Review: The Sanctuary Brightening Facial Radiance Exfoliator

It's no secret that I love the body exfolatiors from The Sanctuary.  For some reason, their facial skincare never really jumped out at me.  The only reason I bought this was because I had a £5 off voucher and I'd be damned if I wasted it. 

The Sanctuary say "ultra-fine apricot granules and grape seed exfoliate and refine, while a trio of pumpkin, pineapple and papaya extracts work naturally to help increase cell renewal. Skin is left feeling smooth and glowing with radiance."

What do I think?
The granules are anything but fine.  The suggested usage for this is every 2-3 days.  My skin is combination and I can only use this once a week.  Even then, I have to be careful with it because I will end up with a red face...and you know how hard it is for Indians to go red.

The smoothness and radiance I get from this is immediate.  My skin feels like a peach.  No other exfoliator has given me instant radiance like this does.  As soon as I've washed my face, I can see it looking a lot smoother and brighter. You know sometimes you use a scrub and it gives you fantatic skin and then a few hours later you've greased up because it's removed too much of your natural oils? This doesn't do that.  It may feel harsh but it manages to make my skin radiate and not strip the oils away.

Consistency wise, it's sticky to the touch.  The directions say to use it on a damp face which does aid in the spreading process.  

The citrus-y smell of the scrub is due to the fact that it contains citrus oil.  I thought that as they big up pineapples and pumpkin in the blurb, it'd smell more of those.

You can't see it from this photograph but it seems to contain little clear bubbles..they look like oxygen bubbles but I'm not sure what they are? I don't know if they burst as you smooth the scrub on..

I do quite like this.  You also don't need to use much to get the results.  The instructions suggest a pea sized amount but I find a grape sized amount is better.  For the record, it felt just as harsh when I used a pea sized amount so it's not like I'm tripping myself up by using more than I need.

Repurchase?
I would buy this again but only if I had the £5 off voucher.  I feel a bit of a twat saying that but then who would shell out the full price when Boots always have their vouchers flying around?  Taking into account that it gives me brilliant radiance and doesn't make me grease up, I will definitely be picking up a replacement.  If you fancy it, you can pick it up from here for £10.20..or £5.20 with the £5 off voucher!

Review: Burt's Bees Citrus Facial Scrub

I was very reluctant to use this, I can't think why..it's not like I had a million scrubs to get through first..I finally manned up and decided to use it..that was a few weeks ago.

The packaging (as per usual) deserves a mention.  This is the first facial scrub I've used which comes in a glass tub..which I think is a double edged sword.  The glass is not good for butterfingers like me but the tub is brilliant because you get to use every last grain.

The scrub itself is in a solid form.  Scooping it out is not a problem, it's quite soft and it doesn't really stick under your nails.  You just scoop out "one fingers worth" ( whatever comes out on the tip of one finger).  It doesn't say how much you need so there is a bit of guesswork involved but it takes about two or three turns to figure out how much is right for your skin.

I can't put my finger on what it smells like but I know I've smelt it before.  It's like spicy warm oranges with an earthy goodnes..but definitely not soily.  It's a very comforting smell, not synthetic at all.

It mixes very easily with water in your palm and the scrubby grains start rolling out so you can feel them.  They don't feel very harsh at all, they're like little round pods with a slight edge..

It's easy to transfer them over to your face and have a good clean.  The scrubbies are quite large so you can see and feel them rolling over your skin, the scrub isn't harsh at all.  Talking of that, I think I've come to a realisation..harsh scrubs don't work for me anymore.  I've noticed that the more gentle ones do leave my skin clean and they leave some moisture behind and that is what you want. 

This scrub left me with clean, soft skin and I think it would work well for most people with the same skin type as mine.  I'd go as far as to say that this actually left my skin glowing..which is something that is hard to achieve with combination skin without looking like you're actually oilier than when you started out.  

Retail price varies, mine was £3.50, I don't think it still costs the same but you can buy it from here.

