Long time no post, huh? It appears that I’ve taken a bit of a break but this was merely accidental – I’ve had an extraordinarily busy and exhausting week or so, I was without my laptop for a few days in (vain) hopes of a battery replacement and somehow I never quite got back into the swing of things. Well, on this fine Canada Day I thought I would bring out a review of one of those products that I’ve been loving in my busy and exhausted state to luxuriously cleanse the skin and melt off makeup with relative ease, the Lush Ultrabland Cleanser ($16.95-$29.95).

I’m skeptical of natural products because they have the potential and tendency (in my experience) to be questionable for the skin and don’t seem to have to do anything else – performing well does not seem to be a requirement, along with being formulated with natural ingredients. Ultrabland comes in two different sizes, the perfectly adequate 45 grams (as shown above) and a generous 100 grams, and the beeswax-based cleanser boasts being able to remove the toughest of makeup while still being non-irritating. It’s definitely successful as its aims in my experience, although the second ingredient (rose water) has the potential to irritate the skin because its a naturally fragrant ingredient, which is something to consider. It removes makeup along with the best of them, decimating tenacious foundations and eyeliners with ease but doesn’t quite remove every last bit of mascara upon the first attempt all of the time.

Ingredients: Almond Oil (Prunus dulcis) , Rose Water (Rosa centifolia) , Beeswax (Cera alba) , Honey (Mel) , Fresh Iris Extract (Iris florentina) , Glycerine , Rose Absolute (Rosa damascena) , Tincture of Benzoin (Styrax benzoin) , Methylparaben , Propylparaben .

It’s definitely a true cleansing balm, enough so that I’m aware of this with being my first foray into these nourishing and soothing thick balms – and I’m loving it. It’s a therapeutic experience applying the smallest amount on my fingertips and then massaging the buttery product into my skin and on my eyelids and not just because of the pleasant almond oil and rose scent. Unfortunately, it’s balmy enough that it does not emulsify to rinse cleanly – in other words, this requires a washcloth for removal and won’t be for you if you hate any sort of residue. I love the little bit of hydration and soothing factor that the teensiest bit of residue leaves on my dry skin but I’m aware that it’s not for everyone. The balm agrees with my sensitive skin and hasn’t lead to any sort of irritation, bump or breakout and offers that indulgence that balms provide with a relatively low price tag. I’m partial to how this product doesn’t promise anything miraculous and therefore is able to deliver on its claims. In a nutshell, I would recommend Lush’s Ultrabland in two scenarios: if you’re eager to try a balm cleanser without spending a fortune or if you are a fan of natural products.

What’s your favourite cleanser?

Maggie, x.