Product Review: OSKIA's Renaissance Cleansing Gel & Perfect Cleanser

It's a shame that Oskia hasn't crossed the pound yet over to the States...yes, you can purchase Oskia from a few online beauty retailers that ship to the US (Look Fantastic [a personal favorite & where I got both of my cleansers from] & Beauty Bay to name a few) but, this London-born skincare brand has been all the hype within the last few years, and for good reason, especially so when it comes to their cleansers, which more than likely you've heard your favorite beauty blogger write and rave about...

Renaissance Cleansing Gel

Its a beautifully light, coral-color cleansing gel-to-oil that rids away the days' impurities & grime, giving you a wonderfully nourishing, clean, and refreshing experience...no wonder its a top hit, and it definitely checks off in my book as my favorite gel cleanser I'ver ever used. Any and all gel cleaners that I have used in the past up to this point has always dried out my skin, no matter what...so needless to say I was extraordinarily hesitant when wanting to try this one, yet, all the raves from bloggers across the beauty universe  reeled me in to take the plunge, and to be honest, I'm very happy I did.

The cleansing gel is great for all skin types, so if you are like me and gel-cleaansers dry you out, don't fear this one, the hype is all there, and its good! With continued use, it can also be good for pigmentation, dark spots from acne scars, and if you're still struggling with some spots, overtime this can help since its packed with vitamins & enzymes (A, B2, C, E, Pumpkin Enzyme...). For personal use, I thoroughly enjoy using this in the mornings strictly; before I picked up their Perfect Cleanser, this gel one was a morning and/or night; though now I find this one much more pleasant and refreshing and that it lifts my skin and perks it up in the morning: its more bright, hydrated, and clean. For the first time, I can't believe I'm going to say that I actually love a gel cleanser. Hats off to you, Oskia!

Perfect Cleanser: Nutri-Active Cleansing & Nourishing Balm

I love me a good balm, let that be said first (which I probably always say when I chat about cleansing balms). If I could have a whole cabinet full of cleansing balms, I would (and most possibly will at some point, let's get real). This cleanser jumps right on the shelf as one of my favorite cleansing balms. It stands out on its own, for me, like the Sunday Riley Blue Moon Cleansing Balm does; the Perfect Cleanser is rich in Vitamins & Enzymes, like its sister - which helps clean and decongests the skin leaving you a soft, clean canvas to continue on with the rest of your routine. Once massaged onto dry skin, you add a little water to break up the rich balm, and whatever impurities are left behind, before removing it with a cloth...and you will need a cloth to remove this..I've tried just rinsing it off with warm water just for the kicks of it...what a waste of water that was, barely budged!  This cleansing balm leaves my skin superbly clean, soft, and just uh, so lovely. With this cleanser, I use it specifically at night since I prefer the heavy-dutyness of a balm cleanser in the evenings. For me, this goes into the cleansing balm hall-of-fame, right with Emma Hardie, Clinique, & Sunday Riley.

BTW: Both of these cleansers are great for all skin types: normal, dry, mature, hormonal, combo, oily, dull...Also, these cleansers are not meant for makeup-removal, these both would be considered your second and/or morning cleanser.

I purchased both of these cleansers through LookFantastic, which took almost about a month (3 1/2 weeks tops) to get to me through the postal service. I got these while they were on discount, & usually LF always has some kind of discount or sale going on, so its worth a check out if you're interested in either of these cleansers, or anything else from the Oskia range (they currently have one going on now, use the code LF15 at checkout to get 15% off your order). On top of that, you can get some cash back through Ebates at the moment when you make a purchase on LF's site, I'll have an Ebates link at the bottom of this post if any were interested in signing up; its free & you get some money back every few months for shopping online, what can be so wrong with that? (extra savings!!)

Where you can purchase products mentioned in this post: 

Renaissance Cleansing Gel, $42.50 

Perfect Cleanser, $49.50

First Impressions: Sunday Riley's 'Blue Moon Tranquility Cleansing Balm'

Raise of hands, how many of you have been coveting this beautiful, blue baby for months?! *both hands raised* It's well worth it, may I add. I picked this cleansing balm up during Sephora's yearly VIB ROUGE event, where ANYTHING and EVERYTHING is 20% off; all brands, all fragrances, no exclusions of any kind. Sephora is the Wonka Factory of highend beauty, the mecca of all beauty lovers. This year has had its fair share of great skincare and makeup releases, and with the holidays right around the corner, the best of what beauty has to offer is popping up all over the place. Its overwhelming at best, but at the same time, what a joy it is to be able to partake in the festivities.

Sunday Riley is that highly coveted, good-stuff for your skin that costs a buttload...yet, you feel and look good with it on, no matter if you look like you just rolled out of bed or just going to the world premiere of the new James Bond flick, you really can't do much wrong when using Sunday Riley products. Granted, with that being said, it may not be for everyone; not every product may be well suited for sensitive skin types (at least to use everyday) but, when it comes down to it, her products speak volumes, and the masses absolutely love what they have to offer.

I've tried two SR products prior this, but they ended up not working out because I got them surrounding their hype, not really based on my skin needs (tisk Jewels!), I just couldn't help myself though...but this cleansing balm, on the other hand, can suit almost every skin type, except maybe the extremely oil.

This balm has vanilla, tangerine, sweet orange, chamomile, and blue tansy essential oils; thrown in with organic cocoa and moringa butters (Emma Hardie fans rejoice!). And it smells almost distinctly of cocoa, but not in anyway overpowering. The blue balm itself is absolutely lovely to look at, and the consistency and formula of the balm is quite creamy without being thick, and never feeling heavy on the skin. You just need a little to do the trick, rub those palms together for a few seconds than start massaging that makeup off your face! Its a very therapeutic experience with all the aromas you get from the lush ingredients thats thrown in, and something I see myself reaching for my evening cleanse.

Out of a 5-star rating, I give it a 4, reason being: The packing and the product itself is absolutely stunning, would look grand on the vanity, floor, bookshelf, it's just so beautiful. The smell is comforting while not being strong, has a great slip, great at removing makeup and impurities; but, at the end of the day, its just a very nice, hydrating balm cleanser. Its more beautiful in appearance than anything else, and normal/dry skins would certainly love the feeling of this, especially when used as a mask. 

If you're looking for a basic, does-what-it-says-on -the-tin balm, go with Clinique's Take The Day Off Balm; its a no fuss, no muss kind of cleanser, fragrance free, and does great with all skin types, especially sensitive. On the other hand, if you want a more luxurious experience, with a rich, thick, and creamy balm that will take off your makeup punched with a little something special in between, than I'd pick Emma Hardie's Moringa Cleansing Balm. If want something in between but different, with just a bit of UNF, than go the Blue Moon route. Or, if you haven't tried anything from the Sunday Riley brand before, I think this one is a good choice to try first, or one of their many oils. This isn't the BEST of the best of balm cleansers I've ever tried, if I had to pick out of the 3, I'd go with Clinique because it's simple and efficient, and sometimes I don't need all the extra goodies in a cleanser that I'm just going to end up washing off my face anyway.

Either way, I was satisfied with this cleanser and I'd repurchase on the account if I wanted to put something interesting back into my routine, if I was bored of the same old boring balm (sorry Clinique). I do think its worth a look, especially if you're a Sunday Riley fan, you certainly won't be disappointed. 

Its now available at Sephora online or in-stores (call to check for availability) and retails for $50.