Herbivore Botanicals: Blue Tansy, Brighten and Moon Fruit Masks

Easily one of the most Instagrammed natural brands on the market right now, with an impressive range of 100% natural products and sleek branding to match, we tested three of Herbivore Botanicals face masks to see if they live up to the hype.

Blue Tansy Resurfacing Clarity Mask and Brighten Pineapple + Gemstone Mask

At first glance, these two acid resurfacing masks are quite similar. They both contain a blend of plant derived AHA/BHA acids to swipe away clogging, crusty dead skin cells. Exfoliating deeply, both are a potent mix housed in a hydrating base of plant cellulose and aloe vera. The papaya and pineapple enzymes feature in both masks, but where the difference lies is really in the hero actives: blue tansy essential oil and willow bark vs the rice powder and Brazilian white tourmaline gemstone. There are zero fillers in these masks, with even the preservative system adding to the overall benefit, and both products are 100% natural and vegan.

The blue tansy mask is what acids do best for acne prone skins: unclogs, removes bacteria, is anti-inflammatory. It felt cool on my skin and immediately started to tingle. The brighten mask does exactly that: it clears the debris on top of the skin, so what’s left is your youngest, freshest glowing skin. It smelt like a holiday and I immediately started to the tightening effect of the acids. Neither were uncomfortable, but as with all acids, if you can’t feel it, it ain’t working!

I love the texture of both although I think the pot isn’t the most suitable dispenser, it easily gets messy and you lose a lot of product as it drips off the little spatula provided. The blue tansy oil also oxidises quickly, so my dreamy Mediterranean blue quickly turned to a dark pond colour, so would be better suited in a darker pot to protect, as I assume this affects the oil’s potency as well. The brightening mask is more suited to my skin type as I don’t suffer with acne, so I can’t judge the product really for its intended use. There definitely isn’t room for both in my routine, and I’d rather supplement something like the brighten mask with an acid toner with lactic or glycolic acid.

Moonfruit Superfruit Night Treatment

The colour, texture and smell of the Moonfruit treatment is delicious; it’s a rich, silky, bright blue cream that smells like a lavender dream. It’s an interesting product, kind of a like a moisturiser/mask hybrid that you put on at night as it’s too thick for a normal cream but absorbs faster than a normal mask. It’s a combination of antioxidant-rich fruits such as goji berries and red raspberry,  rich butters and hyaluronic acid, and is formulated with moisture and soft skin in mind. It’s very thick and definitely leaves skin feeling smooth and hydrated in the morning, as well as a little plumper. It tingled a bit for me which I’m not sure is normal and wasn’t quite as impactful as the acid masks in terms of visible results, but it’s still really nice to use.

VERDICT: The Brighten mask is a winner for us (both Elsie and Dominika tested all three) as it delivers in terms of efficacy and sensorial experience when using.