Does the Bourjois Magic Nail Polish Remover remove glitter?

If you're anything like me, you'll avoid wearing a glittery nail  polish just because you can't face the painful and time consuming  removal process. We've been all there for what it seems hours trying  to scrape the pesky glitter particles from our nails.

When Bourjois  released their magic nail polish remover, I couldn't wait to try it  mainly to see if it could tackle glitter polishes. There has been,  for a while, quite some rave about a certain Sally Hansen product  doing a fabulous job with glitter polish but to me, it was not very  helpful as the Sally Hansen product is

a) very difficult to source  and
b) extremely drying on your nails. (dry nails and cuticle mean more prone to breakage)


Before moving on to removal of glitter nail polishes in particular, I  wanted to write a novel few words on how it behaves with traditional  polishes.




The magic remover is such a pleasure to use and I have  found it very difficult to use anything else since I have opened my  first bottle for many reasons:


Not only does it smell gorgeous, sweet and fruity but the smell is  very family and office friendly. Traditional nail polish remover has  such a strong and distinctive smell that if you -hypothetically -  happened to be cheeky and wanted to use some in your office, you'll  be busted within one tenth of a second, and there is no way you could  blame the smell to be cause by another product in the office. No big  marker pen, tippex, glue can smell as strong as that.


The formula is absolutely amazing. In fact, I'd go as far as saying  that it's perfect. Within (10?) seconds and thanks to the rubbing  motion against the sponge, your polish just wipes itself off, leaving  your nails really nourished. You can really feel the goodness of the  sweet almond noil inside it and the nail polish removal process  almost feels like a mini pampering sessions for your nails. I can't  get my head round an acetone free nail polish remover can be so  effective and so nourishing to my nails, and I've never known an  acetone free nail polish remover to be so effective and kind at the  same time. This stuff is like your 'naughty and hardcore' full of  acetone purple bottle of Cutex but without the ultra drying effects  of acetone.


The sponge is of very good quality, is conveniently black so that you  don't see the remnants of your past polishes in there, never  dislodges itself from the bottle and is very durable. And then the  product is 100% times more convenient than a traditional bottle of  remover and is perfect if you only need to remove the polish from  just one nail.





The product is almost too convenient, you don't want to use anything  else and you'll find it hard to save it for special occasions? Why  would you want to save this for special occasions? Well, the magic  remover is 7.2 times more expensive than my traditional polish  remover and that's so annoying. I feel the product is definitely worth its £4.99 price tag, the quality is superb and you'll be hard  to find another sponge-in-a-tub remover of the same standard but it is expensive.


Would I feel more ready to spend £4.99 in a nail polish remover that  effortlessly remove glitter? Yes.
Does it effortlessly remove glitter? No.  
      
In my experience it doesn't  easily remove glitter easily. I tested it with a high coverage  holographic glitter nail polish from Rimmel (review coming up) which  I wore for nearly 48 hours before proceeding to remove it and it was  a pain as usual to remove it and the sponge inside the tub didn't  help one single bit. In fact, I felt uncomfortable doing it as I  could tell that the only thing I was doing was subjecting the sponge  inside this much loved nail polish remover to unnecessary damage.

Conclusion: Despite its failure to effortlessly and quickly remove  glitter nail polish, the Bourjois magic nail polish remover is  product of an outstanding quality. Wow, Wow and Wow again. I am blown away by the fragrance, the  convenience, the sponge and how it leave my nails so nourished after  being stripped off nail polish.


However, for me it remains a luxury  product. It's such a handy product for everybody especially for nail  bloggers who are on a photographing session and apply/remove a  multitude of nail polishes in a row, on the same day. In fact, it has  actually made some of my nail polish pictures even prettier. The  almond oil it contains have made the skin around my nails looking so  nourished, soft, glowy but not greasy. Sometimes I even want to use the nail polish remover even if I don’t have anything to remove! But it is pricey.  


