Superdrug - Vitamin E - Hot Cloth Cleanser

I've talked about my love of hot cloth cleansers before and I've been using a few recently including the original (and in my opinion best) Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish, the original version of this stuff is pretty much my favourite hot cloth cleanser and on my Christmas list for this year.  I've also tried, and blogged about, Superdrug's Naturally Radiant Brightening Hot Cloth Cleanser and Boots No7 Beautiful Skin Hot Cloth Cleanser. 

I've read quite a bit online about Superdrug's Vitamin E version so I decided to pick it up and give it a go while I wait for my new batch of C&P to arrive at Christmas.

 

Here's how it looks in it's box:

 

 

As well as the cleanser itself you also get a muslin cloth for wiping it off with.  All these hot cloth cleansers work in a similar way; you apply them to your skin, rub them in a bit and then wipe off with a muslin cloth soaked in warm water.

 

The Vitamin E version is a nice thick luxurious feeling cream cleanser and smells absolutely amazing which wins points with me straight out the box.

 

It feels lovely on my skin too, rich and thick and smooth and it's super easy to massage all round your face.  After using it my skin felt good, smooth and moisturised and not at all irritated and the smell really is gorgeous.

 

I'm pleased with how this product works, it seemed to make short work of my make up and feels lovely on my skin.  Given the choice I think I would still plump for the Liz Earle version if I had to stick to one but from first impressions I think I'll be happy and enjoy using this budget version until Santa delivers it.

 

 

 

No7 Beautiful Skin Cleansing Brush

Boots No7 have recently lunched they're new Cleansing Brush and it's currently on offer for just £15, that's nearly £10 off it's RRP.  As far as I know the offer runs until the end of this month (Feb 2013).

 

I was keen to try it out as I have been lusting after a Clarisonic for ages now but there is no way I could justify the £100+ price tag so when No7's budget version appeared I knew I had to take one home with me.

 

 

The brush is battery powered, unlike the Clarisonic, and comes with two AA batteries to get you started.  I've only been using mine for just over a week now so I can't comment on battery life by suffice to say they definitely last more than a week at a time which was an initial concern. (Update 19th June 2013): I have changed the batteries once since having the brush so I can now safely say that one set of batteries will do you for several months of use.

 

The brush is a very sleek, simple design made up simply of the body of the brush and the detachable brush head (replacements can be bought in packs of 2 for £8), there's only one button which controls the heads two speeds.

 

The brush head itself is fairly large and the bristles are beautifully soft, unlike the Clarisonic which oscillates back and forth the No7 version does spin a full 180 degrees when it's working.

 

So far I have been using speed one (the slower setting) to do my cheeks and then using speed 2 (which is faster) to do my t-zone and more stubborn areas on my face.

 

The brush comes complete with instructions, which I have taken a photos of to show you to save me typing them all up, lazy, I know. :)

 

As I said I have been using the brush for just over a week now and so far I am really impressed.  Rather than buy a new cleanser to use with it I have been alternating between No7 Hot Cloth Cleanser, Superdrug, Hot Cloth Cleanser and Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish all of which seem to work pretty well with it.

 

The brush definitely feels like it is exfoliating but isn't so rough as to feel like it's damaging the skin, I haven't noticed a huge change in the appearance of my skin but it definitely feel softer and well exfoliated and I haven't had any break outs of trouble with my skin while using it.

 

For £15, or even for £24.95, the Cleansing Brush is worth trying out, for me it gives a similar level of exfoliation and cleaning as using a muslin cloth does and it definitely leaves my skin feeling clean and well cleansed so for those who have been lusting after a Clarisonic and not quite been able to justify the price I would urge you to try out this budget version.

 

All in all a good job by No7.  Have you tried the new cleansing brush?  What do you think?

 

Update (19th June 2013): Just a quick update now I have been using this brush for a good while.  I am still really liking it, it leaves my skin feeling well exfoliated without that over raw feeling you can get from harsher exfoliators and it does seem to have made a difference to the troublesome blackheads around my nose.  Although I'd still love to try a Clarisonic I'm happy to stick with this excellent budget version for now as it really does seem to do the job it's meant for.

No7 Beautiful Skin Hot Cloth Cleanser

As part of my ongoing search to try and find a bargain alternative to my Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish I decided to pick up No7's version while I had a £5 off voucher.  The voucher meant that the cleanser was just under £5 which for 200ml of product and a muslin cloth is a pretty good deal.

 

 

As with the Superdrug hot cloth cleanser I tried recently this is a nice product, it feels fairly thick and luxurious when you pump some out of the tube and it applies nicely onto my face.  The smell is very neutral, it doesn't have the same sort of obvious (and in my opinion, lovely) botanical scent that LE, and even the Superdrug cleanser, has.  No7's version is much more subtle, to me it smells the way a lot of unscented products smell, not a major downside but I do like my face products to smell good and this one doesn't really smell at all other than vaguely of generic 'face stuff'. :)

 

It removes make up well and leaves my skin feeling clean and soft, it doesn't seem to leave the same slight dryness that the Superdrug version did so it seems more moisturising.  Altogether not a bad hot cloth cleanser, but again, while I am happy to use it up I wouldn't swap my Cleanse and Polish for it unless I was on a serious budget.

