Take it off with Clarins Instant Eye Makeup Remover

Having oily eye lids, I am often wearing liquid eye liners and waterproof mascara to prevent smudging and the panda eye effect during the (sometimes very long) day.

These smudge-proof products do such a good job that it can be a pain in the back-side when it comes time to remove them. And really, when you want your makeup to come off, you just want it to be quick and easy.

I’ve always found dual phase removers to work best on removing waterproof makeup.
Note: A dual phase makeup remover is one with different layers of liquids (often an oil phase and a water phase) that you shake to mix and activate the liquid for use.

Today, I can add another dual phase product to my favourite list.

Clarins Instant Eye Make-up Remover 125ml 

Non-irritating and doesn't leave a sticky or oil residue on skin, this French gem from Clarins has been reformulated to contain  rose water, cornflower and camomile extract to soothe and calm skin, ensuring it doesn't irritate or after during use.

It even contains pro-vitamin B5 to gently condition lashes to help prevent them from being damage during mascara removal.

What you will notice from the first moment of use is the gentle floral rose scent which is instantly soothing to the sense and inviting on skin. It was non-irritating on my skin and even when I clumsily got some of the product into my eyes, I didn't experience any stinging sensation - woohoo!

I love the squirt nozzle to control and help with dispensing of the product. To use, I pour a bit of the shaken remover liquid onto a cotton pad and gently press it on my eyelids for 5 seconds before swiping across the lid. This usually sees 90% of my eye makeup lifted from my skin in 1 wipe and I would have some remaining mascara left on my lashes which I go over to wipe off in a couple more gentle strokes.

I also use this makeup remover to remove product from the rest of my face and it does the job with ease and in a cinch. I follow up my removal process with a good face wash using facial cleanser.

Another great thing about the product is its price – at $36 a bottle, it is much less than my favourite dual phase remover, Lancome Bi-facil (A$58). It may still be slightly more than other makeup removers but being so pleasant, gentle and effective to use, I'm willing to fork that bit extra and will be refilling with this Clarins makeup remover when I next run out.

What is your favourite makeup remover? I’d love to find out.

RRP A$36 at Clarins counters now at Myer, David Jones and selected pharmacies or online at AdoreBeauty.

This featured product was provided for consideration.

Almost a Hit: Revlon ColorStay Ultimate Suede Lipsticks

Lipstick technology have come a long way these days – you don’t have to spend a fortune or look too hard for one that not only gives good pigmentation but also comfortable wear. In fact, even drugstore brands are coming out with fantastic products.

The latest is from Revlon with their Colorstay Ultimate Suede lipstick (although in Australia, their pricing doesn't really sit in the drugstore price point like they do in the USA at only US$7.99!)

Revlon ColorStay Ultimate Suede lipstick
I was lucky enough to win 3 of these in a recent giveaway on Beautyswatch and will be swatching them for you today:

Revlons’ Description:
A one-step, ultra comfortable lipstick that provides all day colour, giving lips a velvety, suede finish that looks and feels good.

My View:
Packaged in plastic colour-coded bullets with clear lids, they twist up and down and you can hear clicks as you get to towards the base products to let you know you can stop the twisting.

These lipstick are indeed comfortable on the lips, being lightweight, you barely feel that you've applied a layer of product on skin, gliding smoothly on lips. I didn't feel that they were hydrating lips (it has Shea butter, aloe and vitamin E) but they were not drying and will accentuate chapped lips to remember to prep with a lip conditioner if you have dry lips.

Pigmentation is also very good, obviously not as colour-packed as those of high end products but a couple of swipes and full opaque colour can be achieved, even on my deeper lips (note: the shades I tried are darker shades, so the lighter shades may not show up as well on darker lips).

The formula has a satin (semi-matte) finish rather than the namesake suede finish and is tacky on lips. This is my one big gripe about the product. I love everything about it except the tackiness, which seems to get worse the longer you wear the product. I overcome this by slicking a non-sticky clear gloss on top, which changes the semi-matte finish but at least removes the sticky feeling and gives it added hydration.

Tip: Another way to reduce the tacky feeling is to apply a very thin layer of the product onto lips and use a lip brush to define the edges and fill in any gaps that didn't get colour with the product already on lips.

As for longevity, these easily last 4 hours straight without smudging or fading. It even fares well through eating, lose some pigment, but enough remains (at least on the richer shades anyway) that you still have colour on your lips. You usually would re-apply your lipstick after eating anyway to avoid the coloured-ring look (where there is no colour in the middle of lips) so lasting over 4 hours was more than enough for me.

095 Finale –  the little sister of siren screaming red shades, Finale is a rich fresh red that brightens the face and perfect for daytime wear as it’s not too dark but still packs a powerful colour punch.