My nails have been enjoying  every minute of it, but unless this product is on special offer, I  won't be repurchasing it. It will be a sad day when I will have used  the last drop of my beloved Bourjois Magic Nail Polish remover. What can I say? Born a cheapskate, will die a cheapskate…

p.s
If Bourjois did a 'normal' tall bottle of nail polish remover (150ml) using the same formula but without the sponge and sold it at £1.99, I'd buy it in a heartbeat


what: Bourjois Magic Nail Polish Remover 75ml
where: Boots and Superdrug (3 for 2 offer throughout October 2012 at  Boots)
how much: £4.99
bought by me

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My favourite eye makeup remover

Do you have scents associated with your childhood? I do. Apart from the iconic yummy fruity scents of my native island (vanilla, coconut, mango, etc..) and the not so yummy ones (overripe guava, papaya, banana) I think I will never forget the scents of essential oils of vetyver,  geranium, sweet almond oil and lavender. My mother used to be a big fan of essential oils. Her favourite was lavender and she used to  douse herself in it, as it 'would keep mosquitoes at bay' she used to say. Well, the stuff pongued so much, I'm not surprised it kept  mosquitoes and any form of living species at bay. I also will never be able to forget the strong, powerful and nauseating scents of  geranium and vetyver essential oils. Sweet almond oil, however, was a total different story. I couldn't never get enough of it. When  I left home, my contacts with sweet almond oil became more and more rare, verging non existent. In fact, I even forgot it  existed.


Soon after my poll about eye makeup remover and with the firm intention to purchase one of your recommendations, I ended up  purchasing a bottle of Johnson's baby oil to use as a makeup remover, after seeing lots of rave about it on YouTube. There's nothing  quite like an oil I think to remove stubborn eye makeup with ease. But deep down, I was not fully satisfied. I knew it wasn't the  best for my eyes and that it contained the controversial mineral oil, I turned to eBay and  came across Naissance a seller who sold 100% pure organic sweet almond carrier oil, bottled in the exotic land of ... Swansea.






Very often, when you try to reconnect with food and products from your childhood you end up being disappointed. Scary films from the  past feel suddenly ridiculous, and kids sweets don't taste as good. When I opened my little 50ml of sweet almond carrier oil, I must admit I  was disappointed. It had a lovely smell but it was nowhere as strong as the essential oil that my mum used to have. The fragrance is  very delicate. But then again, I thought that it was a blessing in disguise as I mainly purchased it to use it on my eyes. The very  day I tried the sweet almond oil on my eyes, the very day I threw away my bottle of Johnson's Oil, which was still half full.




I can't describe how lovely it feels to remove my eye makeup with this oil. I love how effortless and quick this removes my makeup.  The whole makeup removal ritual feels like a mini pampering session, with no skin tugging, scratching, and eye stinging whatsoever. 


Doesn't it leave my skin too greasy?
No. In fact, it leaves my dry skin so nourished and I feel that my lashes have been given a second  lease of life. If I need to reapply makeup straight after, say I have made a booboo and want to start over, I try to remember to  revert to my good old trusty eye makeup remover from Simple, in an attempt to finish the bottle but the reality is that I use this organic oil as a  makeup remover 99% of the time.




I feel really happy about myself when I use the sweet almond oil on my eye area. Sweet almond oil is high in proteins, and vitamin E,  an ingredient which I have been very fond of recently because of its universally recognised anti-ageing properties (vitamin e is powerful antioxidant) I feel like I am really caring for my eyes as the whole eye makeup removal  process is so gentle and there is hardly any tugging involved anymore. Twice I just plopped some directly on my face to use as a face mask and it made my skin feel so smooth! My skin is basically loving it and despite being an oil, it doesn’t cause any breakout.


