I hate winter. And it isn’t just because of our gruesome winters that are legitimately too cold for human life and leave me questioning my sanity during horrific daily treks to the bus stop. Well, that’s part of it, but it’s not the only reason.

I hate winter because of what it does to my skin.

As a makeup artist, I’m pretty confident that I can double my makeup brush as a magic wand on even the least fortunate of complexions, but in the dead of winter when the frigid temperatures drain the will to live from your soul, the dryness that goes along with it sucks the moisture out of your skin. And truth be told, there’s very little than can be done to camouflage the resulting blackheads and, uh, flakiness.

Exfolients work wonders to slough off the pesky, unwanted texture that tends to bear its ugly head in our arctic-like temperatures, but it won’t solve the root of the problem. And a good moisturizer? It’s a start, but still not the magic answer.

Your skin is an organ, the largest one you have, in fact. Treat it well and it will treat you back. I could go on and on about the benefits of pounding your h20 (seriously, I will write an entirely separate blog on the benefits of water intake and radiant skin), but that’s not where I stand today.

Today I want (need) to tell you how much I’m in love with Lush Fresh Face Masks.

Recently, my skin and I were at odds, and I definitely lost the battle – but only breifly. Acne reminiscent of my (unfortunate) grade 8 days went on a tangent with a dry, peeling frenzy, and I was desperate to take control. Scrubs, coconut oil, spot treatments, to a big loss and no avail, I tried it all. For any of you who have suffered from skin problems of any kind, you’ll sympathize with the desperation I had.

And then there was Lush.

I sauntered into Lush with only a morsel of hope left, and decided to check out Fresh Face Mask – what the heck. I think I’d tried one years back, but had no real recollection of my opinion on the product so I started perusing the goopy paste-like substances. A cleark was with me right away and began asking me what I needed out of a mask. After I frustratingly spewed a long list of my skin’s wonky issues to the poor girl, we came to the conclusion “Catastrophe Cosmetic” could be a good fit for me and my troubled skin.

She was right.

A couple days post-mask, and voila, my skin and I were in the clear. Since it also doubles as a “maintenance mask,” I continue to reward my skin’s good behaviour by lightly exfoliating and using it about once a week, but the tantrums have subsided. At least for now..

For those who are interested in what Lush has to say about this particular little paste-form gem, here’s their official description:

“Prevent disasters by taking regular care of your skin with our deep-cleansing, nutrient-rich blueberry mask. The little blue bulbs are packed with vitamins, and blended into calamine, rose absolute and chamomile blue oil to soothe redness, irritation and cleanse the skin without stripping it of its natural oils. This one is wonderfully soothing on sensitive skin. Treat your face to Catastrophe Cosmetic as often as you can to keep your skin looking its best.”

I believe there’s 8 Fresh Face Masks at Lush, so you can find one that perfectly suits your particular skin type. Check them out and let me know your favourite in the comment box below!

Because flakey’s not sexy,

Tannis.