Before you ask, the photo above isn't a snap of a novel packaging experiment. This photograph shows what happens when you love a product so much, you just have to get into every last corner of the tube to use it all up.
And I
love this product.
Merumaya's creator, Maleka Dattu, has a wealth of skincare knowledge behind her, and following spells at Clinique, Lancome and Origins, decided to set up her own skincare line. Maleka describes the process of the creation of her Melting Cleansing Balm as being motivated by a desire to create something 'beautiful and luxurious', and from the minute you flip the cap open, that's exactly how it feels. The fragrance is delicate and indulgent, and reminiscent of the finest spa treatments.
A little bit of the balm goes a long way, and true to its name, it melts into the skin on application. It's so silky that, at the end of a long day, I find myself unable to resist a relaxing facial massage, and after removing the cleanser with a flannel and hot water, I follow with another cleanse to remove any final traces of makeup. The website Q&A is wonderfully honest, and says that testers had mixed results with eye makeup removal but my experience has only been positive. For me, two cleanses is sufficient to banish all traces of my non-waterproof mascara, eyeliner and eyeshadow.
Prior to using this product, I was a devotee of Emma Hardie's Amazing Face Cleansing Balm, which is truly wonderful. At around £34 for 100ml, however, it ranks as the most expensive cleanser I've ever purchased. For me, Merumaya's Melting Cleansing Balm matches Amazing Face's performance on every front, and costs a grand total of £14.50. Yep, you read that correctly. Even more fantastic is the following statement from Maleka:
"Working in collaboration with some of the best cosmetic science brains, I have fulfilled my goal to provide luxurious, effective skincare and have
chosen to present it at an accessible price point."
I find it so refreshing to see brands that are committed to developing high-performance products that are much more affordable than some of their counterparts. I'm not especially excited by the idea of paying a premium for luxurious packaging: I just want a product that works. And this one does just that. I can see this being a feature on my bathroom shelf for a long time to come.
Merumaya's Melting Cleansing Balm is available from John Lewis and
online for £14.50.