face wash – sarah fynn

Caudalie Vinopure Purifying Gel Cleanser Review

Caudalie’s new Vinopure Purifying Gel Cleanser promises a lot of things. The brand says:

The first essential step in your beauty routine against blemishes, the Purifying Cleansing Gel, enriched in natural salicylic acid, grapeseed polyphenols and organic* essential oils, cleanses and purifies the skin without leaving it dry. Its gentle and effective formula works to tighten pores, reduce excess sebum and visibly reduce blemishes. Its gel texture leaves skin feeling instantly fresh and clean. A light and surprising, 100% natural scent derived from a unique complex of essential oils that delivers a breath of freshness with each use.

Benefits: Purifies, Tackles blemishes, Minimises pores and Reduces excess sebum

Experience

I received the 30ml size as a free gift with purchase from Beautylish.

I’ve been using this cleanser both morning and night (as a second cleanser)

What I liked: this cleanser has salicylic acid (BHA) which helps to reduce blemishes and reduce pore size. I really liked this cleanser because it did exactly that. I had a few breakouts in my lower cheek area and this cleanser helped. The cleanser produces a light foam which is easy to rinse away but doesn’t try out the skin. Normally around this time, my skin would be oilier but I have felt my skin be more balanced. It has a minty medicated scent but this doesn’t linger. It’s gentle enough for daily use. As a second cleanser, it works well to remove makeup and oily residue left over by my balm cleanser

Verdict

This is a great cleanser and I would highly recommend to oily and blemish-prone skin types. The BHA in the cleanser helps reduce breakouts and pore size as well and balancing the skin. I used this twice a day but it never dried out my skin. I like the fresh scent and feeling it leaves my skin. I won’t recommend this for dry skintypes

I will definitely purchase this but it would be a cleanser I use in the warmer months as that’s when my skin tends to be oilier and blemish-prone.

Caudalie Vinopure Purifying Gel Cleanser is £16 on LookFantastic

Omorovicza Cleansing Foam Review

Omorovicza is a luxury brand with a lot of products under its belt. Their best selling Queen of Hungary Mist is what piqued my interest in them. luxury brand = higher price so when I saw this giftset ( for less than £40)featuring the mist and this cleanser I got it straight away! Today’s post will be a full review of the Omorovicza Cleansing Foam.

What the brand says

This delicately scented blue cleansing foam swiftly purifies and refreshes the skin, morning or evening. The sulphate-free formula removes all makeup and impurities without stripping skin of moisture.

Experience

I used the cleansing foam twice a day, in the morning and in the evening as my second cleanse. I did not experience any irritation from the cleanser and it has a mild pleasant scent.

The cleanser has a mousse-like texture that transforms into a delicate foam on the skin with the addition of water. I use a fair amount and add a bit of water to get the foam then massage it all over a dry face in the morning ( morning routine in the pic above). This cleanser is effective, it leaves the skin clean without stripping it of its oils. My skin feels comfortable throughout the day. As a second cleanser in the evening, it’s able to remove traces of my balm cleanser with ease. My balm cleanser leaves a little bit of an oily residue on the skin.

As a foaming cleanser, you would think this would leave the skin dry but this cleanser doesn’t. it doesn’t produce a lot of foam, to be honest, I don’t mind a foaming cleanser. I know a lot of people stay away from them

Verdict

This is a beautiful luxurious cleanser that feels so soft on the skin. I love that it’s not harsh and doesn’t strip the skin dry. Whilst I haven’t tried it against makeup, I have full confidence that it will great. I love the scent! It reminds me of an aromatherapy facial in a fancy spa.

This joins my luxurious cleanser list- I will work on my recommended list soon!

I will recommend.

Omorovicza Cleansing Foam is £18 for 30ml on LookFantastic

Other cleanser reviews

First Aid Beauty face cleanser

Murad AHA BHA cleanser

B creamy Foam

some links are affiliate

Farmacy Clean Bee Face Cleanser Review

As many of you know, I love Farmacy skincare! Everything I have tried from the brand has been great. Whilst the full range is not available in the UK (seriously, its 2020!) most of the range is available from Beautylish and a few products also on Cult Beauty and LookFantastic.

I got the Clean Bee facial cleanser in the Sweet Dreams set earlier this year.

What the brand says

A soothing, ultra-gentle facial cleanser perfect for everyday use! Made with sensitive skin in mind, Clean Bee lifts away excess oil, impurities, and makeup while infusing moisture with honey and hyaluronic acid.

Experience

I have been using this cleanser for about 2 weeks, twice a day in my AM and PM routines. This is a gel textured face wash with a pleasant scent. The scent reminds me of ginger for some reason even though it’s infused with honey lol. It does produce lather.