005 Muse – a rich pink with a blue undertone that looks lovely on cool tone skin but equally alluring on warm skin tones.

075 Cruise Collection – a mid coral red shade on my medium lips. This is by far one of my favourite shades in lip colours and suites all skin tones, especially warmer skin colours

Overall, I quite like these new lipsticks from Revlon. I enjoy the light formula, good pigmentation and good colour selection. Except for the tacky feeling that gets worse over time, they could have almost been the perfect lipstick.

Have you tried this new lipstick? What are your thoughts?

RRP A$25.95 Available in 20 shades in pharmacies, Kmart, Myer, Priceline and Target

Products that relieve allergic itchy skin

Earlier this year, I broke out in hives. I have no idea what triggered it as I never had an allergic reaction before but for 6 weeks everyday, I would develop itchy rashes across my legs, arm and body (thankfully my face was spared).

These weren't your regular rashes either; they were scary itchy and painful mosquito like lumps that bandied together and formed a large raised patch on my body and sometimes my finger tips would be so itchy they swell up and become painful.

My GP prescribed me 1% cortisone cream and put me on antihistamine tablets to control the symptoms. The cortisoid cream only gave temporary relief (15 mins) and antihistamine tablets were the only thing that effectively stopped my rashes from forming until the drug wore off and I need to take the next dose.

However, I didn't want to be dependent on drugs and steroids (which is what the cortisone cream is) all the time and so started looking for alternatives to relieve the itch and pain. I found some in these amazing products to help deal with my on-going skin irritations.

Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse OR Multi-Purpose Dry Oil for Face, Body, Hair 50ml* – RRP $24.95 /A$29.95 (non-shimmer/ shimmer version) 

Dry oil did I hear you say? Yes, dry oil – which means it doesn't leave a sheen that normal oil products do on skin and there is not the slightest greasy feeling at all. In fact, my skin has a smooth velvety feel after the luxurious French oil is absorbed.

This luxurious French oil softens skin and relieves my itching bumps better than the cortisoid cream ever did - I kid you not. Although it also only gives temporary relief (about the same time of 15 minutes), it’s also adding moisturise back to by dry scaly skin and with its pretty gold shimmer particles, imparts a subtle golden flickering as well.

Made from over 95% natural ingredients including a blend of wonderful oils (macadamia, sweet almond, hazelnut, camellia seed, borage, olive, sunflower), rosemary extract and vitamin E, this dry oil is suitable for all skin types on the face, skin and hair (I haven’t tried this on my face yet, only on the neck and I’d only work this into the ends when using it on hair) but who would have thought a natural product fared so much better than a prescription drug – I have Yishan of BeautySwatch to thank for alerting me to try this for my hives.

Available at selected pharmacies and Adore Beauty online.

Ingredients listing for Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse OR

*

Cetaphil Restoraderm Skin Restoring Body Wash 295ml* – RRP $19.99 

I’ve been avoiding all possible skin-irritants so I've been keen to stay away from soap and body washes containing SLS (sodium laureth sulphate) as it is a known skin irritant. I found this soap-free and fragrance-free body wash a soothing addition. With sunflower oil and vitamin E to soften and niacinamide to provide anti-inflamatory properties, it is designed to restore skin's natural barrier and protects it.
I found this body wash very gentle, easy to rinse and moisturised the body, keeping it soft and supple whilst not aggravating problem skin such as eczema and rashes has helped reduced my itching.

Available at pharmacies and Priceline nationally.

Ingredients listing for Cetaphil Restoraderm skin restoring body wash

*

Suvana Paw Paw and Honey Balm 25g – RRP $8.95 

This organic balm is very rich and leaves a greasy feeling on skin so I only use it on the problem skin areas (the actual rash bumps) and don’t work it into my entire body. It provides itch relief as well as soothes the bumps so they settle down faster.

This multi-tasker also works wonders on cracked lips, elbows and heels and also makes a kick-ass lip balm/conditioner that I apply at night for soft chap-free puckers in the morning. It is small enough to carry around everywhere making it handy to keep into the handbag.

Available at Chemists nationally and online

Ingredients listing for Suvana paw paw & honey balm

*

After 2 months, I no longer take any antihistamines to control my symptoms and rarely apply the cortisone cream – I still break out in rashes every few days but thankfully, they subside after an hour or so now and by using these alternative products daily and watching what I eat (alcohol and shellfish seem to bring out the rashes), I’ve managed to keep my conditions under check.


Do you suffer from any allergies – how do you keep it in check? What other products do you recommend?

Products marked * were provided for consideration. Other products were purchased by yours truly.