Micellar Water

Sorry for not posting last Monday.  I was away that week and wanted to post while I was on the road, but sadly, I fell sick and was just too brain dead to even form proper sentences to speak.  Not only that, I lost my voice as well, so it's quite a mind numbing experience.  At the moment, I'm still coughing and my voice is totally hoarse.  Hopefully, I will get well soon.

Nonetheless, I was in Singapore last weekend for a short trip and I have to say this, it was such a good trip.  I was shopping on my own and it's great fun too.  I went crazy with the Micellar Water and I bought a few varieties of them to try.

(from left to right)

Japanese Brand Cleansing Lotion

I was exploring Beaute Spring when I saw this selling for SGD22.90.  It's definitely cheaper than Bioderma and I couldn't resist getting it for I wonder if it'll be a good alternative to Bioderma.  It's listed to be for Sensitive Skins, which is good for me as I realised that I skin does skew towards that.  For the life of me, I don't know the brand because it's all in Japanese!  Honestly, it's labelled as Cleansing Lotion, so I'm not very certain it is Micellar Water, but I guess, one needs to try in order to find out right? hehe

Bourjois Paris Micellar Cleansing Water
I literally just grabbed and go when I was this.  I have no idea whether it works, but I was on a Micellar Cleansing Water hunt and I just had to, you know, grab it! Hahah... I saw this at BHG in Bugis and it was selling for SGD14.90.

Bioderma Micellar Cleansing Water
This needs no introduction.  I'm running low on it and it was on sale at Watsons for SGD39.90 (normal price is SGD59.90) so of course I'll grab it.  You can read the review here.

I'll blog more about them when I start using them, which I would think is soon as I am down to quite a little of my existing Bioderma Micellar Cleansing Water now.

Make Up Removal Series: Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micelle Solution Sensitive skin

I first saw this on Lisa Eldrige's video on Make Up Removal and was utterly fascinated by it.  To think, this wonderful product seems to be able to remove all make ups and is in water form.  Sadly, it's not available in KL back then, and so I left it as it is.  Later, when I was in Hong Kong, I saw it and was a little reluctant to purchase it due to the price.  It was selling at HKD188 back then, a price that I wasn't very willing to pay.

Nonetheless, a friend of mine made a trip to Hong Kong and I asked her to look for it at Bonjour.  She told me it was selling for HKD108 (with original price sticker showing HKD396) I told her to just grab it for me, and that is how I ended up with a 500ml bottle of this Bioderma Sensibio H20 Michelle Solution Sensitive Skin.  Really, the name is long, so I'll refer to it as Bioderma Sensibio H20.

I like it's unassuming packaging.  A simple see through packaging that provides ample information and a sturdy enough cover to ensure no leakage.  I've carried it up and down with me to a number of places and have not experienced any leakage at all.

As per direction given, I take a couple of cotton pads and pour the Bioderma Sensibio H20 onto it, ensuring that it's wet enough (but not too wet, else it'll be difficult to use) and slide the pads all over my face.  I usually use 4 regular cotton pads for my whole face.  The initial 2 is the first run on my face, ensuring that most of my foundation and eye make up is removed, whereas the last 2 is just another round to make up everything is gone.


This is what I like about it.  It is easy to use.  It's as easy as putting water on cotton pad and wipe.  It also does not leave my skin feeling dry after the removal.  Sometimes, when I just wanted to get the grime off my face before I head to shower like an hour or two later, I will use the Bioderma Sensibio H2O to remove the make up and splash some water onto my face.  It helps.  Of course, I double cleanse and I use my facial towel to clean up when I shower later, but as a temp, it works without drying my skin as compared to using cleansing oil.

I've definitely stocked up another smaller bottle when another friend of mine was in Hong Kong last year.  Also, I realised that I can purchase them online at a couple of website that ParisB recommended, so I'll definitely be checking them out once I start using my other bottle.  Can't do without a backup!

