Review: The Skin Pharmacy Natural Alcohol-Free Toner and Natural Deep Cleansing Mild Facial Wash

The Skin Pharmacy is a Singaporean brand that focuses on natural ingredients. I'd always wanted to try their products, so when there was a special promotion last year to purchase the Natural Deep Cleansing Mild Facial Wash and Natural Alcohol-Free Toner as a set for S$20, I purchased 2 sets immediately!

Natural Deep Cleansing Mild Facial Wash

The facial wash is a clear, very viscous, unscented gel that foams easily. The foam is very gentle on my skin - the main foaming agent is decyl glucoside which is a mild cleanser. The ingredients consist of mild foaming agents, moisturizing agents (glycerin, sodium PCA, sodium lactate), as well as amino acids that help to repair the skin. It's a nice, basic cleanser to have - very gentle on skin, lasts a long time (you only need a little bit because it foams very well) and leaves my skin soft and never stripped. 

However - the original price is S$29.90 for 150ml on the Skin Pharmacy website which I feel is pretty steep. If you're looking for a comparative, gentle cleanser for sensitive skin that is more affordable, I would recommend Eucerin Dermatoclean Refreshing Cleansing Gel, which I reviewed here previously. 

Natural Deep Cleansing Mild Facial Wash ingredients: aqua, decyl glucoside, sodium lauryl sarcosinate, naturally derived PEG-80 sorbitan laurate, glycerin, organic propanediol, naturally derived PEG-150 pentaerthrityl tetrastearate, lysine, arginine, threonine, proline, sodium PCA, sodium lactate, aspartic acid, PCA, glycine, grape fruit seed extract, citric acid

Rating: 9/10 (-1 because I think it's a little pricey - but the toner is even pricier)

Natural Alcohol-Free Toner

The toner is a clear liquid - it mainly consists of witch hazel, glycerin and aloe vera extract, as well as sodium PCA (moisture) and amino acids. It helps freshen, soften and prep my skin for subsequent skincare. I do like the feel of this toner more than my usual Simple Toner, because this toner feels a little bit more astringent and freshening on my skin. (I think the combination of witch hazel, glycerin and aloe vera used by Skin Pharmacy feels a little bit nicer than the combination of sorbitol and witch hazel used by Simple.) 

The toner comes in a tiny bottle - 115ml. I use toner very generously so that bottle didn't last me long. The original price is S$29.90 for 115ml which is really pricey in my opinion! If you're looking for a similar, no-frills gentle toner for sensitive skin that is more affordable, I would recommend Simple Kind To Skin Soothing Facial Toner which I mentioned in my 2014 skincare regime. And if you like witch hazel and aloe vera... I have a review for Thayer's Rose Petal Witch Hazel coming up soon (more affordable)!

Natural Alcohol-Free Toner ingredients: aqua, witch hazel, glycerin, aloe vera extract, sodium PCA, lysine, arginine, threonine, proline, sodium lactate, aspartic acid, PCA, glycine, grape fruit seed extract

Rating: 9/10 (-1 because I think it's kinda pricey)

Would I repurchase? I might repurchase the facial cleanser (but I would probably opt for Eucerin Dermatoclean since it's more affordable). The toner is nice but way too pricey for me because I use toner very generously. Unless there's another promotion... I probably wouldn't repurchase. But they're really very good formulations that I believe would be very good for all skintypes - just that I'm a bit of a tightwad and the other drugstore "dupes" are good enough for me. I have a few of the acne-care products from The Skin Pharmacy on my wishlist though - I'll want to try them out in the near future!

Review: YÜLI Skincare Cell Perfecto PM, M.E. Skin Fuel and Halcyon Cleanser

I got to know YÜLI Skincare through Edo Jao's Twitter and Neiman's Idealist. At the time my skin was terrible - even after I had been in my current less stressful job for almost a year, using SKII and my old fallback (DRX Blemish Formula and Comedone Formula, which I will review another day), my skin was still clogged, dry and painful with acne. After reading so many glowing reviews about YÜLI Skincare, I had to give it a try. Their products are pretty pricey but they had a Black Friday promotion, giving out a complimentary Cellular Lip Conditioner with each purchase, so I decided to bite the bullet and bought full sizes of Halcyon Cleanser, Cell Perfecto PM and M.E. Skin Fuel. Shipping to Singapore was US$25 and thankfully the glass bottles arrived safe and sound!

