LUSH Catastrophe Cosmetic Fresh Face Mask

~ stashy

Today is Victoria Day, a holiday here in Canada, in celebration of Queen Victoria’s birthday. Colloquially, we call it “May two four long weekend” due to the approximate date (May 24th) and to describe a case of beer (‘two four’).  The popular activity to do during this long weekend is to head up to the cottage to open it for the season and there are usually fireworks and drinking…  Me? Not doing any of that. Relaxing at home and doing some cleaning and decluttering. I’m LONG overdue for a makeup purge! 😉

Onward to a review of this LUSH Fresh Face Mask:

I picked up the Catastrophe Cosmetic mask 2 weeks ago and have been diligently using it – here are my thoughts.

LUSH Catastrophe Cosmetic Fresh Face Mask is a product that can only be purchased in-stores because it must be refrigerated. They’re hand made using fresh ingredients and have a short shelf life. Mine was made on May 2nd with an expiry date of May 23rd – I purchased it on May 10th so I only had 13 days to use it up!

It’s a milky greyish periwinkle coloured clay type mask with little bits of actual blueberries. Its first ingredient is calamine powder, which means it’s great for calming skin. I presume the blue tint is from the blueberries.

When I first applied it, I found the consistency to be slightly crumbly and dry, which made it challenging to spread smoothly onto the skin. I was applying to freshly cleaned, dry skin. On my next application, I decided to moisten my skin with water before applying the mask, which helped greatly.  To further help spread the mask evenly, I smoothed it with wet fingers.

Due to its drier consistency, I found the best way to get the product out of the pot was with a butter knife – I basically cut little wedges out – about a teaspoon full – for each application.

It’s a classic clay type mask where while it dries, there’s a tightening feeling. I’m not able to make any facial movements at all – no talking, eating, smiling – nothing – until it is rinsed off or else I risk the mask cracking and flaking. I rinse off with warm water after 10 minutes (I’ve kept this on for upwards of 30 minutes 😛 ) – I found the mask rinses off easily and cleanly, leaving no residue.

The mask is described as the “blueberry-packed balancer” on LUSH’s site. I definitely agree that this is a balancing mask. I find that some clay-based masks can be very drying but this one doesn’t leave my skin feeling tight or dehydrated. In fact, my skin feels extremely smooth and supple afterwards – the inclusion of glycerine and almond oil help in this regard.  The ingredient list is short and sweet:

Calamine Powder, Talc, Irish Moss Gel, Fresh Blueberries, Glycerine, Almond Oil, Rose Absolute, Chamomile Blue Oil, Sweet Wild Orange Oil, *Limonene, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Fragrance.
*Occurs naturally in essential oils

The only thing I don’t love about this mask is the scent. I thought it would be like fresh blueberry, but instead, it’s a floral type of scent mixed with a rubber eraser smell.  I was surprised to see that LUSH added fragrance to this mask (listed as the last ingredient). Why did they feel the need to do that?

Thanks Lori!

The mask expires tomorrow and I’m doing my final mask tonight. I was able to get 8 uses out of this pot which I think makes the cost of the mask quite fair (even better that I traded in my empty containers and got this for free!) The pot costs $8.95 for 60g so it worked out to be $1.12 and approx 7.5g of product per use.

Made in Canada – I suppose LUSH products around the world are locally made to where ever they’re located.

I got this mask to help calm some of my allergy-related bumps / hives on my skin (especially on my forehead and cheeks) and it has helped to alleviate them.  I’ve only tried one other LUSH Fresh Face Mask before, The Sacred Truth (review here) and I’ve enjoyed both very much. I actually like Catastrophe Cosmetic just a touch more based on the results.

Pros:
• Smoothing on sensitive skin
• Leaves skin smooth and supple
• Fresh natural ingredients
• Reasonably priced
• Cruelty-free
• Container can be redeemed as part of the 5 Pot Program (free mask!)

