Tag: makeup remover

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Beauty

Products I’ve Used Up – September 2017

In September I restated my empties. I’ve lost count to the amount of products I finished for my #100empties challenge, but it’s been more than one hundred, of that I am sure. Felt like a fresh start – and also felt like increasing the number to 365. So, #365empties.

Here’s what I finished in September.

body respect aloe vera cleansing gel

Body Respect Aloe Vera Cleansing Gel

(That’s a bit of tobacco stuck to the pump if you’re wondering. Eww, a smoker, etc. etc.)

I bought this because my friend bought this, and I like trying new things. The scent of this was heavenly – whenever I used it, I felt like I was just pushing my face into a huge pot of apple jelly, although I cannot 100% state that this smells anything like apples. Weird, I know, just describing the sensation here. The texture was great too – it was cooling and smooth. Didn’t find it drying, and on light make-up days it cleansed well. Had trouble with silicone in my foundation and primer, though, and didn’t do well with most mascaras.

An okay product that I’m in no rush to repurchase.

dove go fresh cucumber deodorant

Dove Go Fresh Cucumber Deodorant

I bought Dove Go Fresh Cucumber deodorant thanks to a casual recommendation from a blogger I no longer even read. Since then it has become a firm staple in my routine, and I will buy it again, and again, and again. I find it a bit on the pricey side on certain months, but whenever I can, I stock up on several to always have this Dove antiperspirant around. It’s usually on a buy one get second one for half price offer in one of the local shops, so I take advantage of that.

Dove Go Fresh Cucumber is one of the only deodorant scents that I absolutely do not mind. It also never gave me any irritation whatsoever. I could shave, depilate, epilate, and do whatever the hell else to my armpits, and then apply this straight after some rough towel drying – and Dove Go Fresh Cucumber and Green Tea will help soothe the skin. It requires no drying time, but could leave some white streaks on your clothes if you dress right after, so I usually apply it before going to bed, and find there’s no need to reapply in the morning.

I will buy it as long as it is around.

faberlic bust push-up cream

Faberlic Bust Push-Up Cream

I can’t really comment on its push-up qualities, but I’m pretty sure anyone size C and up won’t see any. However, it is a decent moisturiser. Absorbs quickly, so there’s no trouble using this cream right before I dress for the day. There is perhaps a certain improvement in the overall quality of skin, but it’s no magic. Oddly smells of lemons. I’m currently going through the second tube of this, which I bought together with this one.

Might buy again when on offer, with its moisturising properties in mind.

faberlic raspberry and white chocolate body scrub

Faberlic Raspberry and White Cocolate Body Scrub

A gentle scrub with a delicious scent. This looks just like a raspberry jam would, so it’s no wonder the packaging actually has ‘inedible’ written all over it. The white chocolate scent is also present, although it’s quite high on the artificial side. Because of the jelly consistency, sometimes I found it hard to spread and massage evenly over the skin. The exfoliation is fine, but sometimes I felt like a certain area with rougher skin needed more work. Works great on the decolletage, though.

Will buy again when on offer.

not your mother's nym purifying shampoo

NYM Not Your Mother’s ‘Clean Freak’ Purifying Shampoo

NYM Not Your Mother’s products have been such a hit and miss for me! There’s no official representative here, so all I tried, I got from the grey market. So far I’ve tried two types of shampoos, a conditioner, and a UV protector. This shampoo is okay, but I wouldn’t go as far as calling it purifying – though perhaps there’s a certain meaning that I put into this word that doesn’t quite align with the brand’s philosophy of not using harsh cleaners in their products. Plus I’m very fussy when it comes to shampoos. Very fussy.

When I did not wash my hair for three days, I certainly needed a stronger product, as I could still find oily patches in my hair after washing the shampoo off. Was easy to work into hair and easy to wash off. Nice scent.

