L'Oreal Sublime Soft Micellar Solution VS Bioderma SensiBio Micelle Solution

Hello there! Today's post is going to be about cleansing waters! Specifically, I am comparing a new drugstore product to the oh-so-popular (but pricey) Bioderma Micelle Solution. If you are interested to see the new product and how it compared, please keep reading!

Last week, I spotted the L'Oreal Sublime Soft Micellar Solution at Wal-Mart when I was grocery shopping. I have seen mentions of this product from European beauty videos and blogs quite a few months back, so I kind of guessed that this product will eventually show up in Canada. The list price was $10.99 at Wal-Mart, not on sale, and I felt that was a bit too expensive of a product, considering it is from the drugstore. The next day I was perusing the aisles of Shoppers Drug Mart and found the same item on sale from $12.99 to $7.99! So as you can tell, the price of this product has quite a bit of a range depending on when and where you find it.

 A quick rundown of both products:

L'oreal Sublime Soft Gentle Micellar Solution
Price: $7.99 - $12.99  at various drugstores
Amount: 200mL
Claim: "In one step, this solution cleanses and removes all traces of makeup from the face, eyes, and 
lips. So gentle, it is suitable even for sensitive skin."

• Removes makeup and soothes
• No Rubbing, no rinsing
• Fragrance free, hypoallergenic
• Dry and Sensitive Skin

Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micelle Solution

Price: $22.00 for 250mL or $33.00 for 500mL (only available ~2 times per year) at Shoppers Drug Mart

Amount: $22.00-$33.00 depending on size

Claim: "[...]gently cleanses and removes make-up from face and eyes. The micelles contained in its formla effectively micro-emulsify impurities while maintaining the cutaneous balance. Soothing active ingredients prevent the skin feeling irritated. Excellent cutaneous [skin] and ocular [eyes] tolerance." 

• For sensitive skin
• Cleanses, removes make-up, soothes
• Non-Rinse, Fragrance Free

So far it's quite clear that both of these products are very similar in terms of what they claim to be and claim to do. I have been using the Bioderma on a daily basis for over a year now as my first step to removing make-up. Although I know the product itself is meant to be used alone and does not necessarily require a second step to cleansing, I personally prefer to go in afterwards with a cleanser of some sort (which I do in the shower, HG product is Philosophy's Purity Cleanser!). I will admit, I am a huge fan of the Bioderma, have not planned to go a day without it since I started using it, and genuinely believe it will be very hard to replace it with another product.

The Test

To test the L'oreal Micellar Solution against my beloved Bioderma, I've decided to go with the "half-face" test. 

Step 1: Soak 1 cotton pad with the tested cleanser, then cleanse half of my face. Repeat with the other cleanser on the other half of my face.

Step 2: Soak 1 more cotton pad with L'Oreal Micellar Solution for each side of the face and compare the amount of residue left from the first cleanse

Step 3: Soak 1 cotton pad with the test cleanser, then hold over eye for 10 seconds and proceed to cleanse off eye make-up. Repeat with the other cleanser on the other eye.

Results 

Aftermath of cleansing! I apologize for the mess :)

At first glace, it does indeed look like Bioderma did a lot better than L'Oreal. However, I would like to point out that that is not necessarily the case, and here is why: The answer lies in the packaging of the product. While both micellar solution comes with a plastic flip-top lid that has a simple hole to dispense the solution, the stream is much more controlled with the Bioderma (i.e. not as fast out of the bottle). With the Bioderma bottle, I feel that I can direct the stream of product easier to where I want it on the cotton pad. In this case, majority of the cotton pad was soaked on the top left hand corner, so that is where all the makeup is concentrated during the removal. On the other hand, I found the solution came out of the L'Oreal bottle much quicker, so my cotton pad was soaked through much faster than I expected (prone to wastage) and therefore the makeup was removed more or less evenly by the cotton pad and looks less concentrated. 

The second pad from the top is the one soaked with L'Oreal Micellar Water, used for the second rinse. As you can see, the amount of residue from the first cleanse on either side of the face was pretty much the same, so it seems the drugstore product is holding up well at this point on the comparison test. 

