Review: Estee Lauder Gentle Eye Makeup Remover

Well, I got a sample size awhile back, and finally got around to trying this baby out.  I ran out of Lancome Bi-facil, and was thinking that this would perform similarly.  After all, they are both high end brands, with high price points, right? ... Wrong.

I use Urban Decay primer potion before I do my eyes.  But Bi-Facil makes quick and easy work of removal.  This stuff... not so much.  With bi-facil I would just barely wet the cotton ball and it would take care of one eye, no problem.  With this, I need to use significantly more. Not only that though, I have to clean each eye twice. So, I'm probably using eight times more product than the Bi-Facil.  I have to use two generous applications for each eye, meaning I use not only more product, but more cotton balls.  (I seem to run out of cotton all of the time, though I only use it for eye make up removal, generally speaking.)

Good points?  It does not leave behind any kind of oily residue. It's very clean.  It does not give you blurry vision at all.  The bottle is really pretty.  There is no scent, and you do not have to shake it before use.

Would I purchase?  No.  I will finish this bottle up, because I don't like to waste things.  Would I recommend it?  I like Bi-Facil better.  It does, however, leave a very slight residue behind.  Very slight. So, if you can't stand that, and don't mind using much, much more remover, then ok.  I do not know how well this works on mascara, and I don't regularly use mascara so I haven't been able to test it on that.  I would guess that it would take even more product to do so.

Lancome Bi-Facil Eye Makeup Remover Review

I have read lots of raves about this product, and of course, since I'd never tried it, I didn't understand the cult following it has.

And now I understand. This is super effective. You need only a small amount, enough to wet enough of the surface of your cotton ball. That's all. Because you do not need to rub at all. Just gently wipe and all of your eye makeup will come off. Amazing. Now, full disclosure - I do not wear mascara. So, I do not know how this fares against mascara. However, I do wear eyeliner and shadow with eye primer. And with my usual eye makeup remover - chamomile eye makeup remover from the Body Shop, I need to swipe a few times and press a little bit. No pressing required with Bi-Facil. Just enough pressure to get the cotton ball against your eye.

Some removers leave a greasy feeling behind. As I recall, that's why I stopped using Covergirl's way back when. Bi-facil leaves a slightly greasy after feeling, which fades away rather quickly. I don't mind it. It's worth it for the amazing removing power it has.

I got this as a part of Lancome's 2011 Beauty Box. Would I purchase at full price? (Currently $26 for 4.2 oz.) I am not sure. With an adequate gift with purchase, I think I just might. We'll see how long a bottle lasts. A 8 oz bottle of Body Shop's lasts me for about 4 or 5 months. And retails for less. As I get older and find fine lines, I think that I may make this my go to remover, as it will help to prevent the need for rubbing around the eye area.

Petaluma Cosmetics Company Outlet Store

Must more of a note to myself than anything - there were some great deals to be had at the Petaluma CCO! They had an assortment of last year's Lancome Holiday palettes for only $15. I had to snatch one up. They also had the Lancome limited edition holiday shimmer powder, the one with the embossed cupid, for something like $20. And last year's holiday blockbuster for about $32. And last year's Juicy Tubes gift set.

At these prices, I may just have to give up Revlon Colorstay and wait it out for the CCO. I just need to test drive those Lancome shadows!

Lancome Juicy Tubes: Pink Precious & Lavender Zen Reviews

This is one of their Naturals line. The naturals line wears very differently than original. The original formulation is "goopier". It is longer lasting and it sits on top of the skin more. The naturals have more honey in them. They do not last as long, but they absorb and condition the lips more. Classic juicy tubes, on my lips, will protect and wear for hours and moisturize a little bit. They are quite sticky and tacky but this is probably why they outlast just about any other lipgloss as far as wear time is concerned. And I prefer not to reaply too often. My dry lips require constant application of most lip products. But not original formulation Juicy Tubes! These last for hours per application. This is with a lot of talking that I do at work.

However, Juicy Tubes Naturals, of which I have 2 different ones now, are more moisturizing. They will recondition and re-moisturize lips that are already too dry. However, since they are absorbed by the skin, their wear time is shorter. They do not dry out my lips and require that another layer be put on, like many other lip products will do, but they do fade away. They are less tacky and thinner than original formula.

I prefer actually to use both at different points in the day. I like to use the naturals formulation in the morning. This means that by the time that I am done putting my make up on and making breakfast, there have been at least a few minutes for it to absorb a bit before I eat breakfast. If I use original formula in the morning, the taste and scent of it will linger through eating my breakfast food. It's also sticker so some food bits sometimes stick to my lips. This is distracting, and leaves a lot of lipgloss on my morning tea mug that needs to be scrubbed off. However, with the naturals formula, I use Rose Bliss in the morning and the scent and flavor have significantly faded and do not distract me from my food.

Pink Precious is lightly honey scented and lightly honey flavored. It's great for the mornings before breakfast. I know that it absorbs and serves to soften my lips.

