Whenever I think of Decleor, I’m reminded of a particular horrendous girl I used to live with while doing a gap year in London. She owned a couple of Decleor products and was so paranoid about my possibly dipping into them that she’d keep them in her handbag and take them to work with her. (For the record, I never once attempted to nick her bloody moisturiser, but I did come home blind drunk one night and eat ONE of her Ouma rusks. And of course she was counting them! It was this among other things that contributed to a massive friendship-ending blow out in which I may or may not have grabbed her by the hair and repeatedly slammed her face into our bathroom floor…

But ja… bygones…

Many years later, I’m now the proud owner of two of my very own Decleor products (thanks Kirsty!); the Aroma Purete matt finish skin fluid and Aromessence Ylang Ylang purifying serum and can totally understand why anyone would go to drastic lengths to ‘protect’ them. Despite making use of ‘oil’, they’re both geared towards those with oily or combination skin. (Many people don’t realise that oily skin can also be dehydrated and often, creates excess oil to compensate for the fact that, deep down, it’s actually in need of serious hydration. Still, this doesn’t mean you should treat it with heavy, ‘too rich’ products. The oils Decleor have used in this line have been specially chosen for their purifying properties.)

Anyway, let’s talk about the skin fluid…

This baby’s got a light, non-greasy cream-gel texture and a gorgeous very subtle floral scent. It makes use of ‘plant microspheres’ to mattify, extracts of ‘balancing and purifying’ white water lily and willow as well as hydrating bamboo and lotus. All this is ‘boosted’ into the skin via super soothing ylang ylang oil which has oil-regulating properties. I like how it leaves my skin feeling hydrated and soft, but doesn’t aggravate my oily T-section. In fact, it’s definitely got a mattifying effect yet has enough slip to act as a great base for foundation. My only gripe is that it doesn’t contain an SPF or anything to fend off wrinkles. (You can get around this, however, by using an additional retinol serum and sunscreen if you know you’re going to be outdoors during the day.)

As for the Aromesence Ylang Ylang purifying serum… sjoe! It smells Divine with a capital D, almost a bit like patchouli, but not as sweet and a bit more fresh…

Even my boyfriend, who seldom notices ANYTHING, commented on how good my face smelled when I climbed into bed the other night. This isn’t an essential and you don’t HAVE to use it together with the moisturising fluid, but you can add a few drops to it should you wish to boost its existing ylang ylang oil component or simply use it alone. It doesn’t just use ylang ylang oil though; it also includes Geranium and Rosemary essential oils. Together, they cleanse and purify your skin, improve tone, help clear congestion and reduce puffiness or water retention. I loved massaging this into my skin at night; it made me feel like I was getting a spa-style face treatment at home and I’d wake up to soft, pampered-looking skin without a drop of excess oil in sight.

In all, if your primary concern is bringing a bit of balance to oil-prone skin, but want to do it in a way that’s utterly sensual and indulgent, Decleor (which is 100% paraben free, just so you know) could be your new best friend.

X x x