I don't often write negative reviews, as I prefer talking about products I love rather than those I'm not overly impressed with, but sometimes it just has to be done. The product I'll be reviewing today is probably the worst I've ever tried. I feel morally obliged to share my thoughts on it, because it isn't just one of those that don't work (for me). It's really bad.

Spot cleaning my makeup brushes is something I've been doing ever since I enrolled into makeup school. When you work on clients and don't have time to do the deep-clean or wait for the brushes to dry, you have to disinfect them and remove pigment before moving on to another person, which is what brush cleansers are essentially for. The process became such a habit to me that I now do it every single time I use my makeup brushes, even if I'm applying the same shades and doing makeup on no one but myself. 

Up until my move to London, I've been using 99% alcohol, which works amazing. It removes stains, disinfects and dries brushes in an instant. But since it is quite hard to find, I went on the hunt for a drugstore brush cleanser instead. The only one I found at my local Boots was No7's Make Up Brush Cleanser, the 'star' of today's show.

I've used it three times, but wish I had listened to my gut and threw it in the bin the first time around. I have quite a few problems with it. First of all, my brushes take ages to dry when I use this product. I don't even see the point in using it as a spot cleanser, because the brushes need the same amount of time to get dry as they do when I'm cleaning them with shampoo and water. And secondly, the cleanser literally ruins my makeup brushes. Every time I used it, my makeup brushes had hair falling out and that never happened to me before. The brushes were shedding like nobody's business, the hair felt like it was glued together even when it was already dry, and the bristles turned scratchy.

What it does or doesn't do to my brushes is not even the worst part, though. It's what it does to my eyes that shocks me the most. Whenever I applied my makeup with the brushes I used this product on a day before, my eyelids turned red and started burning. The last time I used it, the skin on my eyelids was so irritated I could barely keep them open and it even started peeling! I still have dry patches left, but thankfully, they're slowly disappearing with the help of Cicaplast Pro Recovery. 

It's mind boggling to me how this product is sold in stores. And not only that. It's marketed as hypo-allergenic! Very confusing indeed. Have you had any similar reactions to a beauty product before?

After ages of being in a war with the dry patches that love to appear on my face especially during the colder months, I think I finally won the battle. I've tried a ridiculous amount of products over the past few years, and most of them sadly left me unimpressed. Having said that, 2014 seemed to be my lucky year, as I discovered quite a few gems I'm going to talk about today. If you're a fellow dry skin sufferer, look no further!

La Roche-Posay Nutritic Intense Riche: I call this cream a game changer. It was the first product that actually made a difference to my dry skin and the product that restored my faith in skincare. I put it on pretty much every night and it always does its magic. When I wake up, my skin feels soft and moisturized with no dry patches in sight. It also doesn't hurt that it smells absolutely lovely! Just to give you a heads up, this is a rather rich and thick cream that doesn't sink in right away, which is why I would only recommend you to use it before going to bed.

La Roche-Posay Hydreane Riche: Hydreane Riche is the newest addition to my skincare routine. I would describe it as a lighter version of Nutritic Intense Riche, perfect for every day. It moisturizes your skin, but since it isn't too heavy and sinks in super fast, it works great as a makeup base as well. I actually just did a full review on this one, so if you want to know the details (and possibly win a tube for yourself), make sure to check out this post.

Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse: The best way to describe this multi-purpose dry oil is a miracle in a bottle. A deliciously smelling miracle in a bottle that is. You can use it on your face, body or hair. I mainly use it on my face as a substitute for my beforementioned night creme from time to time, when I feel like pampering myself. I was a bit hesinant to try it at first, because I thought having oil on my face for a longer period of time would clog my pores, but I'm glad I ended up giving it a go. My fears were completely unjustifiable. It's really lovely and not excessively greasy. After it sinks in, you're left with the silkiest skin!

Bioderma Solution Micellaire: Let's say a few words about cleansers/makeup removers. I still can't believe I've been using makeup remover wipes before switching to this holy grail of mine. What a difference! The solution does a great job at removing my makeup without stripping my skin of all moisture and leaving it 'tight'. I always buy a bunch of them when I go to France and currently have about six bottles waiting for me back home. I know, I'm obsessed. I either use the one for sensitive skin (pink cap) or the one for dry/dehydrated skin (blue cap). I don't notice any difference between the two to be honest.

Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser: Once I remove my makeup with Bioderma, I follow up with Liz Earle's Cleanse & Polish to thoroughly cleanse my skin. I put it all over my face and then wipe it off with a muslin cloth soaked in hot water, which also helps to remove dead skin cells/dry patches. The product is very creamy and makes my skin squeeky clean, soft and bright.

Origins Drink-up Intensive Overnight Mask: I use this mask once a week, usually a night before washing my hair, because I leave it on over night and my hair tends to stick to it while I roll around in my sleep, haha. My skin literally drinks this product up and feels super moisturized once I wake up. Oh, and it smells like Haribo Frogs. I'm not even kidding.

That's it about the outstanding bunch suitable for dry and dehydrated skin that I have in my beauty drawer. I'm pretty content about my skincare routine right now, the only thing I'm still missing is a nice morning cleanser. I don't need any heavy-duty stuff, just something nice and creamy to remove the oily night residue. Any recommendations? And please let me know which product you use and love if you have dry/dehydrated skin yourself. There's always room for more amazing products! :D

Everyone and their mother seem to have tried the Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micelle Solution by now. I have heard nothing but positive things about it, so I decided to put my make-up remover wipes in the corner for a while and try out this miracle solution myself. 

As expected, I fell in love with this product right away. It removes my make-up perfectly, with only one swipe! It takes off everything - heavy foundations, bold lipsticks, mascaras and even my 'there is no way you're getting me off' gel eyeliner. What I like about this solution is that it is not greasy and therefore doesn't smear the make-up you're trying to remove all over your face, which is something that my Avon cleanser does. To remove my make-up with the Bioderma cleanser, I just soak my cotton pad with it, rub it all over my face and wait for it to dry. It doesn't need to be rinsed off with water.

It is suitable for sensitive, normal to dry skin. It maintains skin's balance, doesn't have any alcohol or fragrance in it, and does not irritate your skin. It's pretty much as perfect as it can get. The only problem that some people might have with it is that it is not widely avaliable in some countries. I know I always tend to complain about the lack of amazing brands or products in Slovenia, but when it comes to Bioderma, we are one of the lucky ones. Here you can find it in every single pharmacy. Oh, and those of you that can't find this amazing product in your country, check ebay!