Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Remember that annoying girl in school who thought she was a '10' but really was a '6', at best? And no one had the guts to say it to her face because she was so oblivious and self-absorbed? Well similarly, this is a mediocre clay-based mask that is a victim of its own overhyped "hollywood glam" marketing. The product is overpriced for what it is. Glamglow has an aggressive marketing team who hustles like crazy which is why its so (over-)hyped up. They somehow got this product into all W hotels, so you are inclined to purchase it in your hotel room. $25 for a sample-sized jar. Ridiculous. Upon opening, first thing you notice is the strong scent of artificial green tea. The package promotes green tea in the formula, and yeah, there are bits of leaves in the jar, but then why load it up with a highly fake, non-green-tea-smelling artificial fragrance unless you have something to hide? I grew up drinking green tea. It should NOT smell like sickly sweet Elizabeth Arden Green Tea perfume (which this mask does). Further inspecting the ingredient listing, "fragrance" is listed, which is artificial and not necessary. Glamglow totally irritates sensitive skin or delicate skin b/c its loaded with pumice bits and scrubbers (yes, PUMICE = the stuff you use to scrub your foot calluses, which Glamglow lovingly calls "volcanic rock") that act as an exfoliator once the mask is dry. Upon rinsing, the pumice was so scratchy and i could feel it creating microtears in my acne-prone skin. The mask dries quickly but the clay is embedded with pumice so it's impossible to wash off without literally *scouring* your face. (shudder) Next, it is loaded with a methyl salicylate or menthol type of tingle. The sensation, if you have sensitive, red, irritated, or acne-prone skin, can be very painful and stinging. i find that masks which add the "tingle" do so in order to warrant a "feeling of action" that their product works. If the product really worked to purify and synthesize collagen (seriously --that's what they claim), then you wouldn't need to add gimmicks to fool people. Not only that, but Glamglow has been spamming the boards on MakeupAlley and other beauty forums. I wrote a post on a *cosmetic procedures* board about enlarged pores and rec's for derm treatments--guess what? got spammed with "try Glamglow!!" post written by an obvious shill. It was such a promo publicity-laden post that the message was removed by the forum police after multiple complaints. This leaves a bad taste in my mouth and says a LOT about the company. They are trying so hard to promote this "hollywood celeb secret", and doing it in such a crass way, it's one step away from late-night infomercial disaster, taking away all credibility in this company's skincare "science" if any. If you have sensitive, delicate, dry, irritated, acne-prone or reddened skin, I do not recommend. It's too harsh and scratchy. If you have tough-as-nails oily skin, you can use this, but why fall for the hype when there are so many other mud masks out there at a better price with better ingredients? A cheaper alternative to Glamglow which performs similarly, but with better ingredients (Glycolic, Lactic, Mandelic, Salicylic Acids in a charcoal clay base) is here: Serious Skincare Continuously Clear Gommage Skin-Clearing Beauty Treatment~4.25oz