Makeup Eraser

I have to admit when it comes to removing my makeup at the end of the day I am so lazy!! So the quicker and easier it is the happier I am. I’ve been using makeup wipes for the last few years but recently I’ve come across a new product. It’s called the “Makeup Eraser” and it’s a lush pink cloth with two different sides, one to wipe off makeup and the other to exfoliate with.

It promises to remove your makeup with just water, including waterproof eyeliner & mascara, HD makeup and much more. It’s reusable, no stains remain after washing and it will last 1000 washes. It’s also claims to be all natural and chemical free which is great for my sensitive skin.

You can agree this sounds very appealing especially because it eliminates the cost of makeup removing products and it’s easy to use.

So I ordered one. It came in a cute little box, shaped as an eraser. It’s very plush and soft to the touch, just like those microfiber cloths you use for cleaning.

The instructions say to wash it before use, which I did and the sateen edge kind of ripped a little. Strike one.

I wanted to compare it an ordinary facecloth so I only used the Makeup Eraser on one half of my face and a facecloth on the other half. It said to wet with warm water and gently rub in circular motion then flip to exfoliate. I honestly couldn’t distinguish which side was which but after close examination concluded the side with the label was the exfoliating part (it has longer fibres).
 

It removed my foundation, concealer, blush and eye shadow quite easily. I had to work quite a bit to remove the eye liner and mascara which was uncomfortable- rubbing in a circular motion over your eyes is no joke! Half a strike? After that I used the exfoliating side on my face in the same circular motion.
 

Then I wet my facecloth and used the same method on the other half of my face. My makeup came off just as easily but I struggled much more with my eyes than I did with the Makeup Eraser.

I only used one small section of the cloth, the idea being that you keep using it in sections and throw it in the machine at the end of the week. (Kind of gross, no?) Also not ideal if you are travelling and can't do washing...

I washed the Makeup Eraser to test if all the stains come off as easily as they say, and it did. It looks brand new again. Point for them.

Now for the final test. Whenever I use makeup wipes, I always think my skin is squeaky clean only to wake up with panda eyes the next morning. After using the Makeup Eraser, I went to bed without doing anything else to my face and this morning… panda eyes!!! Strike two.

Look, I wasn’t expecting miracles, and I know how stubborn mascara can be, but the thing is, yesterday was a light makeup day and so I wasn’t even wearing the heavy liner and mascara I usually do on a night out. Wonder what I’d look like then!!

However, removing eye makeup is something I really struggle with. No wipes or liquids or facewash or oils or toners or creams help. It will look clean but I’m always destined for the panda eye. I guess I hoped the Makeup Eraser would be a solution to my problem but it isn’t.

And in conclusion, the Makeup Eraser is no different to wipes or a normal facecloth. In fact a microfiber cloth is exactly the same as the Eraser and will cost you about ten times less…

 

 

Finally, I'd like to add that in comparison to wipes, removing my makeup with a soft cloth left my skin feeling cleaner (wipes tend to leave me feeling a little sticky when I'm done). But because you have to use warm water with the cloth, it leaves the skin very dry . So you will definitely need to moisturize afterwards- which you should be doing anyways! And just to reiterate, I personally don’t think you need to overspend on a Makeup Eraser. The plush microfiber cloths cost me $2.00 for a pack of 3 and they work the same!

 



♡, Sana xx


***UPDATE***
The first time I tested the Makeup Eraser and washed it, I was impressed at how easily the stains came off. However, the next time I used and washed it, hardly anything came off. I had to spray it with Vanish and give it another wash and it still wasn't clean. Not happy about this at all.

 

As you can see, mascara and eye liner stains are still visible.

 

***UPDATE 2***
I am extremely disappointed with the quality of this cloth! 1000 washes my foot!!

After only 5 washes!

 

Brow Drama

I am not one to fall for adverts, I analyse them for authenticity. And if I had seen the commercial for today’s product I definitely wouldn’t have bought it.

Oh, how I wish I saw the ad!

