If you have ever looked at Sephora’s website, or a beauty related YouTube video, and really even just Instagram, you have probably seen the wonders of GlamGlow touted far and wide- these magical masks and treatments are meant to do wonders, save your skin from impending doom and make you look like a twinkling Disney princess… Or so we are told! Now, if you have ever looked into actually purchasing GlamGlow products, you will realise that they come with a fairly hefty price tag. This is an honest review of two GlamGlow products- the Supermud Clearing Treatment and the Glowstarter Mega Illuminating Moisturiser in Nude Glow- with my thoughts on whether or not it is actually worth the price tag!
Thankfully, I did not have to pay for these- in case you don’t know, this set is one of the Sephora birthday gift options! And the benefit with these two is that you actually get a decent amount of product so that you can use them quite a bit to see if they are worth it for you. I have watched many a “Sephora hacks” video and people will tell you to always buy the value sized products to get your money out of it, but I’m not always a fan of that. Yes, you can return things to Sephora, but at a point, it gets ridiculous to continuously swap out products- go for free samples or travel sized to try things out!
GLAMGLOW Supermud Clearing Treatment
This is one big, huge, massive NO of a product to me- I have somewhat sensitive skin, but I didn’t have any reactions when I did spot tests on my wrist and neck. I did however have an awful reaction on all of my face (see photo below- not the most flattering, but it illustrates the point). I followed the instructions; I applied the mask to clean, damp skin, left it on for 12 minutes (you are supposed to leave it on for 5-20 minutes), rinsed it off with room temperature water, and then moisturised. And that is what my face looked like about 6 hours later… However, I could see potentially going through all of this red-faced, burning, stretching-skin terribleness if the product was some sort of 21st century miracle. However, it didn’t really remove any blackheads, which was it’s entire point. At $75 CAD for a full sized tub, this is not a cheap skincare option, and although your skin might not be as sensitive as mine, I can’t recommend investing in this mud.
**Dear beauty influencers of the world,
You are the worst for trying to trick all of us into buying this.
The Historian.**
GLAMGLOW GLOWSTARTER Mega Illuminating Moisturiser in Nude Glow
I’ve got to say, as much as I hated the Supermud treatment, I love this moisturiser! This is a wonderful moisturiser for the summer months, as it provides a lovely glow and shimmer. I find that when I use it, I don’t need to use any foundation but rather just a touch of cover up here and there! (In fairness, I don’t use a ton of foundation, but that’s still a victory for me.) A lot of people are not a fan of the orange creme smell, but I love it- it gives it a bit more of a lux feeling for me without being overwhelming. It also isn’t overly tinted, in case you are worried about it being heavy or the wrong shade. The only negative for me is that there isn’t any SPF in it, although my go-to Clinique Moisture Surge doesn’t either. At $62 CAD for 50ml, it hits slightly higher than my preferred price point of $40-50 for moisturiser, but if I was able to snag it on sale or use points, I would certainly grab this!
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Quick question: on my #ootd (Outfit of the Day) Instagram stories, would you like to know more on why I chose to wear what I did, or just the outfits?
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Have you jumped on the GLAMGLOW train? Are you a fan of luxury skincare brands or reliable drugstore brands?
Until tomorrow,
The Historian!
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I see this product at TJ Maxx a lot and have always wondered!! Thanks for saving me though!!
Yeah, I would definitely skip it…
I love some of Glamglow products but they’re quite expensive so I always get the travel size from Sephora. Good to know that this is now the complimentary birthday gift. It’s also good thing you got to try these out to see how it behaves on your skin.
That’s the thing, I find them to be prohibitively expensive- a mask is not part of my regular routine, and is a splurge. Those prices are pushing “splurge” to “ridiculous”!
I use Eucerin at the moment and honestly they are probably the most effective as well as inept five products I have ever bought. And i have tried, Clinique, este Lauder, la mere, by Terry…. you name it, I’ve done a little review on my blog, but they have solid science behind them, rather than fluff. And I rather like fluff….
I have Eucerin handcream at work, and it’s wonderful! I find the face cream a little heavy for my skin, but if your skin isn’t as touchy as mine, I can see it being fantastic. And sometimes fluff is what is needed!!
I don’t wear makeup (foundation, mascara, anything) on a daily basis. The extremely rare ocassion (ie: a wedding) I’ll put on some eye-shadow and mascara. That’s it. Daily, I wear lip balm, preferably with SPF if I can find it. Used to wear lip-gloss but not lately. Hand cream on the other hand, I adore, same with moisturizing face cream- both Caudalie from Sephora. The face cream is kinda-pricey ($60 if i remember correctly) but the hand-cream isn’t bad only around $20. And has a very light scent.
