Happy Face

Well, after my wee rant against Lush yesterday, I went to Boots in the search for a new face cleanser.  I'd had a quick look online and Olay had a 2 for £4 offer on it Boots, so I was planning on getting one of theirs.  Before I found the incredible Vitamin C SPF 30 Day Cream from the Body Shop, Olay were always my go-to moisturisers, so I thought I'd give the cleansers a try.

Once I got to Boots though, I made my first stop the Premium Skincare  aisle.  After skipping over all  No 7 products which are really pricey, I found myself at Vichy.  Now, I use the Vichy-Dermablend foundation which is great, and really covers any problem areas without looking or feeling heavy.  I know that Vichy are a specialist skincare brand that cater for problem skins, so I had a look at some of their cleansers, which are expensive but not too bad.  The average seemed to be about £10 for a 200ml bottle.

I had a look at the cleanser for 'acne prone skin', as I am prone to bouts of acne and spots, but I worried that it would be quite harsh as most people with acne have very oily skin, whereas mine is normal-to-dry.  This is why I had the products with the Lush products, I guess, as anything that removes the natural oils from my face leaves me feeling very dry and sensitive.

I was just about to turn back to the Olay shelf behind me when I spotted the Avene section.  I've never used, or tried, any Avene products, nor have I have heard much about them.  But, I noticed that they had a couple of sample bottles out, which is quite unusual for things like cleansers and toners, so I zoned in on the new Extremely Gentle Cleanser which promises to be a cleanser "for skin which is naturally hypersensitive or has been overstressed"  and respond to the needs of most sensitive skins. 

I put a blob on the back of my hand, rubbed it in then took it off with a tissue, as per the instructions, and it felt pretty good.  So I took another squirt and tried it again on my forehead.  Ah, it felt lovely!  My skin felt fresh and clean, but soft, and for about an hour afterwards it felt like I'd put a moisturising serum on.  It's been a few hours now, and my skin still feels lovely and soft, hydrated, and generally cared for.

This cleanser set me back £8 or 200ml, so not bad for a "Premium skincare product", and I get the feeling that it might become my all-time favourite face cleanser, so money well-spent!

After my grumpy Lush posts yesterday, I thought I'd follow it up with a happy ending to my face-care woes.

Happy face!

Lush Review

First impression of Aqua Marina face cleanser following my earlier post :  my skin has come out red and itchy, I feel as if my skin has been completely stripped of its natural oils and, conversely, feel as though I haven't really washed my face at all.  Even after a layer of Bio Oil and my intense Body Shop night cream, my skin is feeling really dry, tight and sensitive.  If I wanted something that stripped my skin and left it dried out I'd go for a normal facewash full of the chemicals you expect that from.

This is the last time I'll be buying any Lush products for my face.  I'm so unimpressed I've just thrown the rest of the Aqua Marina sample in the bin.

Total Lush fail.