I’ve been really procrastinating over this skincare post: on the one hand, the Omorovicza Hydra Melting Cleanser is  the most beautiful new cleanser I’ve tried in ages – and I try a lot of cleansers. On the other hand, this is a cleanser that costs £65. (Update: see bottom of page.) And even though it’s a cleanser that feels so luxurious and dreamy that it’s almost a travesty to rinse it off, the fact that you do need to rinse it off puts it in an odd position. When you’re buying a serum or a moisturiser or even a mask, it’s easier – somehow – to justify a bigger spend. When it’s a cleanser you are – quite literally – washing your pennies (or pounds) down the plughole. For the minutes that the cleanser is going to spend on your face, it needs to deliver some kind of sublime, spa-like experience.

Luckily this does. It’s the bounciest, plumpiest cleanser I’ve ever used. Think OSKIA Renaissance Cleanser and multiply the cushiony feeling by ten. It has the cleansing abilities of an oil, the freshness of a gel, the comfort of a cream and the massageability (not a word but I’m taking it) of a balm. It is, I think, the cleansing balm for those who don’t like the oily feel of a balm – it’s cooler and smoother but whereas you’d think it would be lighter in texture than a balm, it feels incredibly dense and robust.

I just find it a total joy to use; there’s no tightness after removal (since my skin has been drier I get a little bit of tightness even after using a lush, oily balm like Emma Hardie’s!) and there’s no overpowering smell, just a faint sea-like scent. The Hydra Melting Cleanser is slippery enough to withstand whole minutes of massage yet rinses away easily – handy if you find yourself without a washcloth. (It happens. Especially when you have a dog who likes to run off with any scrap of fabric he can find – knickers, socks, flannels, muslin baby cloths…)

Omorovicza say that the Mallow flower in the cleanser helps to hydrate and reduce inflammation and that the sage, geranium and chamomile have an astringent and antiseptic effect. It certainly feels comforting and soothing – it’s a gorgeous gel-balm for dry skin but equally perfect for an oilier complexion with its effective cleansing abilities and non-stripping, easily-rinsed formula.

Nobody needs to spend £65 on a cleanser, but if you wanted to then this would be the one. It’s only very slightly more expensive than the ever-popular Eve Lom cleanser, which has mineral oil as its main ingredient. When you look at it like that, it’s kind of a no-brainer, if you’re looking to splash some cash.

Omorovicza Hydra Melting Cleanser is £65 online here.

*UPDATE: Omorovicza are offering readers 20% off any purchase at Omorovicza.com! The code is MODEL20 and will be valid until 23.59 on the 26th February 2016. It can’t be used in conjunction with any other discount codes. I know that this is a post about their cleanser but if you want to treat yourself to what I personally think is one of the most beautiful face spritzes ever invented then take a look at the Queen of Hungary mist. It’s like a portable luxury spa.