Cons:
• Very limited lifespan, must be refrigerated
• Only available at LUSH stores, not online
• Smell and inclusion of fragrance

Stash worthiness: 8/10

I would recommend Catastrophe Cosmetic for all skin types, especially if you’re looking to calm irritated skin.  Thanks again to Dannii of A Beauty Thing blog, who was the first to recommend this to me! ❤

Have you tried LUSH Fresh Face Masks? What are your favourite face masks – LUSH or other brands?

75 thoughts on “LUSH Catastrophe Cosmetic Fresh Face Mask”

  3. Comprehensive review. That shelf life is way too short. Plus, if I put anything in the fridge it will smell like cheese. So I’m definitely not buying any beauty products that requires refrigeration 😛

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  4. Your face mask looks different. Ours are quite liquidy still, so it’s a smooth clay mask. I wonder if your Lush store was naughty and didn’t refridgerate it properly. I’m glad you liked it! I do wish they had a longer shelf life but I do like that it’s fresh ingredients😊 I’ve saved a fair few pots so I need to Lush and get a free tub of face mask☺ xx

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    1. Hmm I do wonder! I was surprised mine was so dry. I did an image search and I see a variety of consistencies. I’m glad I was able to make it work by adding some water. 😛 Yes, redeem those pots and get your free mask!

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  6. I do like lush fresh masks but struggle with the concept of using them so often as i usually do a face mask once a week! How many days in a row did you use it? Fab and thorough review as always! Xx

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    1. I agree, it’s a mad rush to finish it as soon as I buy one of these masks. I had to use this mask every night for 5 nights straight and then I gave my skin a break and used it every other night. 😛

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    1. They usually have the sample masks on ice, and the product are actually refrigerated at the store! Some days I think I can just make my own masks but then I realize I’m too lazy for that…

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    1. Ooh yikes, I can’t imagine sleeping with makeup on! My friend does it ALL the time and lucky for her, her skin still looks great. I hope you find this and it helps you! When I was at the LUSH store getting this mask, I was choosing between the Rosy Cheeks or this one. I’m probably going to get the Rosy Cheeks next!

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  11. I have yet to try one of their masks, but this is the one I’ve been eyeing up.

    It annoys me when Lush adds a bit of fragrance to products like masks, especially if the result is reminiscent of erasers (yummy). Good job the mask isn’t primarily an olfactory experience, bad smells are tolerable if the stuff actually works!

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    1. Yeah I’m puzzled why they felt the need to add fragrance. I mean, none of the other ingredients would smell terrible on their own. But it was tolerable.

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  12. Go for the Magnaminty next! It has such an addicting minty smell and I love how refreshing it is on the skin.

    PS. Yey it’s my day on your country. Lol :p

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  13. This is my favorite of the LUSH fresh masks. I found it super soothing on my skin. My skin isn’t really sensitive on my face but in Phoenix, it’s super hot. So, I always feel like I’ve been burned when I haven’t as I pack on the sunscreen. LIKE PACK IT ON! But this mask did cool and soothe my skin.

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      1. Oh yeah it’s super soothing in the hot weather AND actually…. I think I’ll pick some up this weekend. My skin is in BAD SHAPE. BAD BAD BAD. It’s been hot, I wasn’t prepared, and I’m a total wreck! Have you tried emu oil for anything? I’m curious about it.

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    1. I’m mixed on them. A lot of their body products that I’ve tried so far are just ok, nothing to shell out so much money for. I’ve only truly enjoyed their masks and their shower jellies so far.

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  16. Ohhh what an interesting read, I haven’t heard of this before! It sounds amazing but the shelf life thing puts me off slightly because I would feel forced to use the mask regardless if I wanted to because I spent money on it – it’s a shame because I really want to give this a go! It would be great if they did it in like a 1/2 day sized pot! xxx

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    1. Definitely agree on the short shelf life. Someone just suggested that I section off individual portions of the mask and freeze them! I’m going to try it next time!

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    1. You hit the nail on the head – the fresh masks are a mood booster! I know that masks aren’t going to transform my skin but they put me in a good state of mind and temporarily gives my skin a helping hand. 🙂

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    1. Yes, I’ll likely buy again in the future. I’ve excluded most LUSH masks from consideration because they contain ingredients that my skin finds irritating – so my list of masks from them are limited. I’m glad that I can use this one!

