LUSH Mask of Magnaminty Review

          A couple weeks ago I was examining my pores (glamorous, I know), when a thought popped into my mind: "I need a mud mask!"For a few years I had completely forgotten about mud masks. I remember throwing out the dried and cracked remains of my last tub of Bath and Body Works Neem mask when I moved. I simply forgot to replace it. In the meantime, I exfoliated and peeled the heck out of my face in my attempts to clear my skin. While these techniques are wonderful at improving skin, they do not perform the same function as a mud mask. Nothing clears out pores like mud.

          I am a LUSH fanatic, so I decided the first mask I would try was  LUSH Mask of Magnaminty. I promptly went to the store and bought the biggest tub I could get my hands on. LUSH has a range of facemasks, however Mask of Magnaminty is the only one containing clay. The mask has an expiration date 4 months after it was made. This means by the time you buy it in-store, it expires in 3-4 months. LUSH products often come with expiration dates since they contain numerous "fresh" ingredients. This time frame didn't deter me, since I plan on using it at least twice a week. I figured I could also use it on Mr. Lovey once in a while. Guys need to have good skin too! Currently I store mine in the fridge. The cold temperature will slow down deterioration and make it last a bit longer.

          LUSH Mask of Magnaminty is a mud mask that's enhanced by the addition of mint and aduki beans. The mint gives a really refreshing feel to the mask. However, I am a person who loves the smell and taste of mint. If mint isn't your thing, you may not like this.  The coarsely crushed aduki beans serve to lightly exfoliate your face when you wash the mask off. The beans are quite large, so the exfoliation is not comparable to the type you'd get from smaller particles like salt. At first I didn't like the feeling of the beans and would wash them off instead of attempting to exfoliate. Later, when I got used to them, I began to enjoy them more. The effect is somewhat like a massage. There are other ingredients such as honey and essential oils which are soothing to the skin. You can see a complete list of ingredients in my photo below.

          Some of you might remember that I have skin that is sensitive to a range of cosmetics. I'm pleased to report that this mask is actually quite calming for my skin. My face feels really soft and looks beautiful after use. In addition to routine use, I have also used this when I have a bad skin day. For example, last week I tried NARS Oil-Free primer and found it didn't agree with my skin. After removing my makeup, I applied Mask of Magnaminty to calm the skin and potentially remove any traces of irritants that were left. LUSH also likes to promote the idea that Mask of Magnaminty is great for hangovers. I can't personally attest to this idea though!

Ingredients found in LUSH mask of magnaminty

Note: The mint sprig is purely a serving suggestion. It doesn't come with the tub!

          The texture of Mask of Magnaminty is soft and paste-like. You can see the chunks of aduki beans in the photo below. The mask consistency and addition of beans causes the mask to apply as a relatively thin layer. I prefer a thicker layer on some parts of my face, so I simply build it up in those areas. If a mask is too thin, it might not have enough pulling power to clean out some of the more difficult pores.

          I hope you enjoyed my review of LUSH Mask of Magnaminty. I love the refreshing feel and soothing ingredients, as well as what it does for my skin. It's something I forsee purchasing again. Do you have any favorite masks? I'm relatively inexperienced in the mask-world and could always use suggestions!

Love, Dovey.