I had quite high expectations of this cleanser as I've read so many rave reviews of it, and with a name like 'Angels on Bare Skin' you can't blame me!
First impressions? What a heavenly smell! This cleanser has a strong lavender aroma from the presence of lavender oil and crushed lavender flowers itself. Lucky for me, I love the scent of lavender but if you don't you may want to pass on this! Looks-wise it certainly isn't the prettiest product, gritty and grey with visible chunks of lavender running though it. It's very firm, the kaolin clay noticeable in it's hardness and the ground almonds giving it a course texture.
To use you take a pinch of this and warm it in your palm, working it into a smooth paste with a little bit of water. I found this quite time consuming as the cleanser is so solid. You then massage it into damp skin, a slightly messy endeavour so I try to use this in the shower.
The rough texture gives the skin a really good exfolliation and afterwards my skin feels soft and clean but not dry or tight like some cleansers or clay masks can do.
While this seems to work for most people, I personally wouldn't repurchase it. The cleanser does leave the skin feeling nice and didn't irritate mine but the harsh texture wasn't something I wanted to use daily and I found it quite time-consuming to use.
I brought this product because I have rosacea. I have been using this product for about a week now. The scent I can smell quite strongly is lavender. The texture is like playdough. You need to form a paste with water to be able to spread the product onto your face. I love how soft my skin feels afterwards but that's all it really did. It hasn't improved the redness of my face nor made any real change in the appearance of my skin. I probably won't buy again.
Tips: Put a little bit of water in your hand and mix the cleanser to form a paste. It can get quite messy.