A few weeks before I started my Borneo trip, I met up with Vindya and Steffi, two of my #girlsquad from back when I was in the university. So one of the topics we had beside the wonder of why we're all single is about skincare.
At that point, Vindya recommended this Freeman mask as she claimed that the mask could actually make her face so smooth like a baby's ass. In which I responded that I'm not going to buy a skincare only to make my face feel like ass. 😛
So, here's the reason why I'm not really that confident to call myself a beauty blogger: I'm quite ignorant when it comes to any product that is actually worth the hype. Apparently, this Freeman mask has been quite trending lately.
“It's not available yet in the drugstore in Indonesia, but guess what… You can purchase it in Malaysia!”, said Vindya.
Because of her recommendation, the last day I was in Kota Kinabalu, I spared some time to go to the nearest Watsons to buy this Freeman Polishing Charcoal and Black Sugar gel mask. I swear, it didn't come across my mind to think that this actually would be available in Singapore too. A beginner's mistake, really.
Freeman Polishing Charcoal and Black Sugar (Get Mask+Scrub)
So, in this case, I trusted my best friend so much to the point that I didn't even check on this product on the internet before I purchased it. Yes, guys… I bought this only for the sake of my best friend's talk. That's how easy I could get when it comes to my best friend skincare.
I was so vanilla when it comes to this product. At first, I thought it was a local Malaysian brand. I mean, I was excited to try if it was, since then I could create a new content for my Around The World With The Beauties feature.
But no, as I purchased a tube of this Freeman Polishing Charcoal and Black Sugar gel mask, I found out that it is actually ‘Merican, manufactured in Canada.
The packaging of Freeman Polishing Charcoal and Black Sugar (Gel Mask+Scrub).
The Claim
So, this dual-action mask claims to work double time to detoxify skin. The purifying activated charcoal as a part of its ingredients helps absorb oil, while the black sugar helps exfoliate dulling skin cells.
From all the variants of Freeman mask, I picked this one as charcoal mask never fails on my skin. In fact, I really thought this charcoal mask from Freeman would have the same texture as BeautyCounter mask that I tried the other day. Apparently, no… Totally different! 😛
The Price
Okay, since Vindya suggested me to purchase it in Malaysia and I bought it on my last day in Kota Kinabalu, I got it for 26.75 MYR (around $6.4 USD). That was such a mistake as I checked the price on Watsons Singapore, and it would have cost me only $5.70 SGD (around $4.1 USD)!!!
As a customer who's so price-sensitive, it was a real bummer that I felt so sorry for myself. But then again, one had to move on. 😐
The Review
So far, I've used this mask twice. The first was just right after I bought it, as I figured with all my activities during Borneo trip, I really needed some time to pamper myself. So, then I was multitasking on my last day in Kota Kinabalu, exfoliating while packing my stuff. If that makes sense.
My First Impression on Freeman Polishing Charcoal and Black Sugar (Gel Mask+Scrub)
As I mentioned before, at first I thought this would be the same as some charcoal masks that I've tried before, but nope… This is probably the first gel mask that I've tried.
In addition to the gel texture, you could also feel the beads of sugar in the ingredients. Personally, I'm not a fan of the texture. It feels weird to me. I mean, it's not the first sugar-based beauty product that I've tried since I also use the sugar-based lip scrub, but I just don't really like the texture on this one when I first applied.
The texture.
Even though I don't like the texture, I like the effect the first time I applied it on my skin. It gave me some warm sensation, despite the fact that it's really hard to spread around the face, especially with the sugar beads and all that.
My Final Verdict on Freeman Polishing Charcoal and Black Sugar (Gel Mask+Scrub)
The first thing I noticed when I read the direction on how to apply this mask is that even though it's so easy to use, the part where it requires warm water is a bit challenging for a lazy woman like me.
I mean, at the hotel in Kota Kinabalu, it's pretty easy since they have hot water in the shower. But at home, I could either go to my parents' room where I could find hot water in the bathroom (but no mirror and I have to go downstairs) or boil some water to get the warm water.
I did the latter, so I could do the exfoliation while looking at myself in the mirror. Yeah, I'm that Miss Narcissus.
(1) The before picture. (2) My face after washing my face. (3) My face after I applied Freeman Gel Mask+Scrub. (4) My face during exfoliation. (5) The after picture.
(+)
Despite the fact that I bought it at a higher price in Malaysia, given the big packaging, I think it is quite affordable for a 175ml tube. I suppose this mask alone could last at least for a year, since I've got some other mask products that I also use.
I love the warm sensation when applied the mask on my face.
Like what Vindya said, this mask leaves my face as smooth as a baby's ass. So soft and full of love! 😛
The whole process only takes around 10 minutes. If you follow the directions on the packaging, you only gotta leave the mask on your face for 5-7 minutes before massaging it with warm water. Since it works both as mask and scrub at the same time, this is super fast with not so disappointing result!
(-)
As I mentioned before, I'm not a fan of the texture. Especially when it's really hard to spread around my face. For a clumsy girl like me, applying it at the toilet is a must because otherwise, I will make a mess in my already messy room. Seriously, it's all over the place.
It's probably not a big deal for those of you who have hot water in the shower, but since I don't… It's such a hard work to boil the water first to exfoliate.
Repurchase or Nah?!
Well, this one is a big tube of gel mask so as I said, I might have like a year to consider about repurchasing this product. But, even if I make it to finish the whole tube of this gel mask, I think I'll try to purchase another product from Freeman.
I mean, it's just when I've already got this gel mask that I checked out the whole variants of Freeman mask, and now I'm particularly interested in their clay mask.
So, yeah… That's my review for this Freeman Polishing Charcoal and Black Sugar (Gel Mask+Scrub). Have you tried this product? Or maybe you've tried their clay mask and there's something I need to know before purchasing it? Leave your comment below, and cheerio! 😀
I genuinely loved your review style. I am such a lazy bunny myself would hate to do any extra work. I think considering the benefits this product must be a good one to give a try. It is so hard to tell because most things dont work for most skin types and mine is sensitive.
ah yeah, better be careful to try this product then. it might be worth to try this if it comes in a smaller package, but the whole regular size is quite huge so if it could be a waste if you buy the whole package. thanks for reading! 🙂
yes, i think it’d be worth a try if this comes in a trial size or something since the tube is quite big. like, now that i’ve purchased the whole regular size, i could either finish it or resell it. 😛
That looks like such a good mask – wish it was available here!
Ebony x
I’ve always wanted to try a charcoal mask. It’s just hard to decide on which one. This one sounds so good and I really like the packaging.
I genuinely loved your review style. I am such a lazy bunny myself would hate to do any extra work. I think considering the benefits this product must be a good one to give a try. It is so hard to tell because most things dont work for most skin types and mine is sensitive.
ah yeah, better be careful to try this product then. it might be worth to try this if it comes in a smaller package, but the whole regular size is quite huge so if it could be a waste if you buy the whole package. thanks for reading! 🙂
I’ve never tried a gel mask before. I like that with Freeman you get a lot of product for the low cost.
I can totally relate. Like you, I’m not a fan of gel masks because of the texture. If they sell it in smaller amount, I would like to try it myself.
yes, i think it’d be worth a try if this comes in a trial size or something since the tube is quite big. like, now that i’ve purchased the whole regular size, i could either finish it or resell it. 😛