Secret 1: Magic Make-up Remover (Sssshh!)

There are a few products in my possession which I couldn't live my life without. They're not uber expensive, not particularly mainstream and in the majority of cases, I have discovered them by accident. It is only then that I have come to realise that I am on to a really good thing.

As treasured readers of my blog, I thought, over the coming weeks, I would share with you some of these secret staples.

The first and possibly my favourite, is Lid-Care - something I use as a make-up remover. I discovered this after an eye infection. My eyes were left really gritty and when I woke up in the morning they were always full of goop and lots of crusty sand. Gross I know, but not an uncommon problem. So, one afternoon I was picking up my Caudalie face products at one of the local pharmacies when I spotted  Lid-Care alongside the contact lens solutions.

On the box it was talking about 'daily hygine' for your eyelids. Well, to be perfectly honest, apart from removing my make-up, I couldn't say I'd ever thought about washing my eyelids plus they always seemed to get terribly irritated. Anyway, I thought it was worth giving it a go.

Here's what else it said on the box:

• Removes crusting from around the eyelids
• pH-Adjusted, oil free
• Contains no potentially irritating perfumes or dyes
• Ready to use, do not dilute

Inside there are 100 cleaning pads & a 100ml bottle of sterile cleanser. 

The consistency is like water - in fact, if you didn't know better you would think it was water. The idea is that you use two gauze like pads (one for each eye) and wet them with the solution. Once wet, you fold the pad over and rub the sides together to create a bit of a foam - then off you go! No manic rubbing needed, nor a whole packet of pads. 

I have used high end products, such as MAC's 'Gently Off,' Lancome's 'Bi-Facil Double-Action' and Estee Lauder's 'Take it Away,' but nothing has compared to Lid-Care. It's just so easy to use and most importantly it manages to remove the toughest of all make-up - my waterproof mascaras, my Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliner and all my creaseless creams. It's such a refreshing change from other brands that either leave your eyes excessively oily/ irritated or that simply leave you with hideous panda eyes. I seriously wouldn't use anything else now.

There are also boxes of premoistened pads which, although less economical, are perfect for travelling and for handbag emergencies.

You can buy Lid-Care online HERE £4.25 for either boxes. Bargain!

So there you are. Secret number 1... really worth a try...

Let me know in the comments below what you think of it and don't forget to follow if you aren't already!

Ciao for now x

Review: Simple Eye Make-up Corrector Pen

When it comes to mascara and liquid eyeliner, I am prone to making a hideous mess. I have to have cotton buds with makeup remover on standby to mop up any random black marks under my waterline or to tidy up the flicks on my cats eyes...

Therefore, when I saw that Simple had launched an eye make-up corrector pen, I was intrigued to know if it would be the answer to all these problems.   

Currently £4.99 at Boots

Here is what Simple says:

"It's time to wave goodbye to make up mishaps and make room for a new handbag essential… introducing the new Simple Kind To Eyes Eye Make-Up Corrector Pen. Its ingenious pen-like design dispenses the award-winning Simple eye make up remover, so you can precisely and easily wipe away those day-to-day make up mistakes like smudges, flaking, streaks and even waterproof mascara, while leaving the rest of your make up untouched. Even better, it contains Pro-Vitamin B5, and with no perfume and no colour, it's suitable for the delicate skin around your eyes, perfect even for sensitive skin"

Sorry for the baaaad photo

Simple has given it all the hype and it sounds great, but does it actually work? I was pretty strict in my testing...

My everyday liquid liner...

Line on the left....GONE!

So, yes, the pen worked. The fine tip allowed for precision and later on, when I tested it under my eyes in what I suppose you'd call it's proper usage, it tidied my smudges up rather well. The downside? As you'd expect, the nib stained almost immediately. 

Dirrrrrrrrty!

Simple recommends that you clean it after each use - I thought this kind of defeated the whole purpose of having it really but there you are. I wiped it on a tissue and then a face wipe. Although it didn't return the nib to pristine whiteness, it worked adequately and was clean enough to use again.

In summary: Unlike cotton buds and a bottle of makeup remover, you can carry this pen around with you for emergency quick fixes. The fact that it is not expensive is also a bonus. However, cleaning the nib after each use is a bit of a faff and I can imagine the pen drying out fairly quickly. 

This isn't going to become a staple product for me. I think the shelf life of it will be too short and as sad as I am to say it, I think my pen might be dirty, dried up and dead in the not too distant future.

The Make-up Corrector Pen is retailing at £4.99 and is exclusive to Boots, but only until April 19th when it is launched nationwide.

Have you tried the Corrector pen yet? Let me know what you think...

Ciao for now x