A gem of a find - Lancome Baume `Eclat -- balm to oil massage cleanser

I am so excited to be writing this post and it is all thanks to my twitter friend @nicjoss  - an amazing facialist based in London, most certainly worth a follow!!

Nic mentioned that she loved this cleanser and with that recommendation it would have been rude not to give it a go.  I am always dubious about giving up my reliable Dermalogica products to try out new ones, but so excited at the same time.  Its the same as the years I spent tormenting myself with green olives, loved the look of them but hated the taste, but kept going back and having another go!  (I actually love them now)  So it goes to show perserverance eventually pays off..........

I brought my new little purchase home and unlike me decide to just go straight into  having a go, rather than analysing the ingredients list to death first.  The product is in a tube, which scores lots of points for me.  You will get to know I am not a big fan of products in jars, I much prefer it to be in a dispenser that you can't get your hands into and can't be ruined by leaving the lid off or someone else sticking their hand in to try out your goodies.

The cleanser looks like a thick glossy balm/cream when it comes out but is so soft and light to touch, once massaged into your face it simply melts into an oil - this feels and smells amazing. Not much is required either, just about a five pence piece should do it.  A couple of minutes massaging in (now that's a really important part) your skin will thank you for a nice massage once or twice a day when you use your products - gives you that fab glow.  Once massaged add some warm water and continue to massage a little bit more you will feel the oil turn into a milk a good rinse with warm water or even remove with a muslin cloth for a little bit of exfoliation and voila!  Fresh, clean and amazingly hydrated skin and in the middle of winter.

I have used this product for about three weeks now and my skin has never been so hydrated in the winter months.  After cleansing your skin already feels as if you have applied moisturiser, so I haven't had to use a richer moisturiser to compensate for the blinkin freezing weather we are having and so keeping my makeup on throughout the day hasn't been an issue.

For those with oily skin who are unsure about using any oil on their skin, don't worry - the oil attracts excess oil and rinses it away but without stripping it of any of the natural oils your skin needs for protection.

The cleanser has a mixture of emollients and humectants, which attract and keep water within the upper layers of your skin, hence the improved hydration of my skin. It also contains white lotus and rose extract which seems to be a great combination in this product,with Rose extract in particular being renowned for skin regeneration.

So all in all a fantastic gem of a cleanser, particularly for through the winter and I am a bit disappointed to be leaving it to move onto review another cleanser. Eve Lom cleanser is next on the cards, its another balm cleanser, perfect for this time of year, so hopefully will not disappoint.  It is known as a bit of a cult beauty product so will let you know how it goes.

Let me know if you have tried Lancome Baume `Eclat and if so what your thoughts were.  I actually gave it as a present to a friend who is a firm Dermalogica fan and like me she loves her new glowing, hydrated skin.

Wendy x