EVE LOM FACIAL CLEANSER! XSTATIC XPLORES THE XOTIC!

Eve Lom Facial Cleanser! Xstatic Xplores the Xotic!



Xstatic817 here with my first xotically xcellent review. I wasn't sure what to pick for my first review...would it be exotic enough for Meg's readers? And what exactly does exotic mean anyhow? I consulted the Mr.'s Merriam and Webster and found that exotic can mean "introduced from another country," "strikingly, excitingly, or mysteriously different or unusual," or "of or relating to striptease." Much as I really wanted to go for a product that fit the latter description, I resigned myself to choosing a product that fit the two former ones. That, and for some reason, the "x" key on my keyboard has ceased to work properly so I felt it best to leave out any "xxx" material. And so I present to you my HG of skincare products, Eve Lom Facial Cleanser.

What makes it eotic? Or eXotic? (Stupid keyboard I may or may not have spilled yogurt on last week.) Well, first off, I don't know how to pronounce "Lom." Does it rhyme with "Tom" or "foam"? In my world, unsure pronunciation = exotic. Getting back to the dictionary's definition, it is from another country - Czechoslovakia, by way of England. Ms. Lom is a Czech-born facialist/esthetician, who originally worked in Hollywood before crossing the pond to London. Because everything cult-ish-ly fab has to be British, or European at the very least. Apparently, in London, Eve studied anatomy, nutrition, and massage and then studied acupuncture in China. Somewhere in there, this amazing skincare line was born, based on her philosophy (which I whole-heartedly agree with) that "deep, thorough cleansing" and "less is more" are key when it comes to effective skincare.

Everything about this cleanser is strikingly, excitingly, mysteriously different and unusual. Let's start with the ingredients. The Eve Lom website states that it contains "a blend of four aromatherapy oils," which after some minor sleuthing (and clicking on the "Ingredients" link) I have discovered to be chamomile, clove, eucalyptus, and hops oils. It also contains mineral oil and cocoa butter, which my brain tells me should be clogging my oily, blackhead-plagued skin, but it doesn't. It actually helps prevent clogs. Mysterious indeed. Then there's the process of how you actually use it. The consistency of the cleanser is somewhere between syrup and wet sand, depending on the weather (it gets gooier as it gets hotter out, but this doesn't affect its cleansing properties). You massage this goo onto dry skin. Then there is an optional 7-step massage you can do if your skin is a bit "congested." I did this process twice a week when I first got the cleanser. My husband thought I was insane. He likened it to performing a magic spell on my face. Well, call me Harry Potter, because my skin is not congested anymore. Next, you take the special muslin cloth - and only this special muslin cloth - and run it under hot water, then wring it out, place it on your face, and hold it there for five seconds. Then you do this again. And again. Three times. I'm not kidding. This is supposed to "soften the skin" and "activate the essential oils," as per the detailed instruction sheet the cleanser comes with. Next, you proceed to wash off the cleanser with the cloth as you would any face wash. The final step is to run the cloth under cold water, then hold this to your face for 5 seconds. And then the ritual is complete.

And it is a ritual. That's the only downside to this cleanser. You're not going to be able to wash your face in less than 15 seconds with this stuff. It's a bit of a commitment. Personally, I find the extra five minutes it takes to wash my face in the evening (you only use the cleanser at night) somewhat relaxing. The cleanser has a pleasant herbal smell, which I find to be very spa-like. But best of all - it works. My skin has never looked better. I don't need to wear as much makeup to make my skin look decent anymore. Heck, some days I even go out of the house without foundation on! For me, this is just about equivalent to saying that sometimes I go out without pants on. Oops, veering into "xxx" territory now.

Sadly, perfection doesn't come cheap. The cleanser costs $85 for 100 ml, and $150 for 200 ml. I bought the big tub; it's been six months and I'm only about halfway through it. I'm very big on cost-effectiveness like this. I'm OK with paying top dollar for a product that both works and lasts. Eve Lom is only available in the US (as far as I know) at spacenk.com. However, if you want to personally experience the current weakness of the American dollar, it is also available for purchase in Euros on Ms. Lom's website, evelom.com. I recommend the Starter Collection from space.nk which contains mini sizes of the cleanser, muslin cloth, rescue mask, and moisturizer for $45.

Exotic enough for ya? What do you think? Am I crazy for paying this much for what is, essentially, soap? Or maybe for performing this "rite of the cloth" nightly?