Quick review: Bee Good Honey & Wild Mint 3-in-1 Cleansing Water

I've sat on the fence when it comes to micellar water, I don't think they are that good at removing makeup, but as a first step they do start the job and I did buy myself a huge bottle of Bioderma recently for just that purpose.

I assumed a something labelled as a cleansing water was similar, but looking closer Bee Good's Honey & Wild Mint 3-in-1 Cleansing Water claims to dissolve make-up, cleanse and tone the skin in one step.

The first time I used the cleanser I liked it, it was cooling on the skin and although I wouldn't rely on it as my sole cleansing step, it did remove a most of my makeup. Then I took it over my eyes, and it stung. Badly. It's obviously not intended for eye makeup, I thought, and I didn't think much of it. Then the next day I went to use it again and actually read the bottle and was surprised to see that it claims to be extremely gentle on eyes. So I tried again, and again, it stung.

I think this issue is unique to me because no other review I've read has mentioned it. It's a shame because it would otherwise be an ideal travel companion when you want to streamline your skincare products.

Bee Good's Honey & Wild Mint 3-in-1 Cleansing Water costs 10 for 100ml and can be purchased, here.

Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter

Have you ever purchased a product out of annoyance? Because what you really wanted wasn't in stock? Having heard so many good things about the Camomile Cleansing Oil from The Body Shop I really wanted to try it, they do sell it in Muscat but it hasn't been in stock for weeks and I got fed up and decided to try the butter instead.

A first look it doesn't seem like you get much product for your money, the cleanser is housed in a compact metal tin, which would be a great size for travel, but just looks like it would be finished in a couple of uses. But, a little goes a long way. The cleanser itself is quite waxy and once you pick the product up it warms in your hands and becomes an oil that feels lovely on the skin. It works really well to remove all makeup, including eye makeup and mascara.

The instructions say to rinse and even though it is oily, it rinses well, but I still prefer to use a cloth so that I am sure I don't leave behind any residue. It leaves the skin feeling clea, but not stripped, so I would say it is more suited to normal/dry skin types.

The Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter can be purchased from The Body Shop for £12.00 for 90ml.

Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cleanser

After so long it makes sense to kick off reviews again with a cleanser. I've very much stripped back my cleansing routine after having a bad breakout, I knew it was down to new products I was testing (they have since found a place in the bin) and I decided to narrow down to just a few good basic products.

I picked up Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cleanser from Duty Free, Kiehl's have always intrigued me with their shop-front and packaging but no product ever stood out for me as a must-buy. I heard good things about the Ultra Facial Cleanser, which is meant to be for all skin types and I truly believe this is true. As someone that fluctuates between normal and dry skin, I haven't found this to be drying at all.

It is a foaming cleanser and on the advice on Caroline Hirons I stayed away from foaming cleansers for a while, even though I like using these the most. This cleanser in particular works well with my hands, or a cloth, and my Clarisonic, and surprisingly is good at removing everyday makeup (not sure I would trust it alone for heavy night-out makeup). It is gentle, as as I said doesn't give you that tight feeling straight after cleansing, but I would keep it away from your eyes as it does sting.

It has no fragrance from what I can tell and even though it appears to be on the pricy side for a cleanser (15 for 150ml, or 8.50 for 75ml) you need a pea sized amount for each cleanse so I expect it to last a long time.

I know the ingredients list might not make everyone happy but if you are looking for an effective cleanser that is good value for money, there are worse options.

You can purchase Kielh's Ultra Facial Cleanser here, and here for a slightly cheaper price!

Love at first pump, Elemis Pro-Radiance Cream Cleanser

Once in a while you discover a product that from the first use you just know you are going to love.

And that's what happened with Elemis's Pro-Radiance Cream Cleanser. It is one of those simple cleansers that does the job it claims to do and that you enjoy using in the process.

Bravura Volcanic Mud Cleanser

A look at another cleanser today, the Volcanic Mud Cleanser from Bravura, which is designed for deep pore cleansing and gentle daily exfoliation.

