By Tara Adamson
Yummy mummy Tara Adamson has been on a beauty mission for more than two decades. She’s been testing creams, mascaras, (she has a thing about mascaras), make-up, lip gloss, blushers, shadows – oh you get the picture – from the moment she first watched her mother apply her red lipstick and pat her face with Ponds. So now that Tara, who has two young sons, Henry, nine, and Olly, seven, is in her very early forties, that mission has turned into a quest for the Holy Grail of beauty products. So who better to write for yummymummybeauty.com than a true professional? Read what she thinks of these.
Emma Hardie’s Amazing Face Natural Lift and sculpt professional cleansing and exfoliating system, £42
This is a very clever cleansing system that consists of 100g Natural Lift & Sculpt moringa cleansing balm, 10g aromatherapy infused rose hip exfoliating seeds and one dual action polish and perfect cleansing cloth.
The balm is also available on its own priced at £34 for a 100ml pot. The first thing that hits you about the cleansing balm is the smell – I just want to eat it, it’s gorgeous! It’s an incredibly uplifting sensory explosion of orange, neroli, mandarin, jasmine and rose – my idea of heaven! This is an oil-based cleanser, with a lovely, silky texture, suitable for all skin types; designed to be used morning and night.
A little of the balm should be mixed in the hand with a few drops of warm water to create a creamy milk before applying to the face, neck and eyes. When removed with the aid of the specially-designed cleansing cloth, this balm gently, but thoroughly, melts away all traces of face and eye make-up; leaving skin comfortably clean and soft.
On several occasions though, it felt as if a fine film had been left covering my eyeballs, making them feel tired and sore, but this didn’t happen every time I used this product.
As an occasional hydrating treat, a thick layer of the cleanser can be used on dry skin and left on for 10 minutes as a ‘rescue balm’. I used a few pinches of the ‘seeds’, mixed with the balm a couple of times a week to slough away old skin cells which left my complexion looking radiant. This cleansing system is great for rescuing and reconditioning dull skin, leaving your complexion glowing with health. From www.salonskincare.co.uk
Darphin’s Aromatic Cleansing Balm with Rosewood, £30
In its tactile, frosted glass pot, Aromatic Cleansing Balm with Rosewood is Parisian skincare company Darphin’s best-selling cleanser. This product has a thick, satiny, honey like texture, and a lovely, comforting smell, faintly reminiscent of tiger balm.
Again, this is an oil-based formula designed to work in ‘perfect synergy’ with all skin types; it contains an opulent blend of rosewood, sage and ylang ylang essential oils and Marula Oil to cleanse, nourish, rebalance and purify.
Warm a little balm in your hands (a little goes a very long way) and massage onto the skin. Apply water, and it liquifies and becomes a lovely, soft, milky emulsion. Darphin’s Cleansing Balm removed all traces of make up quickly, gently and effectively leaving no horrid squeaky tightness, just beautifully soft and refreshed skin.
This product didn’t come with any cleansing cloths, so I improvised and used a muslin cloth I had to buff my skin to remove all traces of the cleanser. The packaging did state not to use this product on your eyes, however I did try! It removed my eye make-up beautifully, but my eyes stung mildly and watered a little for a few minutes; no lasting ill effects on the eyes though and I would use again here. From www.darphin.co.uk
The Eve Lom Cleanser, £55 for 100ml
Eve Lom is regarded by many as the Queen of cleansing. This is a much-hyped product which has been on the market for at least 20 years and is still as popular as ever. It works as a facial cleanser, eye make-up remover and exfoliator all in one.
The cleanser comes in a simple white pot emblazoned with the Eve Lom logo, is supplied with a small muslin cloth and extensive instructions on how to follow the seven-step Eve Lom routine. I’m afraid I only followed this routine couple of times as I found it quite time consuming, especially at night when I want my bedtime beauty ritual to be as quick as possible – sleep is precious after all! The balm itself is thick, waxy and slightly gritty and has pleasant slightly medicinal, herbal smell. It takes a bit of work to massage it onto dry skin as it’s so thick; I found it easier to loosen it first by mixing with a little water before applying to the face.
This is the most expensive cleanser I tried, however, it does last well as you only need to use a tiny bit (100ml would probably last you about six months). They say that you only need to use the cleanser once a day, in the evening to take your make-up off, and in the morning to just cleanse your face with the dampened muslin cloth. It does feel lovely to use; melting off make-up, and no need to scrub, it even removes stubborn, layered up mascara.
My eyes felt great after use – no stinging, soreness or redness. It left my skin smooth, hydrated and beautifully toned; there was no squeaky, tight feeling of dryness. Eve Lom state that you don’t need to moisturise afterwards, well, I guess that depends on your skin type, but I still needed to. From www.evelom.com
