Dimitri's duds.

I've had a few raves about Skinn by Dimitri James products, but I have to admit, not everything is fantastic. There are a few products I've tried that have not impressed me.

Skinn Cleansing System These are the products that I wanted most and they're also the ones that disappointed me the most. Dimitri goes into this huge spiel on his TV spots about how you need a different morning and evening cleanser to balance PH or something (I admit, I kind of tuned out), and I can go along with the logic of different cleansers for different purposes. It's generally a habit of mine to use a foaming cleanser in the shower in the mornings when I just need to freshen my face after sleep, and a cream cleanser in the evening after using an oil cleanser to remove makeup. These products seemed to fit the bill for my routine, I had already purchased several of his other products and loved them, so how could these cleansers not be great, right?

Well, they kind of suck. Not so bad that I would throw them away, but certainly bad enough that I am getting them over and done with and not repurchasing. Sulfate Free Rapid Exfoliating Cleanser (the morning one) smells like Domestos or something you spray on your shower walls to remove soap scum. It's hideous. As a cleanser itself, it's okay, but nothing special. Olive & Enzyme Rich Cleanser and Resurfacing Mask (the evening one) is just useless. It doesn't clean ANYTHING. I use an oil cleanser to remove makeup before the cream cleanser anyway, but isn't it reasonable to expect that a product specially formulated to cleanse one's face at the end of the day, should have some ability to take makeup off? Otherwise, wouldn't the company have some other product in its cleansing range for that purpose (it doesn't)? It also has an irritating fake orange sherbet smell. A lot of people seem to like it, but I hate it.

Finally, to top off the annoyances of these products, I feel like both of them (but particularly the evening one) leave a film on my face, no matter how much I rinse with water and wipe with a face washer. I have actually started using a toner again - after stopping a few months ago - just to get that feeling off my face.

Crease Release Triple Action Eye Contour Serum Again, this isn't a super-terrible product that I would throw away unfinished, but it's an eye serum meant to smooth fine lines and reduce dark circles, and it just does... well, not much at all. It also takes ages to sink in, so you have to sit there waiting and waiting before you can put makeup on around the eyes. As with the cleansers, I will finish it, but I won't repurchase it. I'll go back to Neostrata Bionic Eye Cream, which I know does work.

3 Minute Lip Party Rapid Volumizing Mask I didn't ever have any interest in this product, so I feel a bit mean bagging it out. It came as part of a kit with the 3X Lip Volumizing Serum that I was really after (and that I love). It just doesn't do anything. Completely pointless.

UPDATE: On second thoughts, I am really, really hating these cleansers. I just ordered my usual stuff on Strawberrynet, and as soon as they arrive, I'm chucking these. They are awful.