L'Oreal pure clay anti-blemish mask (the blue one)

** On a personal note this week: My body image journey - body shaming (part 1)

Are masks even a thing now? I have a feeling they had a big popularity boost a while back and then sheet masks came in and the original masks fell into the shadow. I could be wrong. But at the time they were really popular, I bought them all and now I have few of them to review.

Although there are a lot of these masks out there, L'Oreal's are the ones everybody went nuts for. Naturally, so did I. I already reviewed some of them: Review: L'Oreal Pure clay exfo mask (the red one) and Review: L'Oreal Pure clay purify mask (green one). I've also collected some of the scrubs by L'Oreal and you can read some reviews too: L'Oreal Smooth sugars clear scrub (kiwi) and L'Oreal Smooth sugars glow scrub (grapes). Now on to the newest in my collection...

Pure clay anti-blemish mask. Reduces blackheads and the visibility of pores. For oilier skin. With 3 pure clays + marine algae. Cleanses skin making it prettier, without drying it out. Suitable for all skin types.

Immediately: Skin looks cleaner and fresher, oily glow is reduced.

After one week: Pores are less visible and appear open.

After more uses: Blackheads are less visible, skin is noticeably transformed.

All the claims are pretty standard and expected. Of course, if all of these were true, I think we would have the best mask ever.

Packaging and consistency: Like every other L'Oreal mask or scrub, this is in a glass container of 50 ml with 12 months expiration date. They say it's for 10 uses. This is the only mask with a green lid, while all the others have a white lid. It also has one more lid inside so you're sure your mask won't get all over the place when you open it.

How to use: Twice a week apply a thin layer on the clean skin over the entire face. Leave to dry 5 to 10 minutes and then remove with damp towel or lukewarm water. Avoid areas around the eyes and mouth.

First impressions, thoughts and results: Out of all the masks, this one is my favorite regarding the texture and consistency. It's honestly so nice to apply it. It goes on very smooth, you don't need a lot of product and it's smells quite nice. It actually smells like men aftershave which I like. It dries pretty fast and it's not uncomfortable when it dries down. It is also easily removed with water and massaging it. I did notice that my face is a lot smoother afterwards, but I've never used it for a longer time to notice any major differences. It definitely cleanses a bit and smoothens skin. Also, my skin is stripped of oily layer, but does not in any way feel dry which is a huge plus for me.

Verdict? I would recommend it. Red mask is still my favorite, but this one is very good for getting rid of oils without having dry skin. As I mentioned, I never used it few times in a row to know long term results.

Are you still using face masks like this? Which one is your favorite?