Budget Beauty: Superdrug Vitamin E Hot Cloth Cleanser review (aka Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish dupe)

Superdrug's cheap as chips own-brand skincare range regularly appears on my social media feeds, and if you haven't tried anything from them before, why not start with this budget-friendly Liz Earle dupe? If you read my recent February Empties post, you may have spotted a little spoiler about this product, and I don't think I've ever had as many personal requests to do a review on a skincare item before!  

Liz Earle's Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser is a British beauty classic, and I've been using it on and off for years. In fact, there's almost always a tube of the stuff somewhere in my bathroom or skincare stash. It's easy to see why it's one of the best cream cleansers on the market as it absolutely destroys makeup in a matter of minutes, and always leaves my skin feeling thoroughly clean and refreshed. 

However, it's pricey at £15 for just 100ml, so I'm not surprised that so many people have asked me about a cheaper dupe for it. The beauty industry has seen this demand too, as a lot of brands nowadays sell their own version of this classic cleanser, and Superdrug's Vitamin E Hot Cloth Cleanser is one of the most popular alternatives.

Packaging & Size

The most notable difference, other than the price, is that Superdrug's version is packaged in a large 200ml tube as standard. There's no inbuilt pump like Liz Earle's, which makes dispensing it a little tricky as it's very easy to squeeze too much product out, but practice makes perfect. However, Liz Earle's larger 200ml cleanser size comes packaged in a similar tube without a pump! Currently, there are no travel size versions of the Superdrug one, whilst Liz Earle offers a range of different sizes. Superdrug's comes with a complimentary muslin cloth in the box, whereas Liz Earle only offers these as part of their Starter Kits or sets, or you can choose to purchase them separately. 

Price

As mentioned earlier, Liz Earle's is £15 for 100ml or £26 for 200ml. Superdrug's is just £4.99 for a whopping 200ml. That's a pretty big price difference!

Ingredients

The ingredients for Liz Earle are:- Aqua (water), Caprylic/capric triglyceride, Theobroma cacao (cocoa) seed butter, Cetearyl alcohol, Cetyl esters, Cera alba (beeswax), Glycerin, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan stearate, Eucalyptus globulus leaf oil, Rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf extract, Humulus lupulus (hops) extract, Chamomilla recutita (matricaria) flower extract, Propylene glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Panthenol, Benzoic acid, Dehydroacetic acid, Sorbitol, Limonene, Ethylhexylglycerin, Polyaminopropyl biguanide, Citric acid, Sodium hydroxide.

Ingredients for Superdrug:- Aqua, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Propylene Glycol, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Parfum, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Panthenol, Alcohol Denat., PEG-35 Castor Oil, Polysorbate 20, Aesculus Hippocastanum (Horse Chestnut) Seed Extract, Retinyl Palmitate (Vitamin A), Inositol, Calcium Pantothenate (Vitamin B), Linoleic Acid (Vitamin F), Biotin (Vitamin H), Potassium Hydroxide, Sodium Benzoate, 2-Bromo-2-Nitropropane-1,3-Diol, Citric Acid, Coumarin, Linalool, Buthylphenyl Methylpropional, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Disodium EDTA.

As you can see, there are some similarities between the two, with the first four ingredients being exactly the same, and they share a couple more ingredients throughout the INCI list. That said, there are a lot more 'undesirables' in the Superdrug formula, such as Alcohol Denat, Parfum and Disodium EDTA to name a few, which is often common with cheaper products in general. Both cleansers are certified cruelty-free, but only the Superdrug one is suitable for vegans as the Liz Earle contains beeswax.

Scent

Anyone who has ever used Liz Earle's will either love or hate their iconic fresh Eucalyptus scent. Personally, I love it, but I know many who don't! Superdrug's doesn't contain any Eucalyptus and instead has a sweeter, more Cocoa Butter based scent.  

Texture & Performance

Both have a thick and creamy texture, but I'd say the Liz Earle is definitely thicker, as the Superdrug feels more like a rich moisturiser or sun cream. I tested them side by side to see how well they compared with removing a full face of makeup and it was a tough call to be honest! They both removed waterproof eye makeup including stubborn mascara, and they easily made short work of full coverage liquid foundation. The Liz Earle definitely felt more luxurious and refreshing to use though, but both left my face completely make-up free and feeling soft afterwards.

Overall thoughts?

Maybe it's my nostalgia for having used and loved the Liz Earle for so long, but I think I'll always continue to use it and have a tube in my stash. I much prefer the Eucalyptus scent of the Liz Earle and found the Superdrug one to be a little cloying at times. However, I am seriously impressed by the performance of the Superdrug cleanser which makes it a worthy dupe in my opinion. I'll most likely rotate between the two which will give my bank balance a happier compromise!

Superdrug Vitamin E Hot Cloth Cleanser* (200ml, £4.99) is available in stores nationwide and online at superdrug.com

Have you tried any dupes?