Might buy again.

beyu concealer

BeYu Light Reflecting Concealer in shade 5

The product looks full, but rest assured there’s nothing left there. I’ve used up all I could, and what remains has become dry, oxidised, and flaky. This is a good, rather heavy-duty concealer, although I found that come end of the workweek I needed two layers of BeYu Light Reflecting Concealer, especially in the inner corners of my undereye area, where it gets especially dark. Sometimes it would also accentuate all the existent and nonexistent fine lines, even if I would set it with my ever-wonderful Elf undereye setting powder.

Shade 5 is the lightest available on the local market – I honestly don’t know if BeYu makes lighter shades than that. It might as well, because 5 is rather yellow and dark for me in autumn and winter. I can work with it, but I’d rather it were lighter. While I use BeYu Light Reflecting Concealer mostly under my eyes, I found that it works fine to hide an occasional spot as well. It also works great to even out pores around my nose (though not on it, mind).

The lady at the shop touted it as a dupe for a Clarins concealer.Having never tried any Clarins products, I cannot comment. Will I buy again? I’m currently using up a hand-me-down from a friend – hers did not suit her at all. After that, I might repurchase this, because the price and the shade and the texture are one of the best I’ve encountered locally.

We’ll see.

faberlic express volume mascara

Faberlic Express Volume Mascara

Dude. I bought this at complete random, because it was on some epic offer. When I opened it, I was disappointed by the shape of the brush (tiny), and the formula felt runny and sticky. I used it once, and then forgot about it for two weeks or so. And when I tried it again, it was suddenly one of the best mascaras I’ve ever used. It doesn’t quite catch up to my (discontinued) favourite from Giordani Gold (scroll way down) or Misslyn Sexy Lashes, but two coats would give me lots of volume and drama – and even a bit of a curl! Nothing gives my lashes a curl.

I gave a tube of this to my BFF, however her review isn’t as glorious – she still finds it runny and rather useless. I then sold a tube of this to a colleague, so I’m going to ask her opinion as well.

Me, I’ll be getting another tube of this once I’m done with some other mascaras in my stash.

faberlic express volume mascara wand and brush

October is over already, and I’ve got quite a few finished products in my empties bag. I’ll put up a post about them in the next two weeks, God willing.

Categories
Beauty

Two Bourjois Skincare Disappointments

bourjois paris cleanser and makeup remover

Spoiler alert. 😛

Some months ago a local make-up shop was running an additional discount. Hence why I ended up hastily buying three products – all of which ended up not to my liking. Granted, I read reviews and looked up swatches, but… meh.

So what is it about Bourjois facewash and Bourjois makeup remover that I did not like?

Let’s start with the facewash.

Bourjois Fresh Cleansing Gel

The scent of Bourjois Fresh Cleansing Gel is a rather typical Bourjois fare, which I really hope they will eventually update. Did you know that I gave up on their blush after three uses for the sole reason of this scent? I hear it dissipates with time – I certainly didn’t catch it in the shop on tester products, but sweet Jesus mother of GOD, do you have to use such a scent? A lot of people complain about the ‘dated’ scent of L’Oreal lipsticks. Well, Bourjois blush arguably has it much worse.

But back to the Bourjois Fresh Cleansing Gel. The scent in Bourjois cleanser is less pronounced than in the powder products. The cleanser itself is a blueish transparent gel. You don’t need a lot to cover your face. Leaves skin feeling fresh, but freshness quickly migrates into tightness. After a few uses I felt like it just zaps moisture from my face. It also left me quite red-faced. And by red-faced I don’t mean some redness around the nose after being too active with a washcloth around there or something. By red-faced, I mean genuine beetroot red, forehead, cheeks, chin, everything. It would give a very slight burning sensation as well. Both the redness and the feeling would go away quickly, but I really wasn’t in the mood to use this product any longer after that. Currently I use it to wash my hands. I tried to wash my make-up brushes with it, but it’s not suitable.

A note on the packaging: The lid on the Bourjois Fresh Cleansing Gel tube is simultaneously difficult to open (save yer nails) and hard to keep closed. Something about the plastic being easily disturbed, I gather.

