Battle of the cleansers

It's probably about time I did a little 'beauty' thang on here, this is after all a beauty and lifestyle blog!

I've been trying out a few different cleansers over the past few months and thought I'd share my thoughts with you.

 

Monu - Essential Care Facial Wash with Bergamot and Lemon £15.95 per 100ml

I'm a real fan of Monu products and I own several. This is a creamy emulsion which cleanses without soap or foam designed for all skin types. To use: massage into the face and neck with the fingertips. Rinse thoroughly with warm water.

This smells amazeballs. I totally love the combination of bergamot and lemon. Two of my favourite essential oils combined. Sometimes I find citrus based products can be a bit overpowering and bitter but this facial wash smells so fresh and zingy. I found this a great all round product. It totally removed all traces of my make up and I found it a really refreshing product to use for a morning cleanse.

Liz Earle - Hot Cloth Cleanser £13.25 per 100ml or £14.75 per 100ml and 1 x muslin cloth

There's probably no need to introduce this product as it's a fave of beauty bloggers everywhere. But just in case you don't know, this is a cleanser you combine with a hot cloth to give a really 'deep clean' feel to the skin. A rich, concentrated cream enriched with rosemary, chamomile, cocoa butter and eucalyptus essential oils and designed for all skins of all ages. To use: massage gently onto dry skin over your eyes, face and neck to purify, soften and stimulate the circulation. Rinse the pure muslin cloth in hand-hot water and wring out before gently polishing off the cream. Finish by splashing your face with cool water.

This has a spa type scent to it, do you know what I mean? I always think it smells 'expensive'. I love this cleanser for a night time cleanse and to remove all traces of the days face. I think what this cleanser has over many others is the combination of the cream cleaner with the hot cloth element. To me this is what makes your skin feel really clean. Similar to how you used to get your face scrubbed with a flannel as a kid! Squeaky clean!

Neal's Yard Remedies - Rose Facial Wash £15.50 per 100ml

I started trying this out when my skin was going through a bit of a sensitive stage. Rose is one of my favourite essential oils to use in skincare and I use it a lot with clients, so I thought I'd give this one a bash. This is a gentle foaming wash with aloe vera, rose otto and pink rose petals and designed with normal and sensitive skins in mind. To use: massage onto damp skin and rinse with cool water.

This is a lightweight gel type of wash. It lightly foams and the scent of rose is heavenly. I love that NYR's have a lot of pump action bottles which is my preferred choice of dispenser so this gave this product a thumbs up. It did give a good clean but I wouldn't say I would repurchase.

Aromatherapy Associates - Hydrating Renewing Rose Cleanser £24.00 per 200ml

I've not tried many things from Aromatherapy Associates so I am unable to compare this to their other products. This was actually a trial size which came with a magazine. 

This cleanser has jojoba to cleanse with rose damask to keep skin radiant and healthy looking and geranium essential oil to balance the skin. To use: apply all over the face and neck using gentle circular movements. Rinse off with warm water.

I think I was expecting this to be some wonder cleanser. Aromatherapy Associate products, from all I've read in magazines and on blogs is quite a sort-after luxury brand. I did like this and my skin felt lovely and soft after cleansing but I think I preferred the fragrance of the Neal's Yard Remedies rose cleanser over this one. Although you do get a lot of bang for your buck with this one.

Overall which did I prefer? I think if I could only use one of these four cleansers for the rest of my life I would go with Liz Earle's Cleanse and Polish, just because it had the edge over the others when it came to how clean my skin felt afterwards. Fragrance and ease of use I would probably opt for the Monu facial wash but that's gonna be difficult because they don't do this particular facial wash anymore which is a real shame. Come on Monu bring it back!

Have you tried any of these cleansers? If so what did you think?

Are there any cleansers which you think I should try on my combination skin? I would love to know!

A gentle and effective cleanser to wipe away impurities and make-up for clean, glowing skin. Jojoba cleanses whilst precious damask rose works to keep skin radiant and healthy-looking, and essential oil of geranium helps balance the skin’s natural oils. Your skin is left fresh, bright and delicately fragrant.

Key Benefits:

• Gently and effectively removes cosmetics and impurities from the skin

• Tones and softens the skin

Directions for use

Apply over face and neck using gentle circular movements, rinse off with warm water. Follow with skin tonic, serum, face oil and moisturiser.

- See more at: http://www.aromatherapyassociates.com/skincare/collections/hydrating/essential-skincare-renewing-rose-cleanser-hydrating.html#sthash.YoPQQzbw.dpuf

A gentle and effective cleanser to wipe away impurities and make-up for clean, glowing skin. Jojoba cleanses whilst precious damask rose works to keep skin radiant and healthy-looking, and essential oil of geranium helps balance the skin’s natural oils. Your skin is left fresh, bright and delicately fragrant.

Key Benefits:

• Gently and effectively removes cosmetics and impurities from the skin

• Tones and softens the skin

Directions for use

Apply over face and neck using gentle circular movements, rinse off with warm water. Follow with skin tonic, serum, face oil and moisturiser.

- See more at: http://www.aromatherapyassociates.com/skincare/collections/hydrating/essential-skincare-renewing-rose-cleanser-hydrating.html#sthash.YoPQQzbw.dpuf

On the bookshelf in January

I know I was very lax towards the end of last year with my 'book club'  (read that as lax with ALL posts) and I didn't post for the last couple of three months but I love reading and I loving recommending books which I think others will enjoy, so I have decided to carry it on and I hope you will bear with me.

Lets wipe the slate clean and pretend that I didn't miss on posting about books I had read at the latter end of 2013 shall we, after all we're all friends here!

I do have to give a disclaimer and that is; I don't expect each month to be rammed with read upon read. There is a battle between free time vs no bloody time going on in our house this year and I expect it to remain that way for the majority of the year, but I promise to do my very best and get through at least one book a month. Currently book reading is only when I fall into bed at the end of the day and I manage a chapter (if I'm lucky) before I nod off.

Falling Leaves by Adeline Yen Mah

Adeline Yen Mah's childhood in China during the civil war was a time of fear, isolation and humiliation. The cause of this was not political upheaval but systematic emotional and physical abuse by her step-mother and siblings, and rejection by her father. Falling Leaves is the story of a 'Fifth Younger Daughter' and her determination to survive the pain of a lonely childhood.

My Verdict: This is a harrowing story, a harrowing TRUE story which makes the read all that more upsetting. It is brilliantly written and to read what Adeline went through and how her spirit was not destroyed is incredible. If you are interested in the ties which bind us to our families then this is the book for you.