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August Beauty Favourites

Can you believe that it's September tomorrow?! The time is flying by! Which is why I need to press pause for a moment and reflect on my August Beauty Favourites before another month rushes past. This favourites edit includes an awesome foundation and concealer, a frizzy hair fighter, a self-tanning facial product that won't make you look like Donald Trump, a fab new lip plumping gadget, and an incredible budget skin care dupe. Phew!

PMD Kiss Lip Plumping System* (£125, link)

If you like the look of fuller lips, but are way too squeamish to get anything as extreme as lip injections or fillers done, PMD's Kiss Lip Plumping System is the best alternative for those who are after a bigger pout without the needles. This clever, new-to-the-beauty-market gadget uses a 'pulsating vacuum' in conjunction with a topical serum (that's included), to plump up the lips in a painless and non-invasive way. To use it, you simply charge the PMD Kiss beforehand, apply the minty serum to clean and dry lips, choose the setting you want (there are two; a quick one and a longer one) and then place the device over your lips in sections. It's easy to do, doesn't hurt at all, takes less than 5 minutes and it's safe to use as often as you like.

I was sceptical about this at first because the device wasn't pulling on my lips as much as I thought it would be (you do feel some suction of course, but it's certainly not as strong as I imagined), but looking in the mirror afterwards, I did see a noticeable difference, especially with my thinner top lip. The results lasted for about 3-4 hours for me, and PMD say that with daily use, you can achieve longer lasting results.

It's not going to give you ridiculous Kylie Jenner style lips (cus we ALL know those are fake!), but it certainly helps to plump them up which is great if your lips are uneven or you have very thin lips to begin with. This device also helps to boost collagen production with long term use, as well as helping to smooth out lip lines, so it can be useful for older women who are want to get back some of the fullness that can be lost through ageing. It's certainly not cheap, but if you fancy a splurge, it's one of the best pain-free lip plumpers that I've tried so far.   

 Superdrug Naturally Radiant Glycolic Tonic* (100ml, £5.99, link)

I've been a big fan of Superdrug's own brand skin care ranges for a long time now, mainly because they work incredibly well, are super affordable, vegan-friendly and cruelty-free. But they've really hit the ball straight out of the park with an amazing new dupe for one of my favourite skincare products, the infamous PIXI Glow Tonic. 

Superdrug's version contains the same magical ingredient of 5% Glycolic Acid that's in the PIXI Glow Tonic and also has extra natural botanical extracts in it to further boost the skin. It's a brilliant liquid exfoliating toner to add to your skincare routine if you don't already use one, or simply pick it up to try out and compare if you're a PIXI Glow fan. An absolute steal at just £5.99 and one of the best beauty bargains that I've come across all year.

Tropic Sun Drops Gradual Tanning Facial Serum* (30ml, £22, link)

Facial self-tanners can be really hit and miss and I've used my fair share of 'duds' over the years. The problem seems to lie in how they work as some can turn the skin too dark or with a hideous orange tone, and there are some that I've tried which don't give any colour to the skin at all! My go-to has always been James Read's Sleep Mask Tan, but this product from Tropic has been giving it a run for its money over the past month.

Tropic's Sun Drops look very scary and dark in the bottle, but they're designed to be added to your regular daily facial moisturiser for a streak-free and natural looking glow. As you're essentially mixing a gradual tanner pigment into your moisturiser, you can easily control how dark you want to go - add 2-3 drops for a light and subtle colour, whereas 4-6 drops will give you a more tanned and sunkissed glow. The colour will continue to develop over a couple of hours, and you can use more in the evening if you want a darker result. I've really been enjoying using this serum and it smells great!

Joan Collins First Base Foundation* (30ml, £25, link) & Fade To Perfect Concealer* (5ml, £17, link)

Joan Collins' makeup line continues to impress me after I fell in love with her gorgeous lipsticks earlier this year, so I've been keen to try out some more products from her brand. I decided to test out the First Base Foundation after seeing only positive reviews online and I love it! It comes packaged in a luxurious glass bottle with a gold coloured pump, and I have the shade Warm Medium which is a perfect match for my post-Summer skin tone right now. This foundation has a lightweight and silky feel to it, blends easily and offers light to medium coverage with a very natural looking finish. One pump is usually all I need for a nice and even base, and it does a great job of blurring imperfections and any fine lines, without clinging to dry areas.

To compliment the foundation, I tried the Fade To Perfect Concealer which is like a love child of YSL's Touche Eclat and NARS Creamy Concealer. It has the consistency and light reflecting power of the former, yet provides more coverage to help cover up dark circles. It goes on smoothly, stays put all day and doesn't settle into fine lines, plus the packaging feels really high-end and luxury.

Swell Ultimate Protect & Renew Serum* (50ml, £20, link)

As I've probably mentioned a million times, my hair is naturally very dry and frizzy, so I rely on a range of styling products to keep it in check. I've been particularly loving this Ultimate Protect & Renew Serum from Swell recently because it really helps to tame frizz during hot and humid weather. It's a lightweight serum that isn't sticky, and it doesn't weigh down my fine hair either (the whole Swell range is designed for fine hair so it's a good brand to look into if you have the same hair type). In addition to its frizz-taming abilities, it also protects hair from heat styling, adds shine and helps to keep dry hair hydrated for longer. This serum is 97% natural, free from silicones, cruelty-free and vegan-friendly too which is brilliant!

