February Favourites

Heimish All Clean Balm
Double cleansing is such an essential part of my skincare routine. I use sun protection every day regardless of whether I'm wearing makeup or not so it's the only way to ensure that everything has been properly removed before I go to sleep. It's been quite a while since I last used a cleansing balm but the more I heard about Heimish's All Clean Balm, the more I knew that I needed to give it a go. In this beautifully designed tub you get 120ml of thick, white cleansing balm & a little spatula to hygienically scoop out the perfect amount of product. All Clean Balm undergoes a three step transformation from a balm, then to an oil & finally to a cleansing milk. This allows it to get rid of every last trace of makeup without leaving any residue on the skin. The balm is really gentle & has a lovely herbal scent. It doesn't sting my eyes or blur my vision at all. It's basically a dupe for Banila Co Clean It Zero but with better ingredients, a natural fragrance & more product for your money.

Pixi Retinol Tonic
Retinol is a wonderful skincare ingredient with the power to combat both acne & wrinkles. The trouble is finding a formula that your skin can tolerate & a product that doesn't cost the earth. I normally use The Ordinary's Advanced Retinoid 2% but I fancied trying out Pixi's Retinol Tonic as their toners tend to be pretty darn good. This toner features a unique time-release retinol that helps to smooth & soften the skin alongside powerful antioxidants & botanicals to soothe sensitive skin. I do wish Pixi would tell us the percentage of retinol they use in this formula but I'm guessing it's fairly low as the toner is gentle enough to use every day without irritation. It has a faint scent of lavender & feels very refreshing on the skin so I find it really pleasant to use. The formula is quite hydrating as it hasn't dried out my skin at all & that's something you have to be careful of when introducing retinol into your skincare routine. My skin has been looking really smooth & bright lately as this toner has helped to plump up any fine lines & fade hyperpigmentation. I enjoy using this every day as a gentle retinol solution because using something hardcore can often be a mistake. If you've never tried a retinol product before then this would be a great way to start.

Color Wow Dream Coat Supernatural Spray
I first heard of this product back when Kim Kardashian bleached her hair white blonde. Her hairstylist, Chris Appleton, said that Dream Coat was his secret weapon for fighting frizz & keeping her hair looking super sleek. As a result, Color Wow couldn't keep it in stock but luckily I managed to snag one of Marks & Spencer's beauty boxes with a deluxe sample bottle inside. This innovative spray coats each hair with a heat-activated waterproof shield that locks the cuticle down & seals in moisture whilst stopping humidity from wreaking havoc. It's almost like a raincoat for your hair! The product feels really lightweight & gives your hair the most incredible shine without making it look or feel greasy at all. I generally like my hair to look sleek & polished so this has been my go-to product to spritz on before a blow dry. I'm obsessed with how beautifully glossy it makes my hair look as the shine is simply unreal. I'll definitely be repurchasing this wonder hair product to protect my locks from the great British weather!

Jordana Ticia Cosmetics Lipgloss in BonBon
Recently I've found myself gravitating towards lipglosses again instead of matte lipsticks. I went off them for a while because I don't like having to touch up my makeup & my hair always gets stuck in them. It's so much easier to pop on a matte liquid lipstick & forget about it because you know it'll still be there eight hours later. But glosses just look so pretty! I love these ones from Jordana Ticia Cosmetics because unlike other lipglosses they are ultra pigmented & stay put for hours. They have a creamy texture with no tackiness & provide a high shine finish. They're also vegan, cruelty-free & have the most deliciously sweet scent. I have eight of them but BonBon is currently my favourite colour. It's such a pretty soft pink shade. The high pigmentation means that you don't have to wear a lipstick underneath but I love pairing it with one of my Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheats for some extra definition. The colour of BonBon is very close to Pillow Talk so I either use that or Supersize Me if I want something a tiny bit darker around the edges. I feel like lipgloss is coming back in a big way & these ones are some of the best I've tried!

Peaches & Cream Loose Eyeshadow Pigment in Gatsby
Peaches & Cream are a Liverpool-based beauty salon who have created their own fabulous range of makeup. Their products are extremely popular with Instagram MUAs & they are probably best known for their brilliant loose eyeshadow pigments. I actually used to be quite scared of using pigments because I tend to hate anything messy but this brand has completely changed my mind. As long as you use a good primer & the right kind of brush, pigments are really easy to use & you can create some truly spectacular looks with them. You simply can't achieve the same finish with regular eyeshadows & their loose pigments are all about the glamour. One of their most popular shades is Gatsby which is an ultra fine, pale champagne gold sparkle. It's utterly gorgeous on the eye & instantly adds a bit of gold glam to any look. I love doing a cut crease with Gatsby on the lid, the colour is incredibly versatile & goes well with so many other eyeshadows. Loose pigments might be a bit messy but they really do take your makeup to the next level.

