Review: Ole Henriksen Pure Truth™ Melting Cleanser

I was so excited to try the Ole Henriksen Pure Truth™ Melting Cleanser. I was trying to hold out for a sample before purchasing, but the 1floz size caught my eye during a visit to Sephora during the sale and before I knew it, it was in my basket. I didn't want to go with the full sized product as I hadn't tried this before and hadn't really tried a gelée cleanser at all, only balms and oils (which I love). Though because this is new and different, it's instantly on any skincare junkies want list, or at least, it was on mine.

As one would expect, it's a clear jelly-like consistency. It's tinted orange as with most of the Pure Truth line products in Ole Henriksen's line. It comes in a very sturdy glass jar which surprised me as it was the travel size, but it was a pleasant touch. The lid is sturdy and the product comes boxed and also sealed. It very faintly smells of citrus but I didn't find it overwhelming in the slightest. The 1oz size retails for $12 and it also comes in a 4oz size for $34 which I find quite reasonable, though do note I'm a fond user of the eve lom, which isn't quite so cost effective, ok, it's ridiculously priced, but awesome.

The texture is strange, yet cool? It's like goo. I can see young boys in their early teens loving this stuff (not for the intended purpose, mind you - but my brother was always scaring me with magic shop blood, and jiggly "body parts" that had interesting textures). It's thick, yet bouncy. Ok, I'm going to stop trying to describe the texture as we'll be here all day. What are the claims?

According to the box, "this 3-in-1 cleansing gelée effortlessly melts the most stubborn makeup and gently dissolves everyday impurities leaving the skin superbly hydrated. Vitamin C, rose hips and cherry seed oils pamper, nourish and unveil a purely radiant and healthy complexion". Sounds great.

"Directions: Use dry hands and massage into dry skin to melt away makeup and impurities. Add warm water and rinse clean."

So I first tested this the day I was wearing/testing the Too Faced Melted Liquified Long Wear Lipsticks. That also included a mixture of the Laura Mercier Smooth Finish Flawless Fluide in Creme (which is a touch too dark and a touch too yellow and accentuates every single dry patch - but I'm just using up the Sephora sample) and the Makeupever Forever Matte Velvet Plus in #15 (which I'm trying to use up but it is lasting forever!), a Tarte eye primer sample that I don't recall the name of, but I think it might be the brightening one, Makeup Forever Smokey Lash Waterproof Mascara, and one of Tarte's Airblush Maracuja Blushes.

I applied an amount that seemed appropriate (it doesn't tell you how much to use which is slightly vexing - are we talking a pea or a cherry?) and rubbed it into my dry skin. I know the box tells you not to put it in contact with your eyes, but how else is it supposed to remove waterproof mascara? I put it on my eyes since I'm a rebel (not really) though I did get a bit of extra blurry vision, but it didn't burn or sting. I rubbed it in and let it do it's work, and rubbed it in again. I also massaged it all over my face. I did wind up having to add more in the middle which was a bit annoying, but first time user error strikes again.

I actually cheated to get it off since I wanted it to work so badly. Even though the instructions don't tell you to use a muslin cloth, or washcloth or anything, I used my muslin cloth with warm/hot water.

Then I took some cotton pads and some trusty CLINIQUE Take The Day Off Makeup Remover For Lids, Lashes & Lips to see if there were any remnants.

Only a bit of greyness showed up on my right eye, not too bad (yes, I marked these with a sharpie so I would remember, and it's not easy on wet cotton!)

The left eye wasn't so great though.

The face also was a bit disappointing. Can you imagine how it would have been had I not used the muslim cloth??!

And finally lips. This was actually more disappointing than the face, because I made a point of rubbing this into my lips really well and most of the Too Faced lipstick had worn off by this point, I was only dealing with the remnants.

But I'm generous and I like to give things another shot, so I tried it again.

I was wearing slightly less makeup. The same base, the same blush, the same mascara, but I wasn't wearing anything else on my eyes. I had also spritzed myself with a makeup setting spray earlier in the day (-10 hours), and I had been wearing a pretty standard lipstick (not long wearing) which had worn off during dinner. I decided, however, to follow the instructions and not use a muslin cloth because it doesn't say you need to and I admit that the results on my first attempt would have been far worse if I hadn't used one. What I did do this time around was use more product, a lot more product. I also rubbed it into my eyes and let it sit even longer and rubbed it into my skin and let it sit longer, hoping it would help break up the makeup

Much better on the eye front, although I lost several lashes during the process. This cotton pad shows the remnants for both eyes.

