Skincare review - GLAMGLOW YOUTHMUD mask

I treated myself to an advent present in November, in the form of a beauty advent calendar that contained about £250 of products for a bargainous £50. One of the first products to catch my eye was GLAMGLOW's YOUTHMUD mask, a mask that constantly pops up when I'm searching for new mud masks, but I've never gone ahead and purchased - so you can imagine my joy when I got a 15g sample in my advent calendar. I love treating myself to a face mask, and mud masks are highly recommended to absorb oil and calm and balance blemish-prone skin like mine, so I'm always looking for new ones - and this one promised a lot. More on that later.

First things first, on trying the product out, my initial reaction was confusion - as I was trying to squeeze the product out of the tube, it was getting all clogged up with only the tiniest bit of product coming out. I couldn't work out why, until a firmer squeeze sent a long black strand of tea leaf out. I don't know enough about the "science" of the product to know if having these large pieces of tea leaf left in the product is actually beneficial, or just for show. I imagine all the goodness has been extracted from the leaves by the time the mask is packaged and they're just left in for aesthetic purposes. Personally, I find the large pieces annoying, as they clog up the hole in the tube, and fall off my face when I apply the mask.

Ignoring the oversized tea leaves, the mask does go on really nicely - a thin layer is all that's needed. As an exfoliating mask, there are also exfoliating beads in the formulation. Usually I prefer to exfoliate with acids than scrubs, but the beads in this mask are tiny, much finer than any of the facial scrubs I've used previously, so while I'm no expert, they don't feel scratchy or potentially damaging.

The official marketing promises A LOT:

There's nothing GLAMGLOW doesn't do - feel the tingle as it works its magic on your skin:
> Skin Collagen Synthesis for a noticeable 3 day glow.
> Brighter, radiant skin in minutes.
> Leaves skin noticeably soft and smooth.
> Multi-level resurfacing exfoliation.
> Penetrates into the deepest layers of the skin to soften fine lines and wrinkles.
> Tightens, tones and lifts the skin.
> Relieves dark circles and minimises pores.
> Absorbs impurities without removing natural oils.
> Helps protect against everyday environmental aggressors.
> Suitable for all skin types, all ages and for both women and men.
> Contains no artificial colours or fragrances.
> 99% paraben-free, cruelty-free, and suitable for vegans.

I wouldn't say I noticed a glow lasting 3 days, and I can't speak for any of the long-term benefits, but after using it there is a noticeable glow, and my skin is particularly soft and smooth. I've been using it to revitalise my skin after the indulgent Christmas period, and it's helped fight the effects of January. With the instant glow it gives, it's also a good mask for using before a big date or night out.

Until I've seen some long-term benefits, I'm not sure I could recommend it at the RRP of £50 for 50g, but you can find it on various beauty websites for around £35 which I'll probably treat myself to at some point. Plus, my little 15g sample tube has done at least 5 or 6 treatments, and there's probably still one more use left in the tube, so a 50g tub should last a LONG time.

Have you tried GLAMGLOW products? What do you think?

Ax