After starting to use mineral foundation and sunscreen I quickly discovered the importance of proper cleansing. I got a very generous sample from a friend first and immediately fell in love with the lovely thin formula and the delicious scent. It was just a matter of time before I bought my own 200 ml bottle and I've been using it ever since. (With minor interruptions. There's always something new to experiment with. ^_^)

To remove makeup and sunscreen in the evening I use one pump (it's perfectly enough as the oil is kind of runny and spreads easily), occasionally dilute it with some jojoba oil and then give my skin a thorough massage with the mixture. Afterwards, I wet my hands a bit and massage my skin a bit more: water turns this oil into a sort of cleansing milk which is then very easy to wash off and absolutely no residue remains. My skin ends up being soft and supple and perfectly clean.

Some people I know have reported this cleanser to sting their eyes and to dry their skin, but those are issues easily resolved. You really need to be careful and close your eyes tightly when you wash it off. I'm actually thinking that it wasn't the cleansing oil that stung people's eyes but the sunscreen that went with it. (That has definitely happened to me too.) Also, I have combination skin (oily in the summer), which is probably why I haven't experienced any drying yet. People with dry skin might want to try a sample first to make sure the product will agree with their type of skin.

It is pretty expensive though (almost 5000 HUF for a 200 ml bottle), so it might be a good idea to use a bit less and add some natural oil (jojoba, almond, olive, apricot kernel): it won't take away from it's effectiveness at all, but will probably make the product last much longer.

A word of caution: the bottle leaks like crazy. I learned this the hard way when, after coming home with my brand new bottle, I laid it on my bed and found a palm-sized oil stain on the bedspread upon my return from the kitchen. Make sure then to store it in a standing position, and instead of taking it with you when you travel, just decant some into a smaller bottle.
Also, opening the bottle for the first time proved to be a bit tricky (and I am a dexterous girl), but don't give up: you just have to turn the pump dispenser counter-clockwise by about 45 degrees for it to work and then turn it clockwise to seal it off. It's a cool idea but it still gives me a hard time sometimes... :-P

Anyway, despite all my grievances with its mechanics, L'Occitane's Almond-Apple Cleansing Oil is a five star product and a Holy Grail for me. I absolutely recommend it, though keep in mind that I haven't tried any other oil cleanser yet (e.g.: Shu Uemura or DHC) so I have nothing to compare it to.

Where to get it: in L'Occitane stores, online stores and EBay
Price: 4790 HUF
Amount: 200 ml
My rating: 5 out of 5
Ingredients: C12-15 alkyl benzoate * DI-PPG-2 myreth-10 adipate * sweet almond oil * sunflower seed oil * apple fruit extract * tocopherol * parfum/fragrance * rosemary leaf extract * limonene * linalool * citronellol