YÜLI's full-sized products are packaged in glass bottles (MIRON violet?) - not very travel friendly, but I brought my entire stash with me to my recent Hong Kong work trip by bundling it in between my clothes. The glass dark and almost opaque so I can't really tell how much product I have left unless I hold it into very strong light. But this leaves me feeling assured that the product is protected from light. 

Cell Perfecto PM - US$98 for 30ml

I use 4 drops of this every night - it's an amber-coloured oil with little flecks of sediment. You have to shake the bottle before every use (remember to empty the dropper first) to ensure that the sediment is evenly dispersed and picked up by your dropper. 

It makes my skin really smooth the next day and after a month of use, I notice that it faded the stubborn red acne marks on my face. They're not totally gone, but some scars and most of the redness on my forehead is gone. My cheeks still have red acne marks but they are gradually getting lighter. The results did not appear overnight, but I had a bad cold the last weekend so my nose was rubbed raw and all the skin was flaking off and so painful. I applied Cell Perfecto PM there and the next morning my skin was less raw and tender. 

Ingredients: Bioregenerating Botanical Infusion (Botanical Glycosides, Sea Minerals Complex), S. chinensis (Jojoba) oil*, M. integrifolia (Macadamia) oil*, O. ficus-indica (Indian Fig) seed oil*, C. inophyllum (Tamanu) oil*, H. rhamnoides (Sea Buckthorn) oil*, A. uva-ursi (Bearberry) extract*, H. italicum (Helichrysum)* extract, G. glabra (Liquorice) extract*, C. asiatica (Gotu Kola) extract*, Renew Minerals Complex (Methysulfonylmethane (MSM)* Derived from Pine Lignin, Phytosterols derived from Flax), A. linearis (Rooibos) extract*, B. carterii (Frankincense) extract*, D. carota (Carrot) seed extract^^, G. lucidum (Reishi) extract*, L-arginine, L-ascorbic acid (Vitamin C), L-Gluconic Acid (Derived from Kombucha Tea Ferment)

M.E. Skin Fuel - US$92 for 30ml

I use 4 drops of this every morning - it's a light, fluid oil. When I first started using it, it made my face look oily during the day. But after 2 weeks in Hong Kong (dry winter) and after 1 month total of using it regularly, my skin seems to have balanced out and is less oily. I'm pretty sure that the regular usage of YÜLI oils balanced out my skin so that it stopped producing so much oil. My skin is still oily but using M.E. Skin Fuel alone is very manageable now even in hot weather (of course I still use loose powder over it to mattify). 

After regular usage of M.E. Skin Fuel and Cell Perfecto PM, I find my skin less prone to inflammation. Even if I do get some zits (after a flight - cabin air wreaks havoc on my skin), they are not as painful and do not become too inflamed. 

Ingredients: S. chinensis (Jojoba) oil*, A. spinosa (Argan) oil*, P. armeniaca (Apricot Kernel) oil*, N. Sativa (Black Cumin) oil*, P. granatum (Pomegranate) oil*, R. idaeus (Red Raspberry) seed oil*, B. oleracea (Broccoli) seed oil*, O. ficus-indica (Indian Fig) seed oil*, H. rhamnoides (Sea Buckthorn) oil*, T. officinale (Dandelion) infused in jojoba oil*, Supercritical extracts of H. rhamnoides (Sea Buckthorn) seed and fruit*, H. italicum (Helichrysum)* extract, N. Caerulea (Blue Lotus) extract^^, J. grandiflorum (Jasmine) extract* 

Halcyon Cleanser - US$52 for 100ml

I use 3 full pumps of this when I wash my face, sometimes a little more if I'm cleaning my face at the end of the day and it's especially oily/dirty. It's a silky, fluid gel emulsion that has an herbal scent (reminds me a little of Chinese herbs? A little bitter) and it's extremely low-foaming,which takes some time getting used to. I've read some reviews that said it can remove the most stubborn mascara, but it's so expensive that I'm not going to use it as a make-up remover, you know? I do double cleansing - remove make-up first, then cleanse with Halcyon. I leave it on my face for a minute to let the beneficial ingredients do some work. It is definitely worth a try, it really soothes and calms inflamed skin. 