What are your beauty faves this month?

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January Beauty Favourites

A short but sweet selection of beauty favourites that I've been enjoying lately, which includes some skincare, budget friendly makeup accessories and a fantastic hair mask.

 KISS Blooming Lash in Lily* (1 pair including glue, £5.99, link)

Ardell and Eylure are usually my failsafe go-to brands for false lashes, so much so, that I don't often give any other brands a second look. However, I recently saw some photos of a friend of mine who wore these ones from KISS to her wedding, and I was smitten! These lashes are so pretty; they're super fluttery, lightweight, and natural looking (kinda like 'my lashes but better, fuller and longer!'). Easy to apply and take off too, plus the glue is as good as Eylure's if not better. Will definitely be checking out some more lashes from this brand!

Tropic Skincare Good Skin Day Resurfacing Serum* (30ml, £42, link)

Exfoliating treatments and serums that use fruit acids and enzymes instead of manual 'scrubby bits', are fast becoming a staple in many people's skincare routines. This newbie from Tropic is made from 100% naturally derived ingredients and features 4.2% AHAs (derived from Australian Lime Pearl Extract and Fruit Acids), and 1.5% BHAs (from Willow Bark Extract). I really like the mix of AHAs and BHAs because they both have different exfoliating purposes, so you get the best of both worlds! In addition to those, there's also Coconut Water, Hyaluronic Acid, Papaya Enzymes and Probiotics to boost your skin's health further, and keep it plump and hydrated at the same time. This serum has a lovely silky texture and gives you a tiny tingle (oo-er!) when you apply it, but it soon disappears, and overall I haven't had any problems with it irritating my sometimes sensitive skin (but always patch test first as everyone's skin is different). Instead, my skin looks brighter and feels smoother - good skin day indeed!

B. Effective Stubborn Makeup Remover* (100ml, £7.99, link)

Just before Christmas, I took part in a blogger challenge blind test to try out this new release from B., and I was so impressed with the results that I couldn't wait to get my hands on a full-size bottle when it launched this month. This is a fantastic budget and cruelty-free dupe for Lancome's Bi-Facil Makeup Remover, as it works in the same manner and gave me almost identical results for half the price. This bad boy makes short work of waterproof mascara and you can also use it as an all-over makeup remover for any long-wearing foundation/concealer etc formulas. Highly recommend giving it a go.

Shea Moisture Superfruit Complex 10-in-1 Hair Masque* (326ml, £12.99, link)

Winter has not been kind to my hair as both the cold and subsequent central heating has been drying my poor tresses out, so I've been treating it to some deep conditioning masks to put the moisture back in. My current favourite is this one from Shea Moisture which is from their Superfruit Complex range. It claims to be a multi-beneficial masque and I'd say it definitely lives up to its name as I imagine most hair types will happily get on with it, especially if your hair is dry or damaged. Great for adding shine, calming frizz and strengthening weakened hair as well. Colour safe and suitable for vegans.  

Browtician The Stylist Brow System* (£7.99, link)

Another new budget friendly discovery for me has been finally finding a decent dupe for Tweezerman's cult tweezers, which I've used for years. This Browtician set comes with a pair of stainless steel slant tweezers which are very similar to my travel-sized Tweezerman ones, and they allow you to get a great grip on those pesky shorter and finer hairs. Alongside the tweezers, you'll also find a double ended brush with a spoolie, making this a handy set to pop into handbags and travel bags.

Which beauty products have you been lovely recently?

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Budget Dupe: MUA Luxe Enchanted Eyeshadow Palette - Review & Swatches

It's been a while since an eyeshadow palette caused me my jaw to drop, but one look at this MUA Luxe palette and I was smitten!

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The Budget Dupe: Lottie London Soap Star Solid Brush Cleanser review

A long time ago, I tried out the Beauty Blender Solid Cleanser to clean my makeup brushes and whilst I liked it, I thought it was way too expensive to keep using on a regular basis. Since then, I've stuck with my ever faithful Dr Bronner's Liquid Magic Soap, but when I saw the new Lottie London Soap Star Solid Brush Cleanser I decided to give it a whirl for a change.

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Budget Beauty: My Summer Swap Shop with Superdrug

Superdrug have been challenging consumers to save on their beauty shopping by switching their favourite summer products to cheaper equivalents in its own brand ranges. Always up for a challenge, I decided to take part myself to see if I could find some hidden gems along the way.    

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Review: Bdellium Tools 776 Eyeshadow Brush (aka a MAC 217 dupe?)

If you're an avid fan of watching makeup tutorials or just a regular reader of beauty blogs, you'll no doubt be familiar with the cult MAC 217 brush, which is held up as possibly the best eyeshadow blending brush in the industry.  This review however looks at a much more budget friendly dupe from Bdellium Tools which retails for a fraction of the price.  

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