I am finally writing this review! I’ve started a lot of posts and have had to stop lately because I’ve been so inundated with work and it’s really stressing me out mentally and physically. I’m working five days a week, which is pretty standard for most people, but trying to also add in blogging, daily social media updates (which is, yes, a necessity), as well as photoshoots and trying to get back into music… it can really drain a girl down. That being said, I do have a lot of content planned and the photography is done to be shared and posted – so hopefully I can keep the ball rolling.
I’m going to try and keep my posts a little more concise starting from now – especially the reviews. This is mostly because i’m not convinced that people like to read about me rambling on and because short points are probably easier to help people draw their conclusions. Please let me know in the comments below if you prefer shorter, more frequent posts or more lengthy, less frequent posts?
And back on track! Today, I’ll be giving you my thoughts on the Kangsi Pack from Elizavecca. They recently sent me a second package of different masks and goodies to test out for you guys and, so far, I’m really happy with their products. You can read my glowing review of their retinol cream here (no pun intended) and I have a few more sheet masks to review as well. The below product is one of their really popular wash off mask packs, which contains 24K gold and looks like a glittering dream. That is, until it dries.
As with all Elizavecca products, I absolutely love their packaging. I love the kitschy illustrations which are so quirky but also manage to look like a good quality product – they don’t look cheap. This mask comes in a full colour, illustrated box with an image of their trademark pig and the authenticity sticker on the side.
Being called the Kangsi Pack, the design of this makes a little more sense when you understand the name. Kangsi, which is likely derived from the Chinese word jiangshi (which literally translates to stiff corpse), is a reanimated corpse in Chinese folklore – this can mean that it is a vampire, ghost or zombie depending on the other traits of the it. For this pack, they’ve done a really cute illustration of the pig in the traditional official garments of the ancient Qing dynasty (or an interpretation of it), which is the typical look of these ‘ghosts’. Really, I was so fascinated by it because I am Chinese myself and grew up watching television shows about this.
There are ingredients in the back (which I won’t list as you can easily find online) and I absolutely love the detailed design of the fake talisman inside! I remember watching all of these old Chinese dramas where they would stick them Taoist talismans to the heads of these jiangsi and temporarily freeze them, while the main characters obviously run away. Elizavecca’s attention to detail when it comes to their packaging design is really great and I love that there’s always something fun to find on their boxes. I can never throw them out.
The inside tube has the same design as the box, with a purple cap (which I honestly expected to be teal). The packaging is made of plastic and it’s soft, easy to squeeze and dispense – sort of like a toothbrush. I like how easy it is to use, especially for travel or even just creating less mess. Tubs are better if you want to make sure that you use up all of the product, but this is cleaner and more hygienic.
Onto the Kangsi Pack, this contains 24K gold powder extract, seven berry extracts, green herb extracts and hydrolysed collagen, claiming to help balance out hydration, pore reduction and smoothing out skin – all three which are benefits that I’m pretty keen on. It also claims that it has visible, immediate results. To use this, you apply it generously to your entire face and wait for approximately 15-20 minutes. In that time, the glittering gold appearance will change to a ghostly white – which is pretty amusing to see. I also saw glitter in the white finish of it, but it is quite fine and pretty.
After this is done, wash it off with lukewarm water. As a warning, do not move your face until you get to the bathroom! The mask hardens well and it will crumble and leave an utter mess.
Here’s some embarrassing photos.
I have the tendency to always apply the mask to my nose first, so that turned white by the time I had applied my entire face. It was pretty fun to watch it turn white and, as it hardened, I could really feel it tightening my face. This product doesn’t contain clay, but it does have a similar effect to a clay mask. It is, however, a lot more gentle and I could use it multiple times a week without stripping my skin or getting break outs.
The immediate results were amazing! As soon as I washed it off, my skin felt silky smooth – like a baby butt. I did see some brightening too, though that wasn’t as dramatic. There was also some significant reduction in pores and my moisture levels felt good. I didn’t grease up as badly the next day though it hasn’t completely fixed my oily t-zone. Overall, this is a pretty good and fun product that is definitely worth the try! Elizavecca products are quite affordable and I also like that they’re innovative and fun, which means you can play around with them with your friends (unless you’re embarrassed easily, in which case, stay at home!)
Here’s the verdict!
THE GOOD
- Really cute packaging design!
- Lightweight plastic tube
- Easy to dispense and appropriate for travel
- Affordable
- Dries quickly (15-20 minutes, so you won’t be there for eternity) and washes off easily
- Immediate effects – softening, smoothing, reduction of pores and better hydration balance
- Gentle of your skin and can be used multiple times a week
- No break outs or bad reactions
THE BAD
- Can be messy when it’s dry (flakes and falls off if you move your face)
- Average scent – not amazing, but not bad and is a bit difficult to describe
- Brightening isn’t very dramatic
- Tube means you might not use all of the product
RATING
4 out of 5 – loses a point of average scent and brightening power, as well as the flaky mess I accidentally made on my carpet
WOULD I RECOMMEND?
Yes, for sure! I personally won’t be rushing out to buy this pack as a HG product, but it is still really great and super effective as well. Most of my negative points are just personal observations (like the mess, scent and my inability to use tubes well), so would likely not affect anyone but me. This product has had a lot of great reviews online, and I definitely think it’ll be good to try out!
WHERE TO GET IT FROM
The Kangsi Pack was sent to me for review purposes by Elizavecca so feel free to check out their official website, as well as all of the other products they have available!