The third pad is from removing eye makeup. For this, I was able to find a difference between the two micellar solutions. The Bioderma did indeed remove more of my eye liner and mascara and was able to do so in less swipes. On the eye where I used L'Oreal Micellar Solution, I was not able to achieve quite the same amount of clean, and it felt more difficult to remove my mascara.

For the record, I do not use waterproof eyeliner or mascara so I do not know how either of these will do if used to remove those.

Final Thoughts

Since the initial experiment, I have been using the L'Oreal cleansing solution every single day, and I found to be very very similar to Bioderma in terms of its ability to remove my make up. The overall texture of the products are very similar too. The L'Oreal Micellar Solution did not leave my skin feeling dry or tugged at all, although I would always follow up with my Purity Cleanser in the shower right after, I feel that I will be comfortable enough to leave my skin as-is after if I was pressed for time (i.e. tooooo sleepy...), just like I can with Bioderma. Also, I experienced no irritation to my eyes when I used the L'Oreal Micellar Solution to remove my eye makeup, good news!

Scent-wise, the two are not the same. While both claim to be "frangrance-free", Bioderma has the slightest ever sweet scent, whereas L'Oreal smells a teeny bit plastic-y, but it's not too unpleasant. 

As a whole, I would recommend the L'Oreal Gentle Micellar Solution for anybody who has been interested to try Bioderma but hasn't because of the price. I think it is a great alternative to Bioderma, especially because it is much more accessible! Because of the bottle design on the L'Oreal bottle, I would personally not recommend it for heavy-duty travelling, since the flip-top isn't as secure as Bioderma's flip-top, so it may be a risk for leakage. Other than that, I am very happy with my bottle of L'Oreal Micellar Solution and it may very well be something I will continue to repurchase! :)

March 2013 IPSY Bag

Another month has gone by and I realize that I've missed both January and February IPSY bag posts, so I am going to try to get back on track again and today we'll start by taking a look at the last IPSY bag by myGlam!

How can we forget about the signature bright hot pink bubble pack envelope? ;) Certainly draws attention!

There appears to be a nautical theme this month and the bag is titled "The Big Escape". Definitely makes me feel like leaving this windy, gloomy, chilly, and rainy Vancouver weather behind and escape into a warm paradise! The contents of this month's bag are suppose to assist you in YOUR great escape and become your best travel buddies. Let's dive right in! :)

The first item that caught my attention was the red thing..

???

Oh it's a mini depotted item holder!

So this strange object turns out to be mini-sized Z-palette-like item that can come in handy when it comes to travelling and packing your makeup items for the trip. The mini palette is cute and sturdy, and I LOVE the name, GLAMRX, I mean, how cute is that? :) As for size, it fits 2 regular pans of MAC shadows (raound, 1.5g), side by side. 

Next, I found two tiny powder eyeshadow samples from a brand called YABY and chosen for me was a beautiful hightlight shade called "Seashell" and a plummy brown colour, great for defining the crease, called "Azalea Petal". The samples are no bigger than the diameter of a dime, but secure perfectly inside the previously mentioned empty mini-palette! Well played, IPSY, I like the continuity of products here :)

Next I found a pack of 8 Makeup Remover Wipes by LA Fresh, the line is travel-lite. Very fittingly names, as makeup wipes are much easier and hassle-free to carry with you a opposed to bottles of makeup removing solutions and cleansers.I didn't open this to check out the scent, as I did not want to risk the sample from drying out before I got a chance to use it. 

 

Finally, I found at the bottom of the bag, a 30mL spray bottle of a hydrating mist by JUICE BEAUTY. I have yet to give this product a try but my initial impression of it was quite good after trying out a small spritz on my hand. I haven't detected any strong or overpowering scents from it, but it does have a light fragrance to it. Hydrating mists, provided that they work as supposed, are excellent alternatives to cream moisturizers and are very handy on the go as you can simply take it out of your purse even as you are out for the day and touch up, rehydrate your skin on-the-go!

All in all, I am quite pleased with this month's IPSY bag! Although the products may not be as exciting at first glance, they are all useful and generous samples that would surely get some good use by me sooner or later :) The bag that it came in was also super cute and a great size and I can foresee myself putting it to some good use too! I will continue to subscribe to IPSY and if you are interested too, you can sign up at the following link: http://www.ipsy.com/

Thanks for reading!

