Botanics Shine Away Ionic Mask Review

I've always liked the Botanics range from Boots, in particular their eye make up remover, but I had heard so-so things about them since they underwent their rebranding from other bloggers and other review sites, a lot of people felt they had changed the formula of the products and it no longer worked for them but also a lot of people love the new products, so it's difficult to judge on reviews alone.
I had never used a face mask from Botanics before so I was happy to give this a try, I had enough points on my advantage card so I thought I would treat myself, luckily Botanics products were on offer with 1/3 off the usual price, so I got this for £4.66, normally costing £6.99 for 100ml, so still quite reasonable.

Botanics say: 'This mineral-rich ionic mask absorbs excess oil and detoxifies skin. The oceanic clay exhibits a negative electrical charge, which helps to draw out deep-rooted impurities without overdrying. Skin is left clearer, softer and smoother.
Willowbark is nature's champion clarifier. Excess sebum, pollution and old skin cells can clog up pores, resulting in shine and blemishes. The bark of the willow tree is a natural source of salicylic acid which helps to refine skin texture and actively target imperfections.'

You apply a generous amount of the clay to cleansed skin, the directions say to leave for 10 minutes but I actually left this for about 15-20 minutes until I knew all of the mask had dried, which is when it changes colour and it becomes quite tight on your skin. 

When the mask had dried I found that in areas where my pores are quite large the clay had little dimples like the clay had sunk into them which was a bit strange but hopefully means it was working deep into my pores.

The instructions say to wipe the excess off with a tissue and then rinse with water, but I found that I needed to wash it off with warm water and use a flannel to ensure I washed all of the clay off, I used toner afterwards to make sure my skin was clean, as it's a black/green clay it is a bit messy but it is easily washed away and doesn't stain.

Pros

• After using the face mask my skin felt very clean and refreshed, which was perfect after a very busy day at work.
• This might sound strange but I like a face mask where you can feel it doing something, even if it's only getting tighter when it dries.
• Price, it's pretty reasonable at £6.99 for 100ml.
• I like the new Botanics packaging, I think it looks more modern which will appeal to a wider range of people.

Cons

• The second time I used this, the product inside had gone a bit watery, so when I opened it black water went everywhere, I had to shake the tube to get the clay to the bottom, so be warned as it doesn't advise on the packaging to shake before use.
• As it's a clay mask it can get a bit messy so you would definitely need to apply this in a bathroom or somewhere with a sink nearby.
• I can't say that the texture of my skin had been refined in any way, although it did leave my skin feeling soft.
• The mask is suitable for all skin types but as it was quite tight I didn't apply this near the edges of my face which is a bit dry, so I'm not sure how good this would be if you had dry skin.

Would I repurchase?

As this was just an OK face mask I probably won't as I would like to experiment with other brands.

What face masks would you recommend?

Don't forget to enter our Nuxe Travel Kit giveaway here. Good Luck!

Elaine