Esteé Lauder's Clear Difference Purifying Exfoliating Mask

Immersing myself back into skincare (one of my loves) today, and it's this Esteé Lauder Clear Difference Purifying Exfoliating Mask * which I recently took on holiday with me as a solution to my skin, which always gets a bit blemish-y, due to all the sun, sea, sand and sangria - so I always find that a good mask is an essential to take away with me. I wrap it up, nice and safe, hide it within my clothes and pray that it makes it to the other end in one piece; the wonderful about this little tub, is that's it's very, very sturdy, so there's almost no way that it's going to get pierced or start oozing anything, unless it's takes a very heavy knock. But hopefully that'll never happen (*knocks on wood*). Anyway, this mask wasn't even something that I knew Esteé Lauder did, so receiving this Clear Difference product in the post was a wonderful surprise! I'm a huge, huge, huuuuge fan of the EL ranges of skincare, so expanding my product knowledge is always something that I love doing, especially when this particular mask is clay based; for me, clay looooves to draw out all the oil and impurities from my skin, and as I have an oily/combination complexion, this pot is always handy to have around. Plus I love looking at the little 'Esteé Lauder' inscribed on the polished gold lid, making it look so fancy and expensive, when it's no where near as expensive as other clay masks/cleansers on the market. 

Mixed into the clay, are some small exfoliating beads, which aren't abrasive or harsh on the skin, no matter how sensitive you are, and I only find myself using it as an exfoliating when I remove the mask with a soft flannel. For me, it's a brilliant mix of purifying clay, which always leaves my skin with a lovely glow, and tiny beads, which buff away all the impurities and dead skin cells which the mask has drawn out. Another main element of this mask for me, is that fact that it didn't strip my skin or leave it feeling dry (that's always a bad sign, because you know all the natural oils and goodness have been taken away), but this doesn't surprise me, as Esteé Lauder know how to make good skincare, and their Clear Difference range is no different. 

The last time I repurchased my Advanced Night Repair Serum, I received a little tester of the Clear Difference Serum (£45, here), which is aimed at congested and oily skin i.e. my skin, so I was very excited to start trying it out, as soon as my skin got back into it's routine with ANR. Not only do their testers last ages, but I got so much use out of it, that by using the two serums together (ANR every other night, and Clear Difference under my makeup and every other night) my skin loved the combination, and with the use of the mask, started to get itself under control, even during my extremely hormonal phases. I do suffer with a lot of under the skin blemishes on forehead, but these serums really do combat the issues, and the Clear Difference Mask really helps to buff away the build up of skin when I use it twice a week. I've also been using the serum and mask combined with the oil free moisturiser, which is actually more like a mattifying gel, and if you get shiny skin by midday, this is a product for you! It will be getting it's own individual review post, but Esteé Lauder's Clear Difference Oil Control/Mattifying Hydrating Gel * (£42, here) has been a moisturiser I've been reaching for a lot the past few weeks, and it's been sitting really well under my makeup, keeping everything plump and moisturised, but matte for as long as possible, before my natural oils come out to play and start to make me look really glowy. 

The texture of the mask feels luxurious on the skin, and the packaging is nothing less than I would expect from Esteé Lauder; they've always been one of those super sleek, classic, sat on your dressing table kinda brands for me, and I'm sure they'll stay that way for decades to come. It sells for £35 for 75ml (here), and considering that I've used this 10+ times, the amount really doesn't seem to be going down anytime soon - which makes it such a brilliant investment if you're looking for a clay based mask to draw out all of the impurities and blemishes from your skin, as well as something which can also be used to buff away at the skin, making your appearance brighter. I love a good clay mask, and this is a very welcome addition to my stash, and something that I reach for weekly when my skin feels flustered and heavy. I would gladly repurchase this after it runs out, although I don't see that happening for a while. That's another amazing thing about Esteé Lauder, their products just seem to go on and on... and hopefully, on and on.