 

It looks like when it comes to hot cloth cleansers Cleanse and Polish is still the original and the best, sometimes you do get what you pay for.

Naturally Radiant Brightening Hot Cloth Cleanser

I picked this up in Superdrug recently, on offer at half price meaning it was only £2.99.  I'm looking for a budget replacement for my Cleanse and Polish and this has been touted online as one very budget friendly option.

 

The pack includes a muslin cloth to remove the cleanser with as well as the cleanser itself.

 

 

Initial signs are good; the cleanser is a nice thick, creamy consistency and smells great.  The cloth which comes with the pack seems very similar to the ones I have from Liz Earle and the general feel of the product is not too far from Cleanse and Polish at all.  After using it a few times I have found the cloth is quite a bit rougher than the LE ones I have, not necessarily a major down side but you can feel the difference in quality, the Superdrug cloth seems a little thinner and definitely slightly more scratchy on my face.

 

It certainly seems to do a good job of removing make up and cleansing my face, the one thing I did notice was that after I had used it my skin did feel a tiny bit tight and like I needed to put moisturiser on, often with Cleanse and Polish I almost forget to moisturise as my skin feels so nice and elastic right out of the shower.  That is really the main difference I have found with these products other than the slightly rougher cloth.

 

If money were no object would I swap to this from Cleanse and Polish?  Probably not, they're similar products with the Superdrug version being a tiny bit less brilliant for me whereas Cleanse and Polish really does tick all the boxes.  Is it a great budget beauty item that I will continue to use and might buy again?  Definitely, for the price this is a great cleanser and being reminded that you should apply a moisturiser after washing your face is no great downside, and it really does smell delicious.

 

So if you're in the market for a hot cloth cleanser and don't want to stretch to Liz Earle prices then this is a great little alternative to try out the technique and see if it's something you like.

Using up my Boots No7 Vouchers

The latest round of Boots No7 money off vouchers came to an end at the weekend so I popped into Boots to use up the ones I had left and stock up until the next time.  Here's what I got:

 

 

I grabbed two bottles of the Beautiful Skin cleansing water which I tried at the beginning of the month and am really liking, a hot cloth cleanser to try, a nail varnish in Winter Tale (a gorgeous lilac mink grey shade) and another quick dry top coat which I love.

 

I've heard good things about the hot cloth cleanser so I decided to give it a try, I'm looking for a bargain replacement for my Liz Earle cleanse and polish and the No7 one has been touted as being just that, I also have a Superdrug one to try so look out for posts about both of them coming up soon.

 

All in all a successful stocking up haul, I shouldn't need anymore skin care things in the near future, I hope!

 

 

Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Special Edition with Rose & Lavender

Clearly Liz Earle, or maybe The Prince's Trust, can read my mind and so decided to come up with a way to help me make the difficult decision of whether to replace my now almost finished Cleanse & Polish or not.  They did that by releasing a new version with the addition of Rose and Lavender, two of my favourite scents, meaning I had to go out and buy it despite having about 47 other cleansers on the go at the moment and promising I would use what I had before adding more.

 

The Special Edition is a larger size of pump bottle, 150ml for £19.75 which also includes two muslin cloths, and is available now.  I got mine in John Lewis but the website is also stocking it if that's an easier way for you to order.

 

 

 There's very little point in going into what Cleanse & Polish is all about as it's already a cult beauty favourite which has been reviewed and recommended on just about every beauty blog I read at some point or another so I'm sure you're all aware of it and what it does.  The Special Edition does exactly what the original does with the addition of two gorgeous new scents and a slightly fancier bottle design.

 

 

Personally, I love this new version.  I really like C&P anyway but this version smells fantastic, you can definitely tell there has been an addition of the two new fragrances and both the rose and lavender are lovely natural plant type scents without any hint of a synthetic nature. 

 

Liz Earle suggests that this version is more suitable for evening use as it's such a relaxing and calming fragrance but I intend to use it just as I would the normal version as I love the smell and I'm quite happy to be relaxed by it in the morning too.

 

 

 

Here's what the Liz Earle site has to say about their Special Edition Cleanse & Polish.

Our multi award-winning Cleanse & Polish™ is the foundation of fabulous skin. Working with The Prince’s Trust and one of their young entrepreneurs Rebecca Taylor, we’ve given our British beauty essential a new twist and added rose petal and high-altitude lavender essential oils to create this special edition. By purchasing this product, £2.00 will go towards supporting the vital work of The Prince’s Trust. This product is suitable for all skin types.

Ideal for your evening cleanse, this formulation works on every age and skin type, offering concentrated yet gentle cleansing power. This rich, concentrated cream removes daily grime and make up to leave skin clear, smooth and exceptionally clean. Used with the muslin cloth, it lifts away dead cells revealing fresh, radiant skin. Cleanse & Polish contains naturally active ingredients including rosemary, chamomile and hops to help tone and soothe, whilst cocoa butter softens, smoothes and moisturises.

This unique blend of rose petal and high altitude lavender essential oils helps to calm and relax, ideal for use prior to a good night’s sleep.

 

And here's the blurb from the back of the bottle, should you wish to have a read at that too. 

 

 

So, will you be adding the new Special Edition C&P to your bathroom beauty staples?