Shahnaz Husain skincare

I was never going to even mention these on here until me and Halima started discussing them on Twitter.

Two out of the three were still in working condition, the third looked like this:

I told Simon about this and for some unfathomable reason, he didn't care.

I have used the Walnut Face and Body Scrub a fair few times and I think it's review worthy now..

It says it is a body and face scrub, I can't see it being very economical if used as a body scrub.  My body scrubs and their gargantuan tubs would laugh this tiddler all the way out of the bathroom.

I have combination skin (oily in the t zone, normal everywhere else) and getting a good facial scrub can be difficult.  You want a difference but you don't want over-stripping so your skin goes on a sebum producing frenzy.

This smells like lemons, not synthetic lemons, not lemons in a cheesecake but lemons like they squeeze on your rice in an Indian restaurant..which is something Indians never do at home.  It's a nice smell but all I have in the back of my head is "rice, rice, rice".

It fared very well on my face, I put a little bit on and smoothed it out, it spread very well over my face and allowed me to exfoliate in the way that I think is proper.  It was creamy, but not overly so.

The best thing about it was the fact that washing it off was easy.  A lot of the time I find that creamy scrubs are hard to properly wash off your face without getting a tiny bit annoyed.  This washed off brilliantly with no extra effort at all.

Every time I use it, I notice that my skin looks cleaner and my pores are clean.  It doesn't make me even oilier than when I started out and it makes my skin soft.  It also makes my hands soft which is something a facial scrub has never done before.

I don't know how much it retails for in the UK but I have seen it sold in some Tescos and it is definitely available in the Indian shops.  If you can't find one and want to try it, let me know and I'll be able to pick you one up, no trouble!

I currently only have a microdermabrasion scrub for my face so I'm going to buy the Shahnaz one and use them in conjunction, that's what I've been doing so far and my skin has really perked up.

Then we have this..

This is a Skin Nourishing Treatment.  I would only use this in the winter as when I used it during the summer, it made me oily.

I don't know how I feel about this.  It's a solidy "treatment" which has difficulty transforming into liquid when it's rubbed on your face.

I followed the directions and then decided to take it off with a muslin cloth.

It made my skin feel really soft..then ten minutes later it was really hot.  That passed and it went back to normal.

This didn't really do much for my skin so I'll give it a miss.

Thus, in conclusion..scrub - good, skin nourishing treatment - not impressed.

The Never Ending Foamy Exfoliator

Many moons ago, me and a certain blogger were talking about random things and she happened to mention a foamy body moisturiser that she picked up from the Pound Shop.

At that time, I had taken a dislike to body butters as they never seemed to sink in so this foamy thing could have been the answer to my prayers.

I trotted off to the Pound Shop and came across the foamy moisturiser but I also found a foamy exfoliator.  I had never ever seen a foamy exfoliator before and was intrigued as to how it would work..how could it? Foam is soft and exfoliation requires scrubby bits..

I duly bought it and have been using it on a weekly basis ever since.

It was the name which intrigued me most of all, PORE REFINING mousse cleanser..which has micro crystals in it.

I thought that this was a gimmick, how could foam exfoliate your skin?

Anyway, I've been using it since I bought it and I have only good things to report on this.

I use it whenever my skin feels a bit dull and it does leave it feeling cleaner, it actually looks more perked up and my pores do look smaller with continued use.

Foam can sometimes leave your skin feeling a bit tight and dry, this doesn't really do that unless I use too much of it and even if it does, I use a moisturiser afterwards which brings my skin back up to a nice "finish" (can you tell we have been doing a fair bit of DIY recently? I've been dropping DIY terms in everywhere).

The directions say to push the pump down ONCE and no more, I think once is a bit too much because I seem to get too much product so I push it down half-way.  The pump has yet to get clogged and even if it did, I'd just rinse it with water (that's what is suggested on the back).

This cost me the grand sum of £1 and it just lasts and lasts and lasts, I have had it since about January and it is nowhere near finished.  You know when you shake a product and you can tell that you've used it? You can't tell with this, it still feels full.  I have had other foam products where you could easily tell that they were nearly finished.

