The Gentle Cleanser Post...

Anybody that's been a long term reader of my busy little musings will know that my skin does tend to have a hissy fit at the first sign of something it doesn't like, be that something I've eaten or a new product I've used that my skin hasn't taken a liking to.  So I'm constantly on the lookout for gentle cleansers that will be tough on makeup but not cause my skin to freak out too much.  Now these are a few I've been using recently and having given them each a fair trial I thought I would share my feelings.

The Body Shop Camomile sumptuous cleansing butter says it's suitable for all skin types but you know if it has camomile in it, it's going to be calming and gentle on the skin.  Apart from the fact it comes in a tin that you have to dig the product out of I really can't fault it.  It has a light floral scent and you know with The Body Shop you can't really go wrong with the ingredients.  Once warmed up in the hands and applied on to a dry, full face of makeup this just melts away everything you have on including stubborn mascara and all you need is a clean muslin cloth or flannel to rinse away the product.  It's great for my dry skin as it leaves my skin feeling nourished without that tight feeling some cleansers can leave.

Now you may think if you love the cleansing butter so much why buy more cleansers but it was the messiness of it that led me to the Boots Botanics All Bright Cleansing Foam Wash.  This says it 'gently lifts away makeup and impurities' which I would say it only half does.  It has a gel like consistency which you are supposed to massage into damp skin to remove makeup but I always find I'm left with panda eyes from my mascara and eye liner after using this and even if I then go in with a second cleanse I still don't feel as though it's all gone.  I don't really feel as though my skin benefits in any way from using this although it is marketed as containing Hibiscus as 'Nature's brightness booster' and that natural AHA's from the flower act as a mild exfoliant to smooth and brighten.  There could possible be some slight brightening effects with this but aside from that and the convenience of a gel cleanse it's pretty redundant.

And finally the No 7 Beautiful Skin foaming cleanser for normal/oily skin.  You're probably wondering why I would buy a cleanser targeted at more oily skin types but I don't use this everyday.  This is more a cleanser for those evenings after a sweaty long day at work or for a quick cleanse after a good gym session.  This again does nothing for removing mascara or eye liner although it says it dissolves makeup I beg to differ and because this is targeted at removing oil and tightening pores it does leave a little bit of a tight feeling just after washing but as long as I only use this once or twice a week and I go straight in with a good toner, serum/oil and moisturiser that feeling doesn't bother me too much.  I will however continue to hunt for the perfect gentle cleanser and if anybody has any suggestions please do pop them below.

My little winter skin life savers...

And here they are!  I am one of those very fortunate (not) people who's skin shrivels up like a prune as the weather changes.  Pair that with being horrendously ill for the past week and my skin has just been hating me and craving some TLC... 

So along with getting plenty of rest, drinking lots of hot lemon water and popping numerous vitamins and pills I've been reaching for some skin saviours to try and look human again.

I've had this bottle of Espa Balancing Herbal Spafresh Spritzer for about a year and have literally only used a quarter of it because I tend to savour every spritz and use it very sparingly.  It has a calming herbal scent and just gives my skin a little instant boost.   

With a blocked nose and cheese grater throat comes dry sore lips and despite piling on lots of The Body Shop coconut or honey lip butters the only thing that has really soothed my lips is the Blistex Intensive Moisturiser.  This stuff is instant gratification and relief in a tube, it just gets the job done. I love it!  

I have never really tried anything from the 'Yes to..' range so I decided to pick up the Yes to Carrots Rich Moisture Day Cream for normal to dry skin.  This is so good I want to slap it on every five minutes just because it feels so good and smells like floral carrots.  If thats possible...??  I'd say this moisturiser is a one-size-fits-all as my husband who has very oily skin has been loving this too.

The newest additions to my little skin stash are the Nivea Q10 Anti-Wrinkle Eye Cream and the Boots Botanics Super Serum Triple Age Renewal.  Both of these products are geared more at anti-ageing than hydrating but being somebody who doesn't generally use either an eye cream or a serum (shock horror!!) I think my skin has just been enjoying the extra layers of product and having noticed a few laughter lines around my eyes I'm hoping I can nip that in the bud ASAP!!

I will always have a jar of the Clarins HydraQuench Cream in my cupboard ready to work its Hydrating magic when nothing else will cut it.  It's a thick but light moisturiser that just sinks into the skin and leaves it feeling plumped and soothed.  It's like a little skin drink in a jar that I think I will love forever.

Finally I like to conclude my routine with the Loreal Paris Skin Perfection Anti-Fatigue Perk-Up Cream.(link)  Aside from having the worlds longest name this cream does what it says on the tube and more.  It's a skincare/makeup hybrid which goes onto the skin as a grey tinged moisturiser and once blended morphs into a good skin day dewy tint that matches my skin tone perfectly.  As the name suggests it instantly perks up fatigued and dull skin and leaves you looking awake and healthy.  This has to be my absolute favourite product of the bunch at the moment as it just makes me look alive again especially throughout the past week when I've felt a bit like the walking dead and not having slept for days.

I hope this post has been a little bit helpful for anybody feeling as poopy as I am or for those suffering with their skin with the current climate.  Let me know your skin saviours, I'd love to know!