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        1. Peppermint, citrus oils, eucalyptus – it’s not to say I can’t use them but they irritate my skin. I can use them in products if they’re in small amounts. But I just prefer to avoid them if I can.

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  22. That looks super unappealing in the pot lol

    I don’t know what it is but I just can’t get into Lush – I’ve tried a few of their bath bombs and I was just meh about them – I found them overpriced for what they were. I liked their lip scrub at first but I’m kind of meh about it now too. Maybe I haven’t tried the right stuff from them.

    I do like that the ingredients in this are so fresh that they have an expiry date – forces you to use something up rather than have it just sit collecting dust. I’ll never understand why they put fragrance in skincare though – it just seems like such a common sense thing to leave it out. :I

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    1. I agree that they’re very over priced for what they are. I chalk it up mainly to the cost of hand making all of the products locally – cost of labour is pretty high here in Canada. And they use fresh ingredients, which isn’t easy either. All that said, I do wish the products were more effective or innovative. I’ve discovered a few gems so far but none that I can’t live without…

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  23. I think I’ve used this before YEARS AGO but of course, I don’t really remember the experience. It’s great you got 8 uses out of this in the space of 13 days!! That is actually amazing. The only reason I stopped using LUSH masks is because I wasn’t using them enough in the time-frame which means I was wasting product!

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    1. Yes, it was a mad rush to use this mask – as soon as I got it I started using it nightly. But then I had to give my skin a break! 😛 I’ll likely not buy the fresh masks too frequently due to the rush to finish them, but they’re a nice treat once in a while.

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  24. Why did they add fragrance – especially such an unpleasant one? Totally redundant!

    Have you thought about freezing the mask to extend it’s shelf life? Next time you could freeze several little portions – much like those frozen spinach cubes. 🙂

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      1. I’m glad you like the idea.

        You could freeze the mask portions in small containers – the size of eye cream pots should be fine. Or small arts and crafts pots. Or freezer bags. Or saran wrap!
        I can’t wait to hear how it works out!!
        Mwah! xo

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  26. I think the face masks are one of the things I want to try from lush and this one does sound intriguing, I’m really put off with the short life span with so many products in my collection, I think I need to clear some out before I buy something which I’ll have to use up so quickly!
    Annoying that they added fragrance to this, what was the point? Unless it was so horrendous without it!

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    1. I can’t imagine it’d smell terrible without that added fragrance – just based on the rest of the ingredient list.
      I’m actually using up most of my clay / cream masks in my stash – most of my masks left in my stash are sheet masks now. Yay, progress!

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  28. They add fragrance to E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G!!! That’s why I don’t really use their products anymore. I love their ethical, bare bones approach but to me it defeats the purpose when fragrance is added, yet their marketing really only pushes the essential oils. Nah-nah-nah…!!! essential oils are always listed as a separate ingredient so fragrance is just a cheap way to enhance the scent of their products. :S

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    1. It’s so unnecessary! Especially when the ingredients on their own should smell pretty good? Also, essential oils aren’t that great for the skin, in my opinion… 😛

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  29. It sounds like a great mask, Calamine is very calming it’s what is used in the UK (calamine lotion) to treat chicken pox and is reduces the itchiness. The only thing that puts me off with the fresh face masks is the shelf life, plus I wasn’t massively keen on the Mask of Magnaminty!

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    1. Yup I own a bottle of calamine lotion (pink!) that I use for insect bites or sometimes just random hives. 😛
      People have recommended that I try freezing individual portions of the mask so I’m going to try that next time!

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  30. Pingback: Trash Stash: May 2017 | stash matters

  31. Your mask seemsI think Lush products are quite amazing cause I have the same type however is pepermint flavour and also a gel to dimish my pores and black sports,Fortunately here in the Uk they sell it but it would have been easier if they start delivering as well.What I love about it is that after I have a sense of refreshment and smoothness

    Please have a look in my blog if you want debyoncelife.wordpress.com

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    1. I agree, the masks that I’ve tried so far have made my skin feel so soft and smooth! I guess it’s not possible to deliver items that need to be refrigerated… unless they came with a mini fridge! 😛

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