REVIEW: ActivLayr 5sec Firming Eye Mask...

A couple of weeks ago I was approached by New Zealand brand ActivLayr to trial their revolutionary 5sec Firming Eye Mask. To say I was excited is somewhat of an understatement, and being an under-eye patch fanatic, of course I accepted their generous offer! I mean, a dissolvable 100% natural collagen patch that you apply for 5 seconds - hello? The whole concept intrigued me and having viewed the YouTube video (HERE), I can assure you I was well and truly stalking the postie ♥...

The box arrived a few days later and contained the cutest little spray bottle of water, seven pairs of eye masks in sealed foil-lined sachets, and a very helpful and informative brochure explaining how to apply the patches along with the process behind their creation...

For starters, they look a bit different to other eye masks - the same shape, but they're a blue fabric material with a white collagen coating on one side protected by a super-thin clear film, which you peel off before applying...

The white material that does all the work is a mix of marine collagen (from Hoki fish skin), Vinanza grapeseed and kiwifruit extracts and hyaluronic acid, all formulated into a water-based solution that is then spun into nanofibre before binding to the blue fabric. It all sounds very techno, but there's absolutely no fishy smell, and the good news is that the fish skins are a by-product of the sustainable NZ fishing industry (gotta love zero waste), there are no additives in the product (100% natural), and it is instantly (and I mean instantly) absorbed into the skin, and continues to absorb for the next 50 minutes up to 2.5mm into the dermal layer...

You'll find more very interesting information on their website (HERE), but I've pretty much covered the basics, so let's get onto my experience! ♥...

The recommendation is to apply the patches after cleansing, but before any of the serums and moisturisers in your usual beauty routine, so I did just that for seven nights. Probably the most important rule with these patches is that your hands must be completely dry before touching them or attempting to peel off the protective film - the active layer dissolves and is pulled into the skin as soon as it comes in contact with water, and if your hands are even the slightest bit moist, the collagen will penetrate your fingertips instead of your eye area where it is needed most...

Given how careful I needed to be with moisture, I decided to treat one eye at a time - I first spritzed under and around my eyes using the mini water bottle that came in the kit, and then made sure my fingers were completely dry. After peeling off the protective film (a little challenging, but I got better at it with practice) I pressed the white side of the patch into place, and instantly the material changed to a slightly darker blue colour because the white layer had dissolved into my skin. I counted to five, carefully peeled it off, and within a few seconds, I could feel a tightening sensation - a bit like when you let a clay mask dry, but nowhere near as intense. On a couple of occasions, my skin felt a bit sticky afterwards, which meant I hadn't sprayed on enough water, so I just added a little more and patted it in with my fingers. I then let the skin dry completely before continuing with my usual moisturising routine...

So, do they work? Absolutely! My wrinkles aren't as intense as those in the before/after pics I've seen on their Instagram page (HERE) so I knew the results wouldn't be as dramatic, but there was certainly a reduction in the depth of my crow's feet as you can see in the (unretouched) photos below. Incidentally, I took the pictures in the same lighting conditions, with my face in repose, and did my best to take them from the same angle. I haven't included snaps of my under eye area as my bags are just too gross to photograph, but in the first picture on the left, you can see some vertical lines directly below my eye caused by the sheer size and weight of the bag pulling the skin down. And in the pic on the right, those lines are barely visible and the skin has firmed - woo hoo! ♥...

After seeing the photographic evidence for myself, I'm suitably impressed, and have ordered two more sets - another round for my eyes, and one for the vertical lip lines and tramlines between my brows (with 14 patches, I can treat both areas each with one patch for seven days) and I'll be recording my progress again in another blog post. At present, the patches are only available from their website - they retail for $89.99, and shipping is free ♥...

Thank you ActivLayr for the opportunity to try your highly effective and amazingly innovative product - can't wait till the full face masks are available! Incidentally, if you're still working on your range, I would LOVE an eye patch that also covers the area above my eyes, which also needs major firming and de-wrinkling ♥...

So what do you think lovelies - can you see a difference?

Take care of you,

kats xxx

REVIEW: Bodyblendz Collagen Masks & Coffee Scrub...

