Aura-Soma AEOS Cleansing Oil Dé-Maq

RRP: £39.98 for 75ml

--What does the promo say?--
"An oil-based cleanser containing a blend of organic and biodynamic essential oils, plant extracts, for skin that tends towards dehydration. Rich in Vitamin E and extracts from avocado oil help keep the skin hydrated. Natural oils from sesame seeds soften the skin and help in the removal of make-up for a deep down cleanse. Can also be used for removing eye make up."

--Packaging--
An opaque plastic bottle with a pump-action top that is so easy to control (unlike Dr Hauschka's products, whose pump action mechanisms are useless). Text on the bottle is also minimal, making the product look luxurious and uncluttered.

--Application--
One of Aura-Soma's retailers, Dolphins and Angels, recommends "[m]oisten[ing] cotton wool pads with water, add[ing] a few drops of the Dé-Maq cleanser and apply[ing] using upward sweeping movements over the face and neck. Repeat as necessary to remove all traces of dirt and make up. Use separate pads for each eye area when removing eye make up." However, I find it doesn't need to be this labour-intensive if you're in a rush: you can just use the pump action to drop five drops of oil into your palm, rubbing together over your palms to create a filmy layer, and then rubbing over your face before sweeping a dry cotton wool pad over.

--Appearance--
The oil is a golden yellow, non-shimmery colour that leaves no visible residues on the skin.

--Scent--
Sophisticated and not without finesse, the scent is luxurious without being too heavy. It's difficult to tell where this comes from, though - perhaps the rosewood, as I wouldn't say that the avocado or sesame oils are at all detectable. Certainly very pleasant and elegant at any rate.

--Texture and consistency--
Despite being an oil, I found that this was completely non-greasy and easy to wipe off with cotton wool.

--Effects on the skin--
It removes makeup effortlessly, but does not cleanse and remove makeup in one go - if you want to cleanse with it you'll need to repeat the process after removing makeup. However, it does cleanse well too and I may have even noticed a slight improvement in my acneic skin during the use of this product.

--Value for money--
At nearly £40 it is expensive (the brand is possibly punching above its weight a little - to put it into perspective, La Prairie, Sisley and Gatineau makeup removers cost this much) and I would arguably expect a product like that to cleanse and remove makeup in just one step. However, of the Aura-Soma products I've tried it is probably the one I'd be most likely to repurchase thanks to its luxuriousness and its efficacy and removing makeup, even though I don't normally spend anything like this much on makeup remover. Plus, we have to remember that all of these organic and biodynamic ingredients can't come cheap and we have to accept that you need to pay what something costs to make, first and foremost. Truly a spa experience at home, this bottle is likely to last a long time and not disappoint.

perfect partners
Gentle Exfoliant Yellow, £36
Enriching Moisturiser Blue, £59
Refreshing Hydrating Mist, £55
Dew Facial Wash, £40

Aura-Soma Pegasus Perfume 58 (Aquatic Flowers)

RRP: £79

--What does the promo say?-- 

"Light earthy floral with touch of water on top notes; light and transparent, often recommended for sensitive skin. A lovely balance between mind and matter, symbolised by earth and sky, or flowers and water. Delicate, sensitive and highly feminine. Pink flowers, rose, lotus flower and pink jasmine, are grounded with a touch of amber and musk and represent the earthy notes. Aquatic notes, such as Japanese seaweed, dewdrops and wild angelica represent the more herbaceous and watery elements on the top notes."

--Packaging--

My sample size from Aura-Soma arrived in a tiny vial in the style of what you can get for free from department stores, so instead of the beautiful pink and blue faded design that you can see above, I had a clear glass tube, through which the pale yellow liquid can be seen, adorned simply with a sticker reading '58'. I feel that the numbers and the names of the perfumes, as well as the name of the line (Pegasus) are a bit superfluous, and that Aura-Soma should just pick one and run with it.

--Application--
Just spritz wherever you want to smell good, and you're away! Aura-Soma's shower gels and body lotions make a good accompaniment.

--Appearance--

Pale yellow fluid in the bottle, as mentioned; invisible on the skin.

--Scent--

As the essential oils used in the collection are, as Aura-Soma's PR were so keen to tell me, sourced from the second largest biodynamic farm in the UK (FYI, it's Shire Farm, in Lincolnshire), I was perhaps expecting something more exceptional. It smelled no more 'natural' than commercial perfumes and smelt a bit 'old' for my age group, perhaps as a consequence of the rose and jasmine that's included. The more unusual ingredients, such as angelica and Japanese seaweed, were as good as undetectable. A great shame, as I was hoping for something truly spectacular and intense.

--Longevity--

Again, this fared no better than commercial perfumes, wearing off within a few hours.

--Value for money--

As perhaps already goes without saying, I wouldn't pay £79 for this, even if the bottle is enormous and even if the ingredients are organic. If I were going to pay £79 for a perfume, it is perhaps with a tinge of regret that I would end up going for a more reliable commercial alternative, such as Viktor & Rolf's Flowerbomb (100ml EDP). Aura-Soma do better with their body and skin care products, however, so there's no need to give up on them completely.

Only for sale in the UK; see the following stockists:

www.dolphins-angels.com

www.11essence.co.uk

Aloka, 14 East Street, Brighton

Lucia Angelis, 8 Turnpin Lane, London