Product Review: Lancome Bi-Facil Double-Action Eye Makeup Remover

Ever have those days when your best makeup remover wipes just don't do the job?

Yeah, we've all been there.

Today I felt the strong urge to write a review on the Lancome Bi-Facil Double-Action Eye Makeup Remover (woo, that's a mouthful!) because I've been using it a lot lately.

I enjoy using the Olay Daily Facial Cloths - you know, the ones that you need to run under water and rub together to activate. I've been loving those for so many years, I've lost count. I think I've been using them since middle school! (I'm in college now, so that's saying a lot!)

Anyways, I've been wearing more heavy duty makeup lately - the works. Waterproof mascara, "bulletproof" eyeliner - as Mally Roncal likes to put it, and everything else you can think of that isn't supposed to budge until you actually want to remove it.

Lately, even though I still love those Olay Daily Facial Cloths, they don't seem to be doing the complete job. The waterproof mascara will come off and my face looks clean, but it seems the eyeliner is still smudged on my lower lash line some, as well as a little smudged look on my eyelid. So basically, I look like a raccoon of sorts.

So when I get out of the shower, I shake the bottle of eye makeup remover so it mixes the two layers. It looks like one of those chemistry experiments where oil and water don't mix, but I'm sure it's more complex than that. Then I take a cotton pad or q-tip, depending on the amount of space that needs to be cleaned and dip it in the solution and bye-bye makeup! It comes off super easily and it's gentle. The only qualm I have about it is I'm not sure if this product is making my lower lash line burn - it may be an eye cream I'm testing out as well, because I don't see why it would only make that area burn and not the rest of my eye. But overall, I really like how this product performs. It takes barely any product to get the makeup off.

Just a tip - I like to rub a damp tissue over my eye when I'm done and then pat my eyes dry because this does tend to leave a greasy feel.

Lastly, how much does this wonderful product cost? According to Sephora, $28 for a 4.2 oz. It's on the pricey side, but even I would consider repurchasing it - and that's saying a lot.

I only have a deluxe sample size of 1.7 fl oz, but it's lasting quite some time!

Overall, I'm in love with this product. I'm not one to go out and buy higher end products when I know there's bound to be great drugstore alternatives, but when this bad boy finally runs out, I might just go do that. ;)

Remember to have a positive day! :)

Hugs,
Lauren

P.S. I received the deluxe sample size pictured above in a birchbox sampler box that I paid $10 a month for. You can sign up here.

Review: Talika Lash Conditioning Cleanser

Hello fellow makeup addicted anonymous members!

Okay... so maybe I'm not that "anonymous" about it... hey, I can be loud and proud if I want to be!!

Yeah... okay...

ANYWAYS! This blog post is going to be about my thoughts on the Talika Lash Conditioning Cleanser.

This product retails for $25 and you can find it at Nordstrom, birchbox.com, Talika.com, and other places Talika products are sold.

My review of this product is going to [hopefully] be short, sweet, and to the point because I don't think I have too much to say, but enough to get the word out there on my opinion!

Here, let's split it into pros and cons...

PROS:

• Not sticky
• Slippery (in a good way)
• Removes ALL eye makeup - eyeshadow, mascara, eyeliner (and I wore my Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliner - that's tough stuff!)

CONS:

• BURNS EYES!

So clearly, I have more pros than cons. That's definitely a good sign! However, I won't be purchasing this product because although it easily removed some of the toughest makeup to get off, it burned my eyes pretty badly. Have you ever had a bad experience with your favorite makeup remover wipes turning on you and burning your eyes like crazy? Well, that's what happened here, only in a gel form. My eyes literally burned for a good 10 minutes after I was finished removing my eye makeup. I even showered afterwards to see if the burning would subside quicker but alas, there was no solution.


Below are a couple pictures of the product sample I received in a monthly subscription service called Birchbox. Basically, for $10 a month you get to try out 4-5 different beauty related samples, with the occasional high-end, full size product thrown in! I'll post a link to the website at the end of this post.

The front features the name of the product along with the information indicating that this product is oil free. Oil free is always something I look for in skincare since I have combination/oily skin, but in a makeup remover/lash conditioning treatment? Honestly, I don't think I care, since it seems even oil free burns my eyes like a volcano!

I wasn't able to get a good shot of the back of the packet, but the expiration date is April 2014 and it is described as, "Made from silk proteins and cornflower water, this gel removes mascara effectively and restructures weakened eyelashes." Sounds like good ingredients to me, however it was still to harsh for the eye area, clearly. At least for me...

 At the end of the day, I do think my eyelashes felt a little softer and stronger after using this product and like I said, it took the makeup off quickly and effectively, but the burning just totally turned me off from using this product ever again. I have one more packet from Birchbox which I will probably give away to someone who wants to give it a go (good luck!! - hey, we're all different) but other than that, I will definitely NOT be buying this product full size. $25 is too much in my opinion for something like this anyways.

Remember to have a positive day! :)

Hugs,
Lauren

P.S. Sign up for your very own Birchboxes for only $10 a month by clicking HERE! :)