LUSH Angels on Bare Skin cleanser

This is another review of a LUSH product, Angels on Bare Skin cleanser, which I received as a sample from the store selling LUSH products at Holland Village. After trying it out for a few days (completing the sample), here are my thoughts about it.

As you can see from above, this cleanser has entirely failed in terms of appearance, lol. As LUSH cleansers are mainly made from fresh ingredients, they do not really score in the area of appearance. Their selling point is their high quality ingredients. So anyway, Angel on Bare Skin is made of kaolin clay with ground almonds with rose and lavender added which  is especially suitable for combination skin.

My first thought about this cleanser is the packaging. It comes in a dough form (like pic above) and is packaged in a small tub. You will break a small piece of the dough for cleansing. Unlike any other cleanser that comes in a bottle or tube and you only pump or squeeze out what is required without any contact with the rest of the product (for hygience purpose), it doesn't really work in this case. Thus, hygience might be an issue. But I guess if you are the only one using and you only break off the piece of the dough with your clean, dry hands before cleansing, it should not be an issue.

The way to use this cleanser is after breaking a small piece (around 5 cent coin size) with your clean, dry hands, wet your face. Press and massage the cleanser in your palm and spread it to your face. IT DOES NOT LATHER UP AT ALL, which leaves me wondering if it is effective at all in removing the oil, dirt and stuffs from my face. However, what I like about this cleanser is that, due to the fresh ingredients used, while massaging onto my face, there is a slight 'grainy' texture which acts like a mild scrub. After a good 1 -2 mins massage and rinsing off, I do not get the squeaky clean feeling on my face, which leaves me wondering if my face is clean at all. This works in the same way as Niks Camphor Cleansing lotion which was prescribed to me by a skin doctor years ago, leaving a layer of something after wash even though it claimed to have thoroughly cleanse my face.

The verdict on whether my face is cleansed properly or not comes after applying my toner and moisturiser. My face does feel smoother and do not have the redness which I will have on and off after cleansing (could be due to harsh cleansing). And most importantly is after using it for about 3 - 4 days, I do not experience any breakouts which further prove the point that it does cleanse thoroughly and properly.

I have mixed feelings about whether I will get the full size of Angels on Bare Skin cleanser and the factors deterring me is the packaging (in a tub with the rest of the product exposed and in contact with our hands when we break a piece of it for cleansing) and that it does not foam up. But what I like about this cleanser is the mild scrubbing feel from the ingredients and the after effect my skin experience (smoothness and no redness and breakouts). I am seriously torn...... Perhaps someone who has used this cleanser before can give me an insight from your perspective......