oving it – Bobbi Brown Extra Balm Rinse Review

Wow…what can I say about the Bobbi Brown Extra Balm Rinse Cleanser, other than I am totally in love with this. I’ve used up quite a few tubs of the Eve Lom Cleanser in a row so I felt a little bored and I had the urge to try something different. As you all know Eve Lom is my all time favorite cleanser, so finding something as good was a difficult mission. I spotted this cleanser while shopping for other Bobbi Brown skincare stuff,  and it was flagged as “Bobbi Brown’s award winning cleanser”. Naturally I wanted to find out what’s so special about this cleanser, and the minute I opened the jar it was instant gratification so I had to bring it home with me.

I use this cleanser every night to remove my makeup – it does a wonderful job.  I have previously used some cheap Japanese cleansers that also removes my makeup perfectly, for only $10. So I question myself why do I prefer to use such an expensive cleanser? The answer is it’s all about the experience and the sensation I am getting out of a product. What matters to me the most is the way the cleanser makes me feel. After a day of stressful work, removing makeup every night can be a chore. The Bobbi Brown Balm Rinse ticks every single box to wind down a day of stress and makes me feel relaxed and pampered. I love the look of this elegant glass jar sitting on my vanity, I love the bright yellow texture of the cleanser (yellow is a happy color!), and I love the fresh citrus scent. It is extremely soothing, refreshing and smells expensive. You just know it is made of premium essential oil, and this smell reminds me of all the expensive day spas I have visited in the past. If money wasn’t an object I would go for a spa treatment every week, right now I am really happy that the Bobbi Brown is reminiscent of the day spa.

Very similar to the Eve Lom , it has a balmy consistency but thicker. It also has a warming sensation when it is first applied to the face, which helps to open up the pores for a deep cleansing. I massage it onto dry skin for about 5 minutes before rinsing it off. My skin feels very calm, clean (but not squeaky clean), soft and fresh after washing without a single trace of oily residue. It felt so gentle to my skin I was worried that my makeup might not be removed completely, so I wiped my face with the Bioderma as a test and it passed with flying colors! Because it is made of essential oils I won’t use it to remove my eye makeup – I did it once and it stings a little.

It contains orange oil to leave the skin feeling immediately refreshed, and olive oil for a smooth, cushiony finish.

Full Ingredient List:

The Bobbi Brown Extra Balm Rinse is quite expensive for a cleanser, as it retails for USD$55 + tax (also available here in Australia for AUD$90) but it comes in such a huge tub and I think it will last me more than 6 months.

Tom Ford Lip Color in Pink Dusk vs Spanish Pink, Review and Swatches

I finally had the time to take some FOTD pictures wearing the Tom Ford Lip Colors. I know some of you are interested in knowing my thoughts on them – both the Pink Dusk and the Spanish Pink are probably the most coveted shades from his lipstick line so as a makeup enthusiast I have to have both. Though Pink Dusk was released as part of  his  previous lipstick line (the white tubes), it has been repackaged into the black tube now.

Tom Ford Lipstick retails for $65 in Australia, much more than what I would normally pay for a lipstick. Some of my favorite lipsticks such the Suqqu Creamy Glow and Chanel Rouge Coco Shine and Dior Serum de Rouge are around the $50 mark and they are superior. So judging by the price tag I expected Tom Ford lipsticks to be better. The packaging design is definitely more flashy and looks more expensive than the rest. It’s one of those lipsticks that steals the limelight -  as soon as you pull it out from the makeup purse there will be other girls ‘checking you out’ and trying to work out what is THAT lipstick?! The texture feels luxurious as well, as they are smooth, creamy and not as slippery as the Suqqu. The downside is that it feels heavier on the lips and less moisturizing compared to the Suqqu and Dior (both have a melting texture that keep your lips hydrated).  It offers full coverage with a single application. There is not much luminosity to the finish as with other lipsticks such as Suqqu or Chanel RCS. The sheen is kept subtle and I thought that it gave quite a sophisticated and grown up look. The lasting power of Tom Ford’s is the best as it lasts about 5 hours on me with minimum fading.

Differences between Pink Dusk and Spanish Pink :

Pink Dusk contains micro shimmers in the tube and Spanish pink has none. Spanish Pink looks slight more peachy than Pink Dusk. They are both slightly streaky on my lips, with the Spanish Pink being slightly more streaky than the other. However if I don’t compare them side by side, I won’t be able to tell the difference.

Left: Pink Dust Right: Spanish Pink

Pink Dusk on me is a neutral pink with a hint of rosey undertone. The shimmers are not noticeable on the lips.Overall Look:

Spanish Pink shows up as true nudish peachy pink on me.

Overall Look:

Spanish Pink looks quite similiar to the YSL Rouge Pur 06 from the tube, but on the lips it appears darker and less glossy as it is much more opaque than the YSL.

Bottom Line: My weakness is pink lipsticks and as you may have known I have a huge collection of them, and Tom Ford just brought the pink lipsticks to a new level of sophistication and luxury. They are keepers but my HG are still the Suqqu Creamy Glow lipsticks.