Save or Splurge? Cleansers

Article by BR Natalie

Whenever we need a new product, we're faced with the inevitable question - do you have to spend more for a good product? Can 'budget buys' ever really compete with an upmarket brand?  Our new feature Save or Splurge gives our Review Heroes the chance to tell us.

This time we sent 3 Review Heroes two different cleansers from two very different price ranges. Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm at $68 and NIVEA Daily Essentials Refreshing Cleansing Lotion at a more pocket-friendly $11.99. 

NIVEA promises 'a light weight lotion for normal & combination skin that removes all impurities including make-up whilst helping maintain skin’s natural moisture balance. Suitable even for the delicate eye area.'

Clinique promises 'a lightweight makeup remover that quickly dissolves tenacious eye and face makeups, sunscreens and cleans thoroughly whilst rinsing off completely. It's non-greasy and non-drying'

Will our Heroes recommend you use your pocket money, or break in to your piggy bank? Let's find out!

Review Hero: birditheblue

I have really enjoyed using both of these cleansers, but when it comes to comparing them together there is a clear winner (spoiler alert: it's not the one my stingy self was hoping it would be!). The Nivea cleanser is a white, runny lotion that comes with the distinctive baby-powder/sunscreen Nivea scent, while the Clinique is a solid balm that melts into a clear oil, and is completely unfragranced. Their packagings correspond with their price-tags, and while the Nivea is perfectly inoffensive and functional, it definitely doesn't look as pretty and expensive as the Clinique. Both feel really nice to massage gently over the face at the end of a long day, and rinse off with water (although I prefer to use a damp warm cloth with the Clinique). And both leave my skin feeling soft and hydrated, which is something that rarely happens for me with most cleansers. So far, they're pretty evenly matched (apart from price!).

However, when it comes to effectiveness, the similarities just disappear. I struggle to get even the beginnings of my long-wearing mascara (Collection Does It All) and concealer off using the Nivea lotion. It takes a lot of rubbing, rinsing and adding more of the cleansing lotion before I am ever able to get my makeup off (and I don't wear heavy makeup on an everyday basis). Even then, I often find that I wake up in the morning with leftover mascara smeared under my eyes... not attractive. The Clinique balm, on the other hand, just melts my makeup away. I don't have to rub for a long time, I just massage it gently over my face and the mascara, concealer, and even stubborn lipstains dissolve almost immediately. If I follow it up with toner, I don't see any makeup traces left on the cotton pad, so it really does remove everything.

So, although the $68 price-tag makes me wince a lot, my ultimate and honest opinion is that, between these two cleansers, it's better to splurge than save.

Verdict:  SPLURGE

Review Hero: simones

My process for this trial was to use each one on alternate days so the memory of each was still fresh in my mind.

I started with the NIVEA Cleanser.  There are some smells that just take you back to your childhood, and unlike the children of today, where it will probably be the smell of an IPad – for me it is things like; Play dough, freshly cut grass and of course the old NIVEA cream.

I love NIVEA generally and this product did not disappoint. It’s a lotion so it comes out fairly runny but it is packaged in a generous bottle and has a handy flip top if you want to use it in the shower.  As soon as you use it your senses are enveloped in the wonderful NIVEA fragrance so synonymous with this brand.

It took off my make up really easily and claims to remove waterproof Mascara although I don’t wear this so I couldn’t comment on whether it would or not.  Post cleanse I my face felt soft and supple and did not have that tight feeling which is a sure sign that the moisture has been stripped from your face.

So now for the big kahuna – the gorgeous looking Clinique Take The Day Off..

It started off well; I mean no one can argue with Clinique packaging, all those glossy boxes that just scream luxury.  This product comes in a pot, so that kind of got me offside to start off with. It’s a big pot to be fair (125ml) so I would imagine it will last a while, and frankly if you’re shelling out $68 slides for a cleanser you’d want it to! I’m just not a fan of the pot and especially in the Shower where I tend to use my cleansers. You’ve got to take the lid off, excavate the product, get the lid back on the product while you’ve got cleanser on the other hand, without it tipping off, and then put it somewhere...god! Just put it in a pump bottle will ya?