However, this was left on my face after using the Ole Henriksen which bummed me out. That is a lot of foundation left kicking around after using a product that should have easily removed it all based on the claims. I wasn't even wearing a primer!

There's just something off with this product and I'm not sure what it is. I'm not sure if they need to add an ingredient that really dissolves makeup like it already claims to, or whether they need to say "use a muslin cloth to wipe away excess product and help remove any remnants". I can't lose 8 eyelashes every time I take my makeup off and I don't when I use some of my other cleansers. Nor am I willing to use a zillion other products in combination with this when this claims to effortlessly take off everything!

So this review is a bit of a downer. I am returning my travel jar and going back to my tried and true. It was fun to try this product. It looks so cool, but looks aren't everything.

Review: Julep Bare Face Cleansing Oil

Julep Bare Face Cleansing Oil (referral link) came in the most recent Julep box. It promises to "[remove] makeup, dirt, and excess oil without over-drying skin". I'm going to come right out and say that this has been my favorite Julep non-polish Maven item to date! It smells citrusy, it removes my makeup, it comes in a sleek bottle and it doesn't dry out to my skin! I've found that unlike cleansing balms (which I love), the oils can have a tendency of drying out my skin. Not this! The only thing I'm not a fan of is that the dispenser is a little short which means I have to hold the bottle to squirt out a few pumps (I usually use around 3-4 for my whole face) and you can't pump it while it's sitting flush on the countertop. Otherwise, I'm a big fan though I might not pay the $28 retail price for the 3.4floz ($22.40 for Mavens). We'll see.


Ingredients: Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, PEG-30 Sorbitan Tetraoleate, Rosa Canina (Rosehip) Fruit Oil, Citris Grandis (Grapefruit) Peel, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Coffea Arabica (Coffee) Seed Oil, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Hibiscus Abelmoschus Extract, Squalane, Phenoxyethanol.

Review: Tatcha Pure One Step Camellia Cleansing Oil

On with the "need to try something new bug." I recently placed an order at Tatcha for some blotting papers and also received an adorable 15ml sample of their cleansing oil. The Tatcha Pure One Step Camellia Cleansing Oil generally retails for $48 and comes with 5.5oz of product.

My sample came with a dropper which isn't my favorite since it's very hard to see exactly where I'm dropping without my glasses. Sample packaging aside, I found this oil effectively removed most makeup as it claims. I also found it weightless on the skin, and it doesn't leave any sort of residue. It didn't effortlessly remove waterproof mascara which is fine since I don't mind using and buying the Makeup Forever Sens'eyes remover which does make it effortless!

While this is nice, I'm not sure if I'd purchase as I tend to prefer the balm cleansers. However, if you are sensitive to mineral oils, this might be one to try as that ingredient (among others) is missing from the list.

Actives: Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Oil, Camellia Japonica Seed Oil, Algae Extract, Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract.
Formulated without: Mineral Oil, Synthetic Colors, Synthetic Fragrances, Sulfate Detergents, Parabens, PEGs, PPGs, Urea, DEA, TEA or Phthalates.

*For those that don't mind cheaper ingredients and prefer a cheaper price point, check my review on the The Body Shop version here*

Review: The Body Shop Moisture White Shisho Make-up Cleansing Oil

You know that bug you sometimes get where you just want to try something new? I am still in love with my balm cleansers. I've loved each one I've tried but I thought I'd mix it up with something different: cleansing oils. Cleansing oils have been a big thing for several years but I just never got into it. Now that I've tried and loved balm cleansers, cleansing oils seemed to be the next logical step. I recently purchased The Body Shop's Moisture White Shisho Make-up Cleansing Oil. At $15 for 4.2oz and often on sale, this cleansing oil is a good one to try and it won't break the bank.

