*Comparisons and Reviews



Somehow I've ended up with these cleansers in my rotation at the same time. Milky Jelly Cleanser (£15)  was purchased on a whim the first day Glossier opened its online doors to the UK customers. And the Skin Laundry cleanser ( full size £20) I received in my Liberty Beauty Calendar a bit later.

While this selection may seem a bit random, actually these two cleansers are quite similar in a sense that they're both from American brands, they both promise a gentle cleanse, contain panthenol (vit B5) and don't contain parabens, mineral oil, SLS or fragrance.

They both have a very mild but pleasant smell, Milky Jelly smells lightly of rose water (2nd ingredient on the list) and SL Purifying cleanser smells of citrus (added orange peel and tangerine peel extracts)

The big difference between these two is that the Skin Laundry cleanser is slightly foaming. Nothing will work up a big lather and if you're removing it with a flannel you may not even notice that. This I guess is due to disodium cocoamphodiacetate which is derived from fatty acids found in coconut oil and is non-drying. Phew.

I have a small issue or two with both of the cleansers.

Firstly, I would never call Skin Laundry cleanser a cream. It's not. Cream cleansers are Pixi + CH Double Cleanse cream part or Ren or Liz Earle Hot Cloth Cleanser or even Omorovizca's Moor Cream Cleanser.

Secondly, Milky Jelly Cleanser. I wouldn't attempt to wash my face JUST with this if you're got sunscreen, primer and foundation piled on. I just didn't find it THAT cleansing. It struggled with my It Cosmetics CC Cream or my Clinique non-waterproof mascara. Double cleansing is always a better idea.

Glossier Milky Jelly Cleanser ingredients:

Water/Aqua/Eau, Rosa Damascena Flower Water, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Propanediol, Isohexadecane, Poloxamer 184, Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer, Xylitylglucoside, Betaine, Allantoin, Glycerin, Panthenol, Symphytum Officinale Root Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Anhydroxylitol, Polysorbate 80, Xylitol, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Isopropyl Myristate, Benzoic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hydroxide

Skin Laundry Purifying Cream Cleanser ingredients:

Water (Aqua/Eau), Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Acrylates Copolymer, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Limnanthes alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil, Sodium Chloride,
Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Hexylene Glycol, Aloe barbadensis Leaf Juice, Macadamia ternifolia Seed Oil, Aminomethyl Propanol, Panthenol,Carbomer, d-Limonene, Citrus aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Extract, Citrus tangerina (Tangerine) Peel Extract

Both ingredient lists seem okay to me (I'm no expert, I just google them), however if you're particularly dry or sensitized , I wouldn't go for either of them. For me personally, Skin Laundry cleanser actually feels less drying and I enjoy using it more. With Glossier, I will stick to their makeup, which is awesome. 

September empties:

Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm - Nice, smooth, does the job. Good value for money. But offers no thrills or joy in using it. This will most likely be repurchased, but I much prefer Emma Hardie cleansing balm. That one smells like heaven.

Studio 10 Primer - not an empty, I just didn't use this up within a year so it's time for it to go. This is very silicone heavy.

Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum foundation in 52 Vanilla - my favourite high street foundation for dry to normal skin. Moisturising, light, leaves the skin glowy. Light coverage and natural looking. Doesn't stay on for the whole day but that's fine with me.

Kiehl's Amino Acid Shampoo - SLS free, smells lightly of coconuts, my hair seems to love it. Repurchased already.

Tata Harper Restorative Eye Creme - lovely. Light, creamy texture, botanical/ herbal smell reminds me of Dr Hauschka skincare. Lasted me for about 4 months, used twice a day. Expensive, but repurchase worthy.

Dr Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Univeral Daily Peel - This is the strongest acid treatment I have used so far. It's actually a blend of five AHA and BHA acids.You will definitely feel a strong tingling which subsides once you apply the second pad. Ah-mazing. Again, expensive, but was using this as a treat once in a blue moon and not daily. Repurchase worthy, but not yet because I have a gazillion of other acids to go through.

Hydraluron - oldie but goodie. Hydrating serum with hialuronic acid. I like that's in the tube, I like that it's more goopy than other almost liquidy serums.



October empties:

Korres Basil and Lemon shower gel - didn't like the smell. Others smell soo much nicer, especiall Japanese Rose one.

Tresseme heat protection styling spray - great value for money. Repurchased already.

