Antipodes Aura Manuka Honey Mask

There must be a reason or a few reasons why this mask was chosen as a winner of Bazaar Beauty Awards 2013, not that such awards mean much to me. It may influence others into buying certain products but I always find such awards rather subjective just as reviews are. When purchasing anything, I always go with my gut feeling.

Anyway, I was keen to put this product to the test when I received it as part of TNS Skinlab’s Chinese New Year gift. Anything with manuka honey appeals to me as it’s a natural healing ingredient and I have seen first-hand how manuka honey is harvested in NZ and understand why it’s so expensive especially those with UMF but this review isn’t about honey.

This is a rich, creamy and thick mask which also contains avocado oil, pohutukawa bloom, mandarin & vanilla pod so the scent is nothing short of marvelous. I think I am right in saying that this is a hydrating clay mask. This isn’t one of those masks which harden until it feels so tight and dry on skin. In fact, I feel that it’s more hydrating than clay.

I spread a thick layer of the mask and leave it on for 15 minutes during which time my skin absorbs most of it and the mask gradually becomes clear. The result is softer and more hydrated skin and I believe it has helped speed up the recovery process of breakouts as I had a bump on my cheek and after a few applications of this mask, the bump has decreased in size. You can either use this as an overall mask or specifically to treat blemishes and spots as they arise.

After using this a few times, I can understand why it is a winner of Bazaar Beauty Awards 2013. An excellent hydrating clay mask which isn’t drying on skin and a good treatment for breakouts.

Ingredients

Antipodes Aura Manuka Honey Mask retails at RM168/75ml.