Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm

Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm (£21)

On my quest for affordable yet effective skincare I’ve come across Clinique’s Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm.  Cleansing balms are having a moment after the Emma Hardie balm cleanser became a hit with bloggers and skincare fanatics alike last year.  It may be worth its hefty price tag but I wanted to try a more purse friendly balm first so opted for Clinique’s offering.  Am I impressed?  I can confirm I am!

With an ingredient list filled with nothing but good things for your skin, as well as it being 100% fragrance free, this balm should suit all/most skin types without any irritation or issues.  I have combination skin and often get blemishes on my chin area but I’ve been getting along with this just fine.  Each evening before bed I warm a small amount of the balm between my fingertips before massaging it into the rest of my face, then wash it off with a clean flannel.  It does remove eye makeup well but I prefer to take mine off separately before concentrating the balm on my face. 

I love how squeaky clean and soft my skin feels after using this.  It’s smooth, fresh and feels ready to soak in the rest of the products which follow in my skincare routine.  The balm doesn’t leave behind any sort of greasy residue which is really good considering it’s effectively an oil once it melts onto your skin.  Initially I found it a little difficult to get the balm out of the pot as it was so solid and hard but it’s really easy to do now the tub sits at room temperature in my bathroom.

A little goes a long way with this product so don’t worry about the price tag (which I think is rather reasonable anyway!).  I’ve been using this at least once, maybe twice, a day for three months and have barely used a quarter of the tub, which I think is fab value for money.  I’m really pleased I tried this before splashing out on the Emma Hardy version as I don’t think I need to buy it (for now anyway - I can’t make any promises!)  If you’re looking at balm cleansers, or even just cleansers in general, this is definitely worth a try!

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What I Bought: The Beauty Edition

I've done quite a bit of shopping lately so thought I'd do my first ever haul post to show you what I've been buying.  This haul is beauty related but I've bought myself some new threads too so I'm going to do a separate post for my fashion related purchases.  I've accumulated this stuff over the last couple of weeks so I don't feel too bad when I think about how much I've spent.  Wouldn't it be lovely if I could afford a haul like this every week though?  A girl can dream!  So without further ado, here are the products that have made it into my beauty basket lately...

Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm (£21):  Oh look!  Another skin care purchase inspired by Caroline Hirons!  My purse is begging me to stop reading her blog.  This melting make up remover is one of her firm favourites and is a lot cheaper than the popular Emma Hardy Cleansing Balm which does the same sort of job.  I've used this a couple of times so far and love it already but need to use it a little more before I give you guys a full review.

Ciaté Emerald Collection (£25):  I actually got this amazing kit as a birthday gift from my friend Tonya.  She knows me so well.  Not quite a purchase of my own but I just had to include it because it’s so beautiful.  The kit includes an array of sprinkles, sparkles and fluff to create three different textured nail art looks.  I find myself in a trance-like state whenever I look at the glitter pot!  It's just so pretty...I can't wait to dip my nails in.  I've never seen anything like the velvet effect before so I'm rather intrigued with how that works.  Green is my favourite colour so this set is simply heaven for me.  It's like I've died and gone to the Emerald City.

Primark Face Cloths (£1.50):  To some, these flannels may be basic, boring and Nana-like but to me they are a godsend!  I use them on a daily basis to cleanse my face and remove my make up and they're a great little accompaniment to my new cleansing balm.  At £1.50 they're a steal!

Primark Plastic Travel Bottles (£1):  Another boring but practical purchase.  I'm going away for the weekend at the end of this month and have been warned in advance that I need to pack light.  These travel sized bottles were just £1 from Primark and are going to help me on my quest to take less products with me.  Now if only there was an easy solution for my shoes...

Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara (£12):  How cute is this?  This teeny tiny mascara is designed especially for your bottom eyelashes.  The minuscule brush is perfect for getting into the hard to reach inner corners of your eye and is great for avoiding those pesky mascara smudges.  Is it a necessity?  No.  But I was swayed by an offer on the Boots' website and thought it wouldn’t hurt to try.  I’ll review it for you soon.

