Moisturize with a mask! Etival, NeoStrata, Montagne Jeunesse, Borba, Origins and Lise Watier!

With all this craptastic cold weather going on my skin has gone all schizo and can't decide anymore if it's combination, dry or really dry!  I don't like to use a heavy cream to combat dryness so one of the best ways I've found to deal with it is a moisturizing mask.  It's an easy thing to use once or twice a week to get everything back in balance again!  Here are a few that I have been trying:





Etival Urgen-C Hydrating Surge Mask - 110g - $20 -  contains cucumber and chamomile extracts to help prevent irritation, vitamins A, D, E, K, Pro-Vitamin B5 and CoQ10 - a quick acting solution for all types of severely dry skin - leave on 5-10 minutes - this mask has been a godsend especially around my nose which gets really dry and flaky in the cold! The line is exclusive to Shoppers Drug Mart so it's the only place you will find this - Etival has a whole line of products for dry skin as well as other skin types!

NeoStrata Intense Moisture Rescue Sheet Mask - 8 single use masks - $40 - contains hyaluronic acid - a polymer naturally found in healthy skin that instantly helps to replenish the skin's moisture and provide long-lasting hydration benefits as well as a blend of botanicals that replenish the skin's moisture barrier while enhancing its protection. - leave on 20-30 minutes - my friend Patricia says it makes her look like Jason from Friday the 13th - so if you are thinking about a Halloween idea for next year this is a great disguise and beauty treatment all in one go!  You could also cut it in half and do a Phantom of the Opera bit! I am personally a big fan of the whole sheet mask concept, it's less messy then a traditional mask, you don't have to wash it off - you just rub the excess product into your skin when you remove the sheet - so you could conceivably use it anywhere - I'm thinking this would be a fun thing to wear the next time I fly - airplane air is so drying...

Montagne Jeunesse Chocolate Masque - 20g - $1.99 - made with real chocolate, it contains cocoa butter and shea butter to hydrate and Dead Sea salt to heal - leave on 10-15 minutes - It smells yummy but I can now tell you from experience that it does not taste good (don't ask)! I love single use masks - although unless you have a giant head (like Christelle) you could stretch one of these to a double use (or use with a friend) I also like this line because you can find a mask for any skin problem or dilemma that you could possibly experience so rather then having to commit to a whole tube you can just buy a handful of single masks to treat everything!  Available at Walmart, Rexall, Jean Coutu, Loblaws, London Drugs and most independent drug stores.

Borba Replenishing Quench Masque - 75ml - $35 - contains paraffin to soothe and moisturize shin and lychee, ginseng, aloe, cucumber, apricot and soy to heal flakiness and roughness while collagen, silk and elastin fiber activate to form a physical moisture barrier keeping the skin supple and healthy. - leave on 4 minutes - I absolutely love the texture of this mask and it really feels like it is working hard to moisturize your skin!  Available from The Shopping Channel - www.theshoppingchannel.com

Origins Drink Up 10 minute mask to quench skin's thirst - 75ml - $25 - contains Algae Extracts and Apricot Kernel Oil - leave on (duh) 10 minutes - you can really smell the apricot in this mask which I love and the concept of it quenching my skin's thirst amuses me, I imagine my skin with a little straw drinking it...I have issues, I know... and if you are looking for something even more heavy duty there is also a Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask for the same price.

Lise Watier Skin Destress Moisturizing Mask - 75ml - $29 - leave on 10 minutes - this is from the collection that came out in the spring, if you combine it with the scrub beforehand, you won't believe how soft your skin feels after the mask!  I like that this is a moisturizing mask for all skin types - which might mean that it's not intensive enough for really dry skin - but for skin that is just needing some extra moisture on occasion, it's perfect!

So is there an amazing moisturizing mask that I'm missing out on? Fill me in!

- Lisamarie -