Escentual French Pharmacy Discounts and Skincare Recommendations

Best Makeup Remover: What to Buy

Best Makeup Remover for Sensitive Skin

My Pick: Bioderma's Sensibio H2O Micellar Solution

If you have sensitive skin then I'd definitely recommend Bioderma's Micellar Solution. I find that it removes all my make-up so easily and doesn't irritate my skin at all. It's on the pricier side but if you're a skincare junkie then it is definitely worth trying. It's puts a lot of other makeup removers in perspective!

Best Makeup Remover for Oily/Blemish Prone Skin

My Pick: Vichy's Normaderm Micellar Solution*

If you have skin that's still on the sensitive side but that is also oily or blemish prone then Vichy's Normaderm Micellar Solution is a great solution. I found that it wasn't harsh on my skin but it did work really well at combatting blemishes, not only removing my make-up but also helping to clear my skin.

Best Drugstore Makeup Remover 

My Pick: Garnier's Micellar Water

If you're looking for a drugstore micellar solution that will remove all makeup (even waterproof eye makeup) then I think you should definitely give this one from Garnier a try. It's very affordable and very easily available in the UK. I don't think it is as good for cleansing skin as my other recommendations, by I love it for removing my makeup.

Best Cult Makeup Remover

My Pick: Liz Earle's Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser

Liz Earle's Cleanse and Polish is a cream cleanser that you rub into dry skin and then remove with a muslin cloth soaked in warm water. It dissolves all your makeup upon application and makeup removal is so quick and easy. I find that it will remove everything - even tough waterproof eye makeup and lip stains. If you're looking for a makeup remover that also does a tremendous job of really cleansing the skin then this is my recommendation. When I use it regularly I find that my skin is left clear and bright and I enjoy reaching for it.


BONUS: The Makeup Remover I'm Currently Using
A-Derma's Sensifluid Micellar Water*

This is another really skin-friendly makeup remover. A-Derma's Sensifluid Micellar Water reminds me a lot of Bioderma because it is incredibly gentle on the skin and yet does a tremendous job of removing even waterproof make-up. It's designed especially for those with dry, sensitive or eczema prone skin.


I hope my recommendations have helped you find something new to try. I really like all of the products I've mentioned in today's post but I'm always on the look out for new makeup removers so I'm sure I'll have a follow up post with more recommendations in the future.

Discovering Bioderma: Photoderm AKN Mat SPF 30 and Sensibio H2O

Oh Bioderma, how widely art thy praises sung!

You might be sick of hearing about Bioderma, I know that I for one have read many a review of their micelle solution. But you know what, I gave in to the hype and now I'm joining the flock. I bought a couple of Bioderma products off Escentual, and by a couple I mean two; Bioderma's Sensibio H2O Solution Micellaire and Bioderma's Photoderm Mat SPF 30.

Let's start with the most well known of the two. The micelle solution  is essentially a super powered water which gets off all my (non-waterproof) make-up in one sweep. It's incredibly gentle on the skin and the proof of this is that even when I've got this stuff in my eyes (not on purpose..) it didn't sting at all. I'm super impressed by this as a pre-cleansing / make-up removing product and I'd definitely recommend it. Its price seems reasonable now that I've tried it as it really is pretty great at what it does. However, I wouldn't rely on it on it's own - still use a cleanser afterwards, I don't think a micelle solution is enough to keep skin really clean. Available at Escentual for £4.50 (100ml). 

Now, onto the (sun)cream of my Bioderma crop... The Photoderm Mat SPF 30 is a sun cream for your face which doesn't leave you white, streaky or oily. Advertised with mattifying properties in mind it certainly lives up to its claims and offers protection from the sun without leaving you looking shiny or greasy. I've worn this alone and am happy to announce that it doesn't move if you sweat (this stuff isn't going to slide down into your eyes). I've also worn it under make-up and although it feels odd to me as I'm not usually one to use primers all over my face, that is what it feels like when you use this. It feels like a primer. I'm not going to lie, I would love it if this were just a touch thinner in texture as I love my skin to feel 'weightless' but it a lot better than any other facial SPF that I've tried before. Oily skinned gals, this is something that should be on your radar. Holidaying abroad or spending time outside at home, everyone needs to keep SPF products in mind. Available at Escentual for £13.70.

So, to sum up: both products are fantastic, especially for what they cost. Bioderma's Solution Micellaire lives up to the hype and is on my 'to repurchase list'. Bioderma's Photoderm Mat SPF 30 is a fantastic addition to my skincare routine but it isn't the lightest product in the world so I might look elsewhere first before instantly repurchasing.

Have you tried any Bioderma products before?

Follow me via: [Bloglovin] [She Said Beauty] [Twitter] [Facebook]

Collective Beauty Haul: High-er End Treats

Sooooooo... I went a little bit crazy on the shopping front. I've had a wish list the length of my arm for a while now and all it took was the promise of a few bargains for me to finally crack out my debit card and submit to the shopping urge. Now, don't get me wrong, I didn't get all of these beauties on the same day but rather over the last three or four weeks. I've tried a couple of them out but some of these items only arrived in the post this morning so in their cases it'll be more of a case of showing you them rather than having much to comment on!

Up first is my Escentual order, 30% off many french pharmacy brands (and a lovely £5 discount on the much acclaimed Dior Nude BB Cream) was too much for me resist. I picked up a 100ml bottle of Bioderma's Micellaire Water (with the intention to stock up on it later in the month if I like it),  Bioderma's Photoderm AKN Mat SPF 30 Mattifying Fluid and Dior's Nude BB Cream in shade 001. Look out for a review of each other these over the coming month! 

This purchase was very much made in the spur of the moment. With FeelUnique offering me a 10% off code I just couldn't help myself, Antipodes Divine Face Oil has been luring me in with its promise of plumper (and less oil prone) skin for the last few months. Along with my order came a lovely little perfume freebie.

I also made the most of Boots' 3 for 2 offer on skincare, one item has escaped this post (a Garnier moisturiser) but truth be told I don't really like it so it is not great loss, although I will still be reviewing it later this month. I was excited to finally get my hands on some Hydraluron (you can see I've stocked up!) and I'm currently trialling this with the hope of reviewing it next month. I haven't started using the Peptabright but I love the sound of it, I have a few marks left by blemishes which I'm hoping it can set straight. The other two products, both Soap and Glory, are wonderful and I've been using them daily since I bought them. I'll definitely be reviewing them both soon!

Lastly, I placed a small order with Naturismo so that I could pick up Jason's Vitamin E Oil 32000IU which is scar/stretch mark treatment. It isn't what I expected at all (but in this case that is a good thing) and I expect promising results for this. I'm testing it out on both scarring and stretch marks to see if it makes any difference. I don't expect I'll be reviewing this for a while as I'll want to use it for a month or two to see if it really works. In the meantime, I also picked up some Elemental Herbology sample sizes (Naturismo is brilliant for samples) and I'll be giving them a go and probably reviewing them all together. 

Sometimes you have to treat yo'self, and that I certainly did. Spending is going to be curbed in the meantime (although I do have a small Fragrance Direct order still to arrive, naughty me). I have a hell of a lot of products to test out and a whole backlog of reviews which I'm going to be catching up with. It's going to be a busy month, but a really fun one!

Have you been shopping recently? Found any absolute wonder products that you'd recommend?

Follow me via: [Bloglovin] [She Said Beauty] [Twitter] [Facebook]