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.