Now, it's not all natural, it has added fragrance (a lighter version of TBS Moonflower - my favorite from their old lineup) and it comes in a standard white plastic bottle, but it's pretty darn good. Like balm cleansers, you apply on dry skin, massage and then add warm water, and most if not all of your makeup dissolves away (it easily removed my eye makeup - even waterproof mascara though it required a bit more effort, concealer and my Studio Fix Powder but ymmv). The flip cap squeeze bottle made it easy to dispense the right amount. It's pretty low frills but I found it quite effective and I'd repurchase, especially with a sale!
 
Full Ingredients Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (Emollient), PEG-20 Glyceryl Triisostearate (Skin-Conditioning Agent), Isohexadecane (Emollient/Solvent), Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil (Emollient/Skin Conditioner), Glyceryl Behenate/Eicosadioate (Surfactant - Emulsifying Agent), Water (Solvent/Diluent), Fragrance (Fragrance), Perilla Ocymoides Seed Oil (Skin-Conditioning Agent), Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate (Antioxidant), Butylphenyl Methylpropional (Fragrance Ingredient), Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract (Conditioning Agent, Humectant), Citric Acid (pH Adjuster).

Review: Caudalie Cleansing Water

In the past year or so, I've made it a point of trying lots of these micellaire waters. Given that my skin is fairly sensitive and on the drier side, these new cleansing products seem ideal. Also, I am super lazy and all-in-one products are awesome. I was excited about trying the Caudalie version since I haven't found a Caudalie product I hate yet. I'll cut right to the chase and say that while I don't hate this product, I'm a bit lukewarm. You see, I already have a great love for the Makeup Forever Sens'eyes cleanser and I basically compare every other remover to that blue concoction of wonderfulness. To be honest, I was pretty surprised the Nuxe's version easily removed long-wear mascaras. The Caudalie version removed face makeup like a champ but it left remnants of my eye makeup which included a non-waterproof mascara.

It smells like the signature Caudalie fragrance which is quite strong but doesn't bother my nose and I quite enjoy it. Still, I wish it weren't so highly fragranced. The cleansing water doesn't burn my eyes or skin for that matter. It's non-drying although it seems to leave a bit of a residue that is sticky for the first few minutes after application. I do like it for long-wear lip products as it doesn't taste foul and removes everything on the lips without drying them out. I personally wouldn't buy a product just to remove lip products though as I don't do epic lip swatching sessions and don't wear long-wear products on a daily basis.

I've gone through about 1/5 of my bottle and I just don't know. It's ok? If it managed to remove eye makeup a bit better I'd say I'd repurchase but because it doesn't quite get the job done in that area, it's not something I'd look into buying again. A bit disappointing since I do enjoy the brand in general.

Ingredients: Aqua (Water), Poloxamer 184, Glycerin, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Fruit Water, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Cocamidopropyl Butanamide Mea Chloride, Bisabolol, Parfum (Fragrance), Sodium Chloride.

Review: Elemental Herbology Purify & Soothe Facial Cleansing Balm

Ever since my brief love affair with the eve lom cleansing balm (which I have since purchased for a steal off spacenk), I have been on the hunt for other cleansing balms. Using these oily balms has made my skin feel so good and they are often awesome cleansers to boot. With the help of a muslin cloth, they gently exfoliate and cleanse without irritating sensitive skin. When I saw the Elemental Herbology Purify & Soothe Cleansing Balm on sale, I jumped at it. The normal price of the product is quite high at $46 for 2.5floz/75ml. While it's a bit cheaper than the eve lom, it's definitely not in line with my normal skincare prices. Nonetheless, on sale I quickly picked it up.

Elemental Herbology's description indicates the balm "gently dissolves impurities and melts every trace of makeup. Infused with anti-oxidants and harmonizing botanicals, [it] will purify and soothe dry skin to reveal a clear and radiant complexion". The product is free of mineral oil, synthetic fragrance, color, sulphates and parabens. Elemental Herbology also does not test on animals.

I have so enjoyed using this cleansing balm. Now, while it promises it melts off makeup, I have had some issues getting off extreme long-wearing mascaras; however, it gets off everything else including long-wearing foundations, powders and more standard eye makeup. Also, it doesn't burn, sting or otherwise irritate my eye area and because it's so moisturizing, it hydrates the area even after removal. In fact, after cleansing, my whole face has never felt so plump, radiant or soft. Holy cow. Generally, if I wash my face, my face afterwards feels tight and lifeless and it isn't unusual for me to have flaking. Not with this. After I wash my face, I have this desire to touch it (although I probably shouldn't).

