GlamGlow SuperCleanse Daily Cleanser

For:

Problem skin, skin imperfections, pore refining, mattifying, clarifying

Pros

Cooling sensation

Makes skin feel clean

Cons

Expensive

A bit drying

Not exfoliating

High maintenance

Price

$39 for 5 oz / 150 g

Verdict

To me this cleanser a bit more high maintenance because I have to remove my makeup, dry my face, apply the cleanser, emulsify it with water and go from there, so I can't just hop in the shower since this product has to be applied on a dry face. Also I don't think this cleans as well when you use it in the morning on an oily face. It barely lathers.

The girl at Sephora said to leave it on for 30 seconds before adding water, which is what I've been doing. There's definitely a learning curve to lathering the cleanser, you have to add water sparingly, which can get messy since the cleanser drips down my elbow. I haven't noticed a huge difference in acne overnight or anything but I do think it cleanses the skin to prevent breakouts.

I strayed away from my Clarisonic to use this and feel like the GlamGlow doesn't really exfoliate like it says. I always try new cleansers to see if there's something better out there but the La Roche Posay Effaclar medicated cleanser is definitely my go to if I want clean pores.

Repurchase?

No.

Would I recommend it?

Yes if GlamGlow products work well for you. One of the Sephora girls said GlamGlow might be too harsh for some people, so definitely get a sample before purchasing.

GlamGlow FlashMud Brightening Treatment

What it looks like applied

Morning after Day 1 | Morning after Day 3

It might be hard to tell, but the acne scars on my left cheek were significantly lightened after the initial 3 day treatment, which I'm semi impressed by. However, the mask doesn't seem to help much with acne itself, as you can kind of see.

Pros

Exfoliating

Smells amazing

Brightens the skin

Cons

Expensive

Might be harsh for sensitive skin

Price

$69 for 1.7 oz / 50 g at Sephora

Verdict

My acne's been getting better with my antibiotics from the dermatologist, so I've been focusing more on lightening my acne scars. Fortunately my scars aren't the ice pick scars or the ones that are visible even when the pigment is gone, but it will still take a few months until it lightens significantly.

Repurchase?

Maybe

Would I recommend it?

Yes. But try a sample at Sephora first.

SKIN | GlamGlow Products - Is it worth the money?

I heard about GlamGlow from my cousin in China, who said the combination of SuperMud (white mask) and ThirstyMud (blue mask) helps flatten a pimple overnight. I've tried it several times and it doesn't heal the pimple overnight, just helps a little.

I figure if a product has passed international borders, it must be decent, so I gave it a try.

Listed from left to right

FlashMud Brightening Treatment orange ($69 for 1.7 oz / 50g)

20 minute exfoliating mask

My most recent purchase - it has fine exfoliating beads, has very pleasant fruity fragrance, makes my skin feel very smooth after washing. Whether or not it brightens a lot is not a change I see immediately on my skin, but it seems to help with acne scars. I like it a lot so far.

ThirstyMud Hydrating Treatment blue ($69 for 1.7 oz / 50g) review here

Overnight treatment - can be used during the day if you wipe the excess off with tissue.

Smells like coconuts, I don't find it particularly amazing but it's good for parched skin.

SuperMud Clearing Treatment white ($69 for 1.2 oz / 34 g) review here

10-17 minute clay mask

Great to clear your pores, feels cooling on the skin, seems to help absorb oil from pores, helps with blackheads. It doesn't make my pores look especially clean sometimes, but I assume some of the black is from the mud.

SuperCleanse Daily Purifying Cleanser white ($39 for 5 oz / 150 ml)

Apply to a dry face, lather with water. The Sephora salesperson told me to leave it on for 30 seconds before adding water.

I tried a sample from Sephora before purchasing this. It has a cooling sensation, has a slight learning curve to lathering effectively, and seems to help with my acne. You're supposed to apply it on a "dry face" then lather, similar to a cleansing oil, but it doesn't seem to lather as well (or feel as clean) when my face is already oily (if I use it in the morning). 

I enjoy using it the most when I remove my makeup first, dry my face, then apply.

In conclusion

I think these products are worth sampling, but I would not have bought the full size had I not purchased them at a discount. I purchased ThirstyMud and SuperMud at Costco for about $40 each (no longer available in my area as of December 2015) as opposed to the $69 price tag at Sephora. The SuperCleanse and FlashMud were purchased because I received giftcards and Nordstrom notes. 