I have normal/combo skin and this is the one aimed at my skin.  Olay do do one for normal/dry skin, it comes in greeny packaging so all skin types are catered for.

Want a gentle exfoliator? Liz Earle to the rescue!

I LOVE exfoliating.  I'm not quite sure why, but a part of me loves the feeling of a scrub on both my face and my body.  It's the glow of nice, smooth, clean skin that comes out underneath it which really fascinates me.

I think scrubs are quite foolproof because if one makes you too oily, you can wash your face, tone etc..as normal and if it makes your skin too dry, you can always put more moisture in.

I already have two scrubs on the go but wanted something a bit different.

Then I got this Liz Earle Gentle Face Exfoliator.

I am usually anything but gentle with my skin but with this product, you can't help but be gentle.  It's not your typical facial scrub, it has a thick, cream like consistency and the "beads" only come to force when you rub it over your face.  The "beads" are there, you feel them washing over your skin and taking dirt with them but they're not so hard that they feel like granuales.

I didn't really see a big difference with my skin after using this the first few times.  I think you have to use it for about a month or so before you see results.

My nose is my current bugbear and I'm convinced the pores could be a lot cleaner.  After using this for a fair while, I found that it did make my pores cleaner and tighter.  I could actually see that they were cleaner and they looked a lot smaller.  I'm fairly chuffed about this and think I have finally realised that a gentle scrub is what I need to sort my nose out.  I didn't have the forethought to take before and after photos but believe me, there is a marked difference and for that reason alone, I think I will buy it again.  Having said that, it has not had any adverse effect on my face at all, I just feel that I can get away with a harsher exfoliant on my face..

If you like to give your skin a good deep clean via exfoliation then this may not be what your heart desires..but then I suppose you know that anyway, don't you? Otherwise why would you buy a gentle scrub?

My mum has normal skin and she really liked it, she said her skin felt a lot softer after using it so I'm thinking it is more suited to normal skin than it is for oily skin if you're looking for a gentle all over scrub.

This retails for all different prices, a 70ml bottle will set you back £12.25, a 50ml bottle will cost you £8.75 and a 15ml tube is less than a fiver.  I quite like the fact that you can get differing sizes so you can trial products before spending a lot of money on them.  You can buy them from here.

Review: Tesco Vitamin E range

Remember this post?

I think I've been using the range long enough to give a decent review, so here we go.

Just a heads up, this review is LONG. You know how long a review for one product usually is so this is about six products in one.

The one point I can make about all the products is the smell.  There is a tangy (yeah, tangy) smell from all the products, it's not offensive and smells quite light.

The cleanser.

I haven't used a cleanser for quite some time and I can't think why.  Actually, I can.  I don't subscribe to the whole "cleanse, tone, moisturise" malarky.  If your skin is behaving itself and you haven't cleansed and toned, then leave it be.  My skin was behaving so I didn't cleanse..despite having about 5 cleansers that I could have used.

The directions for use are standard, put the cleanser on with your fingers, wait a few mins and take it off with a cotton wool pad.

I can tell if a cleanser has worked if my skin feels softer and looks cleaner.  Did my skin look cleaner? Yes.  Did it feel softer? Yes.

I didn't have to use much either.

Purchase?
I'm personally on a no-buy but I would buy this when I've used up all my cleansers.  It cleanses and doesn't leave me really tight skin afterwards. 

The toner.

I've always had problems with toner.  If you get a gentle one, it might not clean the skin and the harsher ones strip your skin of all oil and make you even greasier so it's a hard balance to strike.

I liked the toner, it cleaned, didn't sting or have a horrible smell (you know that smell that some toners have).  However, I had a patch of dry skin show up on the right hand side of my mouth/right cheek but I think that's to be expected with a toner.  Plus, I moisturised afterwards and all was good.

I've used this when my skin was really greasy and when it was behaving and it worked well both times.  It makes your skin feel really nice and soft.

