I think this is one of those products that is on the verge of taking the beauty blogging world by storm. When I first heard of Emma Hardie, her products were on QVC and to be honest I didn't take a lot of notice because it didn't seem like a brand aimed at my age group or skin type. It was only when I was scouring Caroline Hirons' blog for new Skincare regime ideas that I realised that actually what I think my skin needs probably isn't what it needs at all.
Caroline has taught me so much through her blog; including recommending the best products for combination skin. I never realised that if you have oily skin you shouldn't use a foaming cleanser, nor did I realise that you shouldn't use really strong alcohol based products. Because of this, I have introduced Emma Hardie into my regime hoping it signals new beginnings for my neglected skin.
Emma Hardie Cleansing Balm - £23.80 (Feel Unique Sale Price)
How I've been Using Emma Hardie Cleansing Balm
I don't use Emma Hardie morning and night because I feel that it's a little too heavy for a morning cleanse, instead I've been using Soap and Glory Peaches and Clean to freshen up my face which isn't anywhere near as luxurious but at the moment it's working!
When I do use EH I make sure that I make time to do it properly, I'll either sit in the bath and use it or sit on my bed and use it. Either way I double cleanse on a night to make sure I've got every little scrap of makeup off especially round my t-zone and chin which is where I'm more prone to spots. I always make sure I use a clean flannel and only use warm running water from the tap (dipping your flannel back into dirty bath/sink water kind of defeats the whole object of cleansing!)
Stating the Obvious
- Emma Hardie is a balm cleanser which is like nothing I've ever used before, I've always used milk or the dreaded foaming cleansers. Basically you scoop a little out, warm between your finger tips and then massage into your face (there's a handy leaflet in the box which shows you how to do this).
- The product itself seems very oily to me, something which would normally deter me totally from putting it on my skin but when you have added a little water it does go into more of a milky consistency.
- It feels absolutely beautiful when massaging it in, I think you can literally feel it melting the makeup, dirt and grime that's been sat on your face all day.
- I think it smells absolutely beautiful; I can really smell the Neroli in it over all the other ingredients
- After the first use my face felt so clean, honestly cleaner than it's felt for a long time. Admittedly I have been neglecting my skin and using wipes for the past few months so it was so nice to do a proper cleanse with this.
- I have a real issue with raised blackheads on my nose and open pores around my nose; where foundation and powder tend to sit in and look absolutely disgusting but from the first cleanse these have reduced gradually; they're still there but just not as noticeable so when I feel my nose it doesn't feel as bumpy as it did.
- The only negative I have to say about this so far is that it's not as good at removing eye makeup as I'd hoped it would be, I always seem to have some left even though I double cleanse. However I shall persevere because there could be a strong possibility that I'm just not using it properly!
Overall First Impressions
Very good. I have been using it for a week now and so far there has been no negative reaction from my skin although I'm a big believer in that it takes around a month to make an accurate, well informed judgement on whether a skincare product is working for me so I'll do another post about it in January when I'm around half way down the pot.
Please bear in mind that I have combination/oily skin. The reason why I choose to start using EH is because this winter I have found that my skin has become dry and flakey around my chin and at the sides of my face so I figured I needed to get myself a proper skincare routine, and with the help of Caroline Hirons' blog I found this :)
