Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm

As I've said before, I usually don't talk much about skin care because (1) I'm always changing mine (which is bad, I know!) & (2), everyone's skin is completely different. But recently I've kind of settled into a skin care routine, so I wanted to talk about what I use.

One of the first 'new' products I started using was Clinique's Take The Day Off Balm. I'd heard absolute horror stories about Clinique Skincare, so never even looked at it. But then I saw their Take The Day Off Cleanser for Eyes & Lips, & after a bit of googling, hit upon the balm cleanser. Everyone was raving about it, & then it kept popping up on Beaut.ie blather - So after an absolutely crap day, I ended up just going to the till with it in my hands.

First up, the packaging is nice. I like the purple tub & silver/ mirrored lid - It's just quite pretty. I know people tend not to like tubs because of hygiene reasons, but there's no other way to house a balm product really. It contains 125ml of product, which means you won't run out quickly either.

But the product itself - There's no smell. It's white. It's not miraculous. Basically, it's a very basic product, that I absolutely love. It takes off all my make up, if I use it as my first cleanser, & if it's my second cleanser/ morning cleanser, it leaves my skin feeling clean, & soft. It doesn't strip my skin, it doesn't hurt my eyes or leave my face red. And it didn't cause any break outs - I don''t believe in a 'purging atage', something either breaks your skin out or it doesn't. But with this, you just melt some of the cleanser in your hand, rub it into your face, then wash it off using a face cloth & warm water.

It costs €28 for 125ml, & may seem expensive for something so basic, but I haven't even used a quarter of it over two months - I put some into a small travel pot when I went home for Christmas, & I know the pot still has some left in it. Plus, I'll happily pay that for something that does its job & doesn't irritate my skin at all. This is the first balm cleanser I've used, but I like using products that you wash off with a face cloth & warm water - It feels nicer on my skin! Okay, it sounds like I'm not overly enthusiastic about Take The Day Off, but in reality, I absolutely love it & will definitely continue to use it.

Have you used Take The Day Off? Or do you recommend another balm cleanser?

Chloe x