I do have one semi negative point to report, it's a very gentle toner.  I don't know how best to elucidate this point but I will try.  It's very gentle so if you have really oily skin then you may have to use a fair bit.  I've been using this since Maskgate and it's brought my skin back up to its normal type.  Can you believe I still felt the after effects of that incident more than a week after it happened?

Purchase?
I'm quite impressed with how well it worked and for the price, I'd deffo buy it.

The liquid eye makeup remover.

I don't like liquid eye makeup removers because they tend to sting me so I stay clear.  I decided to bite the bullet and get on with it...all in the name of science and all that!

If you use just mascara and a neutral shadow, it works well.  However, if you wear a heavier eye then you need to use a fair amount of the product to get it all off.  I wore two shadows from my Sleek palette and the remover struggled.

Purchase?
I wouldn't buy this because I really don't like liquid removers.  It's great if you don't wear a heavy eye, if you do however, I'd give this a miss.

The face wash.

I call this "Sir Grease-Away".  I used it in the aftermath of Maskgate and it really cleared the grease away but left me moisturised.

I just dashed it on my face, massaged it in a bit and washed it off.

Purchase?
Yes. I'm going to replace my Clinique liquid soap with this.  I've fallen out with the Clinique because used everyday, it strips my skin so I use it when my skin is in need of a degreasing and it works pretty well but I think it's a bit pricey considering how often I use it.  I'd rather pay for this, use it daily than pay £12 for Clinique and use it sporadically.

The exfoliator.

Very tiny beads.  I like to use an exfoliator that I can feel actually scrubbing my skin.  This didn't really make a difference on my skin.  The only thing it did was remove the flakes of skin but I used just water and that did the same.

Usually when I use a scrub, it makes my skin feel smoother but this didn't do anything.

The consistency of the product was also a problem, it's very runny, even moreso than the face wash.  You know how exfoliators are usually pretty thick when you squeeze them out of the tube? This was the exact opposite.  I had to rub it in a fair bit to feel as if it was exfoliating my skin.

Purchase?
No.  I think the main downfall of this product is the size of the exfoliating particles, they're very gentle..almost too gentle.  If they were a bit bigger, I think the product would work better.

The night cream.

Ingredients:
Aqua, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Cetyl Alcohol, Butyrospermum Parkii, Glycerin, Cylopentasiloxane, Paraffinium Liquidum, Glyceryl Stearate, Cyclohexasiloxane, PEG-100 Stearate, Polysorbate 60, Parfum, Tocopheryl Acetate, Carbomer, Sodium Hydroxide, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin.

I tested this last because I don't really use a night cream because I've never seen any differences when using one.  However, I also decided to use it because my skin was going through a period of unrest after the MG debacle.  It went from super greasy and spotty to super dry..and I mean REALLY dry.  My skin has never ever been that dry before, I'd moisturise in the morning and have massive flakes coming off during the day (sexy!)

The first thing I noticed about this cream was that it was really light for a night cream, most night creams I have used are thick affairs which claim to provide intense moisture during the night.

I've been using this a fair bit and it has helped get my skin back to its normal standard, I don't wake up with flakes of skin on my face anymore and my skin does feel softer in the mornings.

Purchase?
Yes, it's a no fuss night cream, just slap it on and go to bed.  I like the fact that it doesn't break me out in whiteheads overnight as most night creams do.  I'd recommend it for girls with combo/oily skin as it's kept my skin on an even keel once it went back to normal, it's also good for girls with dry skin as it eliminates the flakes.

The cleansing wipes.

I've used these before and I love them. I know on here I say "would repurchase" a lot but the products which I feature in my "products I would elope with" are my key loves, they're the ones I pick when I'm packing a bag.  These made the cut.

They have a really light smell and I feel they're just wet enough to take off any grime (and makeup) and leave your skin feeling soft.  Plus, considering that their counterparts are sold at £3 something, these are a bargain!

Purchase?
Before I had these sent to me, I already had three as backups so the educated guess would be yes.