What I liked about it? I apply this on wet skin in the evenings as I use it as my second cleanser and in the morning on dry skin (with a touch of water) as it’s my first cleanser. It works really well both ways to produce lather. I think this is gentle and my face feels clean. I follow the 60-sec method and massage my face and neck gently before rinsing away. My face is left clean but not stripped.

My first cleanser in the evening leaves some oily residue and this does well to remove it as well.

In terms of ingredients, it’s got a lot of antioxidants, skin-soothing and brightening agents

Verdict

I’ve really been enjoying this cleanser. I got the 100ml size in the gift set and it’s lasted a while ( still going strong) even with using it twice a day. I have normal/oily skin and it works well to balance out my tzone without drying my cheeks.

I would definitely buy this again and will recommend! I just don’t know where the ginger scent comes from lol, it might just be me lol

Try Clean Bee for £27 (150ml) on LookFanastic

First Aid Beauty Pure Skin Face Cleanser Review

My relationship with First Aid Beauty so far has been less than impressive, from my first ever review of their popular Radiance facial pads and Ultra Hydrating Mist to most recently their Deep Cleanser, everything has been meh for me until now. I picked up the LookFantastic discovery box in January and I was re-introduced to the brand.

What the brand says

A fragrance-free, gentle cleanser that effectively removes makeup, dirt and grime, leaving skin soft and supple. The whipped texture transforms into a sumptuous cream when blended with water.

Infused with a powerful Botanical Antioxidant blend, it helps safeguard skin against environmental aggressors while also calming irritated skin. This non-stripping, pH-balanced formula works to maintain skin’s natural acidity and helps reduce flare ups, never leaving skin feeling tight or dry.

Experience

The discovery box came with a travel size cleanser which I used both in the morning and in the evening as my second cleanser. I think it lasted me a little over 2 weeks. I’ve finished the tube now. I don’t remember it having a strong scent and it’s free from artificial fragrance anyway.

So this cleanser, I absolutely LOVE! I’m probably among the very few bloggers that love when a cleanser suds up! This one produces a gentle lather with a fair amount but its easy to rinse away. It removes traces of the oil left over by my balm cleanser in the evening, dirt, excess oils and grime from the day. My skin is left clean but not tight or dry. It doesn’t feel stripped but nice and comfortable. The cleanser doesn’t feel harsh on the skin. I also like it for morning use especially because of their FAB antioxidant booster. It works well on damp or dry skin.

The cleanser also has some great ingredients. Their FAB antioxidant booster is Licorice Root, Feverfew and White Tea extracts. I love anything with antioxidants because it helps to protect the skin from environmental aggressors. Licorice root also has some skin brightening properties although I won’t say the cleanser brightened my skin but it doesn’t clean that anyway. It also has glycerin, aloe and allantoin to calm, soothe and hydrate the skin.

Verdict

Finally a product from First Aid Beauty I love! This is for dry or sensitive skin but I have normal to combination oily skin and the cleanser worked very well for it. It cleansed my skin well enough to balance my tzone. My skin was never dry or tight with it and most of the time (it should be all the time) I follow the 60sec cleansing method. I love the gentle lather it produces and it feels so soft and gentle on the skin.

I will definitely look to getting this again in the future! Highly recommended! Can’t wait to use the other stuff in the box.

First Aid Beauty Pure Skin Face Cleanser is £15 on LookFantastic

Olay Foaming Cleansing Jelly Review

I saw this in Boots and immediately picked it up. I have a different Olay cleanser I use for travelling which I really love so I wanted to give this one a go as well.

Olay Foaming Cleansing Jelly is for normal skin (there were a few for different skin types) and has Vitamin E & B3, and pro-vitamin B5. This promises to remove makeup and impurities and refreshes the skin without over-drying it.

Experience

I’ve been using the cleanser from the end of January twice a day, as my AM cleanser and my second cleanser in the PM. I haven’t experienced any irritation.

As the name suggests, the Foaming Cleansing Jelly produces a gentle lather, the texture is similar to most face washes on the market. This face wash leaves my skin feeling clean and refreshed but doesn’t leave it dry or tight. It has a scent, it just reminds me of cleaning products but it’s not unpleasant and doesn’t linger. It doesn’t also leave a residue on the skin

Verdict

There isn’t much to say other than this is a good cleanser at a very good price from Olay. It removes dirt, excess makeup and breaks through oils left from my cleansing balms. It’s a great easy to use cleanser. The one I have is for normal skin, I have normal to combination oily skin and it works great with it. I do really like this cleanser and would recommend it.