Anyhow when you take the lid off you see that the product although it’s called a cleansing “balm” actually looks like solidified oil. You dig down into it and then when you rub it on your face it melts and turns oil like and you’re off.

So that was ok, but ultimately the question needed to be did it do what it said it would? I'm happy to report, It certainly did – it claims to quickly dissolve tedious face and eye make up (check) and it left my face feeling wonderfully soft and not at all tight (check).

Here’s the thing; the product is fragrance free. Now for many of you reading this that would be a bonus. For me a big fat negative. I don’t like my products to be overly fragranced, but on the other hand, I love that heady smell in the shower when you’re using a shampoo or cleanser that has a fragrance you love and the steam drives it up and your whole shower experience is enhanced. To me this product was a very functional and I just didn’t get what all the palaver was about.

At $68, it's really expensive I think for a functional cleanser, a product you wash off, that gives you no sensory experience. I even wondered if it was the price that put me off, and I concluded that if i'd loved it I wouldn't hesitate to pay the money, but even if this product was a more affordable $25 I still wouldn't buy it, I just didn't click with it.

In summary the experience for me with this product was like dating a really rich, older guy, with a great job, and nice shoes that gives you everything you want and fawns over your every move. You really want to like him because he’s so nice and looks the total package but.... there’s just no spark there!

Verdict: SAVE

Review Hero: kellyleanne

The iconic, prestigious Clinique cleanser versus the affordable, trusted Nivea cleanser - who will win?  With this challenge I had my fingers crossed that the Nivea cleanser would come out on tops, so we could all save some pennies. However, Clinique was the clear winner, out doing themselves yet again with this fantastic cleanser.

With Clinique, from the first glance the packaging is pure luxury, in a purple circular tub, teamed with a silver lid and silver writing. The tub is large, and looks like it would last for ages. The formula is fragrance-free and is similar to hardened coconut oil. I distributed a tiny portion of the cleanser dotting in areas over my face. After massaging it in the formula melts, doing all the hard work of "taking the day off". The formula is super gentle, yet so effective- no stinging or tight feeling on my sensitive skin. Afterwards my skin is silky, super soft and hydrated .What I absolutely love about this cleanser is after a long, tiring day this does the most fantastic job of taking off ALL your makeup - no fussing around using a cleanser as well as a makeup remover. This cleanser does it all! Other cleansers aren't able to remove long wearing foundation, stubborn eye makeup and mascara or it takes ages for the makeup to budge. This cleansing balm just easily dissolves the makeup with no effort at all. Although this cleanser is pricey, it is definitely the best cleanser I have ever used. Clinique certainly lives up its claim, as it easily "takes the day off".

Now on to Nivea, the packaging is distinctly Nivea, simple and no-fuss with a tall bottle - it suits it's simple and affordable product.  The smell of this cleanser is absolutely divine,  so refreshing and calming.  The formula  is lotion-like and creamy. The positive about this cleanser is it's so incredibly gentle, there's no tight feeling at all and afterwards my skin feels so moisturised.  However, on the downside this formula doesn't seem to cleanse my face very well...possibly it's too gentle? It struggled to take off my mascara and eye makeup - this makeup didn't seem to budge at all using this cleanser, even after several attempts. So, if you are like me and wear mascara/eye makeup every day, you will have to use a separate eye makeup remover in conjunction with this.  In conclusion, it's a nice and gentle cleanser, yet I wouldn't repurchase it in the future, as it doesn't tick all the boxes that I look for in a cleanser. I expect my cleanser to cleanse my face effectively, including removing my eye makeup. Ideally, I want to use one product that just takes it all off, not a combination of a cleanser and eye makeup remover

Verdict:   SPLURGE