#23 Balmy but Blissfully Clean

Over the last couple of months my skin has been going through a dull, grey, flaky, oily but dehydrated phase, so I decided to road test a couple of skincare cleansers to see if I could find anything that would clean, nourish and brighten my changeable complexion. I have found and fallen in love with two of those cleansers

First up is Bliss Steep Clean Cleansing Milk – described as being the ultimate cleansing weapon for t-zones that are bogged down by clogging or worse, clad with acne. It is formulated with smoothing salicylic acid and enzymes to digest dead cells and diminish inflammation. What can I say, within a few days of using this I realised I was on to something special, my skin felt really smooth and my pores seem much smaller like they have literally been hoover-ed up! My face is also so much brighter and flatter (it seems to have reduced any inflammation) which I can only put down to those enzymes that are digesting any dead cells. I totally love this and it’s definitely going to become a staple in my cleansing routine. It retails at £23 and is available from www.blisslondon.co.uk

The second cleanser I have been trialling is Darphin's new Aromatic Cleansing Balm with Rosewood. Everything about this balm screams i'm luxurious and opulent so use me! It’s a bit of an unusual honey consistency but it’s actually this soft and rich consistency that encourages you to want to massage it into your skin, which only seems to enhance its benefits. You work it in with your fingers and when you add water it turns into a smooth and milky emulsion.
Packed full of essential oils such as rosewood, ylang ylang and sage it really did relax my mind as well as soothe, cleanse and decongest my skin.

Initially when I first started using it, my face felt extremely soft without the usual squeaky clean feeling so I thought, this is odd I don’t think its working! Yes you see, I come from the race and school of thought that usually thinks if it doesn’t tingle or at worst sting it can’t possibly be working; as everything needs to be felt and felt quite strongly for it be believed. But no, on wiping my face with a toner (which I didn’t actually need) my face is completely clean! In fact after about a week of using this cleanser at night my face feels quite normal, it’s not oily, congested, dull or dehydrated. I’m very impressed and have been converted to the school of gentle cleansers. This again is going to become a staple in my bathroom cabinet. It retails at £54 and you can get it from Space NK.