Review: SEPHORA COLLECTION Express Cleansing Wipes

I had forgotten to bring my makeup remover on one of my vacations last year and I went into Sephora with the intention to get the SEPHORA COLLECTION Triple Action Cleansing Water but they were out of stock of the 150ml version so I picked up the Express Cleansing Wipes instead.

The SEPHORA COLLECTION Express Cleansing Wipes comes with a plastic lid over the adhesive packaging and that keeps the sheets moist for a longer period of time. It comes with 25 wipes and I was pleasantly surprised to find that the sheet itself is actually bigger than a regular face wipe. The picture below shows half of the sheet. I would have preferred the sheets to be a little more moist but the size of the sheet did compensate for that and one sheet is all it takes to remove the makeup on my face.

I think it did a good job in removing the makeup on my face but it struggled a little with waterproof mascara so I would advise you to use an eye makeup remover to remove your eye makeup and use the wipe only for your face. It does leave a little residue on your face but it does go away pretty quickly. I haven't actually used a face wipe that doesn't leave any residue at all so I guess it's pretty normal, especially for a makeup removing wipe.

I just want to mention that I usually use a cleansing oil to remove my makeup and it gets all my makeup off. I love using cleansing oils and there is really nothing much that can compare to their makeup removing properties. I understand that there are a lot of people who use makeup cleansing wipes to remove their makeup before using a regular cleanser to remove any residue and that is perfectly fine. I just prefer to remove all my makeup before I use my regular cleanser to make sure that I get all the gunk off my face.

Regardless of how you remove your makeup, makeup removing is one of the most important steps in your skin care regime so do put some time and effort into it! Do you have a favorite makeup removing product? Do share them with me!

Review: Burt's Bees Sensitive Facial Cleansing Towelettes with Cotton Extract

Face wipes are a very important component of my skin care regime. I do not use them to remove makeup but I love to have them handy for a perk-me-up every now and then. I like how I can cleanse my skin without stripping it with a face wash. I really enjoy The Body Shop Vitamin E Gentle Facial Cleansing Wipes but I wanted to try something new so I picked up the Burt Bee's Sensitive Facial Cleansing Towelettes with Cotton Extract (what a mouthful) to try out.

I do not have sensitive skin and I've meant to get the regular version of their face wipes but they didn't have it at the Sephora that I went to. I thought it wouldn't hurt to try out the sensitive formulation so I picked it up anyway. Burt's Bees products are very natural and this face wipe is no exception. This product is 99.1% natural and it's supposed to get rid of all makeup, tone and soothe while being gentle on your skin. As much as I love the notion of natural products, this face wipe just didn't cut it for me.

First of all, I have to say that I hate fragrance-free products. I know, fragrance can be harmful to your skin but I really can't stand bad scents. I don't have sensitive skin anyway so fragrance never really bothered me. The first thing I noticed when I put the sheet on my face was the scent. It stinks. I don't know how to describe the scent but it was so unpleasant. I'm actually making a face as I type this because the scent is that bad.

Secondly, the face wipe stings. I don't know why but it really stung my face and I've never really had such an awful experience before. It left the centre of my face a little red but the redness faded away after a little while so I don't think it actually damaged my skin. Nevertheless, the stinging sensation is really unpleasant.

For all that stinging, I feel that the face wipe does a rather mediocre job in cleansing my face. It also leaves a little residue on my face and that's not something I like. The face wipe is designed for sensitive skin so I guess it's cleansing properties are rather gentle. I think I actually prefer something that is a little harsher to fully cleanse my skin.

The Burt's Bees Sensitive Facial Cleansing Towelettes with Cotton Extract is not a bad product but it wasn't what I was looking for. It would probably be better for sensitive skin and I really shouldn't have gotten the formula for sensitive skin. I'm not sure if I want to try the regular version after having gone through an entire pack of face wipes that stinks and stings. Have you tried Burt's Bees facial cleansing towelettes? Let me know what you think about them!

Review: The Body Shop Vitamin E Gentle Facial Cleansing Wipes

Face wipes are one of my travel essentials and is not an item that I use on a day to day basis. I do not depend on face wipes to remove my makeup because I don't think they can do a better job than my favorite makeup cleansing oil. I usually use face wipes to freshen up my skin after a flight or in the middle of a long day when I'm not wearing makeup and that is usually when I'm on a vacation.

I've gone through two packs of The Body Shop Vitamin E Gentle Facial Cleansing Wipes and I really enjoy them. The facial cleansing wipes are supposed to "remove makeup, impurities and dull skin cells". I will not discuss about its makeup removing properties because I do not use it for that purpose but I can say that the wipes are efficient in removing dirt and excess sebum. My skin does feel more refreshed after using it but I do not think it really removes dull skin cells. The wipes are not exfoliating at all. On a contrary, the cloth itself is really soft and gentle and does not irritate the skin.

The facial cleansing wipes are cleansing but it doesn't strip your skin off all its moisture. I find the wipes to be slightly moisturizing and I never have to reapply any moisturizer after using it. It does leave a little residue on your skin after you use it but it sinks in after a short while, leaving your skin feeling clean, soft and supple.

On a side note, I'm keen to try out new face wipes and I've been doing some research recently. I found out that many drugstore options like the Simple Cleansing Facial Wipes and the Nivea Refreshing Cleansing Wipes contain parabens. It's quite a bummer because I've heard so much rave reviews about the Simple Cleansing Wipes. What are your favorite face wipes? Do you have any recommendations for paraben-free face wipes?