Emma Hardie Amazing Face Natural Lift and Sculpt Moringa Cleansing Balm

I was lucky enough to win the Emma Hardie Amazing Face Natural Lift and Sculpt Moringa Cleansing Balm in a giveaway contest by Beauty By The Geeks (I love their blog and Instagram page too!)

I have used it roughly every night for 3 weeks now so I thought a review on this was much needed. This cleansing balm claims be ‘a balanced daily cleanser that thoroughly cleanse deep in the pores, moisturises and calms all skin types. Grape Seed Oil and sweet almond oil rich in essential fatty acids help to plump and soften. Moringa seed extract, wild sea fennel and vitamin E balance, purify and help to minimise the appearance of open pores. Essential oils of orange, neroli and mandarin rejuvenate and revitalise the skin whilst calming the senses. Jasmine and rose help to recondition dull, dry, dehydrated and mature skins'. 

 The product comes in a heavy glass jar which looks and feels luxurious. I quite like that you can see all of the product and you can scrape every bit out of it too! The texture is quite solid when cold but becomes much softer when its warmed up in the hands. The scent is quite heavy with the main ingredient, moringa. This along with other flower and plant ingredients makes it smell very exotic and reminds me of India strangely! To use the balm, I take a small amount and lightly warm it in my hand before applying it to my face. The consistency then turns to what is very similar to an oil and massages into the skin beautifully. As I use it in the evening, I like to take to take a bit of extra time to really work it into my skin. The product comes with a cleansing cloth which is dual sided, one side is muslin which is to exfoliate dry, thickened and congested areas and the other side is micro-fibre for more delicate areas. I really like this cloth and its great quality too and it is perfect for removal. That being said, on days where I put this cloth in the wash, I use other muslin clothes that I have accumulated and they seem to do a pretty decent job too.

As the product claims to lift and sculpt the face, it’s key to use the cloth certain way and this is in a upwards motion from your chin to your temple. You really want to swipe upwards in all areas of the face as well as the neck too, this goes with any cleansing balm really. I have noticed that my face does seem slightly more sculpted and toned but I wouldn’t say this is one of the balms main highlights. The things I love are...

• One of the best products to use when you want to give yourself a good facial massage and is honestly a pleasure to use
• Does a great job of removing all make up and it is gentle enough to use around the eye and lip area too
• Cleanses and purifies the skin perfectly without being harsh or irritating the skin
• Provides just the right amount of moisture and plumpness to my skin
• Doesn’t leave an oily/tacky residue (if removed properly!)
• Rejuvenates the appearance my skin and leaves me with a beautifully clean glow
• After continued use, my skin is left smoother, more clarified and with an improvement in my skins texture
• For days when you really need it (or for extra dry skin types),  you can use it as a deep hydration treatment mask by just leaving it on the skin for 10 mins

I think there quite a lot to love really! However, I do have some slight niggles. There are some days where I just feel this is slightly too heavy for my skin. It is summer right now and I do have combination skin (more oiler then dry) and there a days where I want my skin to feel fresh and not so deeply nourished. I think that this will be fantastic the winter where this is much more needed! I have read some reviews that due to all the essential oils, it may cause you to have breakouts. I (touch wood!) haven’t had this problem as my skin wouldn’t be classed as ‘blemish prone’ and it’s not very sensitive either.  As everyone has different skin and it reacts differently to products, I can’t really guarantee that this won’t give you spots but it’s worth checking out to see if you may have any reactions or allergies to the ingredients before you decide to purchase it.  

For those with oilier skin types, I believe that you can still use this product but just more sparingly. I would never recommend anything that strips the skin of every single bit of oil, your skin will just produce more oil to compensate and your left with more oilier skin than you had in the first place. The aim with any cleanser is to balance the oils in the skin, whatever your skin type. The main reason why I use it in the evening is that it does require the extra effort to really get the benefits. I personally don’t have time in the morning for the application and removal processes involved! So if you are after a totally fuss-free cleanser then I’m not sure you will appreciate the time you will have to spend using this. 

As I mentioned, I didn’t have to pay for this product but if I did it would cost me £38 for 100ml. Obviously this is not cheap and if you are in the habit of buying cleansers for a couple of quid then this may seem very steep or just out of your budget. That being said, I do think the product will last you quite some time. In the time that I have used it, I have made just a little dent in it. I would guesstimate that if I used it once on a daily basis then it would last me between 4 to 6 months, which is pretty good in my books. You don’t have to use it every day like I do, even 2 or 3 times a week will really help to improve your skin, this way it will last you even longer too! If you really want to try this cleanser but aren’t quite ready to splurge £38 on this cleansing balm, it may be worth considering trying the ‘starter kit’ which contains a smaller size of the balm (50ml), the cloth and a 15ml age support treatment cream. I just had a look online and M&S are currently offering this starter kit for £18.40 (usually £23) on their website which is very good value for money!