Packaging is a pretty standard matte tube. I definitely prefer the tube delivery system even though it requires a firm squeeze since the product is quite thick. I tried to take pictures of the product, but the ones below show the product beginning to melt. I wasn't successful in getting it in its original slightly hardened balmy state.

it's already starting to melt here

extra melty

The one thing I'm not crazy of is the scent. It's great that there are no synthetic fragrances and it's not offensive, but it's slightly herbal and not my favorite.

Scents aside, I am quite pleased with this purchase. I highly recommend this cleansing balm and urge other dry skinned ladies (and gents) to hop on the cleansing balm train. While I still have my trouble areas, my skin absolutely loves these types of cleansers and has never looked better. I will certainly enjoy using this balm during the winter months and in the future, I would definitely consider repurchasing.

Ingredients: Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil*, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride*, Hydrogenated Vegetable (Soya Bean) Oil*, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter*, Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax*, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil*, Citrus Aurantium Amara (Bitter Orange) Peel Powder*, Plukenetia Volubilis (Sacha Inchi) Oil*, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate*, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract*, Canola Oil*, Fragaria Vesca (Strawberry) Fruit Extract*, Narcissus Poeticus Flower Wax*, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Althaea Officinalis Root Extract*, Angelica Archangelica Root Oil*, Boswellia Carterii Oil*, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil*, Maltodextrin*, Citronellol*, Geraniol*, Limonene*, Linalool*. *Ingredients Derived From 100% Natural Source.

Review: Nuxe Micellar Cleansing Water with Rose Petals

When Nuxe recently opened their new US site and had a promotion, I ordered a few items I've had my eyes on from the line. The first being the Micellar Cleansing Water with Rose Petals. I've made it a point of trying multiple micellar waters on the market. I've enjoyed quite a few so far although I haven't yet tried the famous Bioderma, maybe one day. Until then, we have quite a few options that are far easier to get a hold of in the states.

I am by no means a lover of rose, but the scent in this micellar water is pretty light and doesn't give me a migraine, a good thing since this is a great micellar water. It removes face makeup easily though it does require saturating quite a number of cotton rounds. My biggest surprise was it removed eye makeup. Not just any eye makeup either, the super long wearing Lashfood mascara which even my Makeup Forever Sens'Eyes has some trouble with.

I do have a few complaints: 1) I don't know why they felt the need to add fragrance to the product; surely the rose water already listed is sufficient? Is it not fragrant enough? 2) The price, at $23.50 for 6.76floz it's up there though not ridiculous considering you could get away with bringing a decanted bottle of this on vacation and have makeup remover, cleanser, toner and a refresher all in one (more than I can say for some of the others on the market). The added fragrance doesn't irritate my skin but I'd rate this a little more if they removed it.

If you like roses and you have been curious about this cleansing water, I would definitely pick it up as it truly is an all in one product. Me being the product junkie that I am went out and bought the Caudalie one as well. So I'll be testing that out and reviewing after I've finished the Nuxe.

Ingredients
AQUA/WATER, ROSA DAMASCENA FLOWER WATER, GLYCERIN, PARFUM/FRAGRANCE, BENZYL ALCOHOL, CAPRYLOYL GLYCINE, CITRIC ACID, COCO-GLUCOSIDE, SODIUM HYDROXIDE, ALLANTOIN, CAPRYLYL/CAPRYL GLUCOSIDE, TETRASODIUM EDTA, DEHYDROACETIC ACID, SODIUM HYALURONATE, LINALOOL [N2305/A].

Review: La Roche Posay Physiological Cleansing Gel

As you may recall, I've been on a bit of a cleanser hunt. I had hoped the La Roche Posay Physiological Cleansing Gel would be similar to their old Rosaliac Cleansing Gel, but this one requires water and can't simply be tissued off like the other (something I loved when sick or tired). The Physiological Cleansing Gel comes with 6.76 oz of product and retails for $20.95. It is a very basic, no frills sort of cleanser but manages to cleanse the skin without making it overly dry or tight after cleansing. I still have to moisturize soon after but there are cleansers on the market that are much more stripping. One of the perks of this cleanser is the pump; it's perfection. It pumps out exactly the right amount of product in one go.