Joanne

(This post contains samples sent via a monthly subscription service provided by IPSY, which I purchased with personal funds. This post DOES NOT contain any affiliated links.)

Maybelline CLEAN EXPRESS! Waterproof Eye Makeup Remover Review

Today I would like to introduce to you one of my many recent new finds at the drugstore - a new eye makeup remover by Maybelline! The brand has offered eye makeup removers for many years now, but personally I have never paid much attention to them, because they've been around for so long it's not promoted much anymore, it is always housed at the very bottom of the Maybelline wall displays, and most importantly, I already have a couple makeup removers that I am very content with.

However, when this new one came along I found it in Wal-Mart in one of those small cardboard displays that most new products are first introduced in at drugstores. (The have now been moved to the permanent display, as of 3 days ago) The shape and colour of the bottle first caught my attention...The oval cylinder shape of the bottle was slim and compact, and (most importantly) it was PINK! How cute is that? :) It wasn't price-tagged at the time but when I was rung up at the registered it was only $4.96 + tax, and I had a "what a steal!" moment.

It claims to have a "QuickBreak Technology", to be "Ultra-Gentle - Express-removes even waterproof mascara", and is an oil-free water proof eye makeup remover. The bottle contains 120mL (4.0 fl. oz.) of product, which runs a little under the typical 150mL mark for most other drugstore eye makeup remover, but don't forget its low price point!

On the back it says the following:
"Shake to activate dual phase formula. First phase instantly breaks up stubborn makeup, even waterproof mascara, while the second washes it clean...Because of its quick dissolving powever, no harsh rubbing is necessary. Oil-free, the formula leaves no greasy residue."

A look at the opening of the bottle.

Sounds like a dream but how did it actually perform?

After using this remover for the past 3 weeks, I am now ready to share my thoughts with you :) I agree wholeheartedly with its claims of being ultra-gentle. I have not experienced any burning or stinging sensations near or on my eye when using it to take off my eye makeup. There is, indeed, no feeling of greasy residue, or any residue for that matter, after I finish using it. It also leaves the eye area with a feeling of being slightly hydrated.

Unfortunately, this product falls short of its "Quick-Break Action" claim. First, I do not wear waterproof mascara, so when I got this product I expected it to perform quite well for taking off my non-waterproof mascara since it's suppose to take off waterproof ones with ease. But nope, even after soaking my lashes with this for 30 seconds on the cotton pad, it takes a little too much extra rubbing to get all my mascara off than I would like for my already-kind-of sparse lashes. I really don't need more to fall out everytime I take off the makeup. to be honest, the remover is really good at removing all the eyeshadow in one swipe, and the eyeliners come off in a little more than 2 swipes. So if you happen to be one of those girls who don't wear mascara regularly, this is likely a great product for you to try, and it won't break the bank.

Overall, it's not a bad remover, and I will continue using it to take off my eyeshadows and liners. But I will defer back to my baby oil to take off my mascara to minimize the rubbing and tugging.

Thanks for reading! Stay tuned for more reviews on my other recent drugstore new product finds!

Joanne

A Bright Complexion For The Holidays! - Benefit "Let There Be Bright" Holiday Value Set

Here is an exciting product from Benefit that would make a great gift for someone or a nice treat for yourself :) It is one of the several value gift sets that Benefit has released for the holidays and they are slowly but surely trickling into Sephora and Shopper Drug Mart locations! Today I found this particular one at Shoppers Drug Mart:

Such cute packaging! It's made to look like a piece of luggage to match this year's travel theme.

Opening the golden latch at the top of the box reveals the following precious goodies:

Contents:
- Deluxe sample of The POREfessional Primer (7.5mL)
- Deluxe sample of Triple Moisture Facial Cream (8.9mL)
- Full Size It's Potent! Eye Cream (15mL)
- Full Size Triple Performing Facial Emulsion (50.3mL)

 Now, the reason I purchased this particular set is not only for its awesome deal (the eye cream and facial emulsion retails for C$36 and C$34, respectively), the products are either ones that I already love or I've really want to try it for a while now.

