Products I have used up in the past couple of months

A few cleansers and a day moisturiser.

Tata Harper Purifying Cleanser - I used this am only. It is quite zingy, and maybe it is a bit too zingy for my skin. I used the Refreshing Cleanser with great success, and that maybe simply due to the smell, Refreshing is grapefruity and Purifying has a slightly more astrigent note to my nose. It is £49 for 125mls, and lasted me about 4 months of am only use.

Omorovicza Hydra Melting Cleanser - this is a delight, a sheer and utter sensorial pleasure from the heavy jar to the bouncy gel texture, to the light herbally scent (for me Omorovicza does the best scents of all skincare lines). Read Ruth's review, for an indepth review. I have repurchased this because I love it. £65 for 100mls, I used this am, pm, pre and post makeup removal, for makeup removal, when I wanted a lift...

Oskia Renaissance 360 Anti-Ageing + Brightening Supreme Cream - I bought this because I needed a day cream and this seemed to fit the bill, but then I bought another day cream from another brand and sort of forgot about this and then felt I had to start using it because it wasn't cheap and so I started to use it in a bit of a grump really. But the product won me over. I have a tendancy to favour thick dense textured moisturiser and forget that maybe a lighter textured cream would be better for my oily skin, this is lighter and almost serum like in texture but is very hydrating. It sinks in but not without trace and allows for layering of sunscreen and primer. It worked very well for me over the summer. £65 for 40mls.

Votary Cleansing Oil - Original thoughts here. I was really suprised by how much I liked using this after being a die hard cleansing balm user, it removes makeup and is a delight to use. It also lasts ages and ages. £45 for 100mls.

Omorovicza Thermal Cleansing Balm - supersized, this is a whole 100mls rather than the 50mls jar that I have previously used and spoken about here. It is a very nice treatment cleanser really. It removes makeup but is too special for that I think. I use it intermittently when my skin or my sanity needs extra comfort. £80 for 100mls

Votary Super Seed Cleansing Oil

I have been using this for nearly a month. Put simply I love it. End of review. 

The thing is that I am a serial cleanser of my face, I delight in cleansing, it soothes and satisfies me. It reacquaints me with my face.

Thus I enjoy many different cleansers, balms, oils and creams. This is a lovely lovely cleansing oil.

I have used the first Votary Cleansing Oil - see my thoughts here it is also a lovely lovely cleansing oil, it is quite a light textured oil and does sink somewhat into my skin when I apply - not something that I mind, but something that I am aware of.

This is a thicker textured oil to my mind, it is denser, it sits in the palm of my hand. 

The premise of this oil is "Anti-irritation, anti-inflammation, deeply nourishing and anti-ageing". 

It contains 21 plant oils: Vitis Vinifera (Grapeseed) Oil Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel Oil Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil Curcubita Pepo (Pumpkin) Seed Oil Vaccinium Macrocarpon (Cranberry) Seed Oil Limanthes Alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil Salvia Hispanica (Chia) Seed Oil Camellia Oleifera (Camellia) Seed Oil Cannabis Sativa (Hemp) Seed Oil Fragaria Ananassa (Strawberry) Seed Oil Nigella Sativa (Black Seed) Oil Papaver Somniferum (Poppy) Seed Oil Linum Usitatissimum (Linseed) Oil Punica Granatum (Pomegranate) Seed Oil Vaccinium Corymbosum (Blueberry) Seed Oil Tocopherol Borago Officinalis (Borage) Seed Oil Brassica Oleracea Italica (Brocoli) Seed Oil Citrullus Lanatus (Melon) Seed Oil Prunus Cerasus (Cherry) Seed Oil Rosa Canina (Rosehip) Fruit Oil Rubus Idaeus (Raspberry) Seed Oil Carum Petroselinum (Parsley) Seed Oil Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Herb Oil Calendula Officinalis (Calendula) Flower Extract Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Seed Oil Limonene+ Linalool+ +Naturally occurs in Essential Oils  

It works in the same way as the original, wet hands lightly, apply 4-5 pumps of the oil (which sprays out very easily) massage in and remove with the cloth. For me, this cleansing oil is like Votary Cleaning Oil + it has that bit extra, extra richness, extra calmness, extra soothingness. It smells very faintly of lavender.

With my order came a 2mls sample of the accompanying Super Seed Facial Oil.

This is sublime, I want the full size. It lasted me a good 10 days and my skin felt cared for in a way that it hasn't been for a long time. This contains the same 21 oils but with no added lavender.

The Super Seed Cleansing Oil is £55 for 100mls and the Super Seed Facial Oil is £70 for 50mls. Is it too early for Christmas present lists?

Votary Face Cloths

Not all face cloths or flannels are created the same. The face cloth which comes with the Votary Cleansing Oil is one of the most luxurious I have ever used.

So for £22 with free p+p one can purchase five cotton face cloths housed in a sturdy white box.

I have a bit of an obsession with face cloths/flannels/muslins and when I am feeling strong I will post something on the number of different ones I have used, from microfibre to bamboo, but not now.

It is difficult to photograph the nap of this cloth but it is deep and I suppose bouncy for want of a better word, and they are larger in size than most.

Now I can and have gone to IKEA or Asda and bought a load of cheap flannels but as my skin has got older, I find that it needs a bit of gentleness and comfort and cheaper cotton flannels tend to increase my redness and thread veins.

Currently there is an offer on the Votary website for the full size Votary Oil (£45) and a box of the five Votary Face Cloths (£22) for a total of £62. I am currently two thirds of the way through my Votary Oil and I may well take advantage of this offer before the month is up.

My post on the Votary Oil can be found here

Votary Cleansing Oil

Another day, another cleanser. Or to be exact cleansing oil. And this is superb, I mean just the packaging is a glorious understated quality, from the beautifully rich dark green of the glass, so more pleasing than the pervasive brown glass, and equally protective, to the soft bronzey rose gold of the label, to the embossed white box. I know one should not judge quality of product by quality of packaging but in this case I was totally swayed and totally right.

The older I get, the more I require my cleanser to be nourishing and comforting, I find that I don't mind if my cleanser sinks into my skin somewhat prior to removal, infact I rather delight in that, because I feel that the moisturising process has begun, and I don't have dry skin, my skin is oily, but I don't bloody care, the sensory pleasure of massaging in something which sinks in a little at the same time results in my skin feeling lovely.

The ingredients list is reassuringly short and I for one am glad to see apricot oil above jojoba and grape seed oil for it is a far richer carrier oil.

There are essential oils in this cleansing oil, but this does not smell like some namby pamby lavender (not to lambaste lavender which smells divine, but can be added almost as a given to products), it smells as it is of a cleansing oil with with essential oils in, the chamomile coming through particularly for me.

It is a light oil, which is sprayed on to the hands rather ingeniously I thought, no dropping or dripping or pouring anxiously.

And remarkably it really does remove makeup, a couple of passes, more for pleasure than effectiveness and I have soft, clean and comfortable skin.

In these days of cleansing-oil-balms-which-turn-into-milks this is a welcome change. I absolutely love it and want to try the facial treatment oils in this range.

Currently £45 for 100mls it comes with a plush white flannel - blissful.

More information from the Votary website.