The How To | Garnier Super Make Up Removal Team

GARNIER MICELLAR CLEASING WATER & GARNIER EXPRESS 2 IN 1 EYE MAKE UP REMOVER

I'm so lazy when it comes to skincare, really it's scary. However micellar waters have made it so much easier to remove make up and this has made a real difference. I reviewed the Garnier offering here and fell in love with it - I even prefer it to my Bioderma. I use this every single evening to remove all traces of make up, including eye make up. It's really gentle on the skin but tough on make up. I use it every morning as well just to get rid of any excess dirt from that evenings sleep. Although it's great I always found it left a little to be desired when removing eye make up. It was always a struggle, better than most, but still not exactly right.

Most eye make up removers I shy away from - especially those with an oil and water that you mix together - as it just leaves my eye area feeling greasy and disgusting. However, I decided to give the little Garnier version a whirl. It's a little bottle of goodness. It's really really gentle on the eye area but gets rid of make up very easily. Not only that but there is no grease or oil left around the area. My skin is left feeling clean and soft. 

These two together make the perfect make up removal team - they were made to work together and I love this team. Why would I want to pick anything else?

What's your make up removal team?

The Comparison | Bioderma Crealine v Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water

When this new little beauty from Garnier came out I was very excited. Woop - another micellar water! A girl can never have too many, right... Right?! Anyway, I bought this with my Boots points and have loved it every day since its purchase. I thought it would be a really good opportunity to compare it to the bloggers favourite - Bioderma.

Bioderma has been my go to micellar for well over a year, it's great at removing the tough make up effortlessly and cleans my face without an issue. Not only that, but it doesn't dry out my face (unlike other micellar's that I've tried). The only problem is it's a bit trickier to get hold of and a touch more pricey than others I have in my collection.

Garnier is the closest dupe to Bioderma that I have tried - and, if I can get away with saying it - I think it may even be better. I find Garnier a lot kinder on the skin. Bioderma is perfect, but Garnier is just that bit nicer to use and my face doesn't feel stripped of dry afterwards. Also, quite often when using Bioderma I use it on my lips to remove bold colours. The taste after is incredibly chemically - the Garnier version doesn't have that.

One of my biggest issues is removing waterproof mascara - with Bioderma I find I do have to rub a bit, which is obviously bad for the sensitive skin around you eye. With Garnier you still have to rub to remove, but not nearly as much. It's definitely an easier process.

Now let's talk about value... The Garnier version costs £4.99 for 400ml, Bioderma costs up to around £12.50 from 500ml - and that's from a French website. You can get 250ml from UK sites for £9.99.

Winner: Personally, I'm definitely picked the Garnier version over my trusty Bioderma at the moment. It seems to do exactly the same job, but just more. I absolutely love it and if you love Bioderma, or have been waiting to give it a go, grab this version - you won't regret it!

Which do you prefer, the Garnier or Bioderma?

Trends | Micellar Waters

Micellar waters seem to be everywhere at the moment, wherever you go you hear about them. Any skin care posts they seem to pop up. So are they worth the hype and what do they actually do? Now, I am not going to pretend to be an expert but I'll do what I can...

When I first heard of Bioderma it was described to me as a "chemical cleanser", so instead of wiping the make up off and around your face the water breaks the make up down as much as possible to take it off. Sounds a bit scary doesn't it. Basically it's a water based cleanser, so less nasty things inside and less harsh on your skin. Of course it depends on the product as to how effective they are for you and how harsh they are on the skin. 

The idea behind these is that they are a cleanser, however I wouldn't use them as your only cleanser. I would pop these in as part of your double cleanse routine. Micellar water, then cleanser. Removes most of the make up so you can let your cleanser do more of the deep clean it needs to. Then again in the morning for a quick cleanse to remove any over night dirt.

For me, this is definitely worth the hype. I couldn't live without mine. Most make up removers for me just tend to be oil based - so just don't agree with my oily skin, but these just seem to strip the oil with the make up and do a fab job. If you're like me and have oily skin then I would definitely recommend the above micellars. If you're wondering if Bioderma is worth the hype... Yes, it really is. It is still my favourite that I've tried and definitely the best at removing make up. But if you can't get hold of it, the other two are great as well.

If you have more sensitive skin I would steer clear from B.Pure as I've found this to be slightly harsher than the other two. The L'Oreal version is perfect for more sensitive skin as it is really gentle and easy to use. It's a lot more viscous than the other two as well (basically more watery).

As I said, I'm not an expert and I don't want to pretend to be (so if you hear professor voice in there just virtually poke me), but personally I love micellar waters. They do exactly what I need them to do and have filled a hole in my skincare routine that really needed filling. I definitely have my eye on a couple of others so I will keep you posted...

Do you think micellar waters are worth the hype?

Skin Care | L'Oreal Micellar Solution

L'OREAL 3 IN 1 PURIFYING MICELLAR SOLUTION £3.33

I seem to be developing an addiction to micellar waters. I blame Bioderma, I really do. Bad French skin care brand! Now another French brand have done it again. I saw this on Estee's blog (www.essiebutton.com - go see it) and was intrigued. So off I went, and luckily it was in Sainsburys in a 3 for 2 deal. Yay!

So anywho, was it worth it? I find this a lot more watery - or viscous to be more scientific - than the others. It literally pours out the bottle, so it does have some wastage.  It's a very gentle cleanser, that removes foundation, power and blusher very easily. It's not as great on eye make up or bright lipstick, but for light make up it's perfect. Also for those with more sensitive skin it's gentle enough to work. 

Overall I do like this, for me it's not as tough on make up as others like B.Pure or Bioderma, but it's perfect for light and sensitive skin.

What's your favourite micellar water?

Skincare | B. Pure Micellar Water

B. PURE MICELLAR WATER £3.99 (available from Superdrug)

I am a big lover of Bioderma and their products have been raved about and highly anticipated to be launched in the UK. It has now been launched, but while I was waiting I was on a hunt for a micellar water that was more readily available.

This is described as a "super water"; it cleanses, removing impurities and make up, tones by restoring the pH balance in the skin and refreshes with cucumber extract. I use this in the evening to remove my make up, the idea being that it breaks the make up down as opposed to just wiping it off.

I've found that this solution is great at removing my make up quickly and easily, you just need to saturate a large cotton pad and wipe your face. It doesn't tend to dry out my skin and it leaves it looking fresh and I feel refreshed. It's a very nice product at an incredibly reasonable price.

Compared to Bioderma, I still think Bioderma is the better product in terms of make up removal, but B.Pure is still a really great product and I definitely wanna try some more of their products.

What micellar waters do you use?