To conclude this review, whilst I really do enjoy using this cleansing balm and works beautifully for my skin, I’m not 100% sure if I would immediately repurchase it after I run out. I love trying out new products and there are still many balms I would really like to try out (such as Eve Lom)… butif all else fails and I’m left feeling disappointed at least I know I can come back to this one!

Hope you found this helpful, if you have any questions, suggestion or comments I would love to read them below!

X0x0

Alpha-H Liquid Gold - Perfect skin in a bottle

I follow many skincare and beauty bloggers and I have seen the Alpha H Liquid Gold mentioned everywhere! I did my research on the benefits and also it's ingredients and having read so many reviews that raved about this product that I just had to try it.

 

The product is described as ‘A powerful overnight serum. An 'overnight facial', the pioneering formula is a phenomenal, leave on, 'sleep in' liquid peel, which swiftly (and dramatically) revitalises dulled, ageing skin that's lost its lustre, whilst gradually lessening the visibility of fine lines, wrinkles, enlarged pores, blackheads, blemishes, pigmentation, scarring and redness. In fact, there's virtually nothing this skin care miracle can't accomplish.’ 

It's basically a chemical exfoliation which resurfaces the skin using acids so it's different to a scrub exfoliator which contains particles or beads. I much prefer using a chemical exfoliator as I find a scrub exfoliator too abrasive, it makes my blemishes more red and sore. I'm also more likely to get scarring as the skin gets damaged in the process. Alpha H state that it is intended for ‘mature, sun damaged, prematurely ageing and acne-scarred skin’ but I would say it is suitable for all skin types except those with sensitive skins.

 

With a description like that, needless to say, I had very high expectations. I decided to go for the 200ml size (priced  at £44.95) and I purchased it online from Beauty Bay, and yes I know, it’s not cheap! Firstly, I love the packaging. The bottle has smooth matte finish and feels premium. The product dispenses via a pour cap which lets to control how much you want to use, you wouldn’t want any to go to waste believe me! It is a clear liquid with quite a strong acidic smell which is to be expected as it contains glycolic acid as well as liquorice extract. To use the product, you simply pour onto a cotton ball/pad and sweep across the face and neck area too. I like to press down my cotton pad for a few seconds longer on my problem areas. To get the maximum benefits, it’s best not to follow with any product such as a serum or moisturiser on top. It is recommended by Alpha H that you use the product in the evening for 3 to 4 times a week, or every other night. I must admit it is addictive and you may be tempted to use it more regularly but as it’s so potent it best to follow this recommendation. I would also like to highlight the importance of protecting your skin with SPF products, you should be doing this any way but it’s even more essential if you are using this product. I recently had a microdermabrasion facial so I stopped using the liquid gold for a while beforehand as it’s probably not a good idea to put my skin through a chemical peel and then blast it with an abrasive treatment on top! 

Now let’s talk about my experience of using the product for nearly a month now. On the nights which I use the liquid gold, I like to use a really mild cleanser before applying the product. The first time I used it I definitely felt it tingling away on my face! That same feeling occurs every time I use it and must admit sometimes it does get quite intense but it soon goes away. On the morning of the first night using the product, I was very impressed. I honestly don’t think I have come across a product that had worked so well and so quickly too! My skin appeared much more brighter and radiant and if did an amazing job of smoothing and refining my skin. I was instantly hooked and couldn’t wait to use it again.

 

Just before I started using the product, I had lumps on my forehead, I mean actual lumps! They were unlike any blemishes I had before, they were so stubborn and refused to either come up or go down and this went on for a couple of weeks (I blame it on having a recent diet of an excessively indulgent food !). However, it all changed after I used the liquid gold. It took a few applications but it totally got rid of these lumps and left no dark spots whatsoever. I really wasn't expecting this to happen and I realised that was worth every penney I spent on it! I also noticed what a wonderful job it has done on a few dark spots on my skin. I had a mark from a blemish near my cheek area which has been around for months but just a few weeks of using this product it's almost invisible now. It's really great to know that when I get a blemish, I have a product which will work its magic on making it disappear! The overall texture of my skin is now soft, smooth and looks as though it's been polished! My skin is looking the best it has been for a long time and I still notice a glow every morning when I use it. 

Have I raved about it enough yet?? In amongst all the love I have for this product, I have just one thing which makes me every so slightly disappointed. I have noticed that it does make my skin more oilier then usual. I think others have experienced this too. I'm not sure why this happens and how to stop it but luckily I don't have very oily skin so I can get away with using a mattifying primer or powder on top. However, I have also read that it's works really well for oily skin types so I really think it depends how your skin behaves when using it. 

As you can probably tell, I can't recommend the liquid gold enough! I think everyone should have a bottle and have the pleasure of using it just like I do. 

I hope that this product review has been helpful! Please let me know if you have any questions, I would love to read your comments and experiences too!

Xoxo