This is £3.99 at Superdrug

LOréal Fine Flowers Cleansing Wash Review

I love a good face wash and even better if it’s pocket-friendly! I came across this cleanser whilst I was browsing Boots looking for a new face wash to try. The cleanser was on offer which was cheap as chips so I figured why not

L’Oréal Fine Flowers Cleansing wash is for sensitive & dry skin and promises to soften, cleanse and purify the skin. Formulated with Rose and Jasmine and a gel cream that feels comfortable on the skin

Experience

Although I have normal to oily combo skin, I really wanted to try this cleanser as it was on offer and it had lots of good reviews. The texture of the cleanser feels amazing on the skin, it’s very soft, it reminds me of holding up really soft fluffy jumpers against my skin lol. I have been using this twice a day for about 3 weeks now.

The cleanser does a very good job of cleaning the skin, it produces a gentle lather when massaged on the skin with some water. It has a subtle scent, removes traces of dirt, makeup and excess oil. I use my hands and follow the 60 sec method ( I try). A fair amount is all that is needed

Verdict

This is an easy to use face cleanser that works really well. My skin feels comfortable after washing not dry or tight. It works really well with my normal to combo skin type. It easy to rinse off and doesn’t leave a residue on the skin.

I really like the face wash and will repurchase.

Check this out in your local Boots, for £3.99

Best of the Decade: Face washes

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

I’m starting my Best series again with some of my favourite products I have used over the last years. I have used a lot of favourite washes over the past decade but these are some of the best products I keep repurchasing and recommending:

B Creamy Foam- this drugstore cleanser is one of the best low-cost cleansers I have used. With salicylic acid, it gently cleanses and smoothes the skin. Review

Dermalogica special cleansing gel– I remember using this many years back and fell in love with it. A luxury cleanser that gently cleanses the skin removing traces of makeup without stripping it. Review

Estee Lauder Micro-Foam- this year, I really fell hard for Estée Lauder. This cleanser produces a gentle foam which leaves the skin feeling clean without drying it out. Review

Pixi Glow Mud– this AHA cream cleanser was the first of its kind for me. It doesn’t foam which was also a first for me but it leaves the skin so soft, smooth and clean. Review

Murad AHA, BHA cleanser- what don’t I love about this cleanser? It’s a combination of 2 of my fav acids plus it leaves the skin clean and smooth. Review

Peter Thomas Roth anti-aging cleansing gel – PTR really have some of the best gift sets for a luxury brand. I got this cleanser in a giftset and immediately fell in love. It’s a luxury gel cleanser that rinses away easily and leaves the skin smoother. Review

Some by mi AHA BHA PHA cleansing bar– this year was a k beauty year for me. I bought a few items and one of the items I fell in love with was this bar facial cleansing soap from Some By Mi. the AHA BHA PHA combo leaves my skin so soft yet there isn’t a dry and tight feeling. Review

That’s all folks, check out these products and let me know what you think. these are some of my favourite face washes and I have used and reviewed all of these on my blog! So many other worthy products but I really want to keep my lists short. Check out my review index to see more reviews.

Catch you soon for another instalment.

Estee Lauder Advanced Night Micro Cleansing Foam review

Estee Lauder Advanced Night Micro cleansing foam promises to remove makeup and pollution whilst leaving the skin clean, soft and refreshed. I have the travel size of this cleanser, which came in a gift set when I purchased the Advanced Night serum last year! I started using this cleanser last month as part of my PM routine and I have now finished the tube.

Experience

I have using this this cleanser as 2nd cleanse after makeup/SPF removal in the PM. It has a lightweight creamy feel to it without an overpowering scent. I have experienced no irritation with using this. My skin type is normal to combination oily.

The Estee Lauder Advanced Night Micro cleansing form lathers into a foam that gently cleanses my skin without stripping it. I follow the 60-second method when washing my face and using this cleanser this way has not had any negative effects on my skin. The foam it produces isn’t a lot so if foaming cleansers are not your favourite but you were interested in this product you can still give it a go.

I have not used it to take off makeup so I cannot comment on its makeup removal power but as a 2^nd cleanser, it does well to remove the residue of makeup left on the skin. I really like how gentle the cleanser is and it definitely feels luxe on the skin.

Verdict

A very good cleanser that has effective cleansing power yet gentle on the skin. I am impressed by it. If luxe cleansers are your thing then I would recommend this one. It leaves the skin soft and refreshed but most importantly clean.

Estee Lauder does amazing gift sets for less than £30 and this cleanser is usually featured in it. The trial size of this is 30 ml and actually lasts a while, in fact, most of the trial/travel sizes are good enough sizes (unlike some brands who keep doing 10ml of products smh).

Estee Lauder Advanced Night Micro Cleansing Foam (full size) is £ 26 on Boots*

Make sure you catch up on all my reviews by checking out my Review menu!