As with most of the La Roche Posay line, this is great for sensitive skin types. Being soap free, alcohol free and paraben free makes it extremely gentle. The only negative is the slight added fragrance. La Roche Posay products can be found at many CVS locations nowadays and sometimes go on sale so it's worth picking up if you're looking for a new cleanser.

I wish they brought back that cleansing gel. It rocked.

Aqua/Water, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Poloxamer 184, Poloxamer 124, Avrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer, Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate, Isohexadecane, Sodium Hydroxide, Ammonium Polyacryldiemthyltauramide/Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Isopropyl Myristate, Polysorbate 80, Caprylyl Glycol, Myrtrimonium Bromide, Benzoic Acid, Parfum /Fragrance.

Cracking The Skincare Code

Crystal from Valentine Kisses commented on my skincare "Cleansing Hunter" post about mixing cleansers. Honestly, the idea had never occurred to me before. Sure, we mix other things, like foundations with other foundations, foundations with moisturizers to create your perfect tinted moisturizer shade, color correcting products with others. For me there was the concern of things interacting but so far I haven't run into any problems. The best part, is I think I've cracked the Cleanser Hunt.

Lately, what I've been doing is taking a little squirt of the Ahava Gentle Cleansing Cream (received in the October Birchbox) and an equal sized pump of the Philosophy Purity and use that to cleanse my face. The more moisturizing properties of the Ahava keep the Purity from drying me out meanwhile I get the deeper cleanse that the Purity provides.

I won't say this is "Holy Grail" cause let's face it, we all want an all-in-one product. It's cheaper and it's more convenient. But since I have cleansers sitting around that need to be used and I know which do the job best and where they are potentially lacking, I can fill in with other products to get my "perfect" cleanser.

Have you ever mixed cleansers (or other products) to get a cocktail that best suits you?

Cleanser Hunting

I'm currently on the hunt for the Best Cleanser Ever (TM). I've used quite a few and there's several I've liked but for some reason, I feel this urge to find a new even better one.

I'm hoping to find a double duty cleanser that also aids in makeup removal. As a drier skinned (especially in the winter) person, this is apparently quite a feat as most of the gentle cleansers I've tried do not remove makeup.

Recently, I've tried two cleansers that are supposed to be good for those with all skin tones (if not specifically for dry skin) and remove makeup. I thought I'd share my thoughts just in case you are in a similar boat.

I know quite a few people rave about Philosophy Purity Made Simple. It promises to dissolve dirt and makeup while still soothing dry and sensitive skins. The scent wasn't something I was expecting but it did a good job of cleaning my face, didn't burn my eyes and managed to remove the majority if not all of my makeup. Only problem is immediately after washing my skin was dry, not just dry, but visibly flaky, especially around my nose and cheeks.

The Boscia Purifying Cleansing Gel was recommended to me by a Sephora sales associate when I mentioned that I was looking for a cleanser that removed makeup but that Purity was drying for me. I expressed my concern of the "purifying" part of the name as that is generally a no-no for drier skin types. She indicated that it was for all skin types but would make me a sample. Well, surprise surprise, I tried it out and my skin felt very tight after finishing my cleanse. Can't speak for the makeup removal properties as I didn't wear makeup the day I tried it out.

Next on my list to try is the Fresh Soy Face Cleanser which I received a sample of from the (speaking of which, very nice) Sephora sales associate. Sephora really needs to do a better job of training their staff as she indicated that it was all natural and free of parabens. The ingredient list shows 5 different parabens - this sort of thing doesn't bother me but I'm sure it bothers some!

As I have my HG eye makeup remover already, Makeup Forever Sens'Eyes, I don't need it to dissolve waterproof eye makeup and mascara the way the Makeup Forever does, but removing foundation would be a plus so perhaps one day I can remove the wipes from my routine entirely and do a double cleanse with my cleanser (definitely better for the environment).

Any cleansers you love?