You can buy the whole range in Tescos (surprising!) here is the price list:
Vitamin E cleanser: 72p
Vitamin E night cream: 72p
Vitamin E toner: 72p
Vitamin E eye makeup remover: 72p
Vitamin E face scrub: 72p
Vitamin E face wash: 72p
Vitamin E cleansing wipes: 72p
Vitamin E hand and nail cream: 72p
Vitamin E moisturiser: 72p

Review: Korres Pomegranate Scrub and Mask

I know I love Korres, you know I love Korres.

I reviewed the moisturiser before and it is my HG moisturiser, I'm going to buy no other than this until my skin changes (which I hope isn't for ages because you know it took me long enough to find this bad boy).

I've had the mask and scrub just as long as I've had the moisturiser but you can't scrub and mask everyday so this review comes months after the first one.

First the rambling:
I'm always a bit funny when  it comes to masks and scrubs because I feel that some hurt my skin by being too scratchy and others are too wimpy to do anything which helps my skin.

Also, I had boxes for these items and I took photos but my card went a bit funny and both the photos and the boxes are long gone.

I had high hopes for these products as the moisturiser is basically, a don.

So, here's how I got on..

First things first, the Pomegranate range is aimed at those with combo/oily skin so I don't think they would work if your skin was normal or dry (but Korres cater for all different types so you'll find something for you on their website).

The scrub.

Korres say: "A creamy scrub containing naturally derived exfoliating grains. The Olive stones effectively refine the pores, reduce black spots and remove excess sebum, leaving skin radiant. Pomegranate extract, rich in tannins, reduces pore size and rejuvenates the skin. Olive and Calendula active extracts protect the skin due to their antioxidant properties."

I say:
Creamy scrub? I never thought that scrubs were meant to be creamy and I just assumed that a creamy scrub would not clear the oil.  This scrub is pretty creamy as scrubs go (more on oil clearing later on).
Do the olive stones refine pores? When I used the moisturiser it said that it, too refined and reduced pores and I didn't notice until the last few days of using it but this time I made sure to check and my pores definitely looked better whilst using this scrub.
Reduce black spots? I don't have black spots so I can't comment on this but my skin did look more even in tone. 
Remove excess sebum? Hell to the yes, I find a lot of scrubs either don't remove enough sebum or remove too much.  This scrub removed the sebum perfectly.
Radiant skin? Yep, I've never used a scrub which cleared oil and made my skin radiant with as much success as this baby did. 
Pore size reduced? Affirmative.

So, it holds up to all the claims it makes, is there anything else worth me mentioning? I think so (surprise surprise!)  The suggested usage is once every 5-ish days but I find that if you do use it once every 5 days, your skin starts to behave so you can start using it once a fortnight.  Then you can scale back usage to about once a month.  I've been using it without the moisturiser but I think if you use the moisturier as well, you don't need to use the scrub that often.

I like the fact that the packaging for the range is the same colour but different hues, the mask tube is a darker pink than the scrub tube and the moisturier has another shade of pink on the tub.  

Another thing I was impressed with was the fact that it really spreads well, you only need a tiny bit.  I've been using mine exclusively and I only took my photo for it the other day, it still looks pretty full.

The one bad thing about this scrub is something that I have always experienced with scrubs.  After using it, my face did get pretty warm but this feeling faded within 2-3 minutes and it's a minor discomfort considering the results I got from it.

Purchase? I'd be a fool to try something else so it's an all out yes.

You can buy the scrub from here.

The mask.

I haven't used the mask as much as the scrub (despite the suggested usage being "use after the scrub") because I wear glasses.

This might seem like a trivial matter but those of you without glasses will never realise the pain :( I currently don't have any contact lens (thank you very much Specsavers).  I'm getting my eyeware from Tescos (surprising!) for the meantime as they're far better than Specsavers, both in price and customer service.  Can you believe that SS gave me non scratch lens which got scratched? That wasn't the worst thing, they wouldn't even remove the scratch despite being in blatant breach of contract.  I wrote to their HO and they offered me free glasses but I told them to shove it.

