I first heard about GLAMGLOW’s Youthmud Tinglexfoliate Treatment on YouTube where it was highly recommended by British YouTuber Fleur de Force. At that time, I don’t think this was available in Australia yet so I didn’t think about hunting for the facial mask here. I stumbled upon jars of it at Sephora in Rome and I thought it was a good opportunity to see what the hype is all about.

Fleur did mention on several occasions that this mask isn’t a cheap one to begin with and yep, I agree with her on that one.

So, how did the mask go? Was my face all glam-ed out? Read on to find out. 😉

Description:
Designed as a 10-minute professional ‘facial in a jar’ for behind-the-scenes use in Hollywood’s Entertainment, Music, Fashion & Award industries, for immediate camera- ready glowing skin. GLAMGLOW’s mud base is from the South of France Mediterranean Sea, home to glamorous Cannes, St. Tropez & Monaco. GLAMGLOW’s moisturizing collagen synthesis is for both men & women. Use a couple of times a week or simply when you need GLAM-tastic™ skin. To use, apply a thin layer to clean face. Expect a Tingle-tastic tightening effect in 10 mins or less, remove mask with water in circular motions to exfoliate. Use twice a week or as often as desired.

It’s very gritty in texture. It also looks like mud in a tub. There are black bits in the clay, which I’m not sure what they are (I’m guessing they’re bits of green tea leaves?). It’s recommended that you run your finger on the clay and give it a bit of a swirl to break up the clay and smooth it before applying on the skin or else it will be too stiff and difficult to spread out. You also have to be quick with the application; the clay dries very quickly when applied on the skin so work the product quickly before you’re stuck with a lump of mud on your face. 😛

As for the scent, it has a mixture of a floral and green tea fragrance. I couldn’t test this product out prior to purchase so I was pretty much going in for it blind. When I unscrewed the cap, I was hit with quite a strong fragrance. It doesn’t bother me much but I’ll admit that sometimes, it can get a bit cloying.

One thing I have to note though is that this mask stings the skin. It starts off quite tingly and then it picks up, especially when the clay hardens. It’s not something I can’t handle but I really wouldn’t recommend this on sensitive skin because it will sting the bejeezus out of you. Oh yeah, it’s “tingle-tastic” all right. Only very little product is needed per application and I only use this once a week, not twice as recommended as I found the mask pretty strong on the skin.

Having said all that, the results on the skin are good. It gets a good deep cleansing and scrubbing (given that the clay is so gritty) and when the mask is removed, you’re left with very smooth and bright skin. I did get red patches around my nose the first few times I used this but after that, it was back to normal.

A problem that I have with the mask is that it’s a pain in the arse to remove. As the clay itself is so gritty, I wasn’t keen on using a face wash cloth to remove the mask as it might be too harsh on the skin (talk about double exfoliation). What I prefer to do is use The Body Shop’s Luxury Face Chamois (great product; remind me to do a review of this soon) to gently remove the product. The thing is, it’s too gentle and the clay wouldn’t bloody come off! I end up using a lot of water and wipes of the cloth to fully remove it. Those black bits sure stick on your skin like glue because those are the ones that end up becoming the most difficult to remove.

So, after yammering on and on about the GlamGlow mask, what’s the verdict? Well, it’s a good mask for sure but it’s not a great one. Your skin will have to be quite tough to be able to take this mask because again, it’s pretty strong. Mine’s like tough old boots so I’m good. 😛 There are equally, if not better, clay masks out there e.g. APIVITA’s Express Beauty Pink/Green Clay Mask, Jurlique’s Purifying Mask, Endota Spa’s Glycolic Polishing Mask and so on. I just don’t think it’s worth the hefty price tag.

GLAMGLOW’s Tinglexfoliate Treatment retails at AU$75.00 for 50g and is available at Mecca Cosmetica. I got mine in Sephora, Rome for €49,90 and it’s sold in Sephora US for US$69.00. How awesome is it that the price difference is now no longer that big? 🙂

What I like about it: Leaves the skin looking bright and feeling very smooth.

What I do not like about it: Stings the skin, difficult to remove, pricey for a clay mask.

Are you a fan of clay masks? If you are, what’s your favourite?