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Heimish All Clean Balm

Heimish All Clean Balm - £14

At the end of each day I always look forward to pampering my skin with an array of wonderful skincare treats. Cleansing balms are one of my favourite ways to start off the process by gently removing my makeup. The way that everything melts off your face is so satisfying to see & it's a chance to indulge in a bit of facial massage. The latest addition to my nighttime routine is this All Clean Balm from the Korean brand Heimish. I recently started using this product to double cleanse my skin followed by the CosRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser. Double cleansing is a staple part of any Korean skincare routine. It doesn't matter whether you wear a lot of makeup during the day or just a light layer of sunscreen, everyone should be double cleansing at night. It's the only reliable way to properly remove any oil-based products from your face & clean away any sweat or dirt your skin has produced throughout the day. Double cleansing ensures a deeper clean that can help to reduce breakouts & provide the perfect starting point for the rest of your skincare routine. I've worked my way through quite a few Korean skincare products but hadn't tried a cleansing balm yet. I had originally planned to purchase Clean It Zero by Banila Co. It's something that people really rave about but then I noticed that they had changed the formula a few months ago & some people were very unhappy with the new version. However this led to the discovery that some of the people who founded Heimish used to work at Banila Co & apparently took inspiration from Clean It Zero whilst improving the formula to create their All Clean Balm. Of course I only want to use the best quality products on my face so I went for the Heimish balm instead.

Heimish All Clean Balm comes in this beautifully designed white plastic tub with a pink tropical leaf print on top. I really like the packaging, both in terms of form & function. It comes with a flip top lid & a little spatula to help you hygienically scoop out the perfect amount of product. The tub contains 120ml of cleansing balm & as you only need a small amount each time, it should last for a few months. The thick, white balm inside the tub has a fairly solid consistency but it soon melts down to a smooth & silky oil once applied to dry skin. I was previously using the Bravura First Cleanse Oil to remove my makeup but the one downside to oil cleansers is that they can be quite messy. This balm does the job just as well but without running or dripping everywhere when you're massaging it into your face. All Clean Balm has a lovely herbal scent which adds a slight aromatherapeutic quality to the product. It's quite subtle but that's because the fragrance is entirely natural. I'm not really a fan of artificial scents in skincare or makeup because they can often irritate my skin so I appreciate products that smell nice by themselves. The cleanser is made from a base of shea butter & coconut fruit extract to inject some moisture into the skin during the cleansing process. It also features lots of other fabulous fruit & flower extracts to brighten the complexion.

Once the balm has transformed into the oil stage it feels very lightweight & gentle when working it into the skin. I think this gentleness is what makes this balm so special. Removing makeup becomes an effortless task as you don't have to rub your face raw to get everything off. There is a coolness to this soft balm as well & you can feel that refreshment on your skin as you start your cleansing. After massaging it into your skin, the balm undergoes a third transformation into a milky fluid as it emulsifies with the addition of water. This allows the cleanser to rinse off with the greatest of ease whilst removing even the most stubborn makeup. I always use it in conjunction with a cleansing mitt to make sure all the makeup has been removed. I would never normally use a balm or oil as a morning cleanser because that's just asking my skin to break out but the way that this cleanser emulsifies means that it leaves absolutely no residue on my face. It doesn't sting my eyes at all or give me blurry vision which are my pet hates when it comes to cleansers. It simply leaves my skin feeling clean & refreshed without stripping it of moisture. It also brightens & clears up my complexion. My forehead in particular has been looking very smooth since I introduced this balm into my routine & that's always been a hotbed for closed comedones!



Overall I have to say that I'm really happy with this purchase. I tend to stick to the same skincare products these days but I'm glad I took a chance on this cleanser. Before trying Heimish's All Clean Balm the only balm cleanser that I've truly loved was the Emma Hardie one but I've never repurchased it because it's such an expensive product. Investing in Korean skincare tends to work out a lot cheaper & £14 for 120ml was a really good deal. The cleanser doesn't irritate my skin or eyes, it's a piece of cake to use & it cleanses away your makeup almost instantaneously. What more could you possibly want? Taking your makeup off at the end of the day can be a lot of effort so if you like your skincare routine to be quick & easy, you will love this balm cleanser. I'm keen to try out some other products from Heimish so if you have any recommendations please leave them below!

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