Review: Boots No7 Intensive Moisture Face Mask

A couple weeks ago I was on the hunt for a good moisturizing mask, so I picked up the Boots No7 Intensive Moisture Face Mask at Target for $19.99.

Here's what Boots has to say about the product:

An intensively quenching treat for softer, smoother skin. With caring vitamins A, C and E, plus invigorating apple extract to brighten your skin. This deliciously soft, lightly whipped gel-cream will leave your skin feeling softer, plumper and looking more youthful.
Created with Care. We've created this hypo-allergenic product using only ingredients we know and trust. It has been tried and tested by guests with even the most sensitive skin, so you'll know it will be good to yours. Dermatologically tested.

How to Use
Support a good cleansing regime by applying to cleansed and toned skin once or twice a week. Massage gently onto your face and neck avoiding the eye area. Relax for 5 minutes, wipe off and rinse away. For a more intense treat, leave on for up to 10 minutes, or apply a thin layer before bedtime and wake to really refreshed and hydrated skin.

It doesn't take much product to get coverage, so this bottle would last for a good bit of time.

So like I said, I was looking for moisture from this mask.  I wasn't looking for exfoliation or deep cleansing or anything.  I wanted moisture.

Did I get moisture?

No. It burned.  A lot.

I wish I really had more to say about this product, but that is really the takeaway for me.  This irritated the crap out of my face.  I did try it 3 separate times over several weeks under different conditions to see if it was something I was doing that was causing the adverse reaction, but couldn't find any application of this product that did not just completely irritate my skin.

I do understand that some masks will be more irritating than others, but I was specifically looking for something that was just really hydrating and I did not get hydration out of this.  The irritation lasted for probably 10 hours before my skin finally calmed down again.  And then when it did calm down, no hydration.

For the record, since the bottle says that you can apply a light layer and leave it on overnight, I decided to try it on the backs of my hands and the bottoms of my feet.  It did absolutely nothing.  This product is a total fail for me.

The container has 3.33 fl. oz.

Overall:  0/10

Review: NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer

At the end of February, I picked up a sample of the NARS Pure Radiance Tinted Moisturizer in Finland (the color, not the country) at the NARS counter of my local Nordstrom (before it was in wide release).  I did a first impressions post here.  I loved the product, but $42 for something labeled a tinted moisturizer is pretty steep in my book, so I held off ... for a while.

Mid-March I went ahead and picked up a full size tube, again in Finland, the lightest shade.  Unlike a lot of tinted moisturizer lines which offer a very limited color range, the NARS line has a whopping 9 shades.  

NARS says that Finland is "Lightest with a neutral balance of pink and yellow undertones".  You can judge for yourself from the swatch below.  I don't think it's neutral.  I think it's yellow.  But sheered out, it looks fine on my pinky skin.

I was surprised by the fact that this tinted moisturizer actually moisturizes.  I've tried several that were just runny foundations.  But this formula is very hydrating on my skin.  It contains SPF 30, which I love.  I really try to wear at least SPF 50 on my face though, so I usually go ahead and apply my regular sunscreen under the tinted moisturizer.  It isn't ideal, but it works.

So I know this is called a tinted moisturizer.  I think that name is incredibly misleading, but in a good way.  The amount of coverage that I get from this tinted product far exceeds the coverage I get from some of my foundations.

I still get a little oily in the T-zone with this product, but nothing bad and certainly no worse than I get from my regular foundations sans primer.  I don't wear this every day, probably more like every other day.  According to NARS, this product is supposed to "reduce the appearance of hyperpigmentation and dark spots for a brighter natural glow."  I will say that I have noticed some of my hyperpigmentation improving.  I can't say for sure that it's because of this product, but it's possible.

I feel like I'm pussyfooting around the issue, so maybe I should just come out and say it.  THIS STUFF IS MAGIC.  Ahem.  I feel better now.  

The only downside is that it has a fairly magical pricetag as well, $42 for 1.9oz.  Compare that to NARS Sheer Glow foundation which is also $42 but for only 1oz of product and I guess it's not so bad.  The Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer is also $42, but for only 1.5oz of product.  Gah, I don't know.  I still feel like $42 for something called a tinted moisturizer is insane.  But at the end of the day, I do love this stuff.  And I do feel like even at this price point, it delivers.

Overall:  9/10