Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm

After my disappointment at the No7 melting gel cleanser not being the best at removing my make up, the search continued for a cleanser that would remove all my make up before I went ahead with my trusty No7 hot cloth cleanser.  I was initially tempted by the infamous Emma Hardie balm, but not being a fan of heavily scented products on my face, my search lead me to Clinique.  I'd heard little about this in blog-land until I stumbled across it on Caroline Hirons' fabulous skincare blog, but once I searched for the actual product, I found many a review singing it's praises, and this review is going to be another one.

I was never a fan of Cliniques 3-step system; I didn't mind the moisturiser but aside from that, the only other Clinique product I've used, but actually really liked, was their Take the Day off dual-phase eye make up remover.  I'd never actually noticed the balm version before, and I guess it does look rather inconspicuous in it's little pot, next to Clinques typical tall bottles of cleansers and such. While not the most glamorous packaging, I do like it.  It's neat and compact, and certainly doesn't look cheap or tacky.

On opening the tub, balm doesn't look the most attractive of products, and to be honest it looks an awful lot like a tub of lard.  But don't let this put you off, as this lard-like substance is possibly the best make up remover I've ever used.  You only need a small amount; just scoop it out and massage it all over dry skin.  As you massage, the balm melts into an oil and dissolves make up so quickly.  You can even use this on your eyes; just make sure you do your eyes last or you'll have mascara everywhere! I then tend to add a little water so it emulsifies and massage again, before rinsing a flannel under hand hot water, and wiping away.  The result? Every scrap of make up is gone and my skin feels fresh and clean, and ready to follow up with my second cleanse. The formula is completely fragrance free, and contains no essential oils, which may not be to everyones taste but for sensitive skins it would be ideal.  However, there's no reason why you couldn't follow up with a cleanser rich in these if you so wished. 

L-R: Urban Decay foundation & eyeliner, Rimmel lipstick, Topshop blusher & Benefit cream shadow.

Going, going...

... gone!

I'm really glad I tried out this cleanser.  At £21 it's not super cheap, but it's definitely well worth the money, especially as it'll last a really long time.  I've been using mine for around a month now and apart from a bit of dent from when I was using a bit too much to start with, I've hardly used any.  Inside and out, it's definitely not the most glamorous of cleansers, but it does the job, and at the end of the day that's all that really matters isn't it?

Boots No7 melting gel cleanser

  
I was considering purchasing the Clarins equivalent of this cleansing gel, but as it was the end of the month and therefore I was a little skint, I decided to go for the No7 as I couldn't wait til payday to clean my face!  This cleanser formed the basis of my skincare overhaul, something I needed to do as I'd been getting very lazy with my skincare routine.  When I wasn't being lazy I'd use No7's hot cloth cleanser, which has been a staple of mine for a couple of years, but as everyone's going mad for 'double cleansing' lately, I decided to use this in addition to get my own double cleansing experience.

The cleanser comes in typical No7 packaging, very basic and no-frills, but doesn't look at all cheap or tacky.  It's just a simple white plastic tube with a pink cap.  It's priced at £9, more than half the price of the Clarins cleanser, and can be bought even cheaper when No7 have their £5 vouchers (I got a voucher the other day actually...) out.

As the name would suggest, this cleanser is of a gel consistency, that when massaged into the skin transforms into an oil.  Upon contact with water, it turns into a more creamy consistency which you then rinse away.  I tend to massage the gel into dry skin; (apparently this is how you're meant to cleanse your face, none of that damp skin malarkey!). The oil does make your skin feel kind of heavy, but this loosens as soon as I add a bit of water.  All in all, it actually feels quite nice and soothing. I continue to massage this into my skin before taking a hand-hot flannel and massaging away.  The flannel feels much more luxurious than a muslin cloth and also gives the smallest amount of exfoliation.

 I'd say it removes about 90% of my makeup.  Unfortunately it isn't designed to remove eye-makeup; it made my eyes sore when I tried to remove my mascara! My skin does feel clean and soft after use so it's not all bad.  I've now switched to using this as my morning cleanser and it leaves my skin feeling soft and fresh, and ready to start the day.