The POREfessional Primer is one that I use every single day as part of my workday makeup routine. While I don't suffer from extremely large pores, you can not go wrong with a product that is able to blur the appearance of the pores and also create a nice smooth canvas for the foundation/tinted moisturizer/BB cream that is to come afterwards. One aspect that sets this primer apart from others that I use is the fact that POREfessional is skin-toned. I think that contributes to it being able melt nicely into the skin and looking very natural. Overall, I think this product is great and I'm always happy to have a travel size of it!

Deluxe sample comes housed in a glass jar!

The Triple Moisture Facial Cream also is another that I've been using for some time now. It is a face cream that is more on the thicker end of the spectrum. With a retail price tag of $42, it's quite a steep purchase. I didn't purchase my full sized jar until Holt Renfrew cleared out their Benefit counter and had it on sale for $25. Since then, I've used the product rather sparingly because I know it's not possible to pick another one up at even a similar price. This face cream is rich without feeling heavy, which I love. However, it is takes just a bit too long to sink in before I can apply make up so I limit its use to just as my night-time moisturizer. Having applied it just before going to bed allows my skin to slowly drink up the hydration and I wake up with nice and bright skin! The cream does have a fragrance that is on the stronger side; it is nothing florally (if that's a concern), rather it smells very fresh and refreshing, almost like fresh laundry, I think. Personally I love the scent, it's unique and makes me feel like I've just done some sort of spa treatment. However, if scents are sensitizing to your skin this may steer you away.

This It's Potent! Eye Cream is the only one of it's kind offered from Benefit and I think the name is just too cute! Now, I have to admit that which it comes to daily skin care routine, the eye cream is the one that I neglect most often. Yup, I know it's time to change that around and hopefully Benefit's It's Potent! Eye Cream can knock some sense into me. In terms of consistency, it's a bit lighter than the facial cream, also, it does not share the same "fresh laundry" scent; It is rather fragrance-free, if you don't count the typical "cream" odour. Anyway, it is nothing major, and it certainly does not smell bad. I tried a bit just now and I don't find that my eyes are irriated when the cream brought up to right under the lash line, and it does feel quite hydrating! I am having hopes for this product now.

Finally, this is the product that is the most exciting for me in the set, the Triple Performing Facial Emulsion! From my understanding, is product is sort of similar to the facial cream but with a more liquidy base AND the added benefit of sunscreen :) With SPF 15 and PA++, the sun protection that it offers is not anything to be head-over-heels for but at least there is some! I've sampled it countless times in Sephora and Shoppers Drug Mart counters but never found the heart to dish out the $34 price tag, but it's lightweight formula and pleasant scent always appealed to me so I'm so eager to try this out tomorrow in the morning! Can hardly wait! The bottle is also super cute, reminds me somewhat of bottles from old shipwrecks...haha :)

At a price tag of $52, will you be indulging? Feel free to share your thoughts and comments, I would love to hear from you!

Thanks again for reading :)
Joanne

First Ever Canadian MyGlam Bag - November 2012 - Initial overview

After a particularly stressful night at work, I come home to find a small treat in the mailbox! It's my first MyGlam bag by IPSY, which also happens to be the first one offered to Canadians. I remember signing up pretty much as soon as Michelle Phan (founder) released a video on YouTube announcing the expansion of subscription service, and have been waiting (im)patiently for the pink bubble pack to arrive.

All the way from North Carolina

Love the bright pink bubble pack :)

Earlier last week I had started searching up blogs and videos to "preview" what I might find in my own MyGlam bag. Since delivery to the West Coast takes at least 5 days longer, I easily found posts by girls in Toronto, Ottawa, etc, reviewing their bags. As such I had an idea what I would find, but I was still in for a surprise!

Products came tucked snugly inside a brown-black pleather bag with a golden zipper.

First look inside!

And here is a round up picture of everything that came inside! I would like to mention here that this is not a full review of the contents yet. It will come, along with more pictures, in the next post. This way your eyes will not be bombarded with too many photos at once :) Please stay tuned!

REVIEW ON THE WAY :)

Anything excited come in your mail today? 

Joanne