I enjoy using this line of products, but it's not holy grail for me. Once I finish the jars I probably won't repurchase.

If you had oily, combination or acne prone skin and don't mind spending money on these, I recommend the SuperMud (white mask) and FlashMud (orange). Definitely try a sample at Sephora before purchasing, considering the hefty price.

Skincare tip:

I went to the dermatologist (finally) a few weeks ago and have been taking antibiotics to kill acne causing bacteria. If I am successful I will definitely post before and after photos.

One thing to remember if you use these masks is to moisturize after. After over a decade of dealing with acne (teenage and adult cystic/hormonal acne), I've realized that simple is best. I've been using CeraVe cream (review here) as a moisturizer with a benzoyl peroxide treatment for acne spots, and Neosporin/healing balm for open acne spots I accidentally popped/broke. 

Your skin heals itself a lot overnight, so get your beauty sleep in.

REVIEW | GlamGlow Clearing Treatment - helps with acne and pores?

You can't really see it here

But when you wash the mask off, there are little beads I assume are supposed to be exfoliating

As you can tell, it goes from black to gray like most clay masks

If you look closer, there are darker black dots around where my pores are larger or where my skin produces more oil, and where my active raised pimples are.

More literature, I didn't really read through this, but if you are going to invest so much money into a product it's good to do the research

Pros

Helps somewhat with acne

Cleans out pores

Tingly minty sensation

Exfoliating

Cons

Expensive

No drastic change in cystic pimples

Price

$37 at Costco IF your local Costco carries it

$69 at Sephora for 1.2 oz / 34 g

Verdict

The packaging says as a full face mask it will contains 17 uses, but if you only spots in certain places it should last a lot longer. I wouldn't have purchased this if I didn't find it at Costco.

As with many clay masks, it is drying and absorbs a lot of oil and impurities. My pores definitely look clearer after I wash it off. My cousin actually recommended that if I use The Clearing Treatment in conjunction with the Hydrating Treatment, it will make the pimples flat overnight but your skin is still moisturized. I tried that a few times but pimples only go away overnight if they're smaller. Cystic pimples still take a while to go away.

I tried taking photos for the results but I don't think the photos really do justice for what I see in real life.

I think this really helps if you have occasional breakouts like me, I can see why people rave about this product along with the rest of the GlamGlow line.

Repurchase?

If I use it up and see it at Costco again, yes.

Would I recommend it?

Yes. If you want to clear out your pores. No, if you want it to help with acne.

I recommend sampling it at Sephora first, as with most expensive beauty products

Review: GLAMGLOW ThirstyMud Hydration Treatment

A little goes a long way

I spotted this at Costco for $36, much less than at Sephora

I first heard about this from my cousin in China that it's supposed to help with acne if used along with GlamGlow's white clearing treatment. Considering the price of these masks, I decided to just get this one available at Costco for half the price.

Pros

Very moisturizing

Doesn't break me out

Feels good on skin (slight cooling sensation at first)

Could be used as an overnight mask or 10-20 mins day mask

Smells like coconut (could be a con)

Cons

Expensive

Price

$69 at Sephora for 1.7 oz / 50 g

$36 at Costco if your local one carries it (I don't think I would've bought it  for 69 tbh)

Verdict

I accidentally spotted this at Costco and remembered my cousin mentioning it, so I decided to give it a try. I've seen people claim that it flattens your pimples overnight in conjunction with the white clearing treatment. It does seem to help flatten some pimples in conjunction with some acne treatments, and using this as an overnight mask twice a week helped moisturize my skin a lot, and I'm hoping to improve my skin texture after long term use.

Being in Beijing for over 10 months has done some serious damage on my skin: first of all, I didn't bring my Clarisonic Mia because I didn't think it would make that much difference, when in fact it did (using it after a 10 month hiatus has made me realize what a difference this actually makes in terms of cleansing your skin). 

Along with the pollution, my pores also became enlarged after an allergic reaction in the form of acne I had after going to Inner Mongolia and eating too much lamb (or so the dermatologist claims). 

I am currently in search of pore clearing and minimizing skincare products, if you have any recommendations I would greatly appreciate it.

Hope this was helpful

Repurchase?

No.

Would I recommend it?

Not in particular