I love masks, creams, facial goops of all kinds, and the contents of my basket of facial products might have a higher retail value than a decent used car. And yet, no matter how many $120 night creams I try and reject, I always have this old-school peel mask around. Why? Not because of what it does on its own, but because of what it does in conjunction with those fancy-pants creams and serums.This mask does clear out your skin nicely, leaving the texture smoothed, that's true. But what it really does best, in my so-humble opinion, is it makes your skin THIRSTY. When you finish this mask, your face is ready to drink in whatever you put on it, double-time and double-the-benefits.Yes, this mask is cheap. Yes, the texture is much less pleasant than newer formulations of peel-off. Yes, your grandmother might well have had a faded tube of it sitting in her medicine cabinet. But grandma knew what she was doing.So here's my advice: Grab yourself a tube of this stuff. Slather it onto a clean, dry face. Make a weird expression at the thick, gloopy texture. Wince at the way it seems to gather into pale-purple snot balls on your cheeks as it slowly warms up while you're spreading it. Power through the rubber-cement-and-cheap-rum smell. Persevere until you've got a nice even layer, and then sit around for 20 minutes and let it dry. And then, once you've peeled it off? Grab a jar of your rootiest, tootiest, how-did-I-spend-this-much-money-on-face-cream product and smear it all over your face. Gape in wonder as your skin sucks down the cream/serum/oil/whatever in moments. Maybe apply a second coat of cream. Who's going to judge you? But when you're done, you'll know that this mask is one of the best things you ever bought. (Or, you won't, but you're out four bucks. But I think you will.)Oh. One more thing. The snot-ball effect is way lessened if you warm up your tube of gloop under the hot water tap for a few minutes. FYI.