Review: Pond's Wet Cleansing Towelettes Evening Soothe

The Pond's Evening Soothe Cleansing Towelettes came in the target beauty bag from a few months ago. I was in the middle of working through a package of the Salma Hayek Nuance Detoxifying and Toning Wipes which I started liking more than my review would lead you to believe as every time the Salma Hayek line goes on sale, I have been picking up a pack or two of them (very mini review - the packaging keeps the wipes moist all the way to the last one which makes the price a little easier to handle - with the sales they've been comparable to the other wipes I mentioned in the original review and they remove makeup and eye makeup well and they don't irritate my eyes/skin and if I don't cleanse afterwards due to laziness they do not break me out). Anyway, I did finish the Salma Hayek ones and I'm supposed to be reviewing the Pond's so let's get to it!

The Pond's generally retail for around $6 but can often be gotten on sale or in multi-packs which brings the price down significantly. The wipes are quite saturated with product but are a little soapy. The smell isn't my favorite as it's the chamomile and white tea mixed with soap. I don't mind soapy smells especially in cleansing products, but I hate when they add other scents to try to cover them up. The wipes removed makeup well but really burned my eyes. Even though I use my old standby, Makeup Forever Sens-eyes, I still like to quickly run the wipe of the moment over the eye area to catch anything the Q-tips didn't pick up. I wouldn't be able to do that with this makeup wipe and for that reason I would not repurchase. I'm sure those with less sensitive eyes would be fine but for me it's a no-go.

Review: Yves Rocher Micellar Cleansing Water

I know Yves Rocher doesn't get a lot of buzz in the beauty blogging world, but so far, I've only experienced good things from the brand. First of all, the price point is very favorable and if the retail price seems a little high the website almost always has sales. For instance, the item I'm reviewing today, the Micellar Cleansing Water, retails for $15 - on par with the Vichy version I was using previously. But right now on the website, it's 45% off making it $8.25 and the site runs dollar off promotions and almost always has free shipping codes.

This Micellar Cleansing Water is very comparable to the Vichy Solution; however, the Vichy might be slightly more gentle. The Yves Rocher doesn't irritate my skin but it is scented. As I've mentioned, I don't use these Micellar Waters for makeup removal, instead I use them in the morning instead of washing my face or during the day when I'm home as a refresher.

I find this one does a good job of cleansing my skin in the morning and doesn't leave it irritated or tight. The bottle contains 6.7oz of product. My only complaint is I wish the hole to pour the product out was a little smaller. I'm always worried about pouring these type of products down my sink!

If you've been curious about trying a few items from the Yves Rocher brand, I'd add this to your cart. 

Ingredients: Water, Butylene Glycol, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Water (Roman Chamomile), Mangiferin (Mangiferin, a natural polyphenol is known to exhibit anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antiviral effects), Glycerin, PEG-40 Glyceryl Cocoate (emulsifier), Betaine (humectant), Sodium Coceth Sulfate (Cleansing Agent), Methlyparaben, Phenoxyethanol (preservative), Oleth-20 (Cleansing Agent), Allantoin (moisturer), Fragrance, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract (green tea extract), Tetrasodium Edta (preservative), Rose Canina Fruit Oil (Rose Hip Fruit Oil), Maltodextrin

Made in France

Review: NYX All Purpose Makeup Remover Gel Type

When Cherry Culture was having their 50% off NYX sale a few weeks ago, I decided to pick this Makeup Remover Gel up as it reminded me of the La Roche Posay gel I liked so much. This is the same idea, as it is water based.

According to NYX:
"A water-based gel in a pump that gently removes all traces of makeup. This clear gel eliminates brow makeup, eye shadow, mascara, eye liner, liquid makeup, face powder, blush, lipstick, lip liner, lip gloss and even dirt. Vitamin B nourishes skin and leaves your face feeling soft and clean."

It retails for $9 and the pump bottle contains 3.04 ounces of product.


I do like this gel for the majority of my makeup removal but it barely even touched my Makeup Forever (MUFE) waterproof mascara (the true test for any remover so it seems). So much like most miscellar waters and gels, this doesn't remove waterproof mascara.

To be quite honest, the recent price increases in NYX products (among other things) has not made me super excited to try any new products from the brand and I do feel that $9 is a bit much for the line, especially for such a small bottle of remover. The bottle has a good quality pump and the makeup remover is pretty good for all things non-waterproof but it's not so awesome that it warrants the high price tag.

