Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser Order

The other day I noticed my Dermalogica Cleanser was running out, and I made a mental note to myself to go and buy a new one.

But later that day I thought “Wait a second Kate! This is the perfect opportunity to try a new cleanser!”. Do I like my Dermalogica cleanser? No, I love it. So did I need to search for a new cleanser? Probably not. But had I been wanting to try the most renowned cleanser in the world for ages? YES YES MOST DEFINITELY YES!

So I went straight to the Liz Earle website, was beyond delighted to see they shipped to Australia, and chose their most famous Hot Cloth Cleanse and Polish and added it to my cart. I bought the 100ml starter pack, which I assumed from the little picture also included the muslin cloth. On checkout I was happy to note there was a little 3 pound deduction discount, and overall it came to less than my cleanser here. It cost about $45 AUD all up.

So then I excitedly waited for it to arrive. And I didn’t have to wait long. Fastest shipping ever! I ordered it on Friday and it arrived the next Friday. How great is that!

So then I opened it up and there was way more in there than I bought. Not only did I get my 100ml pump cleanser, I got TWO muslin cloths and they were all packaged in a cute little cosmetics bag (great for travel/storage). In addition, I also received a complementary 50ml Skin Tonic toner, and 4 shades of their Skin Tint to trial.

So how did each of these products perform and did they live up to my expectations?

Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser

First of all the packaging looks and feels great. The thin, tall bottle has a matte surface with a sturdy pump and it has an attractive design. It looks natural and along the lines of The Body Shop packaging.

One pump was enough to get enough cleanser for my whole face. It was an interesting premise to apply the cleanser to a dry face, but it felt very moisturising, rich and luxurious. The smell is incredible and natural, and I appreciated the faint hint of eucalyptus being an Australian and all!

After it’s applied all over your face, you wet the cloth in hot water and squeeze it so it’s damp. Then you run it over each part of your face in soft little circles to take the cleanser off. The combination of heat, water and the textured cloth is extremely effective at cleansing your face. It removes makeup (including mascara), like no other product ever has for me. You can see this occurring right in front of your eyes as you see the makeup residue left on the cloth. The whole hot cloth process feels extremely pampering and relaxing. And the skin you are left with afterwards is truly soft, fresh and silky.

I love this product. It definitely lives up to the hype for me, and is the most enjoyable cleansing experience I’ve ever had. It feels like a professional facial!

Instant Boost Skin Tonic (came free)

Has a similar but more pronounced smell as the cleanser which I love. You apply it generously to a cotton wool ball and run it over your face. It feels refreshing and cooling and makes your skin feel even softer afterwards.

Would I repurchase this? Probably not, I don’t tend to see the value in toners, and I already have a lot. But if you are a toner person, this is a great one. Just so happy it came free!

Skin Tint (samples)

I have really wanted to try a tinted moisturiser for a long time so I was excited to try this. I was also really appreciative of the fact they included four samples of all of their shades! What a brilliant idea.

I squeezed it out and noticed even the fairest shade was pretty dark. It also felt sticky and thick, unlike the sheer moisturisers I’m used to which were what I was expecting from this product. I started to apply it and it felt sticky and actually like applying sunscreen.

After wearing it all day and typing this, I really don’t like this product. On its own it looks and vaguely feels greasy, shiny, and sticky.  With a translucent powder over the top, which I definitely felt it needed (it looked so greasy!), it looked patchy and like powder shouldn’t be placed over it. From a distance it looks okay, but up closer it looks very average.

My skin is quite dry and usually loves moisturisers, but this one seems to sit on the surface of the skin and never sink in. Really dislike this product!

The Ordering Online Experience

I was highly impressed with the number of complementary products that were thrown in, the generosity of the company, the personal touches and speediness with which it arrived. I also liked how everything was packaged, and it felt very luxurious to open everything wrapped with tissue paper. Also the number of included brochures, detailed information and instructions about each product was brilliant.

I also got a personally signed letter from the person who packed the parcel. I thought this was a great touch and made them feel more like a small, personal business rather than a large company.

Overall I am delighted I bought this cleanser, I absolutely love it and the whole process of ordering it online. If all online stores could be like this... watch out retail! One of retails main advantages over online is in its personal experience, but I felt like ordering online with Liz Earle achieved that very thing.

Have any of you ever used this cleanser or any of the other Liz Earle products I mentioned? What’s your all time favourite cleanser?