Oil and Water

A few items became skin care musts/lusts when I started to pay greater attention to Caroline Hirons: Indeed Labs Hydraluron, Alpha-H Liquid Gold, a hydrating toner (Omorovicza Queen of Hungary Mist), a moisturiser sans mineral oil and a balm cleanser. Specifically, Emma Hardie Amazing Face Moringa Cleansing Balm. A few months ago, I couldn't have contemplated forking out over $50 on something intended to wash my face. I was perfectly content with my Dove Cleanser & Toner in One (still am) or my Bioderma Créaline H20 to get rid of stubborn eye makeup. But the influence of Caroline is strong, and after reading countless clinic posts recommending it, the Emma Hardie Moringa Cleansing Balm was bumped to the top of my must-buy list. When it came back in stock on Feel Unique, I didn't hesitate to add it to my cart.

Ingredients: Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Alcohol, PEG-8 Beeswax, PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, PEG-60 Almond Glycerides, Sorbitan Stearate, Palmitic/Stearic Triglycerides, Limonene, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Oil, Silica, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil, Glycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Citrus Aurantium Amara (Bitter Orange) Flower Oil, Juniperus Virginiana Oil, Aqua (Water), Lecithin, Linalool, Butylene Glycol, Octyldodecyl PCA, Menthyl PCA, Tocopherol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Crithmum Maritimum Extract, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Jasminum Officinale (Jasmine) Flower Oil, Geraniol, Moringa Pterygosperma Seed Extract, Farnesol, Rosa Damascena Flower Oil, Disodium Phosphate, Citral, Citric Acid, Citronellol

The first thing that struck me about the balm was the chunky, amateur-looking packaging. I mean, is that Times New Roman? It just looked like something a college student could have come up with design-wise. The jar is unnecessary bulky as well, with the actual container holding the product surrounded by a thick wall of plastic, a raised base and padded top, as if to give the illusion of something weightier and more luxurious.

When I opened it up, I noticed that part of the balm had separated and sloped to one side, with liquid oil surrounding the perimeter of the balm. It wasn't one solid mass. I'm not sure whether that's meant to happen, or whether it had melted and then resolidified unevenly in transit.

With those somewhat superficial quibbles, I was still very much excited to try out the balm. The smell wasn't what I was anticipating at all. I'm not sure what I was expecting in all honesty (probably a more fresh, uplifting scent), but it's much richer and more traditionally perfumed. It's extremely fragrant — the smell is as strong as a perfume oil. I'd describe it as the heart of an intense floral bouquet crossed with LUSH Rub Rub Rub Shower Scrub (sea salt, jasmine, mimosa, orange flower). It's a genuine pleasure to use because it's like receiving your own spa treatment at home. The instructions suggest to mix a few drops of water with a bit of the balm in the palm of your hand to create a cream, and then to wipe it off with a hot cleansing cloth. I never do that. I use it in the shower, somewhat unhygienically scooping out way too much with my fingers and applying it directly to my damp face, then washing it all off with water. The amount I use is probably obscene, but I don't care. If I used any less I don't think it'd have the same effect or produce as much enjoyment, so I'd rather be wasteful with the product than skimp on it and barely feel anything.

My only gripe is that if I rub this all over my face, I do find that it does tend to get into my eyes, and the sensation is quite literally akin to having oil in your eyes. Not comfortable. It could be because of the amount that I use, but either way, I can't imagine using this balm to actually remove eye makeup. Not only would it be ineffectual, the balm would also likely irritate the eyes.

As for any noticeable effects on the skin, I've used this a few times, and at the very least, I know it doesn't break me out or inflame my skin (unlike the similarly thick Sanctuary Spa Polishing Hot Cloth Cleanser which always seems to leave it red and slightly dried out). But I can't really attribute using the Emma Hardie to any marked improvements in my skin's condition, possibly because I don't use it with enough regularity, I'm not using it correctly, or a whole suite of other products are doing their bit to keep my skin generally happy. All I know is the balm is a treat to use, is highly aromatic in a relaxing, almost therapeutic way, and doesn't seem to cause my skin any issues. Just keep it out of the eyes and closed tightly on a flat surface.

Diamonds and Dior

Dior Diorskin Poudre Shimmer in Amber Diamond (002). I could've snapped up this famed highlighter from StrawberryNET ages ago, but I rationalised I already had Jemma Kidd Dewy Glow All Over Radiance Crème in Rose Gold and theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer, so I passed. Soon enough, it was sold out and I never saw it make an appearance again. I'd always included it on my wishlist, but given how difficult it was to track down online (except this one semi-dodgy looking website which I didn't want to take a chance on), procuring it was pushed to the back of my mind. When Tarazz recently held a $10 flat rate shipping promotion for purchases from Sephora, I split the cost with a friend and took the opportunity to finally make Amber Diamond mine.

In sunlight

Amber Diamond consists of 5 strips of yellow/peachy/gold shimmer. A couple of the strips are tiny, so it would be a challenge to use them in isolation. I find it a bit unusual to have to select from the different gradations of colour because I'm used to highlighters being just one shade, but I normally just focus around the middle and dab my brush on either side to get a little bit of everything. It's still distinctly shimmery, but the particles are very fine and impart more of a luminous sheen than something more obvious and almost gritty. It's the only highlighter that I don't hate when I take it down the bridge of my nose — it doesn't look strange or unnatural. It's more subtle and glowy than theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer which is stronger but less refined, but it's also more pronounced than the unassuming Jemma Kidd Dewy Glow All Over Radiance Crème in Rose Gold. It's quickly become my preferred go-to highlighter and something I eagerly reach for every day. I definitely like it more than my theBalm, though I'm not sure whether it overtakes the Jemma Kidd as my absolute favourite. There are undoubtedly far cheaper alternatives which give more or less the same effect (such as the Models Prefer highlighter in Glitz & Glamour), but after lusting over Amber Diamond and holding out for as long as I did, my patience has been rewarded and it's lived up to my lofty expectations.

Jocks and Loose Women

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The Royal Treatment

When I bought the Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask and then tweeted, "Is this the beginning of the end?", the answer was yes. Unequivocally. Since then, I don't care to think about how much money I've spent on skin care. My most indulgent purchase to date has been Omorovicza Queen of Hungary Mist. There should just be a general warning against buying anything from a brand that you can barely pronounce or spell. Omo-what? I love me a good mist, and this seemed to be the crème de la crème of mists. Repeated exposure to it from Caroline Hirons, Vivianna Does Makeup and Liana Beauty gradually swayed me. It transformed from something completely out of the question to something I spontaneously bought from Look Fantastic (the 15% discount helped) after a particularly long, boring day at work.

Ingredients: Aqua (Hungarian Thermal Water), Rosa Damascena Flower Water, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Flower Water, Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Leaf Water, Glycerin, Polysorbate 20, Phenoxyethanol, Disodium EDTA, Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract, Saccharomyces (Hungarian Thermal Water) Ferment Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Mannitol, Malpighia Punicifolia (Acerola) Fruit Extract, Chlorella Vulgaris/Lupinus Albus Protein Ferment, Pectin, Phospholipids, Yeast Extract

I was on the lookout for a hydrating toner per Caroline Hirons's recommendation to use two toners after cleansing: one to exfoliate and one to put the moisture back in. I'm still undecided about the need for an exfoliating toner (mainly because I'm using Alpha-H Micro Cleanse, Alpha-H Liquid Gold and Trilogy Age Proof Active Enzyme Cleansing Cream with my Olay face brush and I don't want to go overboard with the exfoliation), but a hydrating toner seemed vitally missing from my routine (Avene Thermal Spray doesn't quite cut it since it's basically just water, and La Roche-Posay Serozinc isn't around). I was contemplating the super affordable Sukin Hydrating Mist Toner (simple but effective ingredients), REN Tonic Moisture Mist or Balance Me Skin Bright Hydrating Mist, but in the end, I thought I might as well go straight for what I really wanted. The Omorovicza isn't vastly more expensive on a cost per millilitre basis compared with the Balance Me (£0.33/ml vs. £0.46/ml), especially after the 15% discount I redeemed.

Is this stuff worth it? Not really. I bought it blind, having never seen it or tried it in person, and the first thing that struck me was how different the smell was to what I was expecting. I was anticipating something rose-scented but also a little juicy and fruity, kind of like a cross between Jurlique Rosewater Balancing Mist and if the Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask was formulated into a spray. But it's more like fragranced sea water that dries down to a mellow apple scent. I don't dislike it, but I don't love it either.

I find the best way to apply it is after cleansing in the evening, spraying two pumps into my palm, rubbing my hands together, then pressing my hands onto my face. I don't like spritzing directly onto the face, as I find that really wasteful (I usually need a ridiculous number of sprays to feel anything). I've been using this consistently for a couple of weeks, and I can't say I've seen any noticeable effect or difference in that time. I feel it's basically the same as my DIY toner of Caudalie Divine Oil and water. It gives the skin slightly more moisture and refines the appearance of skin very subtly after it's used, but I don't see it performing any miracles or being an indispensable product to my routine. Apparently a key ingredient is apple pectin (though it's third last on the list) which "provides long lasting hydration and restores suppleness".

At the end of the day, this toner is a little bit of luxury that's pleasant to use, but hardly a necessity. I like it because of the glamorous, evocative name, the gorgeous packaging and the fact it has no alcohol. I remember reading this clearly biased review on MakeupAlley and having a chuckle, because it sums up any objections to this mist in quite a tongue-in-cheek manner. Yes, it's expensive — I probably wouldn't have purchased at full price — and there are much more affordable alternatives that likely would produce similar results. But wanting it primarily because it seems nice to have is in my eyes still a perfectly valid reason.