I will do 2-3 make up free days a week (typically the weekend) but I find a touch of coverup and light eyeshadow, mascara, and blush help me feel far more polished and put together than a bare face. (I also can look VERY young if I don’t wear any make up…) I’ve been recommended the Caudalie by several people, so I think I am going to try it once I need to try something other than Clinique!
About a decade ago, I took the advice of a dermatologist in a Martha Stewart Magazine and to this day, I still follow the same regime. Aveno calming face wash, Olay Total Effects and lastly Netrogena Healthy Skin Enhancer (has like retinol, sun block and a tint). Washed my face just once a day while splashing cold water on it, the other side of the day and voila, skin problems went down a ton!
That is what Glamglow taught me- stick with my simple routine and my skin will be just fine. It’s any time I try to change it up that I see problems!!
Great review. That is a high price point for me as well. I have never been a brand name person so read with interest those reviews. Thank you
I just find it hard to find unbiased reviews where people haven’t received the products for free!
I certainly wouldn’t want a product that could do that to my face!
Being in my late 40s I do need more than a tinted moisturiser. I have been using Clinique Smart Moisturiser, but have just finished it. I’m using a Loreal one at the mo until I make it to the department store that sells Clinique.
I am very thankful that most of the women in my family have fairly even skin-tones- it is a great help sometimes! I also need to grab some more Clinique moisturiser haha 🙂
Lovely to read an honest review of such products! I’m very much a lower budget kinda girl 😉
I always find that people gush about beauty products that are “in” and then when you really talk to them, it didn’t actually work for them but they didn’t want to say it. That doesn’t help anyone!!
I tend to stick with the Clinique budget, it’s considered “mid-range” I guess- it’s a bit more but I really don’t wear a lot of make up so it lasts for ages haha. Because of the aforementioned sensitive skin, I’m hesitant to try anything new haha!
Oh yeah absolutely, the kind of “this brand is so cool I’m going to say how great it is”…I see it a lot. My daughter and her peers are heavily influenced by this, they take and share pictures of anything they own and beg for things that are “cool”. And big make-up and beauty brands are right up there. I try to get across to her that when she’s older, when she’s working, that she can spend her money on luxe brands if she wants but I can’t really afford to fund her need to be cool 24/7, haha! She’s barely a teenager!
Anyway, yes. I think it’s great that you tried the products, and I hope you aren’t still burning up too bad. Not every product is for everyone, and I’m so pleased you reflected on that.
It’s great that you’re happy with the Clinique stuff. That was really cool and high brow when I was a teen, I used to always steal a bit of my aunties’s Eau Dynamisante!
Most of my peers are also in the “I need this $80 eyeshadow palette because Anastasia whomever made it” and I’m glad to hear that they enjoy it as much as they do, but I just can’t justify spending THAT much on make up, especially on things like masks that are a once in a while treat. It bothers me that it is becoming so difficult to find unbiased reviews out there- it doesn’t help me if you tell me you received that $70 mask for free, because the fact that you received it for free still influences your opinion!!
I don’t splurge that much on make up. $62 is enough for an hour massage, which I’d rather have than a drawer full of products I rarely use. LOL. I went through a brief phase where I kept getting make overs from a place whose products I like, so I would have a range of looks. But that lasted about a year and now I find I do the same face every day, with only the smallest adjustment for dressing up.
A moisturizer with spf no tint, one almost nude eye shadow, grey eye liner, and the most amazing mascara ever. Then I use Tom’s tinted lip balm rather than lip stick or gloss. Bam, done in less than five (and that includes flat ironing my hair).
I keep thinking that I might visit Clinique and actually get them to show me some more looks- I go for very understated make up and rarely deviate.
I have all Clinique products, aside from an Urban Decay Naked3 and a Bare Minerals palette, and I don’t think I’ll need to buy anything other than moisturiser and sunscreen for a good 1 1/2- 2 years. My hair and make up combined clocks in at 7 minutes haha!
Nice. 7 minutes.
I am so weary of trying out new products on my skin since it is so sensitive! I hope that redness went down quickly!
It took a trip to a pharmacist and about 35 hours 🙁
Oh dang!
I’d like to know why you chose what you wore 🙂 Thanks for an honest review – the moisturiser sounds fab!