Back to the mask! Yes, if you've got glasses and you have to take them off to put a mask on, you try your best to not do it unless you really need it because not being able to see isn't good.

I've used the mask more on my forehead than anywhere else because firstly, you can do that without removing your glasses and secondly, it's the greasiest part of my face.

I have however, used the mask on my face when in the shower and a few times when I'm "resting my eyes" (perving on the Mon when he's getting changed, hehehe).

Korres say it is "formulated with white argil, a natural clay with significant sebum-absorbing  capacity that removes impurities and deeply cleanses the skin, leaving a fresh and radiant complexion. Pomegranate extract, rich in tannins, reduces pore size and rejuvenates the skin. Zinc regulates sebum secretion and provides antibacterial protection, balancing oily skin functions."

I say:
Absorbing sebum? Yes, very good at doing this.  You know how some masks dry you out but then you grease up a few hours later? This mask doesn't do that.  It doesn't give you the extreme clean feeling but it makes your skin feel comfortable. 
Impurities removed? Yep, my skin looked lighter after using it so the dirt was gone. 
Deeply cleansed skin? Yes, properly cleansed which means that my skin felt soft and clean, not tight and clean. 
Fresh and radiant complextion? Indeed, I mentioned before that I looked lighter, I think radiant is the word I meant. 
Reduced pore size? With enough usage your pores shrink so much that you have to actively look for them, they're not the first thing you see when you look at your face in the mirror. 
Rejuvenates skin? As I said above, I don't use this mask as much as I should, I whip it out when I'm feeling super greasy and it really does give me a brand new skin feeling. 
Oily skin balanced? This (I think) is a claim that very few companies make and are able to prove.  I find that a lot of the masks I use will dry my skin out but then give me super greasy skin the day after which is a bit pointless.  The Korres mask totally balanced my skin out, after taking it off, my skin feels really soft and normal.  I'm happy to say that this feeling lasts for quite some time.


Purchase? Yes but if it was a choice between this and the scrub, I'd get the scrub.

You can buy the mask from here.

Review: Biore Warming Blackhead Fighting Cream Wash

I've been battling with horrible skin recently and I don't know what's caused it to break out. I've been cleansing my skin everyday and actually looking after it. I'm convinced my nose has dark marks on it even though the Mon has advised me this is not the case. He's even taken digital camera pics on super macro to show me that I'm imagining it. I'm sure that my nose is getting greasier and that there are blackheads on the end of it which never come out as I can't get any product on them.

Monlar went out this morning to get some bits we needed, returning with a little something for me from Superdrug.

He came home clutching a Biore wash for my face hoping it would help the greasies. I've used the Biore wipes before and they were horrible, smelt like alcohol and as if they could cut through car oil, plus they really dried me out and they stung like hell. In the end I gave them to my brother so he could clean his car wheels with them.

He bought me this badboy right here:


So, with an apprehensive "let's give this a go then but it won't do owt" look on my face, I decided to try it. Truth be told, I kinda hoped he would have picked up the Pore Unclogging Scrub, which makes me sound like a right lazy cow, can't get off her arse to get herself stuff and then isn't happy with what someone brings her..

The instructions said wet your face and then dry your hands. Put the product on your hands and then apply to your face and it will heat up when it touches water. I got freaked out by how warm it got, simply because things don't usually warm up like that and the other heating thing I had (a body scrub) was weak compared to this. This feels like you've got a warm towel on your face, basically very nice. The particles are rough enough to clean your skin but not rough enough to hurt. I nearly forgot to add that it smells NOTHING like the face wipes, it smells super natural and of watermelon, not so much though that it makes you sick. It's a nice non offensive smell.

I washed it off, moisturised and got on with my day. I was out for a lot of the day and am pleased to report that I had no dry patches, my nose blackheads were gone and I had no shine, my skin, in short, looked perfect and this was without any Dr Feelgood or Rimmel Stay Matte Powder.