Ingredients: H. italicum/L. angustifolia hydrosol blend*, herbal infusion of (T.pratense*, C. sinensis*, S. media, Z. officinale*, O. fragans), D-aloe barbadensis,vegetable glycerine, sodium cocoyl isethionate (vegetable source), peptides derived from Amaranth protein, jojoba ester*, Rhodophyta (Red Algae) ferment, G.lucidum (Reishi) tincture*, zeolite, tocopheryl acetate (vitamin E), vitamin C ester, biodynamic fruit enzymes, petitgrain sur fleurs oil*, bergamot (bergaptene-free) oil*, collidal silver

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To make this a more objective review, something that a discerning skincare junkie would nitpick about would be that there was no expiry date printed on the packaging. (Understand that this is not a US FDA requirement, but I would like to know the exact date of manufacture or date of expiry, to be assured that I'm getting a fresh product. YÜLI's packaging does show shelf life, i.e. how many months the product can last after being opened, but this is not very useful if you don't know the date of manufacture or date of expiry. This applies to many other green skincare companies, such as 100% Pure.)

Also, this is the most low-foaming gel cleanser that I have ever used - the bubbles are tiny, see the photo below! (It was already disappearing when I took the photo, hard to capture!) With regular gel cleansers, I would put cleanser on my palm, followed by a little water and foam it on my hand before applying the foam on my face. However, with Halcyon, you have to wet your face, put Halcyon on your hands, apply Halcyon straight onto your wet face and lather it on your face. I take some time to really massage it it gently all around my face, then I leave it on for about 10 seconds and rinse off. My skin is super smooth after.

After a month of using YÜLI, I feel a change in my skin - it's smoother and less prone to inflammation. Even if zits appear, they don't erupt into something huge and nasty - they stay small and don't grow into a huge cyst. It definitely took some time - but after a month, the effects are starting to show! I will continue using YÜLI and update with any improvements. 

I am gradually trying to change my skincare to incorporate all-natural products. I think my skin started breaking out because I was experimenting with too many new products at the same time. Hopefully my skin will repair, renew and become as nice as it was 2 years ago. :)

Review: B.Liv Squeaky Clean beads cleansing gel

This B.Liv cleanser came in a special promotional set that I purchased a while ago. It's an exfoliating gel cleanser with beads and has an herbal, menthol scent which I like. The beads are very fine and gentle and the light-green gel doesn't foam much. Its main function is a cleanser with exfoliating benefits, not a scrub, so it's safe to use every day. (Personally though, I prefer my cleansers and scrubs to be separate products, because I think exfoliating every day isn't very good for the skin!)

The instructions are to put 2-3 pea-sized drops onto your palm and lather with water before applying to your face. However, because it really doesn't foam well at all, I feel like I'm not cleansing my face very well. It does make my face feel tingly and fresh, but I have this niggling feeling that my face isn't very clean, and I need to use toner to remove the residue afterwards.

I like how fine and gentle the beads are, and they're just nicely dense enough to give the right amount of light exfoliation. However, the non-foaming bit annoys me. I have tried applying the gel directly to my wet face, but it feels a little bit off - like it doesn't clean enough. 

For now, I usually use it on the days when my Clarisonic is out of juice and I need to charge it, yet still need some light exfoliation in my cleansing, which is about once a week. Honestly, I had high expectations of this cleanser because I loved my other B.Liv products, but this one missed the mark. I have read a lot of rave reviews of this cleanser though, so who knows, maybe it's just me!

Rating: 6/10

Review: Hada Labo Tamagohada AHA/BHA Exfoliating Face Wash Foam

Here's another facial cleanser that I just finished using up. I remember I bought this Hada Labo Tamagohada AHA/BHA Exfoliating Face Wash Foam (phew, long name) at a discount for $12.90. It comes in a 160ml bottle, filled with the face wash liquid, and a pump produces lots of luxurious foam. I love the pretty blue bottle. Hada Labo markets itself as a simple but effective skincare line (which is slightly pricier than regular drugstore lines like Biore), and I find its products are all of very good quality. 