Vichy water-proof makeup remover - didn't like it very much. Too oily and stung my eyes.

Ren Evercalm Global Protection Day Cream - like most of Ren moisturisers, I really liked it.

Emma Hardie vit C intense daily serum - this only has got 2% of vit C in it so it's hardly intense. Second ingredient on it's list is niacinamide so together with vit C it has a brightening effect. This has a tendency to ball up so one has to wait until it's fully sunk in (which it does quite quickly) and then apply a moisturiser. I quite liked it, but I don't think it's worth it's full price (£49) I myself got it last boxing day in M&S. I believe it was less than £20 for a gift set which also had a full size of vit C cream, mini moringa and mini facial oil. So watch out for those deals.

Emma Hardie Moringa cleansing balm - I like the small 50ml pots, so I always repurchase the trio of these. This is my holy grail, favourite balm cleanser EVER. I will always come back to it as long as they make it. Takes the makeup off well. I can also do a second cleanse with it. I leave it on my skin for longer as a softening nourishing mask. Smells great. Yeah. Love it. My husband loves using it too!

Nip + Fab glycolic fix pads - These were sent to me by Glamour Beauty Club. I've tried the extreme night time ones before. They're both okay. Nice convenient packaging.

aaand I tried some eye cream samples. Samples are great for eye creams, you only need a tiny bit, so they last for a good week. Both Kiehl's Midnight Recovery and Dr Barbara Sturm were nice and creamy but not too heavy. I don't think I will purchase the full sizes. I'm on the lookout for something really great. Zelens perhaps?
Long time no see! I've been busy enjoying the last bits of summer while they lasted and then was slammed with work right after. Not complaining, but I have missed blogging!

Anyways, let's get to it.


L'Oreal Elive Colour Protect Low Shampoo - this love affair has ended badly. While gentle and nourishing this shampoo does not wash out dry shampoo properly and my hair gets greasy faster. I will not repurchase these. I am currently using Khiel's Amino Acid Shampoo which is great.

So I recently experienced a massive (hormonal?) breakout. Actually, it's only massive for me, my skin is typically well behaved. And even a few weeks later it feels congested with bumps along the jaw line. I am slowly and gently bringing it back to normal. If it wasn't hormonal, it could have been either Clinique's Dramatically Different Moisturising Lotion or Ren's Evercalm Gentle Cleansing Milk. Clinique's DDML I have only used a couple of times on my skin. I was aware of the not-so-great ingredients list and the smell was funny (plastic? petrol?) but the texture seemed very pleasant. Soon I realised I didn't want to risk using it and used it on my legs instead which was fine. Could two applications have clogged my skin and caused the breakout? Not sure. Especially since my skin didn't seem to react badly to it straightaway. 
Could it have been Ren's Cleansing Milk? I am a big fan of Ren skincare, especially moisturisers. This cleansing cream didn't sit very well with me. It smelled great and felt very nourishing but even after using a face cloth my skin felt... not particularly clean. By no means am I a fan of squeaky clean skin, but it just felt like there was some residue left. Perhaps it was shea butter that's quite high on their ingredients list. Needless to say, I will not repurchase.

Ren's Anti-Redness serum didn't do anything except offer slight hydration. But I am not really suffering from a lot of redness. I could smell alcohol in it. 

Nails Inc cuticle oil stick was lovely and I would repurchase.

Balance Me Radiance Facial Oil - full review here. I would use it happily but probably will never repurchase because there are better oils. And so many new ones to try. 

Clinique Moisture Surge - such a great and pleasant texture. Hydrating. I may purchase a full jar...

Emma Hardie Moisture Boost Vit C Cream - this is a very thick cream, probably due to niacinamide. Pleasant, nourishing, brightening and didn't oxidize. It wasn't a great pick on my part for summer ut it would be great as a night cream during winter. Again, I would happily use it but wouldn't necessarily repurchase.

And finally, my favourite empty of this month was Nude Progenius Omega Treatment Milk - alas only a sample, but I am planning on purchasing this. I looved the light and milky texture yet it was super hydrating and nourishing. Just perfect. My skin looked amazing as soon as it was applied. I want to try more products from this brand. 

That's it folks, thank you for reading, I will be back with summer faves next and then a few good ol' product reviews. 






Quite a lot of beauty empties this month and a little bit of everything.

