Don't stop me now... I'm having such a good time (Lush Catastrophe Cosmetic)

Name: Delicate_Orchid1

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Product:	Lush Catastrophe Cosmetic
Date:	19.04.06 (401 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: smells lovely, makes your skin feel lovely, refreshes

Disadvantages: none

A few months ago, when working 70-80 hours a week, I found my skin going on strike. Suddenly it became dry in parts, oily in others and spotty all around. I had no idea what to do with that type of skin - moisturisers would make some parts worse, acne medicine would make other parts worse. It was then that I ventured into Lush to purchase the infamous "Cupcake" facial mask. To my disappointment, the facial mask was not available - but the salesperson pointed me towards the fridge in the corner and took out a pot of "Catastrophe" facial mask.


***Catastrophe***

Like all Lush freshly made facial masks, Catastrophe comes in a small plastic pot and contains about 100 g of product. Catastrophe is a blueberry facial mask, which is supposed to prevent disasters to your skin and assist your skin when it is in a crisis. The blueberries apparently contain vitamins and antioxidants that are nourishing and detoxifying to your skin and assist to either bring it back into a balanced state.

When I looked at the contents of my pot, it kind of looked like a pot of purple blueberry yoguhrt with real blueberry skins in the mix. The smell was absolutely intoxicating - a lovely blueberry scent, mixed with milder scents of rose, almond, talc and earth.

The mask is supposed to be applied to clean skin, avoiding the eye area. Once on the skin, you can leave it on for five to ten minutes before rinsing it off with warm water.

Like other Lush facial masks, Catastrophe has to be kept in the fridge after purchase, to keep the natural ingredients fresh. The facial masks have a limited life span - usually they have to be used within 2-3 weeks of purchase. Make sure to check the label for the expiry date.


***My experience***

I cleansed my skin with Clearasil facial wash before applying the mask to my skin. I then put my finger into the pot and took out some of the substance. It felt very cool and fresh on my fingers and a little chalky.

The mask spread across my face very easily, smoothly and evenly. I felt like I did not have to apply very much - a thin purple layer of substance did the trick. As soon as it hit my skin, I felt the cooling, refreshing sensation. It was absolutely amazing - almost like an air conditioner had been applied to my face. The cooling sensation remained, even as the minutes ticked away and the mask hardened on my face. The lovely smell of blueberries, roses and talc pleasured my nose through the entire process.

I decided to leave the mask on for ten minutes. At this stage, half of the mask, in the thinner application areas, had hardened and dried completely. Around the nose area, where the mask was a bit thicker in application, the mask was still slightly moist.

Removing the mask was not difficult, a little bit of warm water did the trick. In some areas, which are harder to reach, I followed up with a moist cotton pad, just to ensure that the entire mask was removed from my skin.

Unlike the Cupcake mask, which I tried at a later date, Catastrophe produces little or no mess in the bathroom. As most of the mask quickly disappears down the sink, it does not really become necessary to rub big chunks off your face with a towel.

After I removed the Catastrophe mask, I felt like a new person. My skin was rejuvenated and refreshed and felt much smoother and cleaner. It had a slightly chalky feeling to it and a slight drying effect - so I might not recommend it to those who have consistently dry skin.

One application of the mask was not enough to sort out its appalling condition at the time. I actually followed up every third day until the pot was gone, at which stage I was completely happy with my skin again.

One pot with 100 grams of product, will set you back £6.95, which is slightly expensive. You will get at least four applications out of each pot. On one occasion I actually got six or seven applications, but on average, I would say that you will get five applications from the pot.


***The verdict***

I really love this facial mask and would love to use it more often than I do, however, the steep price tag deters me from having a constant supply of the product in my refrigerator. Applying any facial mask is slightly time-consuming, and when I am working late, I often forget about it. This led to me forgetting about a pot in the fridge on one occasion and wasting at least one treatment of the pot, as the mask reached its expiry date before I thought of it again. And believe me, after the expiry day it was just a dry and unpleasant mass of stuff that I did not want to smear on my face.

This facial mask is an ideal pampering treat. You don't need to have a skin problem to use it, but when you are down and depressed and want a bit of a mood lifter, this facial mask will truly help making you feel better. One of my favourite things is to take a long shower and wash my hair, get into my pyjamas and then put on the mask. After I remove the mask I have a nice cup of hot chocolate or herbal tea and head straight to bed. A sure way to make me feel rejuvenated in the morning.

Summary: Possibly the best facial mask on the planet.