Nubian Heritage: African Black Soap

African black soap has been on my to-try list for years now, and I must say I'm enjoying using it so far. This Nubian Heritage soap features all-natural ingredients and a fairly strong fragrance. I don't mind it so much, especially as it doesn't really leave any smell when you use it, but just a warning for those who might be sensitive to scents.

What I really like about this product is how well it lathers up. I use it as a body wash and on my face after first cleansing with an oil-based product. I've found that if I only use the oil-based product, I will often get breakouts afterwards. If I instead use this or another non-oil cleanser after, I'm much less likely to get a reaction. 

So far I would say this is no miracle-worker (but really no skincare product is), but it's enjoyable to use and does the trick in keeping my breakouts at bay. For reference, I have dry to combination skin, with a tendency for breakouts in the chin area. I still get a couple now and again, but this has made a difference. I'm definitely a fan. 

Emma Hardie Cleansing Balm: Moldy?!

As you may know from my previous post, I've been fairly consistently using the Emma Hardie Cleansing Balm since I purchased it a year ago. Well, I was out for vacation for about a month and didn't bring along my big tub, only to return and find that it'd gone moldy! You can't quite see it in the picture, but it smells akin to how moldy food would in the fridge and I'm pretty sure can't be safely used anymore.

It's quite disappointing since most of you know this is not a cheap product, and I had quite a bit left. I suppose it has almost been a year, but still it's surprising. I think the main reason was probably because some water had gotten into the container (inevitable considering the tub-like packaging). I had decanted a small amount into a separate container for travel, and that one's still fine, so not really sure what went on with the big tub.

It's probably for the best since I wasn't very in love with this product. It doesn't do much of anything to remove makeup (I'd always find clumps of foundation still on my skin, and don't even get me started on eye makeup) and requires quite a bit of rubbing into the skin while using, which I think does more harm than good. Some people claim miraculous results on the texture of their skin, but for me? Meh, saw no difference even after a year, and feel like it even harmed my eye area what with all the rubbing required.

This is definitely going on the Products I Regret Buying list for 1) poor packaging, 2) exorbitant price, and 3) mediocre use. 

Emma Hardie Amazing Face Moringa Cleansing Balm

Back in February, I ordered a bottle of the very-hyped Emma Hardie Cleansing Balm from feelunique.com. The product has me mixed, and the shipping was honestly horrible - it took over a month for this to get to me, and for some reason my box didn't come with a muslin cloth. Not sure if this is some cheaper packaging or whatever, but disappointing.

I've been using the product regularly, and while there are some aspects I find very pleasant about it, there's other qualities I don't like, and overall I don't think I'll be repurchasing considering the high price tag and difficult accessibility.



The aspects I do like are the scent, which is a nice and light herbal, the all-natural ingredients, and the nourishing, non-drying nature of the balm. This is far, far better than the only other cleansing balm I've tried, The Body Shop Camomile one. It leaves my skin feeling moisturized and gently cleansed.

However, what I don't like is that it's frankly horrible at removing make-up, leaving obvious patches of foundation and smears of eyeliner on if you use this alone. I've also decided that I'm not a fan of the cleansing balm texture. Personally, I find it potentially damaging in the long-term to have to massage and pull at your face so much when you wash it, which is unfortunately necessary with this product. You have to work it in, and similarly have to go at it to get it off. My philosophy is that such repeated aggressive action will destroy elasticity and loosen up the skin, which is definitely not what I want.

For now, I'll be sticking with my Kiehl's Calendula face wash.

The Body Shop: Perfume, Body Milk, and Cleaser Haul

I recently picked out a few things from The Body Shop, and wanted to share my thoughts so far:

Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter

The packaging for this is gorgeous. I love the twist-off tin, and there's something incredibly appealing about the nice and smooth, hardened-buttery texture of the product itself. I have very dry skin so needed a facial cleanser that doesn't have all the harsh aftereffects of standard sudsy-wash formulas. My favorite to date is the Yes to Carrots cleanser (which is also about half the price), though this is probably a close second. This does have a harder texture and requires slightly more pressure to rub into the skin. Good news is it has a lovely soft scent and never leaves my face feeling dry. I don't think this will really work to remove heavy make-up, and especially not eye make-up. It's more of a pampering cleanse on light-face days.

Honeymania Eau de Parfum

I wasn't a fan of this scent the first time I smelt it (too floral rather than honey), but I noticed myself continuing to come back to this line of products every time I was in the store. I think it has to do with my affinity for honey beauty products and the cute packaging, but I relented and picked up the scent. I'm not a fan of any of The Body Shop's other scents right now - they're all a bit sour and weak for my liking. By contrast, this one is fairly strong and will last at least a few hours on my clothing. Just one spritz seems to be enough, and the more I smell it the more I like how the floral notes complement the overall warmth of the honey.

Coconut Body Milk

I'm generally too lazy to moisturize my whole body after a shower because standard lotions take ages to rub in. That's why I was a fan of this spritz-on formula, though in execution there's admittedly some shortcomings. I actually think it may have made more sense just to go buy some coconut oil (cheaper and more natural), but at the time this was pretty alluring. It has a lovely, soft coconut scent and is very light by nature of its "milk" consistency. It's not nearly as heavy-duty as the body butters, but seems to do a good job of locking moisture in. The problem with the spray is that it doesn't come out too far or too evenly, so I end up just spraying it into my hands to avoid product waste. It can also smell a little chemically behind the coconut scent. My least favorite item of the three, but also the one I got for "free" through their buy 2 get 1 promotion.

Overall I've been pleased with all of these purchases. I haven't been a fan of The Body Shop in a while, but for some reason it seems like their products are getting back in vogue now.