Back to Bare

Much like my makeup organisation, my skin care routine is fairly abysmal. I pretty much just cleanse and moisturise twice a day, morning and night. Every now and then I'll exfoliate and even less frequently, I'll put on a mask. I use this Dove Cleanser and Toner in One every day. I haven't tried any higher end brands but this one does the job for me. I've been using it for years and while I wouldn't recommend it for removing heavy makeup, it's sufficient for removing light, everyday makeup and leaves the skin feeling cleansed without any tightness or dryness. What I most love about it is that unlike Dove's Foaming Make Up Remover which stings like a mofo when I use it around the eye area, I can literally almost rub this into my eyes and I barely feel anything. No mean feat.

The Bioderma Créaline was something I had to get after discovering its cult status as a staple in the kit of makeup artists and amongst models. I first saw it in action in Lisa Eldridge's Makeup Removal video and was amazed that a cotton pad soaked in some of the solution could remove most of her heavy eye makeup (false eyelashes included) in one swipe. When I first tried it out, admittedly I wasn't really enthused by it. It worked fine, but I couldn't really see the fuss. Given that it's not cheap or readily available, I'd guess most people would use Créaline primarily as an eye makeup remover (as opposed to the rest of the face as well), since it makes sense to use better quality, gentler products on the most sensitive and delicate area. But in terms of effectiveness, I thought there were probably other less expensive and more accessible options that could perform just as well (for example, Neutrogena's Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover which I'd been using).

The more I used it though, the more I started to see its worth and the qualities about it that made it far superior to ordinary makeup removers. The micellar solution is basically like water that effortlessly dissolves makeup when you soak a cotton pad with it and hold it up to the eye area for a while. There's no smudging, smearing or oiliness. It's extremely gentle and non-drying, a lifesaver when the eye or the surrounding area is irritated, sore or otherwise in need of extra care. Really, I should probably be using this to remove my eye makeup everyday, period. If only it were a little more affordable and easier to get a hold of rather than having to order it online.