It’s a smooth and creamy mud cleanser with a very thick consistency and much more like what you would expect from a mask than a cleanser. It contains glycolic acid to gently shed dead skin cells and aloe vera and a natural oils to soothe the skin.

Nude Perfect Cleansing Oil

I’m embarrassed to say that I received this cleansing oil at an event many months ago and have only recently got round to using it. Not because I didn’t want to try it but because the packaging is so pretty that I didn’t want to use it, something I am guilty of doing with a lot of products!

Alpha-H Anti-Ageing Cleanser

I have a love-hate relationship with this cleanser. I love how it makes my skin look but I hate how it feels to use.

The Liquid Gold Anti-Ageing Cleanser is the newest cleanser from Alpha-H. The cleanser contains gylcolic acid, lactic acid and shea butter and promises to kick starts the skin’s cell renewal process to help achieve poreless looking skin.

DHC Deep Cleansing Oil Review

Long long ago I attended an event by DHC cosmetics, which is a brand from Japan and is one of the biggest Asian skincare and cosmetics brands.

I hadn’t heard of the brand before so the event was a nice introduction to the brand and their existing skincare line as well as new cosmetics collection (which I will be reviewing separately).

Their most famous product is the Deep Cleansing Oil. The oil is a water soluble based cleanser containing vitamin E and olive oil.

I was a bit concerned that with the hype around this product I would end up disappointed but I in fact I have been really impressed.

To use, you apply a small amount of oil to dry skin, massage your face and remove with water - I've been using either a damp muslin cloth or my Clarisonic. I've used this to remove eye makeup and although I was a bit nervous I didn't experience any irritation and my eye make dissolved immediately and was removed in one go. The cleansing process is quick and a small amount of product goes a long way.

The product smells just like olive oil, but the scent is light and not offensive. I haven't bothered to double cleanse with this because I haven't felt the need to, my skin is left clean and there is no oily residue on the skin. I've had no issue with break outs since using this.

The cleanser comes in three sizes, the smallest bottle is 30ml, and you pour it to get the oil but I the two larger bottles have a pump dispenser.

I love that the mini bottle is available for purchase so you can try the oil before you commit to a larger size. The price of the 30ml bottle is £4.50, 70ml is £11 and 200ml is £21.50, and they can be found on the DHC website.

Eve Lom cleanser review

I wanted to try this cleanser ever since I heard Mouldy Fruit feature it as a one of her monthly favourites.

The cleanser has been described by Vogue as “probably the best cleanser in the world”. It claims to be suitable for all skin types and conditions and even though you are meant to see results immediately, in terms of skin looking more radiant and feeling smoother, this is only meant to improve with use.

The cleanser has a balm like texture, and with the heat of your hands it spreads easily on the skin. It does contain tiny granules, which feel lightly exfoliating (but I don’t think that’s the point of them). It is not a great sensation when it comes to rubbing over the eyes so I usually take a little product in between my fingers and melt it down as much as possible before gently massaging over my eye area.

The scent is strong but not overwhelming, I can smell clove and eucalyptus and overall I think it is a herbal scent. I have days when I like it and others when I don’t….go figure!

Using the product is a nice experience, I haven't followed the long winded instructions included for a facial massage, which is a nice touch but not practical on a daily basis. But I would like to try and incorporate the technique once or twice a week as it is meant to help decongest and drain toxins.

The instructions recommend that you massage the cleanser onto the face and neck, then soak the muslin cloth in hot water and press the cloth against sections of the face and neck for a few seconds, repeating up to three times, before working the muslin cloth against the skin in small, circular movements to remove the cleanser. As a final step the brand recommends rinsing the cloth in cool water and pressing against the skin. This doesn’t take a long time, and is fine as a routine in the evenings, but in the mornings I have been massaging the product into the skin and immediately using the cloth to remove the cleanser. I haven’t found that it is suitable for use with the Clarisonic.