I remember I raved about Cyclax in my HG post but that pales in comparison to this, that gave me clean, very dry skin but this gives me clean, moisturised skin and so I don't feel as if I'm overcompensating. PLUS, you can use this every day apparently and Cyclax had to be used once every two weeks by me which kinda annoyed me.

The wash is on sale in Superdrug for £2.44 at the moment as they're doing all their Biore stuff on half price. I'm popping in over the course of this lonnnnnnnng weekend to pick myself up a few more of these and one of the Unclogging Scrub to see if it can tackle my recently very congested nose area.

**UPDATE**
Well I've been using this since the day this post was originally posted and it is now my HG face wash ever. It clears the greasies, can be used twice a day and doesn't make me break out, it got rid of spots I had on my forehead and on my chin. It also got rid of any bumps I had too which is good. When I get through my stash of face washers I shall be buying Biore and nothing else.

Review: Clearasil Stayclear Pore Cleansing Pads and Boots Time Delay Cleansing Balm

Helloooooooooo

Boots have recently opened up a new store near where my parents live and as I am visiting them this week I've been going shopping with my mum quite a bit. This Boots is just a "chemist" Boots but it has a small section of makeup etc..so I call it a travel Boots. It has two racks of clearance stuff and recently I have bought the following from there:

• Boots Time Delay Cleansing Balm x 3
• Clearasil exfoliator pads x 2

My mum has also bought some shampoo from there and I'm quite liking the fact that they have this constant clearance section as I get to pick up bargains. The guy who worked there said that they would keep the clearance section until they found out what kinda products people in the local area bought and then just order those in.

Anyway, this post is about the Clearasil exfoliator pads and the Time Delay balm which are both heavenly!

Both products:
I know you can't really see the name of the Boots product so I'll tell you what it's called, it's Boots Daily Radiance Balm.

Clearasil
I used to use Clearasil when I was younger and had horrible spots and it has always been good to me. Bitter experience has taught me that when you see something on clearance grab as many of them as you can because you can always return them. Anyway, my skin has been really really greasy recently despite me having trying to take a lot of oil out and so I thought I'd give these pads a try.

They come in a tub and are quite "watery" and have little bumps in them which is the exfoliating part of the deal. There are 65 pads per tub and each tub retails at about £3.50 but I got mine on clearance for 97p. Anyway, I used one pad last night and they were really really good, the bumps exfoliated and made my skin soft and the watery part cleaned my skin. I am so glad I bought these as they are one of the first things like this that actually clean my skin and don't dry it out totally.

Repurchase?
Definitely.
I'd recommend these to anyone with skin which tends to grease up during the summer and people who occassionally have spot outbreaks. I didn't think that a product aimed at teenagers would work so well on my skin but I'm totally amazed at how good it has been :)

Boots Time Delay
This is apparently a dupe of a Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish but I've also heard it's a copy of an Eve Lom product. As my only foray into higher end face care was Clinique, I can't be sure which of the two claims is correct.

This product is a waxy kinda balm, kinda like vaseline. The product comes with two muslin cloths and what you do is put the balm on your face, leave it for a few minutes, soak the muslin cloth in warm water and press it over your face so as to take the balm off. Then you wash the rest of the balm off and clean the cloth, soak it in cold water (I actually wrote wet water first..) and then apply it to your face.

The first time I used this it made my skin really really dry so I thought I wouldn't use it ever again. Come the next day I put my moisturiser on as per usual and then got on the baking tube. Got off at the other side to apply my Stay Matte powder and saw that my skin was looking well moisturised and not greasy at all which was great but I've had cleansers in the past which have duped me like this so I didn't use it again and went on the tube the next day, lovely skin again.

Since then I have been using it once a week and it gives me lovely skin all week which is great, SUPER cost effective at the price I paid and I don't have to use it every day!

Repurchase?
Oh hell yes, it's my HG cleanser at the moment and I don't think (well I hope) that Boots aren't discontinuing it as I have seen it in full price at larger Boots.