I have a good impression of the Hada Labo brand, because I had a good experience with one of its other face washes. I just realized I haven't posted a review of it, but I'll put it on my to-blog list! This face wash is no exception. "Tamagohada" means "egg face" - the face wash is supposed to leave your face as smooth as a hard-boiled egg. The foam feels really luxurious and gives a gentle cleanse because it "cushions" the face:

I usually use a generous 2 pumps for each cleanse. I managed to finish the bottle within a month by using 2 pumps twice a day, which is faster than I use other cleansers. I find such liquid cleansers less value-for-money because the cleansing solution includes a lot of water, while other gel/paste type cleansers are concentrated and we add water to work it into a foam. According to my logic, 160ml of a foaming cleanser might be only equal to maybe 80ml of regular gel cleanser. Of course, the selling point of foaming cleansers would be that the foam produced is finer and fluffier, which feels more gentle on the skin. 

I like this cleanser because it's really convenient, the foam feels really lovely on the skin and it does cleanse very well - I feel my skin becoming smoother over time. There is AHA/BHA, but it does not sting my skin at all - conversely, it feels very gentle and the fluffy foam goes on like a dream. It does not give my face a tight feeling when I wash it off - my face is left really smooth and comfortable. My only gripe is that it's very, very foamy and I have to spend a longer time washing it off my face. The ingredients are as follows:

You need to use sunscreen after, because of the AHA/BHA.

The plus: Foam is fluffy and feels like a dream. It leaves my face feeling smooth.

The minus: More expensive and per ml/ounce, doesn't last as long as other regular facial cleansers. The foam is a little too soapy/foamy and requires more time to rinse off. 

Rating: 9/10

Review: Eucerin DermatoClean Refreshing Cleansing Gel

I got this bottle of Eucerin DermatoClean Refreshing Cleansing Gel for free with a purchase of Aquaporin moisturizer. It was an absolute lifesaver when I was suffering from painful cystic acne, because this was so gentle on my skin, yet cleansed well. I've really fallen in love with this cleanser - even though it's simple and no-frills, I can't live without it!

Like most of my favourite gel cleansers, it uses less irritating surfactants/foaming agents like Cocomidopropyl Betaine and Decyl Glucoside, which means it foams less easily than conventional gel cleansers, but you can still foam it up nicely and the foam is very fine and moisturizing. And because this also contains Sodium Hyaluronic, it's moisturizing enough for sensitive acne-prone skin, yet feels light and cleanses well without stripping. And the squeeze bottle with the press-cap is so functional and easy to use.

Though it looks very plain, like a no-frills, simple cleanser, I feel like I'm pampering my skin when I use it. My skin feels instantly soothed and softened. An absolute joy!

Ingredients: Aqua, Glycerin, Cocomidopropyl Betaine, Decyl Glucoside, Glyceryl Glucoside, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Acrylates C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Sodium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Methylparaben, Propylparaben

Rating: 10/10

I totally recommend this!

Review: Renew Balancing Gel Cleanser; Singapore Night Festival 2012

Recently I've finished using a cleanser that I've repurchased - Renew Balancing Gel Cleanser. My skin had been terribly clogged and congested for months and this cleanser played a part in helping to rebalance my skin. I'm happy to say that now my skin is getting much better! There's still a long way to go because while I don't have so many clogged pores now, they have left quite a few scars/red marks on my face. 

Anyway, I've reviewed products from Renew before, and absolutely loved them. I love this gel cleanser too! It is similar to Sukin Foaming Facial Cleanser, because I believe Renew and Sukin are related companies. It's also similar to Avalon Organics Lavender Cleansing Gel. This is SLS and paraben-free, and it's low-foaming, so if you're not used to such a low-foaming formula, you might be a little annoyed. I love it, it feels gentle on my skin and it doesn't strip skin of moisture. This Renew cleanser has a light tangerine/vanilla scent which is less complex than Sukin's delicious fragrance. Sukin smells better, but Renew seems to cleanse better - Sukin seems to leave a little layer of film on my skin after cleansing (essential oil, perhaps) but Renew rinses clean, such that I have the option of not using toner after. Between the two, I think Renew is more suited for oily skin. I love that this cleanser is inexpensive and made of natural ingredients, plus there are always periodic sales for Renew and Sukin at the drugstore.