Ingredients: paraffinum liquidum (mineral oil), cetearyl alcohol, peg-30 lanolin, bis-diglyceryl polyacyladipate-2, aluminum stearate, theobroma cacao (cocoa butter), peg-75 lanolin, chamomilla recutita (chamomile oil), eugenia caryophyllus (clove oil), eucalyptus globulus (eucalyptus oil), humulus lupulus (hops oil), phenoxyethanol, methylparaben, butylparaben, ethylparaben, propylparaben, isobutylparaben, p-chloro-m-cresol, eugenol, isoeugenol

Overall I'm in mixed minds about the product. It is very effective at removing eye makeup as well as other makeup from the skin but I have noticed my skin is more congested recently. I haven't broken out but I seem to have more blackheads. Being that the first ingredient is mineral oil (which I’ve never had any issues with) I’m wondering if this is one of those instances where I have to use a toner to remove any residual cleanser — a step I usually skip.

For a lot of products I am not a fan of tubs as containers, but I assume for this product there isn’t much of a choice because of its texture.

I purchased mine at Space NK as part of a Christmas box set, but usually a 100ml tub would cost you £55, which includes a muslin cloth (which is huge and a nice quality btw). There are also 50ml and 200ml tubs, which cost £40 and £85, respectively. It’s not a cheap cleanser, and I’m in two minds about whether or not I would purchase it again. It is lovely to use and effective, but a 50ml tub lasted me approximately two months when used day and night, which doesn’t make it the best value for money. There is a very good chance I was a bit generous with the application though, so I will see how long the 100ml tub lasts before I make up my mind.

Is the Eve Lom cleanser your holy grail?

First impression: Philosophy Purity made simple cleanser

Philosophy is a brand that has always appealed to me. Its clean looking, cutely named products and the bite-sized philosophical thought found on each container has always made me think fondly of the brand, even though up until now I had never tried them.

When my Latest in Beauty advent calendar revealed a small bottle of Purity made simple cleanser I had a little ‘ooo’ moment.

The cleanser is very effective, it has a milky formulation and is gentle enough to use on the eyes, with only a small amount needed to remove a full face of makeup. I found it left my skin feeling very slightly dry, but I didn't develop any dry patches using it. I preferred to use it with my clarisonic, rather than a cloth as suggested, and it is one of the few cleansers that I have found which works well with it.

However, there is just one thing that doesn’t make me want to purchase a full sized bottle, and that’s the scent. For something called purity the last scent I would expect is ethanol, but that’s whats I get.

Now I realise that the brand does not consider itself natural/pure (the ingredients list for this product takes up half of the bottle!) Personally, I think it is a bonus if a brand is natural but I am not particular about that. I think in this case there is a mismatch in expectations, I thought something with the name purity would have a fresh scent but the smell of alcohol is too much.

So this post will stay as a first impression because I although I would still like to try some other products from the Philosophy range — the exfoliator in particular — I won’t be picking up a bottle of this.

Philosophy can be purchased from QVC, Selfridges, Debenhams and Boots. I also found a handy skin quiz on their US website, which interestingly for my responses didn’t actually recommend this cleanser!

Have you tried any of the Philosophy range, if so I would love to know what you recommend.

Pond’s cold cream review

What seems like an age ago I attended a Pond’s event at the Dorchester Hotel, which was celebrating a new look and the addition of Laura Whitmore -- most recently seen on I'm a celebrity get me of here now -- as their brand ambassador.

Prior to the event, I had largely ignored Pond's as a brand, I strongly associate it with my grandmother and always assumed it was for older skins.

We were kindly given a bag of goodies and I was most excited to try the Cold Cream, which is a product that historically has been around since Ancient Greece. The product is multifunctional and can be used as a cleanser, face mask and hand cream.

