread on, and the green color and chunky texture (ground adzuki beans for exfoliation) will make you look like the Wicked Witch with a case of the mumps. Ailing Elphaba appearance aside though, this mask will make its power felt almost immediately; as soon as it begins to dry on your face it feels like your skin is getting tighter and that the clay in the mask is sucking dirt and oil off your skin. Also, it smells super minty, which can help you feel a little more awake and alert.

After about 15 minutes, the mask will have set and you can wash it off with warm water. I try to do mine when I’m getting ready to shower anyway, but you can wash it off in the sink as well. It works best if you can wet your face all over and then massage the mask off so that the ground up beans scrub off any remaining dead skin. After I use the mask, my face feels clean, tight, and cool thanks to the mint in the mask.

The downside is, like many Lush products, the price. It’s definitely steep compared to drug store beauty products and unlike those products the ones Lush makes have a “best by” date that’s pretty serious. Their use of minimal preservatives and natural ingredients means that their products do lose effectiveness as they age. The price is the biggest reason I’ll go without this for long periods of time, and the only reason I have it now is because I got it as a gift for Christmas.

I love this product and will give it a 7 out of 8 with one tentacle deducted only for the price. If I could afford to use this every week, I totally would and my face would be much happier for it.

Rating: 7/8 tentacles