Maybelline has just released a new product: “Brow Drama” a sculpting brow mascara- or so they claim. I purchased this product on a whim when I was at the chemist because they had a good special on and because I have been having “brow drama” of my own recently.

The eyebrow threading in Perth is completely abysmal. I always leave the salon, wanting to choke someone.

In my current state of mismatched eyebrows, one seems to be sparser than the other. Hence my introduction to the world of using eye pencils, clear mascara and brow brushes. I know this is something many people would never leave the house without doing, but it’s new to me. I’ve never had to worry about my eyebrows. In South Africa, my brows were perfect (and at a fraction of the cost!).

So anyways, when I saw this product and read the pamphlet, it was so enticing. An easy avenue to perfectly shaped, sculpted brows!

Now let me tell you, IT DOES NOT WORK!!

If you sweep then sculpt exactly as the instructions tell you to do, you will end up with brown splotches around your eyebrows and that’s frustrating. I basically had to wipe it off and reapply my foundation and eye makeup. It didn't  really fill my eyebrows or give it shape.

I watched some reviews online and one girl did her own thing and used a pencil and her own brush afterwards which I think defeats the purpose and doesn’t fulfil the products’ promise. Another girl cut the ball off the tip of the wand (totally laughing), which again isn’t using the product as it is, or as it's meant to be. in that case why didn't we buy a normal brown mascara and use that instead. Would certainly cost less…

If something claims to work a specific way to make your life easier, that’s the way I would want to use it. And that’s why this product is a letdown for me.

And if I saw the ridiculously CGI effects advert before I bought it, I would have known better. You can clearly see the model isn’t really applying anything. It’s all photoshopped!

I guess I’ll try using it as the girls did, just to finish it up, but I won’t be buying this again!!

Thank God I didn’t pay full price for it.

♡, Sana xx

Eye Love Liners

In my last post I was disappointed with a Benefit product and now I want to share with you something of theirs that I LOVE!!

It’s their new gel liner “They’re Real! Push-up Liner” and it’s amazing. I love eye liner and trust me I’ve tried MANY brands and types. Liquids, pencils, pots, gels, creams, and powders- I’ve tried them all. There have been good ones but I have never come across anything like this.

It has a little angled rubber tip and you twist the base until gel appears on the top. Then you rest it on the base of your lashes and draw your line. The rubber tip feels like its hugging your eyelids, with suction, which keeps the liner steady so it’s super easy to get a perfect line. The application is the easiest I've ever experienced and the colour comes out great.

The best part is, it dries almost immediately and it’s waterproof. This is invaluable to me because I have had plenty of days where my eyeliner has smudged or transferred to the top of my eyelids, leaving me looking like a clown. There’s no fear with this liner because it doesn’t budge.

**Update** This liner stopped working pretty quickly. The gel seemed to have dried or clogged up inside so no matter how much you twisted nothing came up and then later a whole lot of product spilled out the top. It also came out in little dry chunks- nothing usable. I tried my best to salvage it but to no avail... Really don't understand what went wrong.

While on the topic of liners, if you don’t like gel for everyday use, I have found an equally amazing liquid eye pen. It’s Urban Decay’s “Ink for Eyes” in colour Perversion. It has an ultrafine tip that can be used to draw both razor-thin and bold-dramatic lines.

 

The colour is a deep, intense, striking black- even over my eye shadow! That’s a problem I've had with other brands of liquid liners; the tip dries out after a few uses or doesn’t work over my eye makeup. But this liner glides on, with no problems and the colour doesn’t fade when it dries. It’s also waterproof and won’t smudge or run.

I love both these products and am sure you will too!

♡, Sana xx

Benefit PoreFessional Pro Balm

Ok WHAT is the deal with everyone and this balm??

It does not work for me!!!
It’s pricey for a teeny tube and it doesn't do anything except make my skin greasy. Am I doing something wrong???

At first, it feels silky as stated on the box and has a nice scent but it leaves a residue on my skin and definitely doesn't minimize any of my pores...

