Alex Steinherr x Primark || Pore Balance First Impressions
Tuesday, October 16, 2018Hello people of the internet! If you haven't been living under a rock over the past two weeks you'll know all about the new skincare range from Primark. Alex Steinherr - aka the beauty director of Glamour magazine - collaborated with Primark to create an affordable range of skincare. The range includes five different types of skin care - Sleep Spa, Pore Balance, Pollution Solution, Plump & Glow, and Maximum Moisture. The collaboration has been in the works for two years and launched last week. I decided to pick up two items that really spoke to me. And, they're both from the Pore Balance range!
When I went into Penneys to pick some items it was like a war zone. My local shop didn't have any items available from the launch date so I waited a few days. Then someone posted on Instagram that they saw all of the products available. I went in maybe two hours after she had posted that? And, Nearly everything was gone! The stand also had a crowd around it hahaha. Also, a day after I bought some of the range I went back in and everything was gone already. That's something that really made me want to do this first impressions post for you guys. It's going to come back and it's probably going to sell out again. So, you guys need to know what's actually worth spending your hard earned money on!
Personally, I have very oily skin and I'm prone to blackheads. So it was easy for me to pick up the Anti-Blackhead stick and the Super Detox Clay Mousse Face Mask. Both of them cost €6. Which, in the grand scheme of things, isn't that bad for skincare!
Super Detox Clay Mousse Face Mask
Okay for starters, you get 100ml in this. And, a lot of my other more expensive masks have the same amount in the bottle as well. I love the packaging. It's very heavy and feels like it's worth the money.
The texture of the mask isn't as mousse-y as I thought it would be. It pretty much feels like any other clay mask does. The instructions tell you to apply this in an even layer and leave it for 15-20 minutes. I've tried it twice now once for 15 minutes and the other time for 20. I would recommend leaving it for 20 if you can. It dries down really well actually! I'm so used to my Sanctuary Thermal Charcoal mask that never dries so I wasn't used to something that actually dries up after time. I can definitely say it cleans your pores. At least, at a surface level. The blackheads on my nose seemed to be way less noticeable. But, you could tell the pores weren't cleared out if you know what I mean.
I will say, I love how my skin felt after using this. Despite that, it was kind of a pain to get off. It definitely got rid of any excess oil hanging around on my face. But, it left my skin a little bit tight. That's just something to be conscious of if you have drier skin. It might accidentally strip your skin even more. Overall, I do like this, Especially for only €6! You don't use too much product per application either so it'll probably last a long time.
Anti-Blackhead Stick
Something everyone should know about me is that I love exfoliators. They're probably one of my favourite skincare items to test out aside from masks. When they work, they really work and when they don't they're truly awful.
This stick is water activated. So basically you pop some water on your skin and then rub the stick over any areas that have clogged pores and are problem areas for you. Now, let's talk about my first issue with this. You see that second picture? That's the full stick. It's not a whole lot if you ask me. Especially for €6. Arguably, you don't use that much but it's still something to consider.
I was so excited to try this. It sounded super interesting and I was hoping it would really help budge any blackheads that were hanging about. That excitement slowly faded once I started using this product. It felt so weird. Kind of like I was rubbing a glue stick on my skin. I gave this the benefit of the doubt too and kept working with it hoping that was just a film on the top layer or something. I definitely hit a new layer after a minute or two. And, that was some of the exfoliator.
You know how I said when an exfoliator is bad, it's really bad? Well, I really do not like this one. It felt extremely scratchy! Which, isn't what you want on areas of your face that already have large pores which are prone to getting blackheads. I really felt like I was creating micro-tears on my nose. Another random issue I had with this was that it kind of smelled like latex gloves. Which is even weirder because all of the products are fragrance-free.
As much as I wanted to like this one I couldn't. It left a weird film on my nose and it definitely didn't remove any blackheads. If you had high hopes for this product I would probably recommend that you save your money.
All of that being said, I'm very open to trying more products from the Pore Balance range and all of the other ones as well. And of course, I'll keep doing reviews of everything as well. If you've seen any of the range that you would like me to try let me know. I'm more than happy to be a lil test subject for you guys!
What's the last skincare item you bought?
Let me know in the comments below or on Twitter!
@CardiganJezebel
Let me know in the comments below or on Twitter!
@CardiganJezebel
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6 comments
I heard about it and went to my local Primark on the day of the launch and they were no display at all. Anyway i'll try to go back in the week and buy few. Thanks for the review, I think i'll get a moisturiser and maybe something else but I wont go crazy.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.mariesconnections.com/
I’d love to try the mousse mask. I love masks.
ReplyDeleteI was really excited when I saw you had written this review. I actually bought the mousse mask myself but I am yet to try it. I don’t think they had the pore stick in the store I went to and I am so glad they didn’t after reading your review! I love how much you went into depth about the products.
ReplyDeleteVery useful article, Its very informative article, I really appreciate it. Thanks to share your amazing article.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your review. I'll 100% be getting the clay mask - it looks like a winner!
ReplyDeleteYour review of the Primark Pore Balance range is incredibly detailed and helpful! I appreciate your honest feedback on both the Super Detox Clay Mousse Face Mask and the Anti-Blackhead Stick. It's great to hear about your experience with each product, from their effectiveness in tackling blackheads to their texture and scent. Your insights will definitely help others decide which products to try. Looking forward to more reviews from you on the rest of the range!
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