Last month I was contacted by the lovelies from Team Bodyblendz, an international skincare company based in Australia. I'd not heard of this brand before, but after reading about their natural body scrubs, the ingredients they use, their cruelty-free philosophy, and the fact they have free worldwide shipping, I was super keen to try some of their products, especially their Collagen face, lip and eye masks. Given my passion for masks (which I expressed to them), below is the selection of goodies they so kindly sent me ♥...

Sugar Glow Coffee Scrub

The fat pack is a generous 200g, and it's the usual presentation in a resealable pouch. The sugar granules are very fine, the coffee bits are bigger, but together they're gentle enough for the face, and I found this scrub easier to apply with my bare hands than others I've tried. The caramelish coffee fragrance is potent and delish while you're in the shower, but it doesn't linger on the skin - the only thing that hangs around afterwards is ridiculously soft and smooth skin! The recommendation is to leave it on for at least 2 minutes, so I usually start with my face, and then work it down one side of my bod before rinsing. Apart from the sugar & coffee exfoliators, ingredients include olive oil, jojoba oil, orange oil & vitamin E. All their scrubs are made in Australia and retail for $19.95, and there's a 25% price reduction if you subscribe, which means they automatically send you another pack every 30 days, and you can cancel any time after the 3rd charge...

Rose Collagen Facial Mask

The large box contained 4 funky looking masks, 2 Rose and 2 Brightening ones. Instructions #3 & #4 on the back of the pack (below) were a little puzzling as there's no tissue or paper backing to remove (?) and you need to be careful opening the foil pouch as the serum is as runny as water, so I suggest holding it over a bin or a towel while you're removing the tray. All the masks are made in China...

And here it is in action. Somewhat tricky to apply while you're vertical as it falls off at the slightest twitch, so if you're planning to move around while wearing it, forget it. I recommend positioning it and holding it to your face, and then lying down asap - this is a good thing as I firmly believe the benefits of this kind of face mask are increased if you relax as much as possible, and let it do the work. It has a beautiful natural and quite an intense rose fragrance, and given the eye and mouth slits are so narrow, best to keep all these closed during the process (quite a challenge to take a selfie!). There was a slight tingling and cooling sensation throughout, and 30 minutes later my skin was deliciously refreshed and hydrated, and I didn't feel the need to follow with my usual serum and moisturiser ♥...

Brightening Collagen Facial Mask

Of the two, this was my fave, although it made me look like Hannibal Lecter! Has the same rose fragrance (but not as potent) and similar issues getting it to stay on my face until I made it to the bed. This one has slightly different ingredients including Grape Seed Extract and a wee bit of Retinol, and I could feel all sorts of activity going on underneath the mask - almost like a tightening and pulling sensation, but not uncomfortable at all. The big difference afterwards was in the brightness and lightness of my complexion - wow, my skin looked like it was lit from within! Freckles appeared less intense too, and again there was no need to apply anything else. LOVE! ♥...

Collagen Eye Mask Kit

The box contains 5 pairs of eye masks - one pair is plain white, there's a green and pink set, and the gold and silver ones have little sparkles embedded in the jelly-like material. These are primarily for hydration, and they do just that. Comfortable to wear and they hold on the skin far better than the face masks so you can wear them while doing other activities. No reduction in my under eye puffiness, but the delicate skin looked and felt supremely moisturised ♥...

Collagen Lip Masks

No information on these at all, nor can I see them on the website (maybe they're new?), but I guess they have similar ingredients to the others.  As you can see in the pic below, they are HUGE and cover the entire lip area, and make me look like a parrot ha ha! 

The lip masks are quite a treat and really boost the moisture content of both the lips and the surrounding area. I have some vertical lines above my top lip, and for a few hours after the treatment, they were simply non-existent. I'd love to get my hands on more of these ♥ Incidentally the above photo was taken immediately AFTER using the Brightening Collagen Mask, and shows how luminous my skin looked from the treatment ♥...

Delighted with all of these products, and I'm keen to try more from this brand. The face and eye masks only seem to be available as part of the Facial Glow Gift Set, which is on special at the mo' for $59.80, and includes a Citrus face scrub, headband, and 2 of the lip masks...

Thanks heaps Bodyblendz for the opportunity to try these terrific products - looking forward to exploring your whole range ♥...

Take care of  you,

kats xxx