Lavender Zen is also honey based, thinner in consistency than original formulation. However, it's Lavender scented. This is ok with me during the day, so its my daytime lipgloss for now. Although, I think for convenience of less application, I will switch it out for an original formulation some time soon. But for now it's new, and I'm enjoying the scent.

I didn't think that the formulation would differ so much, but it really does. I still love both the original and naturals formulations.

Lancome Juicy Tubes Bare Honey & Pink Horizon Reviews

I was so very looking forward to receiving my tube of Bare Honey. I love the taste and scent of honey, and I thought this would smell & taste like honey, but have the original Juicy Tubes formulation. My version of a holy grail lipgloss. Unfortunately, this actually smells like Cherry Icee, not honey. I don't like synthetic cherry scents or flavors. So, I'm on the fence about this one. It's glittery, but Juicy Tubes do not overdo glitter so I am not uncomfortable wearing their glittery shades to work.

Pink Horizon is a pink with a gold metallic chrome gleam to it. It supplies a very subtle sheer gold flash to the lips. It's scented: pink bubblegum. So, it's kind of fun, and the color is very versatile and wearable at work. I keep my pink horizon at work right now. Sometimes I get a little tired of the bubblegum scent, but I can always switch it out with some other less obvious candy scented Juicy Tubes. It's not a huge deal.

Lancome Juicy Tubes Maharani Jewels

Nice candy sweet scent, and one of the few pigmented Juicy Tubes. I like this one very much, it's limited edition and I'm considering buying a full size to keep in my stash. Not that I need any in stash right now, and I've recently been on quite the binge.

Lancome Juicy Tubes Simmer

A lovely golden-pink, with metallic flash. Nice neutral candy scent. This is a standby for me. Right now, I use it at nighttime to condition my lips. Love, love, love.

Lancome Juicy Tubes Review: Spring Daze

Original formula, major props for this. However, the scent: candy watermelon. It's not something that I enjoy while pregnant. I think it would be ok if I were not, but as it is, this one is not a keeper right now. But I know just the person who would use it and enjoy it! :)

Juicy Tubes Miracle Review

A decent shade of pink and an ok candy scent. I like it fine but do not love it. Original formulation means it is sticky and long lasting.

Juicy Tubes: Ginger Palace, Sun Bronze Reviews

Of course I love the formulation of Juicy Tubes, but it has come to my attention that I do not necessarily like all of the flavors. Also, although mostly sheer, some of these colors are not flattering on me.

Ginger Palace: Not a good shade for me. Also not digging the scent of ginger. Too gingery for my liking.

Sun Bronze: A bad color for me. It's a shame, since it's golden metallic shade is actually quite pretty on its own. Just not with my coloring. The scent on this one is ok, but not one that I particularly like.

Lancome Juicy Tubes Sun Comes Out Lipgloss Review

Oh, my undying love for Juicy Tubes. This is the only lipgloss that is capable of keeping my poor lips hydrated and soft during pregnancy. I recently bought a set once I realized this.

Unfortunately, the scent of Sun Comes out is a very fake candy peach. I don't like it while I'm pregnant. So I will put it away and wait for the day when I am not longer expecting, and try it again then. I know that I am much more sensitive to scents than usual. The hydration power is still there, it still keeps my lips soft. But I would rather avoid this scent at this point in time.

Lancome Flextencils Black Review

This product is discontinued...

It took awhile (30min?) for it to dry, but once it did, I didn't feel my top lashes tangle up with my bottom ones anymore. I liked the definition that I got, but like most mascaras, by the end of the day I had mascara under my eye. My biggest beauty pet peeve. Into the garbage with sill go, but I will rinse off the brush and experiment to see if maybe the brush was the key to the great definition. And, I need a real mascara brush for post application separation, those silly combs don't work for me.

Juicy Tubes

I had to get the Holiday 2008 gift set of juicy tubes that I happened upon at Marshall's for a mere $20! For 8 travel sized tubes! I know I have plenty of gloss but I had to pick up this bargain set. I love it. I'll update later as I try more shades. But, so far...

Creme Brulee - has glitter in it but doesn't show up at much more than that on me. And has a scrumptious creme brulee scent that sometimes I love and sometimes I don't care for.

Simmer - a pink in the tube, color doesn't show up on me and a neutral sweet scent that hasn't been controversial yet

Sun Bronze - a slightly scary dark red-gold in the tube, it's very pretty on me, showing up as a twinge of slightly darkened red on my lips. Scent's different that Simmer but still a neutral sweet.

Goodbye, Metallique

This lipstick was hard to let go of because it was one of my first investments in department store make up and I loved it so. I remember Kieu going with me to Macy's and how she said I looked really happy when I decided on this color at the counter.

Lancome Metallique looked great on me. Similar to my lipcolor but metallicized. A nude Pinky-gold. I may have to repurchase this shade one day.