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer (£3.99):  I’ve lost count of the amount of times I’ve repurchased this.  It’s the only concealer I use and I’m not about to start changing it anytime soon.  The consistency is thick and creamy and the coverage is amazing.  Spots, redness, eye-bags...you name it, this covers it.  If there’s one thing I recommend you try it’s this.

Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask (£22):  I think this is the product I was most excited about buying.  After hearing so many rave reviews about how it transforms your skin I knew I had to try it for myself.  Leave this mask on your face overnight and your skin will literally drink up the moisture.  The next day my face felt hydrated and looked brighter than it had in a long time.  I am really impressed!

And that includes my beauty haul!  What do you think?  Any treats in there that you would like to purchase yourself?  Or is there anything you’d recommend I buy next?  I know I shouldn’t considering my recent beauty binge but I really don’t care.  A girl can’t have too many products in my opinion ;)

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Nude Perfect Cleansing Oil

Nude Perfect Cleansing Oil (£28)

I think I’ve reached the stage in my life where I really need to take skincare seriously.  I’m almost 24 and although I’m still a bit of a ‘Spring chicken’ in the grand scheme of things, I’ve decided prevention is better than cure and so I’m going to give my face a little more TLC.  Gone are the days of removing my make up with a wipe (unless I’m drunk of course and then I can’t promise anything) and I’m waving goodbye to cheap, bog-standard brands.  From now on, I’m going to think twice about every product that graces my face.

To start with I’ve invested in a new cleanser which I’m trying to use both morning and night.  There’s so many different types of cleansers on the market and picking one can be really confusing.  Balms, gels, foaming formulas, liquids, creams, oils; the list is endless.  When looking for a new product I always take recommendations into account and I was hearing a lot of good stuff about the Nude Perfect Cleansing Oil.  I was a little dubious at first because I have combination skin which can be particularly oily on my t-zone and chin but I was so swayed by page after page of glowing reviews for this product that I decided to give it a go.  

I’m so pleased I did.  I love it so much that it’s currently the only cleanser I’m using.  One of the great things about it is that it’s gentle enough to use on the eyes, eliminating the need for another product yet surprisingly working well to remove even the thickest mascaras.  I massage two pumps of it into my dry face to begin then add a little bit of warm water so it becomes a little more fluid and milky.  I rub a clean muslin cloth over my face and watch as my make up begins to melt away.  I don’t ever have to apply a second coat and have noticed that my toner has a much easier job to do as the oil has dissolved almost everything on my face.  My favourite part?  How baby-soft my face feels after using it.  My complexion is glowing but for all of the right reasons.  It’s shine free and there’s no oily residue left behind which was initially a worry of mine.

At £28 this is more than I would usually pay for a cleanser but as it’s my resolution to start dipping my toe into the expensive skincare pond I think it’s a well deserved purchase.  A great addition to my expanding skincare collection!  Do you have any suggestions on what my next buy could be?  I can feel an addiction coming on...

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No 7 Beautiful Skin Hot Cloth Cleanser

No 7 Beautiful Skin Hot Cloth Cleanser (£9.95)

The No 7 Hot Cloth Cleanser is the product I reach for when I need a little extra pampering.  It’s creamy, lotion-like formula feels heavenly on your face and leaves my skin feeling super soft.  I use this product to double cleanse my face, removing my make up with it first.  After my skin is squeaky clean, I apply another layer and then soak the muslin cloth that comes with the product in hot water.  I ring out the cloth and make sure it's not too hot and then rest it on my face as I relax in the bath.  The heat works with the product to penetrate pores and give a deep clean result.

My skins feels great after using this product and I can really see the difference when I steam my face using the cloth.  I love how I can sit back and let the cleanser do the hard work and the cloth gently exfoliates your skin as you rub it against your face.  £9.95 is a good price too as you only need a small amount each time.  Definitely one too add to your bath time routine and just what my skin needs at the minute.

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