Pick Your Preference: Makeup Removers

Taking off your makeup, spf, and/or the grime of the day every night is essential and the most important step at maintaining a healthy skincare routine. Sleeping in makeup or spf is a no-no; because overnight it will do more damage and overtime, your skin will only progress in showing your naughty habits. 

There are so many different ways you can remove your makeup completely before getting into the rest of your routine: balms, oils, gels, lotions, waters...SO MANY to choose, you have no excuses to be lazy and not take care of your skin properly. I wanted to talk about some of my favorites, with a few notable mentions (these are w/out photos because: I have run out of product and/or mindlessly forgot to snap a photo whilst posting this)

I'll start with the notable mentions first:

Clinique 'Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm': A favorite amongst all of us beauty bloggers & obsessives, this no-fragrance balm is absolutely a stand-out amongst other cleansing balms out there that do the same thing (still enjoy using my Emma Hardie one though from time to time). This gets off every last bit of makeup and is very gentle for the eye area. It's a very simple, plain formula but it does exactly what it saids on the tin with no fuss. And the price point doesn't break the bank, either.

Clarins 'Extra-Comfort Cleansing Cream': I quietly weep at my keyboard as I type this...because this product has been discontinued by the brand. Well, let me correct myself, the version I have, the one that comes in the big jar, has been discontinued, and since Clarins revamped the formulation by adding 'Anti-Pollution' in the title. I've read more disappointing reviews on the new one, which is why I will not go & try it once I run out of this one. I'm going to try and savior this one till the very last drop. Ok, onto why I love it so much.

It's a very thick cream, you scoop a bit from the jar, rub your hands together for a moment to warm it up to melt it, then gently press the product onto your face & lift, continue to do this about 4-6 times, & the cream lifts all the makeup & grime from the day right off the face; wipe off with a damp, hot cloth & it reveals soft, clean skin. It is such a wonderful product, its a shame Clarins thought the need to change it; whats that saying...why fix something if it ain't broke?

L'Oreal 'Clean Artiste Eye Makeup Remover': I'll start by saying that there are 2 versions of this eye-remover, one is oil-free (blue bottle) & one is not (green bottle pictured at the top of this post). Before purchase, I read reviews of both & the non-oil free version had the best reviews; the oil-free came in with so-so reviews, with people saying that the oil-free one was not best for sensitive eyes because it would irritate/sting the area. I can't personally say that it does because I haven't tried that one but, I'd rather be safe than sorry. The version I do have does not irritate my eyes at all though, it does leave behind a bit of an oily residue so, oily lids beware. 

I love this eye-makeup remover because no matter how heavy you you doll up your eyes, this doesn't leave a speck of eye makeup behind. I shake it up (dual-phase formula), pour some onto a cotton pad, gently press onto my eyes (closed of course) for a few seconds then swipe down. I do this a about 2-3 times max, just to make sure I got every last bit. For $6.99, & the constant deals & coupons going on at Ulta, I almost never pay for the full price of this product.

Now onto the ones I did manage to get photos of...

Vichy 'Calming Cleansing Micellar Solution': This is a great micellar water to remove lighter makeup (tinted moisturizers, bb creams, etc), & up to medium eye makeup. Super gentle & very hydrating, also the most affordable micellar water on this list at $17. It's been a past repurchase for me as well many times over. I also have an unpopular opinion but, I do think that this removes eye makeup better than everyone's beloved Bioderma. Speaking of Bioderma...

Bioderma 'Sensible Make-up Removing Micelle Solution': This has also been a past repurchase for a while. The bottle pictured I haven't opened yet because I wanted to give other micellar waters a shot (Vichy, Institute Esthederm) before returning to this beauty-cult staple. I'm not going to talk too much about this since you can find so many reviews, articles  & videos on it but, its now readily available for U.S. purchase at Beautylish. I'm tempted to try the Hydrabio H20 thats also newly available for purchase at Beautylish here ....tempting, very tempting.

Institut Esthederm 'Osmoclean Osmopure Face and Eyes Cleansing Water': The last micellar water on the list is another great one, especially for summer. It feels so cool, fresh, & hydrating on the skin and is just as spectacular as the others at removing traces of impurities & makeup, gentle on the eyes as well. This one is more higher up in price & harder to find in the U.S. but, I'll post a link here to where you can purchase.

