Prince of Darkness Fresh Face Mask - Lush Oxford Street

Who’s the Prince of Darkness? Ozzy Osbourne, No. I am; the princess, in fact. Any friend of mine will tell you I have an affinity for the morbid, a terrifically dark sense of humour and a penchant for pretty little skulls. Who doesn’t?

On my visit to Lush Mecca/Lush Oxford Street I was determined to check out the new face masks; I’d heard there were three, and I couldn’t wait to see, feel and most importantly smell them all. The truly lovely girl, whose name I think is Lucy but I can’t be sure, was so sweet and so helpful; she told me all about her own skin care regime and how the new masks fit in with what she was using. Personal interaction with staff is one of my favourite things about Lush because you get to hear real opinions, from real people that are (mostly) helpful! 

Lucy (I think) had such great skin, I couldn’t help but ask and that’s when she introduced me to The Prince of Darkness. A shiny black mask with a consistency more similar to The Sacred Truth rather than Cupcake, full of glorious Fuller’s Earth , charcoal and sea salt. Perfect for slightly oilier skins, this mask works well and as you rinse it off, it gives your face a light scrub. 

Tentative towards anything that seems a little harsh, I let Lucy demo PoD on the back of my hand whilst we chatted; it went on beautifully smoothly and remained sticky. I can’t help but think that The Oxford Street Fresh Face Mask station is a little in-the-way of shoppers, it is in front of the tills and directly next to the new Emotional Brilliance Make Up additions which is always going to be an ever-popular station. As Lucy rinsed my hand off, Prince of Darkness scrubbed off well and left my hand cool, calm and exfoliated without a hint of irritation.
Straight in my basket it went. 

I wouldn’t go too far as to say that Prince of Darkness is a wonder-product, nor is it the Holy Grail of face masks, but it has helped me out and I would repurchase; my skin is clearer and ready for summer and I feel comfortable wearing less make up, so alls well that ends well! 

I’m not such a fan of the soapiness of Coal Face and I find Dark Angels works but is just too damn messy. The Prince of Darkness, however is not without its draw backs. It has a similar ingredients list to Dark Angels so the first and second time I used the mask I had to triple rinse and double cleanse after to remove all of the black – the most recent time was much easier, on the other hand. A little warm water and a flannel, I think is the ultimate combination – with a splash of cold water before a quick swipe with your toner of choice! 

It can be a little daunting, pasting your face with black and hoping for the best, but Prince of Darkness cleared what I can only describe as little pimples and brightened my skin. I feel much more comfortable in my skin now – it’s nice now it’s a little warmer too, no one wants to be caked in make up under that sun! 

Prince Of Darkness Fresh Face Mask
Lush Oxford Street Exclusive - £6.95
“We’re on a crazy train, heading for scrubbed up skin with the charcoal and sea salt packed into this mask!”

Mangaminty-ify your Skin!

Good evening and welcome back. If there is one shop that I can smell a mile off, it’s Lush. You know that smell - the sweet, telling smell that a Lush store is nearby?  I am a homing pigeon for Lush stores. 

I will always be a massive fan for Lush’s KARMA range; the perfume stick, the atomiser, the soap, the bubble bar...the list is endless and so is my love for this signature scent. My boyfriend always says, anyone wearing or whenever he smells KARMA, it smells like me. And I’m okay with that. The patchouli and orange blossom perfume has become ‘my smell’ and I couldn’t have chosen better – a great scent at a great price!
However, this birthday I had an extra little cash so I decided to branch out and see what else I might enjoy. (After picking up a few KARMA necessities, obviously!) Firstly, was DIRTY; the soap for men for James; he loves the smell and it always makes you feel so tingly-clean. Then I reached the fresh face masks...

Restore your radiance with a fresh concoction of fruits, butters , clays and essential oils.

Yes, yes that’s what I need. I’ve been so stressed recently with post-University worries that my skin has been breaking out left right and centre. The stress of needing to find a new house, moving into that new house, affording rent, trying to get a new job, dealing with housemates, receiving all final grades etc is taking its toll on my face and that’s making me even more stressed, so I needed a fix.

“A multipurpose mask with a mixture of gentle yet effective ingredients to clean, calm and clear the skin – now in a self-preserving formula!”

MASK OF MAGNAMINTY does exactly what it says on the tin. Having bought it on Thursday, I’ve used it three times since and the skin on my face is near enough clear; so much better. Having clearer skin is such a weight off my shoulders, I don’t have to think about it when I’m putting make up on in the morning or throughout the day when I’m worrying if my make-up has rubbed off and everyone can see how bad my skin was. If you feel panicky about your skin during the day, MAGNAMINTY is the answer. This version is the self-preserving edition which means some of the ingredients are different so that Lush don’t have to add in any harsher preservatives which wouldn’t be any good for the skin. 

Easy to apply, the mask is branded as a ‘face and back pack’ as it can be smoothed over the skin anywhere you like. On my first use,  I applied quite a generous amount over my full face and a little on the backs of my shoulders where I’ve been getting a few little breakouts – since then I’ve applied it twice more to my t-zone and fully across my forehead and my skin has thanked me for it. I feel more comfortable in my skin and that makes the day easier. I know you might think that sounds silly, but when you start the day by having to pile on the war paint to hide blemishes on your face it can take a toll on your mindset – waking up with clearer skin just starts the day off right for me!

The mask is made with peppermint oil to stimulate and cool, along with marigold oil and chlorophyllin (which gives it that greeny-healthy colour) to treat the skin. Evening Primrose seeds and aduki beans gently exfoliate the skin when you remove it, which in my case has been after my skin has soaked up as much goodness from the mask as it can. Usually I apply mine and then get in the bath, after about 20 minutes I wash it off. According to the Lush website, there’s also “mineral rich Kaolin to nourish and antibacterial honey” to stimulate the blood cells just under the surface of your skin to leave it looking bright and refreshed. 

My skin looks clearer and feels smoother and with a layer of light moisturiser before bed (after cleansing and toning) and the regular application of this facemask, I believe I’ll be having completely healthy, clear skin in no time. 

Don’t let the colour put you off –  think about all those green juices and how good they are for you. Green is good!

Mask of Magnaminty - Buy It Here!
Next time, I think I'll try: Cosmetic Warrior, Brazened Honey or Love Lettuce. 

Til next time, stay safe. 
BarGirl. ♥