Ingredients: Aqua, organic german chamomile, organic aloe vera, organic witch hazel, organic green tea, decyl glucoside (vegetable), cocomidopropyl betaine (vegetable), PEG-150 pentaerythrityl tetrastearate (vegetable), glycerin (vegetable), sodium chloride, sodium hydroxymethylglycinate (vegetable), citric acid (pH balance), grapefruit seed extract, phenoxyethanol, macadamia seed oil, organic rosehip oil, evening primrose oil, Australian sandalwood oil, tangerine essential oil, vanilla extract

In short - the price is right for an awesome product. :)

Rating: 10/10

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On Friday, I went to the Singapore Night Festival. Some museums were open for free to the public, there were light shows and exhibitions and a busking competition.

This was a cute exhibit of lighted doodles on the steps of SOTA (School of the Arts). I always feel a little wistful when I walk past SOTA because it opened after I went to university. SOTA starts from the high-school level, so it would have been nice if it was an option for me when I was in high school. Then again, though I have always been the artsy and weird one among my friends, I have also always been very practical in my choices...

One of the street dancers had a hot pink boombox. I LOVE IT!!!!! Does anyone know where I can get one???

There was the Night Lights show at the Singapore Art Museum. Some nature theme, with vines, birds, fire... Pretty cool, but I thought last year's was cuter! Last year's, the building looked like it was hip-hoppin'. Ha!

Some creepy installation at the courtyard, the shadows move as the lights move back and forth, and there's eerie music too.

Some eyeballs on display at SAM@8Q. My friends had a discussion of which coloured lenses they wanted to try. -_-U

This is a really cute but slightly "hmm..." video installation of little fishies in a fish tank. Water is poured in, then the little fishies have a feeding frenzy... then the plug is pulled and water drains out glug glug glug and where do the fishies go, I wonder...

A circular table-tennis table. You can play ping-pong on it - my friends and I did, and we totally sucked!

There was a light show at the National Museum of Singapore too, but it wasn't as nice as the one at SAM. This one was more nationalistic - like, it shows all the four races, historical stuff...

 I really like the swinging chandeliers in the National Museum, they swing so fast my camera had trouble focusing... My friends thought it looked ghostly, but they reminded me of Beauty and the Beast, and "Be Our Guest" just played in my head just then. Am I weird?

3D art everyone was crowding around.

This lone staircase at the National Museum is supposed to be haunted, my friends were all creeped out but I said "Hey this looks like a good spot to take a wedding photo..." Doesn't it??

I spotted these... things sitting on a bench outside the museum. I don't know what they're supposed to represent really. It's the 7th month right now (for the Chinese, it's the Hungry Ghost festival when the gates of Hell open and the ghosts are free to roam for a month), so it's really quite creepy.

Well it was a nice experience and I was pleasantly surprised to see so many Singaporeans out and about the museums. (Usually I think, we stay in the shopping belt?) I really enjoyed the atmosphere. Till next time then~

Review: Juju Aquamoist Hyaluronic Acid Cleansing Foam

I noticed my Juju Aquamoist Hyaluronic Acid Cleansing Foam running low recently, so I decided to review it before it's completely gone! It's a relatively more expensive drugstore cleanser (SASA has it for ~US$11), but I bought it at a sale. I haven't tried Biore's Marshmallow Whip facial foam, but I think they are similar, because they're both liquid cleansers which pump out airy foam, like so:

The foam is nice and light, and I think it would suit absolutely any skin type. It contains hyaluronic acid, so it leaves my skin feeling moisturized, yet the feeling is so light, and it cleanses really well. It rinses off cleanly and never leaves a drying feeling. While I use it only as a morning cleanser, the cleansing power is definitely good enough to use for evening cleansing too. Plus, Biore Marshmallow Whip doesn't contain hyaluronic acid, but this does!

Juju Aquamoist Hyaluronic Acid Cleansing Foam comes in a 150g bottle. The thing is, as compared to a regular cleansing gel or facial foam at the same weight, you're paying for a larger volume of water weight, because the water is what creates the foam. (With a regular cleansing gel, you're paying for the concentrated ingredients, because you add water yourself to foam it up manually.) That's why I find that I go through such liquid-type cleansing foams more quickly than regular gel-type or paste-type facial foams.