I will be working on a cleansers edit for normal to combo skintypes! Stay tuned!

*affiliate link used. If you decide to make a purchase through my link, I will earn a small commission which goes towards the upkeep of the blog (and allows me to keep bringing you excellent content) but the price remains the same

Some by Mi AHA BHA PHA Miracle Cleansing Bar Review

I was introduced to PHA last year and I instantly fell in love with it. I liked the gentle exfoliation it provided and how moisturising it was. I have been looking for PHA based products but nothing I found was affordable. Infact I found 1 PHA serum under £20(I have this and a review will follow). After been obsessed with Asian skincare, I found a lot of PHA based products and affordable products! I started with this: the Some by Mi AHA BHA PHA 30 days starter kit which is one of their bestselling collection. I picked this up from YesStyle and started using it right away.

Some by Mi AHA BHA PHA Miracle Cleansing Bar is part of the 30 days clear skin challenge which they promise better skin in 30 days. I have the trial size and I have been using it for about 3 weeks, I think I have enough to last me another week

Experience

Apart from African black soap which I was using for my face many years back, I have never used a cleansing bar as a face wash. I use the Some by Mi AHA BHA PHA Miracle Cleansing Bar as my PM 2^nd cleanser and also a few times as an AM cleanser. I have experienced no irritation from this bar soap. It doesn’t have a strong scent

The bar soap lathers really well and easily and I find it to be an effective cleanser. I follow the 60-second rule when cleansing my face and after rinsing this off my skin feels clean but it doesn’t feel stripped. I feel like it also deep cleanses my pores. The bar (the whole line) also has added tea tree oil for anti-bacterial properties. I was very surprised with how effective it was and I actually loved it as both an AM & PM cleanser.

In terms of leaving my skin better, I experienced a lot of hormonal breakouts and texture in March and whilst the soap didn’t prevent it, I feel like my skin looked better every time I cleaned it. The soap left my skin looking smoother and softer but didn’t have an effect on the breakouts.

The trial size has actually lasted me the full 4 weeks. Towards the end of the 4 weeks, I did realise the soap did not lather as much but this is because there was only a tiny bit left

Verdict

I would 100% recommend this bar soap as a cleanser. When I used it twice a day, my skin didn’t feel stripped at all, I have normal to combination skin. This is an effective cleanser and I think oily skin would really like this. This doesn’t mention the conc of acids in the soap, but I did not experience any stinging with this so I would this is quite low. I am also very surprised by how long the trial size lasted me 4 weeks! I will repurchase this soon- this would make a fantastic travel cleanser! I am planning on repurchasing soon!

They have a Vitamin C bar soap I am currently eyeing up!

Some By Mi AHA BHA PHA Miracle Cleansing bar is £10.32 on YesStyle*

I have a review on the cream and toner.

B Clean Creamy Foam Hydrating Cleanser review

In my B skincare brand review, I briefly mentioned the B Clean Foam Hydrating Cleanser and how much I was enjoying it. In this post, I will be reviewing the cleanser and sharing my thoughts on it

B Clean Creamy Foam Hydrating Cleanser is made for all skintypes and promises to deeply cleanse, purify and hydrate the skin. It has salicylic acid to unclog pores and a blend of mild cleansing and skin conditioning ingredients to help leave the skin feeling smooth and comfortable.

Experience

I was using this throughout December but took a break from it in January for my Beauty Pie Challenge. I started using it again towards the end of January till now. I’m actually almost out of it. It is a thick creamy formula which foams a lot with a fair amount. It has an ok scent.

This was a mainly an AM cleanser but I have also used it as a PM cleanser. I find the cleanser very easy to use. I apply a fair amount on wet hands and massage over dry skin. I add a bit of water to create a creamy foam and cleanse my face thoroughly following the #60secondrule (washing your face with your hands for 60 seconds). It has mild cleansing power and I find it very effective at leaving my skin clean without stripping it. I feel like it leaves my skin very smooth and pores unclogged because of the BHA in it. After usage, my skin is left comfortable and smooth and it looks healthier

Verdict

This is a very good drugstore cleanser which also has salicylic acid in it. in fact, it is one of the few cleansers I have come across from the drugstore with BHA in it ( the other is Garnier Pure Active) I love this wash, its mild, its effective and it doesn’t dry the skin. It is not the most hydrating cleanser, but it doesn’t leave my skin tight or dry. I would definitely recommend especially for oily to blemish-prone skin because of the added BHA in it, but I think all skintypes will like it. I have normal to combination oily skin. A little goes a long way with this cleanser and I find I don’t need much to cleanse my face, neck and even chest.

I was sent tis product by PR for review but all opinions are my own.

I currently can’t find this online but its available in store.