Will I purchase a full size bottle?
The question doesn't even  need asking and this is the first thing on my shopping list come pay day. For now, I am enjoying my very handy travel size (see photographed above with one of my most worn day lipsticks) of sweet  almond oil and will continue to do so until the last drop.


what: 100% pure organic oil cold pressed sweet almond oil (carrier)
where: ebay, amazon or directly on the website.
name of ebay seller: naissanceuk.
how much: £3.29 for 50ml
disclosure: bought myself

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DIY Ombre Hair

Want to try your hands at ombre hair at home and don't know where to start? British Hair Expert Scott Cornwall lost count on how many times he was asked for advice on how to do your own ombre hair at home. So he created an illustrated 6-step technique to achieve the perfect ombre hair, whether you have light or dark hair and posted it on his spanking new tips & tricks blog. Intrigued? Click here to see his tutorial.






disclaimer: I heard about the Scott Cornwall diy ombre hair technique via email and received no compensation to write about it.

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Underwhelmed by Eden

How good will it be to finally have a nice discreet nail polish remover, that you can use anytime anywhere without the population in a 5 mile radius around you noticing that you are removing your nail polish? This is what brought me to order a mini sample of Eden 'Fresh Therapies' natural polish remover.




The polish comes in a very elegant bottle and I couldn't wait for my teeny weeny sample (£0.99) to arrive through the post to see if it lived up to its expectations. What expectations will you ask?

They say:
In short:

Making it perfect for you, your family and the planet, this natural polish remover is totally clear in colour, just like water. It has a lovely smell to it, with in a hint of lime.

They say:
In length:

This natural translucent polish remover is free from artificial acetones and is not harmful to you or your nails in anyway. In fact, instead of drying out your nails it actually moisturises the nail and surrounding cuticles, with a fragrant smell which includes a hint of lime for freshness. The lime-scented, clear formula is formulated with biodegradable food grade and plant-based ingredients that are non­ toxic and non-carcinogenic, making it safe for children, pregnant women and those undergoing treatment for illness. It is also suitable for vegans and has not been tested on animals.

I say:
In short:
Bloody good job I wasn't sent this product by the company as I would have had a hard time to say something positive about it. So much effort and care has been put into creating this product, it makes me sad to give a thumbs down. What a shame. 

and in more details:
As soon as I opened the bottle, I was greeted with a discreet smell of ... hospital. Not any hospital, mind you, a freshly cleaned with lemon hospital. The smell is not overpowering at all, it is quite discreet but I do not like it, even though I am a massive fan of lemony/citrus smells. To make matters worse, I really struggled to remove the 2 day old average crème finish polish I had on my nails. It felt like I was trying to remove a glitter nail polish. On the plus side, the remover felt very nourishing to my nails and it's something I have never experienced before. But it was too nourishing for its own good, left my fingers very greasy and I couldn't wait to rinse them off. I have never felt the need to rinse my fingers so much after removing a nail polish.


Maybe it's for the best. Did I really want to like a nail polish remover which is so expensive anyway? (cutex: £1.60 for 100ml and Eden from Fresh Therapies £12 for 50ml) taking also into account that I go through bottles of nail polish remover really fast? Maybe not. I applaud Fresh Therapies’ brave attempt at creating a kind, caring, and pong free nail polish but it's not delivering the goods for me.


Unless I have a splitting headache, I don't actually mind the typical smell of nail polish remover. In fact I am ashamed to say that I actually quite fond of it. A more discreet nail polish remover would have been handy to use on the move and when there are people around. But hey ho, never mind x 

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A 'pong'-free nail polish remover?

Does the smell of polish remover bother you, or your friends, family, erm..  cat? Do you wish you would remove your nail polish anywhere without asphyxiating the whole world around you? I am not sure when this was first released this but this company called 'Fresh Therapies' have created 'Eden' a natural nail polish remover, with a subtle hint of lime, whilst moisturising your nails at the same time.




They say:

This natural translucent polish remover is free from artificial acetones and is not harmful to you or your nails in anyway. In fact, instead of drying out your nails it actually moisturises the nail and surrounding cuticles, with a fragrant smell which includes a hint of lime for freshness. The lime-scented, clear formula is formulated with biodegradable food grade and plant-based ingredients that are non­ toxic and non-carcinogenic, making it safe for children, pregnant women and those undergoing treatment for illness. It is also suitable for vegans and has not been tested on animals.

