How you choose to spend your money is such a personal thing, some people love their designer clothes, others like to spend their money on exotic travel.

For me I have always liked spending my money on my make up and skin care. Fashions change but well looked after skin never goes out of style. 

I like my skincare expensive and high end but like most of us this isn't something I can afford all the time. Instead I compromise and mix in lower end products with my more expensive ones.

Whilst I 100% agree with Caroline Hirons that there is no such thing as a dupe in skincare (you often get what you pay for in terms of research and ingredients) that doesn't mean that there aren't great products to be found at the more affordable level. This is more true of some brands than others.

When we started saving to buy our house I had to cut all unnecessary spending and that my meant I couldn't afford to replace some of my high end favourites when they ran out.

I started trying more affordable alternatives and have found some excellent products that I had never tried before, including this wonderful Burt's Bees oil.

Starting off with the more expensive of the two though:

Tata Harpers Nourishing Oil Cleanser - £68.00

There's no getting away from the fact the price tag for this is eye watering. So much so I'm not sure I will ever be able to replace it when it runs out.

This cleansing oil though is beautiful and it smells divine and I like to imagine I am at an expensive spa. I feel so calm and relaxed when I use this (which admittedly is sparingly because it's so expensive). It leaves skin incredibly soft and clean.

I use this morning or evening but I have to admit I have only ever used this as a second cleanse. 

While I am sure this would effortlessly remove make up I do not want to waste it on that and prefer to use other (cheaper) products for that task. 

It is very gentle and I imagine it would work well for almost everyone. 

I save this oil for when I need a mood lift or my skin is in need of rescuing and luckily a little goes a long way!

Burt's Bees Facial Cleansing Oil - £16.99

The Burt's Bees cleaning oil is significantly more affordable than the Tata Harper version and as a result I use it far more often.

I have used this product to remove make up and it takes even waterproof eye make up off effortlessly. It's also wonderful in the morning or as a second cleanse.

Like the Tata Harper oil this leaves skin soft and is incredibly gentle. Because its an oil you do not get the uncomfortable 'tight' feeling that other cleansers can cause.  

You only need two to three pumps of this to remove a whole face of make up so it lasts a long time.

Despite it's cheaper price tag this still smells and feels lovely (although not quite as lovely as the Tata Harper one). 

The Burt's Bees oil is definitely more of the workhorse in my collection and I have recommended it to several people.

Although it isn't exactly cheap at £17 it is frequently on offer and is far easier to get hold of than the Tata Harper oil.

Overall verdict?

Although I adore the Tata Harper oil I'm not sure that it's cost can be justified when the Burt's Bees version performs as well and costs a fraction of the price. 

If you have the budget then definitely treat yourself to the Tata Harper oil as it is wonderful but for the rest of us the Burt's Bees one does the same job and is much kinder to your wallet. 

Have you ever tried either of these? Or do you have an even cheaper alternative than the Burt's Bees version? Let me know in the comments!

Skincare - The Cleanser Edit

In the past year or so I have upped my cleansing game considerably. Gone are the days of make up wipes and foaming cleansers. Like practically everyone else on the internet I stumbled upon Caroline Hirons blog and have never looked back. To say this has worked miracles for my skin is no exaggeration.

I've always struggled with spot prone combination skin and I didn't realise I was probably creating a nasty cycle of using cleansers that were too harsh, which caused my skin to produce more sebum and in turn created more spots.

I now have quite a ridiculous collection of cleansers. Seriously I know one person probably doesn't need this many but I do use them all.A fair bit of this collection is made up of the Caroline Hirons x Cult Beauty box that came out last year and I discovered some of my favourites through this.

As you can see from the pictures I've used a considerable amount of a lot of these products. Some of them are repeat purchases, others will be when I finish them.

Balm Cleansers

Emma Hardie Amazing Face Moringa Cleansing Balm - £38

This is the absolute best product. The one I reach for over all others. It strips make up very effectively but it pains me to use it for this when it costs so much money and feels so luxurious on the skin. I only use it as a second or morning cleanse. This can also be used as a mask if you leave a thick layer on for 10 minutes. It smells like you're at an expensive spa and a little goes a long way. It never fails to calm my skin when it is being troublesome and the scent of it also helps me feel relaxed. If you buy one cleanser make it this one.

