Spring Cleansing featuring Laneige Fresh Brightening Cleansing Oil and Lip and Eye Remover Waterproof_EX

All through last year, I was really committed to trying out everything I could get my hands on from Innisfree because I love the brand. However before that, I was all about Laneige. I haven’t talked about it much on here but Laneige was my first KBeauty love and I still use their products regularly. My current skincare rotation is quite full at the moment so I haven’t purchased anything from them in a while but two deluxe samples I received as a gift with purchase were too good not to review. Say hello to the Laneige Fresh Brightening Cleansing Oil and the Lip and Eye Remover Waterproof_EX.

Really good cleansing oils can be hard to come by and the Laneige Fresh Brightening Cleansing Oil is one of the best I have tried in a while. It removes all makeup really well, did not irritate my eyes and it is super easy to wash off. No oily residue here! As it turns out however, I ended up using it more as a morning cleanser because it feels very light on the skin and it smells divine. The sweet fruity apricot scent was a nice way to wake me up. The other reason is because it contains nice ingredients like apricot oil and grapefruit extract for a vitamin C boost and I wanted all the benefits to go to my skin and not to removing makeup. You can read more about the cleansing oil here and see the full ingredients’ list. 

Next is the Laneige Lip and Eye Remover Waterproof_EX, a dual-phase remover you need to shake to emulsify. I usually hate all dual-phase makeup removers, they feels too oily, sting my eyes and don’t remove makeup efficiently. I mean, I don’t want to spend minutes tugging at my eyes to remove minimal makeup and non-waterproof mascara. I doubt I’ll be discarding my beloved Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil, but this makeup remover blew me away. It really makes eye makeup and lip stain disappear without any tug-of-war and lo and behold it doesn’t leave an oily film all over my lids! All this without any eye stinging. I was also impressed that it actually removes lip stains easily, my lips did not react negatively to it and it didn’t leave an unpleasant taste on my lips either. I know many like using a separate eye makeup remover and I think this is quite a good one. If you want to read more about it and see a detailed ingredient’s list, head over to the official Laneige website here.

You can find Laneige products from their beauty counters, Amore Pacific stores as well as online and in Target in the USA (though they do not offer all products). Laneige offers many international website which should help you find where to buy their products in your country. You can find the general international one in English here. 

Shu Uemura Anti/Oxi Cleansing Oil

I am slowly getting back in the swing of things with the blog and regular posting should (hopefully) go on. My whole reorganisation process also led me to discover I have quite a few products I meant to review ages ago that I still had not gotten around to. It’s shame really, because most are long-time favorites that I kept delaying since putting my excitement into words was difficult. So today I finally bring you a review on my beloved Shu Uemura Anti/Oxi Cleansing Oil, also known as the only cleanser I will ever use. 

I kid you not, this is the most amazing makeup remover I have ever tried and I am currently on my fifth bottle in a row. That kind of commitment to the same cleanser shows how much I love it. This is hands down the best cleansing oil I have ever tried, it has a light non/greasy consistency and it emulsifies and rinses clean super easily. It will leave you with clean, balanced skin that feels soft and moisturize, but there is no oily residue left behind. It also does not irritate my eyes and removes any mascara like a charm. 

I have tried other cleansing oils from various brands and other Shu Uemura offerings, but none compare to this one. More than being a simple makeup remover, it has an undeniable effect on my skin, leaving it brighter and smoother. I think this is due to the great plant extracts it contains like moringa, green tea and gingko leaf. These are all great antioxidant and the moringa extract is particularly good at refining and purifying the skin.

Shu Uemura qualifies this cleanser as an anti-ageing one because the extracts it contains help fight the oxidant effect of pollution, helping it fight against aging stress of the skin. I was honestly shocked to see actual skincare benefits from this, because cleansers never usually leave visible results on my skin. This is a truly outstanding product that lives up to its claims.  

The Shu Uemura Anti/Oxi Cleansing Oil is a star product in my skincare routine and one of those rare products I cannot see myself without. You can find it at any Shu Uemura counters and on their website as well as in Sephora. It comes in both a regular size and a large one so you have good options for both travel and at home. 

Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micelle Solution

I feel like we are quite lucky beauty-wise here in Canada, many French-pharmacy and European brands are readily available and we also get new American products quite quickly. And let’s not even mention Sephora and all the Asian beauty stores you can go to in bigger cities. I feel very fortunate that I can go to pretty much any drugstore and pick up a bottle of the Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micelle Solution. I know this product is quite difficult to come by depending on your location so I wanted to give my two cents on it so you can decide whether it is worth hunting down for yourself.

 I won’t beat around the bush: this micellar water is one of the most amazing products I have ever used. It is my favorite makeup remover (along with my Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil) because it just works so well and is super-efficient. You simply pour some onto a cotton pad and gently wipe it around your face and eyes. It removes all your makeup, though mascara and eyeliner included, without causing any irritation or redness. It’s like magic really, and I love how it gets the job done quickly so you can move on to a second cleanse or other steps of your routine.

Unlike other micellar water, the Bioderma one does not leave any residue or stickiness behind, making it perfect to take with you on a plane to cleanse and refresh your face when you cannot do a proper cleanse. It also makes for a life-saver when you’ve had a long day/night and you get home very late: with it you have no excuse not to remove your makeup and I promise your skin will thank you in the morning.

The BiodermaSensibio H2O Micelle Solution comes in many different sizes from the large one with a pump all the way to the travel-friendly mini bottles. Depending on your location you can find it on Feelunique and Bioderma also offers international websites with store locators for your convenience. In the US it is exclusive to Beautylish.   

My Little Beauty Micellar Water

Cleansing your skin is one of the most important steps in your skincare routine and it’s the step I most look forward to at the end of the day. However, there are days when one is too tired or simply doesn’t have a lot of time to fuss with different cleanser: this is when micellar waters come into play.

To be honest I’m quite diligent with removing my makeup and I prefer to use a cleansing oil, but when I need to go to the gym or it’s very late, I really enjoy using a micellar water because they don’t strip or irritate my skin and I don’t need wash my face afterwards. To me this is crucial when I go to the gym at the end of the day because I don’t want to do a full skincare routine only to have to wash it off an hour later.

Back in October, I subscribed to My Little Box while I was living in England (more on that later) and I receive a bottle of My Little Beauty Micellar Water. This is a clear water that contains orange extract and aloe vera to gently remove your makeup and sooth the skin. I found that it removed both my face and eye makeup really well and left my skin feeling soft. I quite enjoyed its fresh scent as well, as it made cleansing my face more pleasant when I was in a hurry.

 Sadly whilst it did remove my eye makeup, it irritated my eyes a bit. I’m not sure if it’s because it contains fragrance or something else, but most eye makeup removers cause similar reactions since my eyes are quite sensitive. On my face though, I only had nice results.

At the moment, you can only find the My Little Beauty Micellar Water on the My LittleCorner website for 9 €, but I’m not sure they offer shipping outside of France. You can always email them (their customer service is great) and ask since they do offer their My Little Box to Belgium and the U.K. alongside France.  

Innisfree Jeju Volcanic Pore Scrub Foam

The Innisfree Jeju Volcanic Pore Scrub Foam is one of my best workout buddies. I love using this cleanser after a good workout or in the morning if my skin feels particularly oily. The formula is a thick creamy foaming cleanser that contains tiny bits of scoria to exfoliate the skin without causing irritation. Scoria are volcanic rocks made from cooled down lava, the one from Jeju contains red clay and is great at absorbing sebum and removing dry skin cells. It leaves your face feeling super clean and refreshed.

Nonetheless, you should follow this cleanser with a nice moisturizer as the foaming formula can be a bit stripping depending on your skin type. I have not experienced any dryness from using it, but this is something you should be aware of.

One of the reason I love it so much is also the fact that the brand uses great natural ingredients and is free of mineral oil, parabens, silicone oil and other controversial ingredients. Plus this cleanser also has the ECOCERT certification.

You can find the Innisfree Jeju Volcanic Pore Scrub Foam on the new global Innisfree website for 10$ (they also offer great international shipping!).