Make Up Removal Series: Kose Softymo Point Make Up Remover

Initially, I asked a friend to help me get the Kose Softymo Cleansing Oil when she was in Hong Kong.  However, she couldn't seem to find it and ended up buying me this Kose Softymo Point Make Up Remover.  I have to say that I wasn't sure what this was initially .  However, there was a sticker on the bottle that was showing an eye and I assumed it's an eye make up remover.  A google search revealed that it is indeed, an eye make up remover.

Well, I have to say that it does have a lot to live up to, given that I really, really love my Maybelline Eye & Lip Make Up Remover.  Nonetheless, it's always fun to try out new things, don't you agree?

One of the things that kinda threw me off was the size of it.  It's a 230ml bottle, the same as the cleansing oil that I have from Kose Softymo.  For me, this is quite a big bottle for an eye make up remover.  Nonetheless, it does make up for it's price.  I think it costs me around RM25 for the bottle.

This is a bi-phase remover, which means it is separated into two components.  Like Maybelline, this needs to be shaken before use, and you need to make sure you shake well, given that the porportion of the oil and the remover seems to be differing greatly.  I'm kinda worried that I will end up finishing the oil portion and left the remover portion.  That would most likely reduce its efficacy in removing my eye make up, wouldn't it?  Okay, that's probably just me with my little teeny weeny paranoia.

Anyhow, in terms of efficacy, it works as a normal eye make up remover.  It does its job in removing all my eye make up.  Having said that, I realise that it doesn't work as well when it comes to waterproof mascara.  Nonetheless, as I don't use mascara everyday, I'm still okay with using this.  It doesn't really pull when I remove my eye make up.  What I do is usually to soak a cotton pad with the make up remover and place it onto my eyelid for around 10-20 seconds, pressing lightly on my eyes.  When the time is up, I slide the pad on a downwards motion to remove the make up.  I tend to go through that motion about 2-3 times to make sure that all the eye make up is removed.  No pulling was involved, so that's good (I don't have to worry about causing wrinkles! hehe).

Will I repurchase.  Honestly speaking, no.  One is because it's only available in Hong Kong and two, I still find that my sturdy Maybelline Eye and Lip Make Up Remover suits me just fine.

Make Up Removal Series: Maybelline Make Up Remover Eye & Lips

I'll be starting a series on make up removals that I used or am using, and what a better to do so with my favourite product!

(image taken from Maybelline Malaysia website)

This is my staple eye and lip make up remover, or Holy Grail product, as some would term it.  It definitely has a spotlight among all the items that I use and I always make sure I have a back up in place, as well as a travel size one too (I always ended up grabbing the travel size ones in Singapore as they tend to go for SGD2 per piece!  What a bargain!)

I can't believe that I've not blogged about it.  Possibly because it's become such a staple that it just didn't occur to me to do so.

In terms of packaging, it's nothing fanciful.  Just a clear bottle which allows you to see how much you have left and anticipate the next buy ... hehe... It's fully plastic and in terms of dispensing, it is done quite well as the hole isn't too big and is just right in dispensing the small amount needed onto your cotton.

In terms of its efficacy, I'd have to say it does a very good job in removing my eye and lip make up.  It's quick too.  All you have to do is pour a few drops onto your cotton, press the cotton onto your eyes (lightly) and hold it for like 30 seconds.  After that, do a quick and light swipe downwards and viola, most of your make up is gone.  I usually need to do 2 to 3 light swipes to get rid of all the make up, especially when it comes to waterproof mascara, which can be quite a nightmare to remove when you don't have the right product to do so.  Nonetheless, it doesn't take too much effort and I don't have to worry any residues.  As for the lips, I just need to do a couple of quick wipes and it's all gone from my lips.  Do bear in mind that it does contain oil in the mix, so if you're sensitive to it... do test it out first.

I like the fact that it's quick and it doesn't sting my eyes at all.  This is something that I reach out to when I am too tired to do too many steps and just wanted to be done with it.

Plus, it's cheap too!  It's always less than RM20 per bottle and tends to go on sale often at Watsons or Guardian.