I really like this cleanser though - what makes it different from other moisturizing cleansers, is that it is suitable for oily/acne-prone skin. Other moisturizing cleansers usually feel more heavy and take time to rinse off cleanly, and might not be good at cleansing, but this Juju Aquamoist cleansing foam is everything and more - moisturizing yet light, cleanses well while retaining moisture and rinses off easily. And it's a really soothing cleanser for skin that has acne flare-ups - it cleanses well without aggravating acne and leaves your skin protected because it doesn't dry your skin out. Plus, just pump and go!

Other observations - the fragrance is light and clean-smelling, a universally likeable scent. While I think this cleansing foam is slightly expensive for a drugstore cleanser, it is an outstanding performer. As such:

Rating: 10/10

I'm thoroughly impressed! I can't wait to repurchase it (after I've finished my remaining stash of 98237689 cleansers). ^^

Review: Avalon Organics Lavender Cleansing Gel

Well hello I'm finally back after long weeks of non-stop working. Every day, I slept at about 3am and I worked through the weekends. I think my skin aged at least thrice as fast these few weeks, and I started to break out. I got whiteheads that became inflamed pustules (sounds so gross, it really is) which is considered a mild/moderate form of acne as compared to cystic acne (severe).

So I changed my skincare regimen and started to use this Avalon Organics Lavender Cleansing Gel, because my oily/dehydrated skin really works best with such gentle gel cleansers, plus the lavender scent helped to destress.

Ingredients: Organic lavandula angustifolia (lavender), chamomilla recutita (chamomile) and camellia sinensis (white tea) extracts (aqueous)(1), organic arnica montana extract(2), cocamidopropyl betaine, disodium oleamido succinate, sodium cocoyl glutamate, sodium cocoyl isethionate, vegetable glycerin, organic aloe barbadensis(1), glycereth-7 cocoate, citric acid, phospholipids, panthenol (pro-vitamin B5), sodium PCA, allantoin, dipotassium glycyrrhizinate (licorice root), organic borago officinalis (borage) and linum usitatissimum (flax) oils(1), phenoxyethanol, rosa canina (rose hip) oil, benzyl alcohol, organic lavandula angustifolia (lavender) oil(3) and other essential oils.

I really love such gel cleansers which foam gently due to the cocamidopropyl betaine. It helps cut through the oil and grease on my skin without drying it out, and cleanses gently while thoroughly, rinsing cleanly and quickly (unlike paste cleaners which often feel like they leave residue on your skin). And it smells so lovely because of the lavender (which is a natural antibacterial and thus helps eradicate acne), which helps calm me down, and it calms my skin down too... but the scent is a straight lavender (not like other cleansers which usually mix lavender with sweeter scents like vanilla or mandarin) which some people might not like.

Plus - it's organic, contains essential oils, flax and borage oils for moisture, and white tea for antioxidants. It's relatively affordable (US$11.95 for 200ml) and it must be quite popular because my sister has been trying to repurchase it but it's sold out at all 3 branches of Watsons she visited! However, some people might be sensitive to lavender oil, and I've read reviews where people with sensitive skin found this cleanser too drying/stinging. I think if your skin's moisture/protective barrier has been compromised by overexfoliation or other reasons, you should avoid this cleanser. I have really oily but dehydrated skin and I occasionally get sensitivity in my cheeks (where the skin seems thinner), but this cleanser works fine with me.

Other comparably gentle gel cleansers which I have previously reviewed are the Sukin Foaming Facial Cleanser, Eucerin Dermopurifyer Cleanser and Renew Rosehip Foaming Facial Cleanser which I realised I haven't reviewed yet (it's good!)

Rating: 10/10

I just purchased a tube of Avene Diacneal today at the drugstore, it's really expensive and I read on MakeupAlley that it's been discontinued, but somehow they're still selling it in Singapore. I'm hoping it'll help cure my skin. My skin's not super awful or anything but I want smooth skin again! Will review in a couple of weeks. Cross my fingers!