Bobbi Brown 'Lathering Tube Soap': Kind of a weird name for a great product. I already posted about this remover here, so I will leave it at that & read at your will!

La Roche-Posay 'Physiological Cleansing Gel': This is a new cleanser I threw into my routine only for about a week now, but I thought it deserved a mention. I love the LPR brand through & through, it was the brand that got me into taking care of myself and my skin, properly. I owe La Roche-Posay a lot, so thats why you will see every few posts or so me mention them. Getting back to the product at hand...I have been using & loving this one product to remove all of makeup, including eyes. No cotton pads to waste with this one, just a damp, hot cloth & off it goes! Its so easy, gentle, & never wasteful. You get your bang for your buck with this one, & this will be saving me money on having to buy cotton pads every month. 

I did hear through the grapevine that La Roche-Posay is discontinuing this cleanser (please correct me if I'm wrong!), if thats the case, I'll need to stock up on this ASAP! Why do brands keep discontinuing the best products?! Arg, its so very frustrating!

What are your favorite makeup-removers? Let me know! 

An Inside Look at my Beauté Cabinet

I posted a picture of whats inside my bathroom beauté cabinet  some time ago on my instagram page, though I failed to list what exactly is inside it...than again, characters are limited on instagram just as twitter (expect with a bit more wiggle room), so I couldn't list every single bit. Well, today's post was a spontaneous one, but thought since I have some extra free time to knock out a post today, thought this would be a good one to do. This has changed and been updated a bit since and I won't be going into any descriptions or reviews of these products on this specific post, but I will try my best to direct link every product mentioned with where you can purchase. If you guys would like a post with more in-depth detail(s)/reviews/etc on everything here, leave a comment below on this post or send me a message on instagram or twitter!

Now, let's get on to it...I will be starting from the bottom to top, left to right.

1st shelf: Cleansers/Mists (& 1 eye cream)

• Emma Hardie: Amazing Face Moringa Cleansing Balm, (200g, $78.40)
• Diptyque: Multi-Use Exfoliating Clay, ($65)
• Clarins: Extra Comfort Cleansing Cream (discontinued, bummer)
• Mario Badescu: Chamomile Eye Cream, ($18)
• Institut Esthederm: Osomoclean Hydra-Replenishing Cleansing Milk, (on sale for $25.50)
• Super Facialist Una Brennan: Rose Hydrate Calming Creamy Cleanser (not available in the U.S.)
• Tata Harper: Purifying Cleanser, ($58)
• Clarins: One-Step Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser with Orange Extract, ($35)
• Boscia: Clear Complexion Tonic, ($24)
• Caudalie: Grape Water, ($18)

2nd shelf: Makeup Removers, Tonics, Moisturizers/Creams

• Institut Esthederm: Osmoclean Osmopure Face and Eyes Cleansing Water, (on sale for $32.10)
• Vichy: Purete Thermale 3-in-1 Calming Cleansing Solution, ($17)
• L'Oreal: Clean Artiste Waterproof & Long-Wearing Eye Makeup Remover, ($6.99)
• Sephora Dispense Pump Bottle: Bioderma Sensibio H20, (prices vary)
• Bobbi Brown: Lathering Tube Soap, ($29)
• Pixi: Glow Tonic, ($29)
• Clarins: Toning Lotion with Camomile, ($24)
• Clinique: Mild Clarifying Lotion, ($13.50)
• Institut Esthederm: Osmoclean Hydra-Replenishing Fresh Lotion, (on sale for $25.50)
• Embryolisse: Lait-Crème Concentré, (2.6 oz, $28)
• La Roche-Posay: Toleraine Soothing Protective Skincare, ($28.99)
• Clarins: HydraQuench Cream-Gel, ($49.50)
• Antipodes: Rejoice Light Facial Day Cream, ($36.70)