If you liked the La Roche Posay Gel Remover like I did, you might want to give this a shot but I'd personally wait for a sale if I were you.

INGREDIENTS: Aqua, L-glutamic acid/n-coco acylderivs, Compds, Glycerin, Protein extract, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Diazolidinyl urea/iodopropynyl butylcarbamate.

Review: Vichy Pureté Thermale 3-in-1 Calming Cleansing Solution

Everyone has been gushing over Bioderma, a french pharmacy brand that makes a Micelle/micellare (and various other spellings depending on if you are trying to spell in french or english or what I like to call frenglish). The only problem is getting a hold of the product. Apparently it's quite cheap in France but not so much in the states. To buy the 250ml Bioderma Créaline H2O you can order from Amazon for upwards of $33 including shipping or you can attempt to order from China or figure out the translation to order directly from France. Not only do you have the hassle of ordering internationally, but you run the risk of being allergic, or sensitive to the product and you can't return it!

I've spoken highly of the gel version of the La Roche Posay range's micellar product and when I was poking around a new to me CVS I found the majority of the Vichy range as well and within it the Vichy Pureté Thermale 3-in-1 Calming Cleansing Solution. Its' micellar product comes in a 200ml bottle (as does the La Roche Posay version) and clocks in at $16 US dollars (plus tax obviously - the La Roche Posay version is $20). And you can return it if it doesn't work.
Obviously as a deal seeker I was all over this. I've been using it for a few days now and aside from my dislike for all things without pumps, I love it! Doesn't burn my sensitive eyes, doesn't burn my skin, removes makeup, haven't tested on waterproof mascara yet but I imagine it'll be fine like most other products with the technology. Honestly, I'm quite pleased! Definitely check out your local CVS if you've been wanting the Bioderma. Cheaper and much closer to home!

Review: La Roche-Posay Rosaliac Micellar Make-Up Removal Gel

whew, long title!

I'm in a process of testing out a range of skincare for le blog and discovered I was getting more break outs than usual. I initially assumed that it was the new skincare range so I stopped it for awhile and I was still getting the breakouts. Well, I found the culprit, or culprits. First of all, the skincare system that I'm testing is for sensitive skin and doesn't remove makeup (#1) and (#2) - my makeup removing wipes were nearing the end of the pack and were starting to dry out and not thoroughly remove the makeup I was wearing.

So, I broke out this strange gel that I had picked up on a whim on CVS on clearance. La Roche-Posay is a french brand that gets a lot of love all over the blogosphere and I like as well but it can tend to be a little out of my price-range.

Before I go into detail, this particular product seems to be discontinued, however there are two similar products by the brand on the market (also cheaper - huzzah) Physiological Micellar Solution by La Roche-Posay and the La Roche-Posay Physiological Cleansing Gel. One is a liquid and one is a gel, both require no water.


Anyway

I paid far less than the $24.50 retail price for this, but was intrigued. It's specifically for those with sensitive skin and promises to remove all face and eye makeup. One of the main problems I have while cleansing my face is making a complete mess of my sink and bathroom in general. This is especially problematic with things like cleansing oils, they run, they slip, I can't see and complete chaos ensues!

Here's how I tested this out. First, I rubbed my face with the cleansing wipes I was using (the Super Aqua Perfect Cleansing Tissue by Missha btw) then I applied some of the cleansing gel to the same wipe and wiped my face again. Oh my gosh, there was a lot of product that the other wipes were leaving behind! So I did my whole face. The only thing that this didn't remove was my waterproof mascara (the Lash Stiletto I reviewed here). I really like the concept of this and it wasn't harsh at all. I even got some in my eyes... slightly on purpose and it didn't sting. So even though it didn't remove my mascara (yes, I got to use yet another product for that) it was a fast mess-free alternative to wipes. And could be a lot less wasteful if you use a reusable washcloth or muslin cloth.

So, in closing, really cool product and a great alternative to wipes or separate cleansing oils. I wonder if the two newer version remove waterproof mascara, cause if so, I am super intrigued and will be testing them out. Also stay tuned for a review on said mystery skincare line I was referring to!

Have you tried any of these products? What did you think?