Clinque Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm - £22

Destroys make up with no effort at all. This is the total opposite to the Emma Hardie one. No frills, no fuss, it just does the job. There is no fragrance to this and its just plain white in colour. But despite its unassuming appearance I've yet to come across something it can't remove. Red lipstick? No problem. Thick night out foundation? Easy peasy. Waterproof gel eyeliner? Gone in a flash. I personally think this is a seriously underrated product from Clinique and although it might initially seem pricey it lasts a seriously long time.

Pixi Nourishing Cleansing Balm - £18

Removes make up really effectively and smells like delicate roses. I always think that this is like a hybrid of the first two. It removes make up effectively but also melts into a gorgeously soft oil that feels great on your skin. I use it anytime of the day and I've actually almost finished it. The price is very good considering how long it lasts and how versatile it is.

Oskia Micro Exfoliating Balm - £48

The only scrub based cleanser I use. This has very fine silica (no microbeads) and gently polishes skin. I like that its in a balm formula as it feels more nourishing and doesn't strip the skin. It smells expensive and has an eye watering price tag to match. I prefer to use it in the mornings because it feels refreshing but it could be used as a second cleanse as well. I tend to use it once or twice a week and my only complaint is for your money I wish the pot was a bit bigger.

Cream Cleansers

Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Milk - £21

The first non foaming cleanser I ever bought. This is specifically designed to take off make up so I like its balm based sister I only use it as a first cleanse. As I mentioned above this is another underrated product (actually the whole Take the Day Off line doesn't get shouted about as much as it should). Again it contains no fragrance but feels lovely and cooling upon the skin. I always loved using this after nights out at uni as its so gentle when you're not at your best!

Amie Morning Clear Facewash - £4.95

A seriously underappreciated brand that offers excellent value for money. Although it sounds like it might be a foaming product this is a cream based cleanser. And it works brilliantly for a bargain price, leaving skin feeling smooth, soft and nicely hydrated. I use it either for a second cleanse or in the morning. It has a delicate scent and the tube packaging is nice and convenient.

MV Organic Gentle Cream Cleanser - £35.50

Really nice cleanser that smells incredible but has pretty much the same results as some cheaper ones I've purchased. I didn't find the results to be any better or worse than other cream cleansers I've tried. If you're in the market for a high end cleanser I would recommend this one as I found it to be excellent at reducing redness and irritation. However if you're looking to save some pennies there are ones that do a similar job for a fraction of the price.

Soap & Glory Peaches and Clean Deep Cleansing Milk - £8

Almost always on offer from Boots this is a real multi tasking product. It removes make up effectively but is also effective at actually cleansing the skin. Really good value for money as the bottle is huge and lasts ages. I'm on my 3rd bottle as I use it all the time and also let my sister borrow it. It actually does smell like peaches (with some vanilla) but unlike other Soap & Glory products it isn't too overpowering. This one product that I know I'll keep buying over and over again.

Oil and Gel Cleansers

REN Everclam Gentle Cleansing Gel - £15

Really gentle and effective. I also had the cream version which I think I liked better but it disappeared while I was still at uni. I decided to try the gel version as I hadn't tried a cleanser this texture before. While it isn't too harsh, if you have dry skin I would buy the cream version instead as it is more hydrating. I like how simple this is and the pump is really convenient.

Tata Harper Nourishing Oil Cleanser - £54

This is so expensive it makes me want to cry a little. It does work extremely well, smells amazing and leaves my skin feeling soft. But at that price I'm unlikely to replace it once I've run out even though I will miss using it. As its an oil cleanser it removes make up as well but its too nice to waste on that. I tend to use it as a second cleanse after I've worn a lot of make up as I know that as well as cleansing my skin it will obliterate any last scraps of make up. If you have the money and want to treat yourself, absolutely go for it. As for me, I will just enjoy using every bit of this bottle and see if I can find something cheaper that works as well.