I have primarily used it as a cleanser and makeup remover, and I was surprised just how good it is at gently removing foundation, lipstick and even eye makeup (although generally I have a quick sweep with a eye makeup remover and rely on the cream to remove anything residual). It can be removed with cotton wool but I prefer to use a damp face cloth. I then use a toner and moisturiser.

Pond's recommends that this is suitable for all skin types. I have dry skin and immediately after using this for the first time my skin felt soft and smooth, a feeling that lasted through until the morning.
The product is quite thick in consistency and does feel greasy. I haven't reacted negatively by breaking out but I expect that anyone with oily skin is not going to like the feel.

On the event night, I was treated to a hand massage (which felt lovely) and although it can be used as a hand cream, because it feels so greasy, I would suggest using it as a hand mask instead.

The scent of the product is very delicate and overall I think it is a treat to use. The only negative for me is the packaging, I'm more of a fan of tubes than pots in general, but in the case of cold cream I think the pot is historic.

I think this is a great, good value product for gently removing makeup and, being multifunctional, would be great to take on travels so that you do have a face mask on hand if needed.

You get 50ml for £4.07, which lasted me about a month, but I think I have been slapping on a bit more than I should have so it could possibly stretch to more.

Alpha-H skincare review

I posted a first impression of the Alpha-H liquid gold over three months ago. Having fully tested this and three other products in the Alpha-H range it is time for my final review.

Liquid gold 

I still love the liquid gold, the ease of working it into my routine every other evening means that I haven't skipped using it the way I might other more complicated treatments. I saw results immediately and I had hoped that with continued use my skin would improve further; however, after those initial two weeks use I can't say that the liquid gold has added anything. I did notice that with the change in the weather, using this every other night is too harsh and because my skin is already dry and this just adds to that.

Although it would have been nice for the liquid gold to show additional improvements to my skin. I am pleased with the result that it has produced. As an additional test, I stopped using the liquid gold for over two weeks and I found that my skin stayed clear, which is a great result. My plan now is to use liquid gold once or twice a week, or more frequently if I feel my skin is in need of TLC to maintain its condition.

Balancing Cleanser

The Alpha-H Balancing Cleanser is the best cleanser I have tried in a long time. It is non-greasy, gentle and barely scented. It cleanses without drying or irritating my skin and thoroughly removes both face and eye make-up, which has been my favourite feature. The cream is so gentle that I could rub it over my eyes and then wipe it all makeup away with a cotton pad before using a muslin cloth to cleanse the rest of my face. 

I have a few more cleansers that I need to try but as soon as they are done I will be turning back to this....it is THAT good. QVC offer a twin pack for £30, which is the best value I have found.

Eye complex

Using eye products is where I fall down in my routine but I have started to notice that I am getting fine lines, which I know is a sign that I am too late, but I want to slow that down as much as I can. 

The eye complex is designed to deal with puffiness and dark circles rather than lines, but I have enjoyed using it and I do feel that the skin around my eyes is smoother. It has a gel texture, which absorbs into the skin quickly.

Age delay intensive night treatment cream

I have a confession here, I didn't read the packaging on this properly and had been using this as a day and night cream for my first couple of weeks of use. It is a thick cream but it sinks into the skin easily and doesn't leave a residue, which is probably why I didn't notice that it was specifically intended for use at night.

I hope that I am a little too young for a heavy duty anti-wrinkle cream and apart from my eyes I don't have any concerns about lines so it is hard for me to comment on this for its anti wrinkle properties. That being said prevention is better than a cure and since my skin is dry and this helps to keep my skin moisturised it is still a suitable night cream for me.

I would like to try out more of the Alpha-H range, in particular the serums. If you are aged 25 plus this is definitely a range I would keep in mind if you are starting to think about anti-ageing products. The liquid gold on the other hand I would recommend to anyone who wants to deal with pigmentation or acne scarring.

If you are interested in purchasing anything I would recommend QVC since it offers the best value for money as well as a 30-day money back guarantee, which means if you really don’t like the products you can send them back for a refund.