Review: Balea Purifying Face Mask in Cucumber Melon

I don't often pamper myself with store bought products. If I want a mask or body scrub or bath melts I tend to try and find a way to make them myself. Sometimes, though, it is really hard to resist those little face mask packages when I walk by them in the drug store. Occasionally I end up buying a handful to keep in my bathroom for days when I'm feeling like having a lazy pampering. They all cost about $2-$3 so why not?

Tonight, I decided, was going to be one of those nights, so I pulled this Balea purifying face mask out. This one is the cucumber melon variety. The package says it is paraben free, hypoallergenic and dermatologist tested. It says it is supposed to remove dirt and oil and leave your skin feeling refreshed and invigorated. It is kaolin clay based with cucumber and melon extracts.

To use it you are supposed to apply it with your fingers and then let it sit for 10-15 minutes before washing it off. I like to squirt the package into a little bowl or container first, so that I don't get it everywhere while trying to apply it (which normally happens anyways). When I squeezed it out it was a light blue colour. This is what it looked like:

It was extremely cold to slather on my face, and it did nothing but get colder. The smell was also kind of strong at first. It had hints of the melon and cucumber, but there was a stronger more menthol sort of scent over top of it. Here is my lovely masked face:

After a couple of minutes my face started tingling all over. It was actually almost too cold to the point of hurting, but not quite, so I pushed through and left it on for the full recommended time. Washing it off in the shower was a bit of a challenge, I would suggest using a face cloth to get the bulk of it off first. I wish I had thought of that before I spent 4 minutes scrubbing at my face with my eyes shut!

In the end my skin did feel nice and softer than usual. I like the way it made my skin feel but I was not a huge fan of how icy cold it got or the smell really. This was fun to try and very inexpensive, but with so many other options to choose from, I doubt I will buy this kind again.