The sales lady was like: "This is our bestselling, most popular product" (which Google confirmed)

And: "You can use it as a primer" (I was looking for one at the time)

And the one that sold me: "It works like a BB cream and you won’t use a lot of foundation."

So I went ahead and bought it and unfortunately I was very disappointed when I tried it.

It certainly does not work as a primer nor does it replace my BB cream and foundation as it doesn’t give much coverage. The residue also left my skin a bit oily and other times flaky, so my makeup didn't set or last very long.

I think this product isn’t for all types of skin and that’s something the sales lady should have pointed out.

If you’re interested in this product, ask for a sample first or try the tester on your skin before you purchase it.

A lot of people in their reviews, say it’s amazing and they can’t get enough of it so there must be something to it. But for me, sadly, it was a fail.

♡, Sana xx

 

Johnson's Baby "no more tangles" Spray

Ok don't laugh at me, but this product is what I use on my hair after almost every shower.

My long hair always ends up in knots even though I use conditioner, and this detangling spray really helps!

I've been using it for more years than I can count. I don't remember what made me buy it in the first place- probably sheer desperation- but I'm glad I did.

I don't know if it's available in all countries (I couldn't find it anywhere in Australia so I buy it from South Africa).

It works when the hair is wet or dry, you just spritz it on and comb through. It makes the hair soft and eliminates the nastiness of tangles and breakage.

Easy peasy and one bottle lasts ages! Best of all, it's light and won't weigh your hair down or cause any build up so you can use it everyday. Smells great too!

Trust me, this really comes in handy after a swim at the beach or a windy day...

I am sure Johnson is not targeting women (or men) with this product' but if they knew any better they would!!

By the way just wondering...why would you need this for a baby?

♡, Sana xx

Midi-rings are everything!

I'm loving the midi-ring craze!!!

Rings are one of my favourite accessories and now I get to double up on them!!
Midis are available in many styles, textures, colours and sizes and they are a great finishing touch to any outfit.

As the name suggests, they are made for the middle part of your fingers unlike ordinary rings. There are many different ways of pulling of this trend. Mix different metals, stack a few on one finger, wear them on your thumbs or go for a less is more look with just one statement ring.

Since they began trending last year I have accumulated more than my fair share of them. Although I've misplaced just as many! (Blame my OCD washing hands syndrome!)

Lucky they are inexpensive and usually come in packs of 3 or 4! Yet another reason for you to go out and get them!!!

Some of my favourites:

♡, Sana xx

Batiste Dry Shampoo

This product is a lifesaver!!!

Tried and tested it's something I cant live without.

When I was in Uni I would wash my hair every day because it got oily (and embarrassing) so quickly. Washing it everyday kept the oil away- as well as all the natural and essential stuff it needed to grow and glow :( Combined with daily blow-drying and straightening, my hair became lifeless and unhealthy.

I heard of people using baby powder in their hair between washes to absorb the oil, but that didn't work on my jet black locks. So when I came across Batiste, I thought it was too good to be true.

I bought my first bottle about 5 or 6 years ago and now I never go without it. As you can see, I have it in many different sizes- even a mini one for my handbag!!! It really works, I can now wash my hair every second day and it's growing beautifully.

But that’s not all this product is good for. It’s also a quick rescue when you have somewhere to go but your hair looks drab. It eliminates grease, gives volume and adds freshness to your locks. You just spray it onto the problem area and run your fingers lightly through your hair. The white powdery residue will fade in seconds, as it absorbs oil. Be careful not to overspray, but if you do, a wet brush will make any excess product disappear.

It comes in many different colours and scents but the variety is not available everywhere. The Original works well on all hair types and smells great.

I have tried many other brands of Dry Shampoo such as Tresseme, Garnier and Schwarzkopf and none of those worked for me. I stick to Batiste and am completely brand loyal on this one.

N.B.
No one paid me to do this. But you can if you want to :)

♡, Sana xx