Elemis

I’ve been a long time fan of the Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm, and was intrigued to try the rest of the Pro-Collagen line, which is now available on QVC. The Marine Cream and Night Cream are both designed to target anti-aging concerns, and are suitable for all skin types. The star ingredient of the Pro-Collagen line is a unique Mediterranean algae called Padina Povinca. Though typical anti-aging products are targeted towards more mature consumers, I find that this line helps address concerns from which any age would benefit. There is also a sampler kit available on QVC’s site that features all three products in a trial size, which is perfect to try before committing to the full size. Read on for my thoughts on each specific product and how each worked for my skin:

1. Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm – Cleansing balms are my weakness – the more rich and buttery the better. The Elemis Cleansing Balm manages to fall in the middle so while it is thick with an oily texture, it isn’t too slippery or greasy for those that are not as used to a balm cleanser. While it can break down and remove my makeup, I prefer to use it as a second cleanse – leaving it on for 1-3 minutes and removing it with a warm, wet cloth. It has ingredients to target anti-aging as well as cleanse the skin, so when I rinse it off my skin is more plump and supple than I find with other cleansing balms. Recently I have been using it in the morning because I find that it preps my skin for makeup so well and my foundation doesn’t pull on any dry patches and glides on much smoother.

2. Pro-Collagen Marine Cream – From the first swipe of this rich cream, I was curious how it would work for my combination skin – especially during the day. I kept my routine minimal while testing, simply applying this after cleansing and toning to see how my skin would respond. It immediately felt nourishing and hydrating when applied, but what surprised me was how it absorbed almost immediately leaving my skin with a natural finish rather than adding any additional shine to my already slightly oily face. My foundation applied easily over top because my skin was well prepped by the cream, and I found that as the day went on it never got more shiny.

3. Pro-Collagen Oxygenating Night Cream – While much of my nighttime skincare routine is focused on strong active ingredients to target specific concerns, I prefer to follow those targeted treatements with a moisturizer that can enrich my skin and, nourish it but not compete with any of the other ingredients. This night cream has been perfect to add in because it hydrates and comforts my skin, without detracting from any other treatments I am using. In fact, I have been reaching for it over and over because my skin immediately feels moisturized and calm as soon as I apply it. Using both the Marine Cream during the day and the Oxyenating Night Cream in the evening has really kept my skin looking taut and supple continuously. Because of it’s ingredients and texture, I can see this being the perfect addition to almost any nighttime skincare routine, and something you can put on night after night knowing that it will consistently perform well.

If you are not sure which of the products would be the best fit or want to test them before you get the full size, this is a picture of the Try Me Kit now available. While some samples are good for one or two uses, I have been using the kit for two weeks now and I’m finally making a dent in it. The Cleansing Balm goes faster for me because I use more (#cleanseraddict), but I only use a dab of either cream in the morning or evening. You can find the Try Me Kit here on QVC’s site (and it’s under $50, which is a steal!).

It is no secret that I am a cleanser fanatic. Cleansers can provide instant results, are easy to interchange in and out of almost any skincare routine and they are one of the biggest reasons I my skin has become so clear. I typically double cleanse (and plan on doing a post as to why I find this effective), so I go through quite a lot of cleansers regularly! And since I just finished up a slew of them recently (this one from Tata Harper, this one from Sunday Riley, a First Aid Beauty cleanser and one of my favorite cleansing balms) I felt there was no better time to try a new crop of cleansers.

1. Rodial Dragon’s Blood Cleansing Water – It’s been a while since I have used a cleansing water, and I forgot how refreshing they can be for the skin. After falling HARD for the Rodial Dragon’s Blood Hyaluronic mask and it’s amazing hydrating properties, I was excited to give the cleansing water a try. I find it best used in the morning or when wearing light makeup, because it definitely will not remove a full face. But that being said, it is incredibly refreshing and calming to the skin. A perfect addition to my winter skincare routine.

2. Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm – My heart will always lie with cleansing oils and cleansing balms. I truly attribute my skin’s appearance to their ability to give me the most thorough and deep cleanse possible. And this Elemis Balm is another one I can add to my list of cleansing balm favorites. It’s quite thick but has a surprisingly smooth and buttery feel. Once applied, it spreads easily on the skin and then after adding water, it rinses away with little to no effort. I do prefer to use a muslin cloth (or wash cloth) with it to give me an added boost of slight exfoliation. I recently decided to try it as a mask as the directions instructed, and then wondered why the  heck I hadn’t been doing that all along with my cleansing balms! I applied a thicker layer and left it on for 10 minutes and my skin felt unbelievably soft after removing. This is definitely going to become a regular ritual for me now that it’s colder out. Hydrated skin is happy skin.

3. Murad Renewing Cleansing Cream – My winter skin prayers have been answered with this cleanser! Holy richness! I didn’t find it to completely remove all of my makeup, but as a second cleansing step it is amazing. While most cream cleansers do the standard soften, hydrate, blah, blah, blah, this cleansing cream took it to a whole other level with the light exfoliation and brightening it gives. If you can see from the above swatch, there is a slight opalescent finish that really helps to impart a nice glow to the skin. Another interesting point about this cleanser is it actually helps to protect the skin’s moisture barrier and has ingredients which help attract water to the skin and retain it. Basically it’s the answer to my winter dehydration problems.

4. Sisley Lightening Foaming Cleanser – I hesitate to even say this, because I have found cleanser after cleanser to contradict my feelings, but I tend not to be a foaming cleanser fan. They dry me out, give me that squeaky clean feeling (which I hate and know is NOT good for my skin) and make my skin uncomfortably tight. Welp. This Sisley cleanser can not be farther from that reality. It is absolute heaven on the skin. It’s a light gel texture that foams up ever so slightly. It may seem like an odd explanation but it almost feels like its cushioning the skin as I cleanse with it – that is how delicate and soft it feels. And the fact that it has ingredients in it to help brighten and even out the complexion – that’s just icing on the cake.

5. NUDE Omega Cleansing Jelly – So maybe there is something wrong with me or my tactile senses because I love when things have a gelatinous and jelly-like texture. I like it in my food (jello – yum, jelly – yum, oatmeal – yumyum, custard – get in my belly) and now I can confirm that I like it in my beauty products. I first caught wind of this Cleansing Jelly on twitter  many months ago and practically shook with excitement until it finally debuted in the US. And boy is it glorious. This does a superb job of removing makeup and giving the skin a thorough deep cleanse. It goes on as a thick jelly (make sure to use dry hands and a dry face), and then as soon as you add water it melts into the softest milk. My skin has fallen head over heels in love with this stuff.

Shop some of my other cleanser recommendations: