Hydrating Masks: Glam Glow vs.The Body Shop

Hydrating masks are very important in my skincare routine. I have extremely dry skin and moisturizing masks are the only thing that seems to save my skin. I'm going to be comparing the very expensive and much blogged about Glam Glow ThirstyMud Hydrating Treatment and the cheaper Body Shop alternative Vitamin E Sink-In Moisture Mask. Both claim the basic same thing - intense hydration but with a $53 price difference you may want to know if it's worth it to splurge on the Glam Glow mask. 

If you haven't heard about Moisture Masks before, they're basically a face mask that you can leave on and they will sink into the skin the skin providing extreme hydration and relieving dry skin. 

Glam Glow ThirstyMud Hydrating Treatment
I am a big fan of this mask and I definitely get what all the hype is about. This mask provides instant and long lasting hydration. According to the Glam Glow website it claims:

 "THIRSTYMUD™ uses the newest, most advanced & extreme hydration active technologies, providing deep instant Extreme Hydration for Long, Medium & Short Term Results. THIRSTYMUD™ hydrates, moisturizes, restores, replenishes and calms the skin."

ThirstyMud has a consistency that reminds me of pudding and it smells sweet. It's not too thick when you apply it to your face, it's non-geasy and it sinks in fast so you don't feel like you're wearing a mask. The biggest downside to this product is the price tag. At $75 Canadian I feel like I need a really good reason to use the product.

The Body Shop Vitamin E Sink-In Moisture Mask
I also really like this hydrating mask and I especially like the $22 price tag. I think this mask works just as well as the ThirstyMud mask at hydrating dry skin. The website says:

"Sink some antioxidant Vitamin E into your skin. Bring skin back to optimum moisture level with this intensely hydrating mask."

The downsides to this mask are that it feels really thick and sticky on the skin. It's harder to sleep in because it doesn't sink very fast. However this may allow for the results last longer.  I find both masks can be a bit tingly on the really dry spots, this mask maybe more so than the ThirstyMud. I also don't think this mask smells as good as the Glam Glow one.

Overall
Unless you have the money to spend on a Glam Glow mask I would stick to the cheaper Body Shop version. The ThirstyMud Hydrating Mask doesn't make a big enough difference to be worth the huge price tag.

You can get the Glam Glow ThirstyMud Hydrating Treatment here: http://www.glamglowmud.com/products/shop-treatments/thirstymud.html

 and the Body Shop Vitamin E Sink-In Moisture Mask here: http://www.thebodyshop.ca/en/skin-care/skin-care-best-sellers/vitamin-e-sink-in-moisture-mask.aspx

Take it or Leave it- The Body Shop

I'm starting a new series called Take it or Leave it where I review products from a specific brand and hopefully help you decide if a product is worth your money. I've accumulated a lot of products from The Body Shop as The Body Shop usually has buy 2 get one free sales. I thought this would be a good brand to start with. You can find these products at thebodyshop.ca 

Take it

Honey Bronzer- This may be my favourite product from The Body Shop. This is also the only makeup I've tried from them but considering how good this is, I'm very eager to try more. This is a matte bronzer and the colour 01 is light enough to look totally natural on my fair skin. It isn't very orange, it's pigmented and really blendable. It retails for $20.

Aloe Calming Facial Cleanser- This is my all time favourite face cleanser and one I would highly recommend for people with sensitive skin. It really does calm my face and it leaves it feeling clean. It doesn't irritate my skin or overly dry it like most other cleansers. It retails for $15.

Aloe Protective Serum- I feel like my skin overall has less problems when I use this serum. It doesn't get as dry or breakout as often. The product sinks in really fast and calms my skin. I use it before I apply moisturizer and makeup in the morning. It really seems like it acts like a protective shield against the elements. It retails for $22.

Vitamin E Sink-in Moisture Mask- I've raved about how this mask transforms my skin overnight leaving it soft and hydrated in the morning. It has a jelly texture and it's really thick so a little goes a long way but it really is a skin savior in the winter months. It retails for $22.

Body Butter- I feel like The Body Shop is best known for their Body Butters and there's a good reason. Nothing can hydrate my dry skin quite like these Body Butters. I tend to aim for the ones labeled for dry or very dry skin as they work best on me but they'er all really hydrating and smell amazing. They retail for $20 but are usually on sale for $10.

Almond Hand &Nail Cream- This is a light weight hand cream that has kept my hands from getting dry this winter and with everyday being -30 degrees or colder that seems like a miracle. It sinks in fast, smells good and is not greasy. I wish I had gotten it in the bigger tube. The small size retails for $10 and the larger one $20.

Raspberry Body Scrub- I'm pretty sure this was a limited edition spring product but I think they bring it back, or at least something like it, every year. It's exfoliating but not too rough on my sensitive skin. Plus it looks and smells exactly like Raspberry jam. It retails for $20.

Leave it

Vitamin E Illuminating Moisture Cream- I actually like this product I just don't necessarily think it's the best illuminating product you can get. It's moisturizing and really illuminates the skin but the reflecting particles are a purple and not necessarily flattering if not covered by makeup so I wouldn't wear this product on it's own. Plus a little goes a long way. It retails for $19.

Vitamin C Energizing Face Spritz- This spray is supposed to energize dull skin and refresh it but I didn't really feel like it did anything for my skin. Plus it has a really strong fake citrus scent which I didn't much like. It retails for $18.

Tea Tree Oil- I know lots of people swear by Tea Tree Oil but I couldn't get it to do anything for my skin. If someone knows the best uses for Tea Tree Oil please, please let me know because I'd love to find a way to make this product work for me. It retails for $10.

Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil- Another product people swear by so I will say Leave it if you have dry or sensitive skin. If not hopefully this product will work for you because it does take off eye makeup like a dream. I just found it to be super drying and it broke me out. It retails for $16.

I hope you enjoyed the first post in this series and found it helpful. Comment below if you have any favourite Body Shop products you think I should try.