BODY
The Body Shop Body Butter in Jolly Orange - like all of the Body Shop butters it has a nice texture, sinks in quickly, is nourishing and moisturising. Took me AGES to finish it and in that time I went through a love/hate relationship with the smell. It's citrusy and spicy but in a rather artificial way. I will repurchase but not in this smell. It was limited edition anyway.
Chanel Coco Mademoiselle Eau de Parfum - my signature scent. Will definitely repurchase, probably the 100ml because I just have to have it in my collection. I don't care how uncool it is to love something that everyone likes. Everyone likes it for a reason.

HAIR
Co Lab Dry Shampoo in Fresh - good basic dry shampoo. I prefer the smell of Active.
Josh Wood Radiant Shine Hair Treatment Oil - I liked using this as a pre-shampoo treatment. Gorgeous smell. Amazing.

FACE. SKINCARE
Pixi + Caroline Hirons Double Cleanse - nice as always. Full review here.
Dr Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Universal Daily Peel - this is one of the stronger acids I have tried. Proper tingling action. Visible results after one application, the skin felt much smoother but I broke out a bit too. I'm going to stick to gentler acids during summer, I think. Smells lovely.
Indie Lee CoQ 10 Toner - I miss it. Definitely worth repurchasing if one can afford it. I can't at the moment. I did some damage in the clothing sales. Full review here.
Clinique Moisture Surge Hydrating Supercharged Concentrate sample - Nice. Hydrating. Not sticky. Wouldn't mind a full size.
UltraSun Face SPF30 - oh it's alright. I don't miss it. Comparison with other sunscreens here.

FACE. MAKEUP
Charlotte Tilbury Full Fat Lashes - I grew to really like this but it's not repurchase worthy. Do get the sample size if you're ordering from CT website!


No favourites this month. I will probably do summer favourites in a month or so.
Next post if all goes well should be all about The Ordinary advanced 2% retinoid! This week I will be using it EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. Wish me luck. I will report back.





It's that time of the month again!

L'Oreal Elvive Extraordinary Oil Low Shampoo - good, I have mentioned this in favourites a while ago. While it is really gentle, it struggled to wash dry shampoo out of my hair. I ended up with a build up near my scalp... I purchased the white and red version of this for coloured hair but I will be using a clearing shampoo once a week or so. The L'Oreal shampoo also gets used up rather quickly. It's a whopping 400ml but you need 10 to 15 pumps per wash!

 Emma Hardie Moringa Cleansing Balm - old favourite and holy grail. I will repurchase it when there's a discount somewhere. Am I the only one who wishes they still had the 3x 50ml pots for sale? And what's with the music on their official website? It's 2017 for Christ's sake...

Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse - this took me ages to finish. Didn't want to use it on my face or my hair. It was fine on my body after shower. The smell lingered for quite a while. I wish it smelled less perfumey.

Real Techniques Expert Face Brush - I repurchased this already. You can't see it in the picture but part of the bristles are about to fall out. My fault, I didn't look after it properly and it still lasted for 4 years or so. This is still my favourite to apply foundation. I will try beauty blender sometime. I swear.

Pixi Glow Mud Cleanser - also a favourite. Gentle, clearing cleanser with a bit of clay and glycolic action. Non foaming. Perfect as a second cleanse in the evening when you want something with a bit more oomph than your typical cream cleanser.

The Ordinary NMF + HA - basic good moisturizer. I will repurchase this later in the year.

The Ordinary Buffet - I grew to like this, especially for warmer weather. Nice and gentle, slightly hydrating. I still don't know if it's doing anything anti-ageing but I would use it again.




Overall, I am very happy with this box. I knew I wanted to get it because I was particularly interested in Zelens Power D oil and Tata Harper Regenerating eye cream and I would have probably bought them at some point this year. Just these two items cost £195. The box also includes Indie Lee toner, Dr Dennis Gross peel pads (both brands I have heard of a lot and haven't tried). And Pixi + CH double cleanse, of course,  which is a favourite of mine.

The only product that I had my doubts about was the January Labs lotion, purely because they call it a lotion. I, as an owner of a dry-ish and dehydrated skin, don't typically go for lotions. However, I LOVE the consistency and feel of January Labs Moisture Balancing Lotion. It is light, yet really hydrating and will be perfect for warmer summer days.

