I realised I haven’t blogged
in quite some time! I have really been trying to be good lately and not splurge
so much on new skincare, but instead using up what I have.
Nonetheless, today
I will focus on the British skincare brand that is Elemis. I have memories of
my eldest sister buying the Elemis Pro-collagen Marine Cream for a whopping £80!!!...at
the time I thought it was so fancy and dreamed of when I could afford to buy my
own.
As I have grown,
I have explored many other brands but have somewhat overlooked Elemis which
seemed pretty bog standard and not hugely exciting compared to others. Over on the Hiron’s blog and Instagam, there
seems to be more and more Elemis products popping up. They have recently
resigned their logo and packaging, it's looking a lot more slicker and
professional which do their products much more justice.
Back in March I
spent the day at a spa for my birthday. As with many other spa’s in the UK,
they stocked the Elemis skincare range. At the time I was in need of a new
cleanser (morning/second cleanse type) and found myself staring at the products
for quite a while. The skincare adviser who was working there wasn’t really
helpful, she looked quite bored and uninterested to be honest. But I was keen
on purchasing the ‘Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Wash’, of which I googled and
read lots of review on anyway so I wasn’t bothered too much.
The price of
this cleanser is £30 for 200ml which is fairly reasonable as you don’t need to
use much. However, at the time they had a gift set on offer for £38 (bargain!) which
included a full size version of the cleanser, the Balancing Lavender Toner
(also 200ml), Pro-Radiance Illuminating Flash Balm (15ml) and Nourishing
Omega-Rich Cleansing Oil (50ml).
I have been
using these products for a couple of months now and I thought I would share my
thoughts so far.
This facial wash
is one of Elemis’s bestsellers and many people swear by it. I have been using it
pretty much every morning since I got it. The cleanser comes in a sturdy bottle
with a pump which gives you the right amount of product. The formula is creamy
and lathers slightly when massaged into the skin. It has a scent which I can’t
really describe but it’s not flowerly or fruit, it’s just neutral if you know
what I mean? Maybe a bit ‘almondy’?! Anyway…
the facial wash claims to ‘stimulate your skin's natural cell renewal cycle,
actively smoothing and refining whilst removing the dead skin cells that can
dull your complexion’. My experience of using it is that is does a good job of purifying
the skin but doesn’t leave it tight or dry after use. At first it felt tingly
on my skin but I don’t mind that because I know it’s doing something. I wouldn’t
use it remove make up, it’s not meant for that. When I apply the product I
leave it on as long as I can before washing it off. As it contains resurfacing ingredients
(enzymes), I like to allow these to work a little longer on my skin.
Whilst I
do enjoy using it and it doesn’t irritate my skin, I’m not sure what difference
it has actually made to my skin. Some have commented that it helps with acne
scars but I haven’t noticed this too much. Part of the reason why I chose this cleanser
is that I thought it would give me a deep clean to combat some little bumps
just on my right cheek (they are so stubborn and will not budge!) Sadly it hasn’t
done much for them so it’s a bit disappointing. I will continue to use it up
but probably won’t be repurchasing given the price and also its performance.
The Balancing
Lavender Toner is pleasant to use, gentle and contains no alcohol in its formula
which is a big plus. The ingredients are fairly minimal with the only active ingredients
being lavender extract and sweet betty flower. It is aimed a combination to oily
skin and works by clarifying and helping to reduce inflammation. It comes in a
spray bottle and has a strong lavender scent (obviously!) which I personally find
very refreshing. It helps to maintain and balance the pH levels whilst softening
the skin making it a great base for applying further skincare products. I think
it does a good job of mattifying the skin but provides just the right amount of
moisture too.
I like to mix this toner with others that have more skin beneficial
properties such as toners tea tree and salicylic acid. I sometimes spray this
onto a cotton pad and sweep it across my face and other times when I’m in a
rush I just spritz it directly onto my face, just be sure to keep your eyes
closed or it will sting! Whilst I can’t say this toner is ground-breaking, it
does what most people want form a toner and the fact that it is a spray makes
it last ages too. I can see myself using this toner throughout summer as it is perfect
to refresh and revitalize the skin throughout the day too.
My favourite
product within the set has to be the Nourishing Omega-Rich Cleansing Oil. As it
is generous size of 50ml, I have been able to use it quite a few times. The cleansing
oil says it works by ‘soothing, softening and lifting impurities without
stripping the skin. Blended with over 90% natural oils, it has been formulated
to ensure it maintains the skin’s delicate acid mantle at its optimum pH 4.5 -
5.5. Maintaining this optimum level ensures that the beneficial microflora on
the skin are kept in balance to keep skin healthy.’
I think this is a lovely cleansing oil and is right up there with my beloved Body Shop camomile cleansing
oil. It has some really great ingredients too such as winter rose oil (high in
Omega 9), chia seed oil and pomegranate extract, it is suitable for all skin
types too. I massage the cleansing oil onto dry skin, focusing more on my eyes
and lips to remove any makeup I may have on and is perfectly gentle enough use
on these areas. As I don’t wear a lot on my eyes or lips most days, this oil is
effective enough at removing my makeup. That being said, if I did have more on,
I would most probably use my eye and lip makeup remover beforehand just so my
skin is really and properly cleansed. The oil itself is light and subtly fragranced,
thankfully it doesn’t leave behind any residue or grease.
My skin is left very
clean but still supple due to its effective formula. I would recommend this product to anyone new to oil cleansing as well as seasoned pro's.. I really think this would appeal to anyone!
I haven't got round to using the flash balm just yet, this is described as a moisturiser, radiance booster and primer. I will be doing a mini review on this on my Instagram page soon so keep your eyes peeled!
I hope you enjoyed this post, do you like Elemis? What other brands would you like me to review?
Xoxo
