Review: Lush Catastrophe Cosmetic Fresh Face Mask

A couple weeks ago I picked up the Catastrophe Cosmetic Fresh Face Mask from Lush.  Up until now the only face mask that I've tried from Lush was Cupcake and it never really stood out to me as anything special.  However, after using Catastrophe Cosmetic I think I'll be going back to get another one, this mask has been great for my oily skin.

Lush Fresh Face Masks come in 60g tubs and are usually good for 3-5 uses depending on how heavily or how lightly you apply them.  The main selling point of these mask is that they are fresh, meaning no preservatives.  This also means that these masks need to be refrigerated and used up within 7-10 days.

Another nice thing about Lush masks is that if you bring in 5 empty tubs (and they can also be from other products that Lush sells in tubs, not just masks) you can get a free face mask.  I've just reached 5 tubs with this most recent purchase and I'm still torn between getting another Catastrophe Cosmetic or trying out a different face mask.

Here is the description for the the Catastrophe Cosmetic Fresh Face Mask from the Lush website (well, the UK one since Fresh Face Masks aren't listed on the Canadian one):

Fresh blueberries are rich in beneficial antioxidants, vitamins and minerals to reduce inflammation and act as a mild antiseptic. Soothing chamomile, Irish moss and almond oil work with the gentle cleansing action of calamine to save your skin. Apply to clean skin, avoiding the eye area. Leave for five to ten minutes, then rinse away.

When I first used the mask I found that it had settled and separated a little, leaving a watery layer on top, however, with a little mixing and I was good to go for my first use.  I did find the mask a quite messy to apply because there are little chunks of blueberry skin mixed into the mask that fell out as I applied the mask to my face.  These little pieces also fell out during the 10-15 minutes that I had the mask on and it was drying down, leaving little bits of blueberry on my shirt.  This did not bother me too much since I was applying the mask at night before going to bed, however it is still something to keep in mind.

As the mask dried I found that it felt a little lighter than a clay mask, it started getting a little tight and started to crackle but it was not nearly as tight as some clay masks that I've tried.

When it came time to rinse the mask off I found that my skin was very matte afterwards.  If you have ever used milk of magnesia as a primer/oil control (this was all the rage among bloggers and forums when I first started getting into makeup a few years ago) then you'll have an idea of what your skin would feel like after rinsing this mask off.  It did feel like there was still something on my face after rinsing the mask off but I did not find the this feeling to be uncomfortable.  However, the real test came the next morning when I found that my normally oil slicked face did not have the usual shininess, it looked like I had normal skin.  This mask helped to control the oil production on my face for about 2-3 days following each use.  I was wonderfully surprised.

Overall, I was extremely happy with this mask, the oil controlling power of this mask and the fact that I could still see the results days later gives it an A in my book.