Truth be told, when I was first invited to JAFRA’s press gathering, I was really clueless as to what this brand really is. JAFRA is apparently a cosmetic company from U.S.A which was founded in 1956 and uses direct selling as its method of distribution. I couldn’t help but to think that JAFRA is a kind of odd choice of brand name for a cosmetic company, somehow it insinuates something more serious and not feminine at all. Apparently the name JAFRA was taken from the founders – Jan and Frank Day.
The thing about direct selling and their glossy catalogue displaying wide arrays of products is that you think you need something, when the truth is, you don’t!
Like the JAFRA Malibu Miracle Mask that promises to lift up dead skin cells and sounds so earthy. Why would I need another mask? But at IDR 179,000 a pop for 50 ml, why not?
It’s said to be a popular product from JAFRA and it has a pretty pink thin clay looking mask with bits of sweet almond meal and barley flour for gentle exfoliation. It looks really thick with all the extra bits and you need to stir well so the ingredients mix well before you apply it to your face. I need about two tablespoons of product for my entire face.
Here’s what I do: I apply it on a dry face and apply it on one part of my face until it covers well before I move on to the next part. I was careful enough to not massage my face because I don’t want to do the exfoliation part too soon. Because of the rough bits when you massage it, you could feel how it also helps to slough away dead skin cells on your skin. You will need to wait for around 20 minutes – a tad too long in my opinion for a mask.
My first impression was how irritating the warming sensation of the mask on my skin. It felt slightly itchy and I swear I almost chickened out and washed the entire mask off my face. But I tried to be patient and around five minutes or so, both the warming sensation and the itchiness subsided, though it still slightly tingled. After 20 minutes, I expected the mask to harden just like how masker bengkoang would. Nope, it’s still paste-like as when I first applied it.
To wash it off, you just need to cleanse it with warm water and my suggestion is try not to massage your face because the rough bits could feel a bit rough on your skin. Just cleanse it off!
The result? I think this would be good for people with combination to oily skin as it doesn’t feel too moisturising as those sheet masks and the feel on my skin is super squeaky clean. It’s a great mask if you’ve been outdoor for far too long but not when you want a supple skin.
If you’re interested to get any of JAFRA products – which they have a full range skincare and makeup products – you could try to visit their blog or Facebook (JAFRA Indonesia) and also follow their Twitter.
