I’ve just found an unpublished review of the Genius Ultimate Anti-Aging Melting Cleanser in my drafts folder. The only reason I can think of for this not making it into the wider world is that the date of last edit is the day before I went into labour with my baby – obviously I meant to polish the post up and schedule it but then got distracted!
(Re the image that goes with the post: do you remember my “beauty products on a grey background” photo phase? I used to sit for hours doing still-life pictures when I was heavily pregnant, dozens of products surrounding my chair and a large piece of grey board propped upright on the dining table in front of a studio light. I had a little conveyor system going on – bend to one side to pick up a new product, place it in front of the grey board, shoot it, bend to the other side to put it on the “done” pile. It was probably the most exercise I got, that summer…)
Anyway, the Genius Ultimate Anti-Aging Melting Cleanser from Algenist. I absolutely ploughed through this, which isn’t surprising because I do love a gentle-but-thorough cleansing balm, and the tube packaging was really handy because I was moving from one holiday let to another (we were having our entire house renovated, which is never wise when you’re about to have a baby, but you live and learn) and the bathrooms were all tiny. Nowhere to balance a heavy glass pot of cleanser, so the tube got chucked into my hanging toiletries organiser between uses.
Here are my original notes – I’d add that I really liked the smell of the Genius Melting Cleanser, though some might find it strange! I was quite hormonal, after all.
“There are so many gel-oil-milk cleansers on the market these days, but not many of them truly take you through the promised three stages – an easy to apply gel, a sumptuous oil to massage makeup away and then a light milk that can be quickly rinsed off. In terms of user experience, the Algenist version is top notch – the balm feels soft and comforting to apply, a little difficult to spread, perhaps, at first, but it soon melts into a beautiful oil. The formula feels nourishing but somehow very light at the same time; once it has reached the “milky” phase (just add a little water) it can almost be rinsed away without any need for a flannel or washcloth, yet as a balm it’s so sumptuous and thick.
My skin feels soft after rinsing, thoroughly cleansed but not stripped and with absolutely no greasy residue. I’d point out that it doesn’t do an exemplary job when it comes to mascara removal, but somehow I feel that’s the trade-off for getting a balm that’s so light and unfussy to remove. You’re given a luxury massagey balmy experience, but with a slightly quicker and more low-key finish. Fine by me, especially if I want something for the morning wash that isn’t foamy, soapy and tight.”
You can find the Genius cleanser for £32 at Space NK – I’d say that it’s a brilliant (high-end) option for combination/oily skin that feels easily stripped but finds many cleansing balms slightly too greasy. I had quite dry skin when I raced through my tube and it was also on the sensitive side, so I’d tentatively say that it would be alright on most skin types, though try and have a test in-store if you’re undecided.
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