Product Test: Pique face mask

I used to love using face masks pre-baby but must confess I haven’t had the time to stop and think about doing something for my own beauty regime in the past seven months since she arrived like a little whirlwind!

I haven’t quite got round to having a facial done professionally yet (will put that one on life’s bucket list), but going DIY at home can feel remarkably luxurious when you get out the foot spa, light the scented candles and sit back to relax for a moment.

This little beauty arrived on my desk just in time for some Valentine’s Day self-pampering. With claims to be good for natural acne fighing and with my skin still being unpredictable thanks to post-pregnancy hormones, it seemed the perfect time to road test Pique’s face mask.

Product claim

Pique is an all-natural skin mask and scrub containing New Zealand South Island-sourced raw UMF 5+ Manuka honey (naturally antimicrobial, it heals wounds and infections while promoting healthy skin), organic ceylon cinnamon (stimulates blood vessels giving skin a plumper appearance and minimising fine lines) and maracuja oil (from passionfruit seeds, it acts as an emollient to treat dry skin by increasing hydration).

UMF is a grading system for honey products that indicates the purity and quality of it, so this is not your typical supermarket-bought, spread-on-your-toast honey.

The combination of honey and cinnamon is thought to treat a range of skin problems including eczema, acne and dry skin while also having antiseptic qualities.

All-natural does mean no preservatives, so Pique has a shelf life of three months. It’s also paraben-free and cruelty-free.

Road test

I got stuck into it at night after dinner; with the dishes washed, bubs in bed and the house tidy it seemed like a good precursor to relaxation!

Opening the jar, the first thing you notice is the beautiful scent; the spicy cinnamon and raw natural manuka honey make it smell utterly delish – probably because it is actually edible (reminiscent of Nads) and I can vouch that I did taste it and would quite happily eat it on ice cream…

I applied a decent thick layer of Pique to my face, being careful to avoid the eye area as the product contains cinnamon which can irritate your eyes. The honey makes it quite sticky so its easy enough to spread evenly. Almost straight away the cinnamon began to work its magic, making my face feel warm and tingly.

After a few minutes the mask started to bead on my face and as I have pretty oily skin, I did wonder whether that affected it. Shadoe from Pique says it is best to apply thickly and that the beading is normal, due to the consistency of the honey rather than your skin type. She also mentioned that the mask is suitable to all skin types but if your face feels a bit tight and dry following treatment to apply a light, non pore-clogging moisturiser.

I have sensitive skin and even with the cinnamon found no adverse reaction to it after leaving it on my face for 30 minutes. Cinnamon can be a milk irritant though, so it may pay to do a patch test before you get started. Also good to note that if you have any allergies to bee products, the honey in Pique means you should probably give it a miss.

Once I was done, I closed my eyes tightly (still trying to avoid cinnamon in them!) and rinsed the mask off. It took a wee while due to the stickiness of the honey, and the gritty scrub component of it began to kick in, but once it was washed off my skin felt beautifully soft and the tone was much more even afterwards. Even my hormonal acne seemed to improve over the next few days and the mask lifted away much of the oiliness from my skin.