Mask It

Over the past six months, Natio has become my favourite range of beauty/colour products. They're Australian-owned and made, they're derived from botanicals, they smell great, they feel gorgeous - and they're incredibly well-priced.

Another thing to love are their frequent "gift with purchase" offers. I find these incredibly hard to resist, as they're generous in including full-size products along with samples.

However, it is a sample I've road-tested for the first time - the Clay and Plant Face Mask Purifier, from Natio's Aromatherapy range.

It contains kaolin and bentonite (the clay parts), as well as lemon, palmarosa and sesame, and claims to absorb impurities and refine the skin's texture.

Now I can't say if it does any of that. But I can tell you it has a light yet creamy texture, making it lovely to apply. I used about enough to cover the tip of my middle finger, and that spread evenly over my face. It also dries on the face powdery soft, without the tightness or cracking that generally accompanies clay masks. After 15 minutes, I rinsed it off with lukewarm water, and it all came off without any trouble (some masks I've used have a tendency to stick).

I followed it up with a touch of Natio's Rosewater and Chamomile Gentle Toner, and my skin feels soft to the touch, and not dry.

The full size product retails for $14.50, and I'd recommend it if you like giving yourself a once or twice a week mask as a relaxing treat.