Bourjois Express Eye Make-up Remover

I have used Bourjois Express Eye Make-up Remover on my entire face. It’s a bi-phase liquid that you need to shake before using. I’ve always loved these types of products, because for some three weeks in primary school I was a chemistry nerd, and some things stuck. Watching liquids separate and then mix and then separate again has a calming effect on me.

Whatever.

So yes, Bourjois Express Eye Make-up Remover is a transparent blueish bi-phase liquid. Though it is a non-oil, it does leave just a bit of a filmy residue in its wake. Of course, it easily goes away after all the other cleansing steps. It is okay at removing makeup. Just okay. Which is why I would really like to dispute its waterproof make-up remover claims. None of the products I currently use are waterproof, yet Bourjois Express Eye Make-up Remover, stated as an ideal cleanser for waterproof makeup, still has trouble with some of them.

The packaging is a plastic bottle with the classic Bourjois topper. I’ve always found these things very cute and wanted to own a bottle for the sake of that top alone. Well, it’s got both form and function – I’d wager it would be very hard to open the bottle if the ball wasn’t there. However, the plastic is still rather flimsy, and one of the links holding the topper to the rest of the packaging broke after about two weeks. I could still close the bottle, so the product wasn’t exposed.

Of the definite good things about Bourjois Express Eye Make-up Remover I would like to point out that it never irritated my eyes one bit. After one stares at the monitor for 16 hours whilst wearing contacts and full-face makeup, one’s eyes are bound to be just a touch sensitive, you know. However, Bourjois Express Eye Make-up Remover doesn’t add insult to injury. No pain, no tingling, no burning. For that alone I am considering repurchase. That, and the price is kind. It’s a big bottle, and it doesn’t cost a fortune, even considering the local economy. I guess I would just have to keep in mind that it might not do well with actual waterproof mascaras and eyeliners.

Any make-up removers and cleansers you swear by? Do share in the comments.

Categories
Beauty

Local Brand: Cosmeplant Makeup Remover Lotion

New month, new series? Let’s see how far I can stretch this one. Unfortunately, Moldova is not known for the extensive production of beauty and lifestyle items. But I’m going to give it a fair shot. I’ve always believed in supporting local businesses. And quite often they deliver – overdeliver, even, if you take the price tag into consideration.

Below is one such gem.

viorica-cosmetics-cosmeplant-makeup-remover-lotion

The first thing I noticed about this product was its scent. I believe it is supposed to be chamomile, but to me it smells like custard. For that reason alone, I love using it.

The packaging of Viorica Cosmeplant Makeup Remover Lotion is a simple two-coloured plastic bottle with stickers on the front and back. The back sticker also serves as a bit of a decoration for the insides, which I find very cute. The consistency is that of a toner – it’s a liquid, not a lotion. Since it’s runny, there’s no problem getting every last drop out. The quality of stickers and their attachment varies from bottle to bottle. As you can probably see, the left one started peeling off at the bottom, while the right one remained completely intact. I haven’t had any problems with the lids breaking off and leaving the product exposed.

So how does it fare in makeup removal?

I’ve been through a couple of bottles of this stuff, and it delivered every time. It removes the most dastardly hard to remove products – not from the first swipe, but with minimal rubbing. It even works to remove Dior mascaras and Oriflame eyeliners – two things that I always have trouble with when it comes to parting for the day.

However, I must note that if you have sensitive eyes, then you should be careful when using this lotion around the eye area. Sometimes it would sting.

While this is not a revolutionary product by all means, it does exactly what it claims to do on the tin: hydrates, softens, and cleanses the skin. It never gave me any irritation (aside from that occasional eye sting – but seriously, that could be just me and using too much product around the eyes that had contacts in them for like 18 hours), dryness, redness, or breakouts. It is a pleasure to use and is dirt cheap. A bottle would set you back for ~$1.5, if that.

Will I be buying again? Hell yeah.