Review: Soap & Glory The Fab Pore Hot Cloth Cleanser

Ok, I promise this is the last Soap & Glory product I'm reviewing for now! (I'm not buying any more of them right now only because I'm out of funds. Hehe.) It's the Fab Pore Hot Cloth Cleanser and I think it costs S$24 (~US$16) for 100ml. I've read reviews online and people say it's a more affordable alternative to Liz Earle's Cleanse & Polish or even the scarily expensive Eve Lom Cleansing Cream. However, it's still kind of expensive to me. (Does that make me a cheapskate??) I will explain shortly after.

First let me describe the texture of the product... (Oh no I forgot to include a photo of it!) It's a lovely buttery cream, the texture is kind of like L'occitane's shea butter hand cream, but less "oily". It is not oily at all, it smells wonderfully of lavender and other essential oils. Some people might not like the scent (it is a very true, earthy, non-synthetic scent), but I love it because it is very natural. If you have used Dr Hauschka or Jurlique products, you will probably know what I am talking about. When I cleanse my face with this, I feel like I'm undergoing some form of aromatherapy session!

You can see it comes with a free muslin cloth, pretty thin and it doesn't have as much bite as the Body Shop ones I used previously (then again, the Body Shop no longer sells muslin cloths, they tell me). This makes it more gentle than regular muslin cloths, I'd imagine.

As you can see from the description of the cleanser, it's supposed to remove make-up as well. The recommended way of cleansing is just a one-step process. I apply a humongous splodge of cream cleanser to my dry face, rub it all in (somehow my skin will 'absorb' the cleanser like a cream, so I need a huge splodge), wait a minute, then wet the muslin cloth with super hot water, squeeze it till it's just the slightest bit damp, then put the huge square of hot muslin over my face to open up the pores. (Breathe deeply! Smell the lavender and relax...) I will repeat the hot muslin step a couple more times, then finally use the damp, warm muslin cloth to gently press away all my make-up, rinse the cloth, then use the cloth to exfoliate till my face is clean. The cloth will look really dirty from all the make-up but after rinsing and repeating, all the make-up will be gone.

As I am used to double-cleansing, sometimes when I have a full face of make-up, I'll cleanse my face per normal, then repeat by reapplying a fresh splodge of cleansing cream. It is very important that the face is dry when the cleansing cream is applied, because it will not remove dirt properly on wet skin. Is it as time-consuming as it sounds? Hell yea!

Now I will explain why this habit is expensive. I don't spend a lot on cleanser - the most expensive cleanser I purchase would probably be about the same price as this cream cleanser, but it would be for about twice the amount of product which would last me more than twice as long. Even if I factor in double-cleansing or the cost of a separate make-up remover, it would probably still be more economical than this cream cleanser. I think the 100ml tube of hot cloth cleanser will last me about 2 months. I've used it for 3 weeks now and I've got 2/3 of the tube left.

You might wonder if a cream cleanser can really leave skin clean? Well, I only use this in the evening (I use a regular foam cleanser in the morning) so it has worked pretty well this way. I definitely have to be careful about cleansing near the hairline with this cream cleanser, and I always follow with toner to remove any remnants of cream. (I use Simple toner, and with this cleanser, you need to use the cotton pad way of applying toner, to remove traces of cleanser. I wouldn't use a Japanese kind of softener or toner with the patting motion together with this cleanser.) Also - I have tried using this cleanser to remove waterproof, super budge-proof Majolica Majorca mascara and it did it easily! Impressive.

Ingredients:

How do I feel about this cleanser? Well, I really really really love the scent of it, it's so relaxing, and going through the tedious ritual every night (with lymphatic drainage massage when applying the cream on, if I'm diligent) is really soothing. However, it is just too time-consuming to do on a regular basis and while my skin does glow after use, sometimes I just feel like using a regular cleanser because it feels like it 'refreshes' my skin more. I would probably repurchase this, but I might use it only on the weekends.

Rating: 9/10

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I hope everyone had a great Christmas! I know I did! I'll be going on a mini family vacation early tomorrow morning and oops, I haven't started on packing yet. >_< I'll end with a funny photo:

Michael Jackson = Soy milk and grass jelly. Because it's black and it's white! Haha. Saw this at Holland Village food centre. The owner is kinda grumpy though and honestly, this stall's drinks don't taste so nice. :P

Till next time!