3rd shelf: Oils, Serums, Masks, Treatments

• Super Facialist Una Brennan: Rose Hydrate Miracle Makeover Facial Oil, (not available in the U.S.)
• Bella Mechelle Cosmetics: Citrus Boost Oil Serum, ($10.99; get 15% OFF your first order with promo code 'JBEAUTE', ends 6/20/15)
• Klorane: Smoothing and Relaxing Patches w/Soothing Cornflower, ($21)
• Antipodes: Divine Face Oil, ($27)
• Clarins: Blue Orchid Face Treatment Oil, ($53)
• Sephora: Pomegranate Eye Mask, ($5)
• Freeman Beauty: Pineapple Enzyme Mask and Facial Clay Mask with Avocado & Oatmeal, ($4.29 each)
• Kypris: Antioxidant Dew, ($67)
• Decléor: Aroma Cleanse Clay & Herbal Cleansing Mask, ($42)
• Super Facialist Una Brennan: Rose Hydrate Intense Moisture Mask, (not available in the U.S.)
• Charlotte Tilbury: Goddess Skin Clay Mask, ($70)
• La Roche-Posay: Effaclar Duo Acne Treatment, ($36.95)
• Super Facialist Una Brennan: Vitamin C+ Brighten Glow Boost Skin Serum, (not available in the U.S.)
• Bite Beauty: 5 Night Fix For Lips, ($15)
• Sheyn Skin Co. : Breakout Control Mask & Spot Treatment (sample, full size is $53)

Monday Must-Have: Bobbi Brown's 'Lathering Tube Soap'

Hey beauté's! Yet again, I am back to being awful at this blogging thing...when life gets chaotic, I lose all sense of well, everything! Sorry about that...anyway, I want to try something new during the week: my 'must-haves' every Monday & 'fails' every Friday...seems like if I can at least get 2 blog posts up a week, it can get me more into the habit of being able to update it more 'frequently' so-to-speak, let me know what you think! I may not have both up during the week because some weeks I just want to rave till the end of time about how much I love a product more than I disliked any, and vise versa. Like I said, this will be a work in progress but let's get into things while you're here...

Bobbi Brown's Lathering Tube Soap

I get a bit on the hesitant side when brands that are highly known for their makeup come out with skincare products...I don't know why, I just feel like well, why fix something if it isn't broke? Thats not the case for my Monday 'must-have' this week, Bobbi Brown's Lathering Tube Soap. The word 'lathering' in this title scared me, why I decided to go ahead and get it anyway is still unknown to me, but the reviews were raving all across the broad, so I took the plunge...so glad I did! 

I use this as a 'pre-cleanse', meaning I use this as my first step of my skincare routine to get off all the makeup and grime of the day. I have used this as a 2nd cleanse though, personal preference is the latter.  On Bobbi Brown's website, the description for this reads:

               A coconut extract derivative cleanses deeply, yet gently, while a blend of apricot, sweet almond and wheat germ oils hydrate and cushion skin for an incredibly clean, soft, and refreshed feeling. Shea butter immediately provides maximum moisture.

Very eloquently put Bobbi but, it's not untrue. This is a relatively thick formulation (swatch of it above) so you need a TINY bit, literally, you need such a small bit because this lathers and spreads across the face quite evenly (even smaller than whats pictured). Like I said previously, I was afraid of the word 'lathering'; lathering, foaming, the like dries out the skin; naturally I try my best to stay away from any and all of these types of cleansers yet, something went off in my head  that was like 'you'll thank me later, Jewels'. It lathers into a thick, white formulation across the face without stripping or drying out the skin, thanks to the hydrating properties she put into this cleanser. 

This removes makeup like a dream! You'll want to full-stop on the awful make-up wipes & substitute this for them instead (well, you shouldn't be using those germ-spreading things anyway!). This lifts & removes EVERYTHING off your face, prepping it for the rest of your routine. Trying to find what skin types would be best suited to use this vary; Brown's site saids oily/normal, & other sites have said combination or all skin types; so it depends. Personally, I do find this more suited towards Oily/Combo(thats more on the oily side)/Normal skin types yet, it really just depends (read the list on ingredients if you're unsure).

Since a little goes a long way, this will last you for months...and months...and possibly a few more months after that. The packaging is sleek and looks lovely on the bathroom vanity. I'm a very simple gal, so I appreciate the simplicity of it all. But as a product, it's a definite repurchase. I've experienced no irritation, dryness, breakouts while using this, though it recommends to NOT use it on/around the eye area so, you've been warned! I have not made this slip-up but, I am sure it's on the tube for a reason folks...

I love having this 'permanently' apart of my skincare arsenal now and that's why its this Monday's 'must-have' of the week!

You can find it & purchase it on Bobbi Brown's website here, for $29. First-time e-mail subscribers can get 15% off their first purchase as well when they sign-up!