Andddd I’m back! Sorry again for the slight hiatus – I zipped off to Bangkok (BKK) for a short jaunt with the gal pals over Christmas. Now any worthy shopaholic will know that BKK is a crazy paradise for restocking the entire year’s worth of accessories, clothes and even undergarments (yes, that’s right, pantieeeees galore baybeh! It was only 3 for Bt100 (SGD$4), and good material seamless ones too!).
BKK is also well-known for its congested traffic, which results in lots of exhaust and fumes and somewhat-dirty air. Add that together with the stress of running through alllll the stores in Platinum Mall / MBK (why you close so early at 7pm?!), my face went ballistic.
But fear not – this time I was well prepared. I went equipped with GlamGlow SuperMud Clearing Treatment (the one in a white packaging – it’s perfect for spot treatment and stopping those budding mountains of unburstable pimples in their tracks), as well as this mask to help remove all dirt and grime at the end of a long shopping day.
Sulwhasoo Skin Clarifying Mask / Sulwhasoo Clarifying Mask
If you scrutinise the photo on the right clearly (the close-up) you can see the portion that’s marked “before mask” has a slight sheen over it (I’m guessing a combination of dirt, grime, oil and a whole cocktail of grossness). The portion that’s marked “after mask” looks distinctly cleaner and softer.
I say…
- The Packaging: I’m nonplussed about this – it’s a large squeezy tube (similar to that of the Overnight Revitalising Treatment) which makes it easy for product dispensing. I prefer to pack this with its box when I go overseas, cos it can can accidentally squashed (and lead to some product leakage in cases of high pressure)).
- The Scent: I love the scent – it’s a nice herbal scent – but not much ginseng this time round – it’s more of a pleasant non-acrid type of herbal scent.
- The Texture: As you can see, when dispensed from the tube, it’s a thick gooey honey-like consistency. There are some specks in it (which I take to be herbs of sorts), but you can barely feel the little specks. The overall texture is really smooth and non-abrasive to the skin. Because of its thick texture, you’ll need to spend some time to apply it to your face – a small blob only covers a small area at one time.
- The Sensation: When the mask is on your face, you’ll feel a very very veryyyy slight tingling sensation – if it wasn’t for the purposes of a review, I probably wouldn’t have noticed it. When it dries, your skin will feel a little tighter (which is natural, since the mask has “pulled” in the surface of the skin).
- The Removal: To be honest, this is totally the fun part. I mean, all you have to do is to lift the edges with your nails to test if it’s dry, and then it’s peel, peel, peel. What’s more, if everything is completely dry, it will come off in one big clean piece. Sometimes, I’ll apply it on the decolletage too. Note that you will not have the same effects as the Biore Pore Packs (no visible blackheads or stuff clinging on to the remnant mask).
- The Aftermath: Cleaner, smoother and softer skin. And visibly more radiant and fairer too (because of the removal of dirt).
Overall: I. Love. This. It’s a wonderful, non-abrasive and gentler method of removing surface dirt and clarifying the skin. Since it’s so herbal in nature, it’s also perfect for when the skin is feeling more irritated and sensitive.
