Yikes! Stay away from Montagne Jeunesse Manuka Honey Peel Off Masque

Let me start by saying that I am typically a huge fan of Montagne Jeunesse products, and face masks generally. I treat myself to a different mask each weekend and love the luxurious feel both while the mask is setting and after removing it. But this weekend I had a dreadful experience and needed to hop right on the blog and give out the warning: whatever you do, stay away from Montagne Jeunesse's Manuka Honey Peel Off Masque.

Manuka honey is all the rage these days because of its antibacterial and clarifying properties, so I was really excited to try this. I'd also never tried a peel-off masque before, so I didn't quite know what to expect. Putting the masque on, everything started out great - the smell, color and texture was JUST like real honey. It went on smoothly and although it was a little sticky, it felt as though I had just poured myself a mask from a real honey jar. I was loving it!

I let the mask set for a full 20 minutes and then laughed when I saw what I looked like in the mirror (it looked like my face was covered in a yellowish saran wrap). I wasn't quite sure how to get the peeling going, so I rubbed a little at my cheek until a section pulled free and then....OUCH!

It felt like I was giving myself a full face wax - removing this was SO painful. The mask clings to every little baby hair/peach fuzz on your face, and although I don't actually think it pulled any hair out, it was really uncomfortable and felt like I was ripping a bandaid off the sensitive skin around my face. And god forbid any of this got into the side burns or baby hairs around your face - it was like trying to get gum out of your hair as it just stuck to everything. I wound up literally flinching as I was removing the mask and finally gave up and just started rubbing my face with warm water to remove what was left.

Unlike other times when my face has felt soft and smooth after doing a mask, this made my face red, irritated and a little bit sore. Truly awful! If you're going to buy from this brand, I suggest you stick with their facial scrub masks or self-heating masks, both of which I've truly enjoyed. Don't subject yourself to torture with this one!