Another product I know I will love until the end is Tata Harper Regenerating Eye Cream. It's not only a texture that I like (creamy but not too heavy. sinks in fast and moisturises well) or the smell (reminds me of Dr Hauschka eye cream) but also the effect on my skin. I don't know how to describe it, but it just looks and feels better. Instantly. The pump is a bit annoying because it deposits way too much product, I only need like a third of a pump because a little goes a long way (thank God, because this is one pricey eye cream!).

Zelens Power D is a lightweight oil which sinks in fast and leaves the skin comfortable and nourished. Indie Lee CoQ10 Toner also has some calming and soothing properties. Can't say much about anti-ageing but my skin liked it. And it smells good!

The only thing I haven't tried is the Dr Dennis Gross acid pads because I currently have three different forms of acids on rotation (liquid, serum and mask. and not all at the same time!) and I need to finish some of them up.

I wish the box had included some kind of fancy SPF but that's just me being super picky. All in all, money well spent. I am probably sorted for most things skincare until autumn. Except SPF.
 Bliss Multi-face-eted clay mask - it took me AGES to finish this one. Clay + 10% glycolic mask sounds great. But this thing does NOT wash off easily and stains my wash cloths. To wash it off my face I had to use an oil cleanser! I finally gave up and started using this on my legs as an ingrown hair treatment.

Pixi + CH double cleanse - great. Full review here.

Philip Kingsley Elizastisizer - this is another #carolinehironsmademedoit product. Nice mask/pre-wash treatment for dry coloured hair. I will repurchase.

Philip Kingsley Perfecting Spray - meh. I used this before blow drying my hair and it was alright. But I much prefer the daily defense spray from PK which I am using at the moment.

Ren Flash Rinse 1 minute vit C facial - good. full review here. It oxidised slightly in the end. Will not repurchase. I think when it comes to vit C, serums are the way to go.

Clinique City Block Sheer SPF25 - my favourite. I want to get the SPF40 from the same line but it is sold out everywhere! Argh.






More empties and stuff that just went bad:

Dr Hauschka cleansing cream and toner - both products I like and have used previously. Love the smell and how gentle they are.

MAC Prep+Prime eyelid primer - had this for too long. And there are better primers on the market.

By Terry lip gloss in cupcake glaze (?) - Nice lip gloss. Not worth the price. I did not purchase this. The smell went bad so to the bin it goes.

NYX lip liner - It was okay, I prefer a liner that stays put better. This one was... too creamy.

Eyeko eyeliner - If you're considering buying this, don't. It dried up within weeks and was difficult to use. Get the Stila stay all day eye liner instead ;)

Real Techniques brow brush - this is quite old and the bristles caved in to the brush handle, if that makes any sense.

Wednesdays morning routine. Hydration + Protection.

Emma Hardie Moringa cleansing balm, The Ordinary "Buffet", Hydraluron, Alpha H Absolute Eye Complex, The Prdinary NMF and Ultrasun face spf30.

Is it too weird that I am really enjoying the accents of pink in this photo? To see more photos of my skincare routines and more, follow me on Instagram (@beautycomparisonsite)
Okay, as soon as I read that rockstar of skincare Caroline Hirons was collaborating with Pixi to release a cleanser two things were absolutely clear to me: 1. I need it. 2. It will be awesome. And I was right. After all, I love Pixi skincare and I love Caroline.


Pixi + Caroline Hirons Double Cleanse is two cleansers in one round pot separated like Yin and Yang. The solid oil cleanser (with vitamin E, camelia and evening primrose oils) removes all the makeup, spf, dirt, grease, what have you, and the creamy cleanser (with vitamin C, peptide complex and Arginnie) gently cleanses the skin. The skin feels soft and nourished afterwards. I especially like using this cleanser whilst taking a bath. I slowly massage the oil cleanser over my face, emulsify with a bit of water and remove it with moist flannel, then I apply the creamy cleanser and leave it on my skin as a mask. Gorgeous.

I kind of wish this cleanser had a smell but I must be a minority and I do realise that they wanted to create a cleanser that even the most sensitive of skins could use.

The cost is pretty great too, £24 for a tub that lasts a long time. It's only 2x 50ml but you don't need much at all.  Emma Hardie Moringa Balm (another of my favourites) costs £38 for the same 100ml.

Will I repurchase? Absolutely. It's out of stock in my local M&S. And M&S online too. How rude. I need to stash some away, in case it gets discontinued.
Blogger Template Created by pipdig