REVIEW: Philosophy Purity Made Simple 3 in 1 cleanser for face and eyes

So whilst i'm on my 'review all the cleansers in my home' run, I may as well chuck another one in. I've been using this for about four years in total, having originally gotten hold of it via the joys of being on the Philosophy testing panel, which was a short lived, but lovely experience.

So whats it selling us then, what does it promise!



"our award-winning daily facial skin cleanser is formulated to gently cleanse, tone and melt away all face and eye makeup in one simple step, while lightly hydrating the skin.


features & benefits
deep cleans pores and eliminates makeup build-up
natural oil extracts help condition skin
fragrance-free formula"

It suggests, which I follow, that you "massage a "size of a 20 pence coin" amount onto a lightly damp face, and massage for 30-60 seconds. rinse and pat dry", the only thing I add to this regime is wiping off with a warm wet wash cloth, which assists with the exfoliation and keeps you silky smooth and ready for your skincare products.

My skin is left soft, smooth and squeaky clean. It makes easy work of waterproof make up and lifting oil and dirt. What more could you possibly wish for.....

NOTHING.

Well, one thing. That it was cheaper. It's ridiculously expensive for a cleanser that you use daily, so therefore are going to plough through pretty quickly. There is a travel size available for the price of £8.00, but if you're going to spend that on a budget, you might as well spend it on a full size Soap and Glory Peaches and Clean cleanser.

If you do want to invest, Philosophy is stocked far and wide, and you can buy a standard size of 240ml for £17.50 direct from the brands own website, John Lewis, Boots or Debenhams where it is CURRENTLY on sale for £15.50. Be quick!

Review - Philosophy - The Microdelivery Peel

You know something, I hate TK Maxx, or TJ Maxx as it's called outside the UK. Whenever I see their adverts they make it seem like a world of wonderment, every corner filled with Dolce and Gabanna, Antoni and Alison, Chloe and whatever else is your high end clothing fantasy, and it can all be yours for £20.00 and you will still have enough change to get the bus home. The reality is very different, and it's basically an indoor jumble sale, an utter mess, and I personally cannot bear it. Despite this, I have actually picked up some great stuff in TK Maxx's now and then, but I find the shopping experience so depressing i'd much rather sit with a cup of tea and look at ebay for some spoilt housewife to start offloading her Louboutins en masse. Who knows, it could happen!? The one upside to the place however is the toiletries section. I have picked up all sorts of gems over the past year, including Joico, Sebastian, Decleor, Fekkai.....and most recently, an amazing gift pack of Philosophy goodness. See below.

Philosophy - The Care Package - Xmas 2012 unsold stock courtesy of TK Maxx

If you can read that price tag, I got it for exactly half price. That means I got six products for the price of two. BARGAIN. I had actually been on the testing panel before for Philosophy, so I knew I liked most of the products in this pack anyway, so it seemed a no brainer to treat myself to it, especially when I saw it contained the magnificent Microdelivery Peel, of which I am currently running low of the free one they sent me whilst on the testing panel. 

Shall I review it for you? Yes I shall.....read on girls.

So what do they say about this guy, and does he live up to their claims???

"a two-step, in-home peel that resurfaces and rejuvenates sun-damaged, hyperpigmented and ageing skin. the kit includes vitamin c/peptide crystals and lactic/salicylic acid activating gel.

features & benefits

• smoothes and resurfaces rough texture
• helps minimise the look of fine lines
• helps brighten and even skin tone"

Not a huge range of babble, which I actually kind of like sometimes. I get sick of the made up jargon and ridiculous claims that some companies make (what the hell is a Pentapetide anyway Olay? EXPLAIN NOW!). I just want to know whats in it, what it'll do and whether it'll make me like my face more. If it's 'it won't burn your skin off' and 'yes you'll like your face more' then i'm in, if it's not a ridiculous price that is. 

So you ask, nay scream, DOES IT DO WHAT IT SAYS?

Well yes it does. After my very first use of this, my skin was clearer, and some smaller blemishes had nigh on disappeared! My skin was smooth, the pores looked a little tighter, my face looked brighter and perkier, and my moisturiser soaked in easily. As an extra bonus my make up glid onto my face easily and settled smoothly, all in all, a really positive experience!

The only thing I would say is don't use it more than it says to, because your face will get sore, as it's obviously a very abrasive product. I mean, you don't need to resurface your face too much, because you've only got one surface, so to speak! I highly recommend this if you suffer from uneven skin tone, or rough skin that you need sloughed off, this'll do the trick!

If you fancy diving in to a put of orangey rough vitamin c to make your face feel lovely, it's for the rather expensive, but worth it, price of £59 direct from Philosphy online. 

New (and desired) - Philosophy Total Matteness Pore Minimizer

My relationship with Philosophy has been hit and miss, but generally, I love their products, and there are a few that I actively lust over, such as the Miracle Worker, which looks and sounds AWESOME except for the price tag (a whopping £52), so shall remain on my 'when I win all the money in the land' list.

Anyways, for those who, like me, suffer with uneven, pore heavy, oily skin, this new release from Philosophy sounds amazing. Comprising of two products, the first a 'pore minimising, and mattifying cleanser plus mask'. It contains glacial clay, which unclogs dark, enlarged pores, which can be used daily to cleanse, and weekly as a mask to leave you with a soft touch, smooth, totally matte finish. It will retail at around £19.

Philosophy pore minimising and mattifying cleanser and mask

The second product is a treatment serum, containing natural bamboo extract to absorb and control oil, lentil seed to strengthen the pore wall whilst tightening and diminishing their appearance, and salicylic acid to brighten and even skin tone whilst sloughing away dead cells. This should retail around £32. 

Total Matteness mattifying pore eraser

These will be available for spring from the Philosophy website. Lovely stuff!