The bottle looks very elegant and nothing like your usual nail polish remover bottle, they say it smells fresh and it cares for your nails. Where is the catch? It's £12 for 50ml, and probably 100 times more expensive than your usual nail polish remover. But if the smell of nail polish remover is a big issue for you, then this might be something you’ve been desperate to find.


They have an offer on at the moment where you can sample it for free (just pay for postage which is 99p) I have just ordered mine. I wanted to wait till I receive it to tell you my impressions but I am too impatient. 


disclosure:
I have not been contacted by anybody to talk about this product and not receiving anything to talk about it xx

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The best eye makeup remover chosen by… You! :) Mini Poll

.I am running out of eye makeup remover (It seems like I'm going through gallons of eye makeup remover so quickly) and I need to buy a new one.  At the moment, I am using a eye makeup remover from Simple, a decent alternative I had to find to replace my ultimate favourite eye makeup remover product, which I can’t find in England, Cils Demasq, a bi-phase product from Gemey/Maybelline.





I was really curious to see what is everyone's favourite eye makeup remover to have ideas of what to buy and also to find out if I've been missing out on real gems. So this is what, you, my lovely twitter followers have answered, 34 of you to be precise:


 




I messed up my imagemap on the previous picture, so if you want to access cosmetic candy’s links, here are they are, this is her review of her beloved Softymo and this is where she buys it.




and last but certainly not least:


 

I would like to say a massive thank you to all of you for your replies. It is really really interesting what everyone is using, from the high street product to the high end ones, with some ‘homemade’ simple ones thrown in too.


  


I have learnt so much and I think I have been really missing out on the wonder of what the ‘Botanics’ seems to be. I didn’t even know that Boots Botanics did an eye makeup remover, as I was judgemental about all the metallic lid of their bottles but @loulou699 reassured me and nothing is stopping me now :)

I also really really want to try a product I’ve never tried before: the Bioderma product raved about by @lipglossiping and @mylipsbutbetter, as I love the concept of water removing makeup and leaving no residues.




Are you surprised by the answers?
Were they predictable to you?
Any product from above which you want to try?
What is your holy grail eye makeup remover?

liloo/@tsunimee on twitter--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Like this type of post? Here are some more polls from the past:
- Elf products and high street availability
- Restaurants dates and who should pay the bill
- 3 Essential Makeup items for a night out

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Best Budget Nail Polish Remover? Umm…

Having finished my big 200ml bottle of Cutex (Purple, nail whitening formula) I wanted to try the Pink Classics Nail Polish Remover I had heard very good reviews about. I managed to find it at Half Price or Less.com (Home Bargains) shop in town. Bargain it was, £1.99 for 250 ml compared to £1.99 for 200ml of ‘Purple Cutex’ from Boots. Who cares about the unsightly and basic bottle of pink nail polish remover, if it removes the polish well, then it does its job and that’s all I am after.




I set myself on an easy job: removing a straight forward 2 days old nail polish with the pink (classics) and it was ok. It did its job without too much effort and pretty quickly but I didn’t find anything special to it. I instantly missed my Cutex. Not sure if you’ve tried this little purple number but whoa this stuff is pretty powerful. I have never seen anything like it. One swipe and the whole lot is gone. Now that I’ve bought the Pink Classics Nail Polish Remover, I might just as well use it, since it does a decent job, but I don’t think I am going to repurchase it.

BUT ...


While I was praising the glories of the Cutex Polish Remover on twitter  (and laughing to myself  at the fact that removing glitter was also a doddle) my friend Debbie/BeautyBegins/BeautyBlogRoll (@drew692) asked me whether it contained Acetone. I am ashamed to say that it had actually never crossed my mind to see if it contained Acetone. What if it did? Is that really bad? Surely, it can’t be as bad as smoking, right? Should I opt for an acetone-free nail polish remover instead? Pop over to Debbie’s post and find out. In the meantime, if you don’t mind walking on the wild side, I would definitely recommend the Cutex Nail Polish Remover but you might want to read more about acetone on nails here and know the facts *eek* …

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