When it comes to mascaras, I never really venture out to try new releases as I like to stick to the same ones that I know will always work for me. If I’m honest, I’m quite fussy with my mascaras which is probably why I haven’t tried a great deal of them. The lovely people over at Essence Cosmetics sent me a ton of goodies to try out and to my surprise, the I Love Extreme Waterproof mascara was my favourite of the bunch.

Before using this I did a bit of research for some reviews like I would normally do, however there wasn’t a wide variety of them, although I did manage to find some first impression videos on YouTube and some of them seemed a bit disappointing which meant I didn’t set my hopes up high for this one. Boy was I wrong! I love everything about this mascara from the formula, to the applicator and to how it made my eyelashes look. 

I like the blue and pink packaging that this product comes in and the tube seems a lot wider and ‘fatter’ than any of my other mascaras that I own. The bristles on the applicator are quite dense and thick which worried me at first because I thought it was going to clump my lashes together however it did the complete opposite – it separated my lashes beautifully whilst giving them a good amount of volume and lift (bearing in mind, I used an eyelash curler beforehand). It’s also waterproof which means you won’t need to worry about smudges, I wore this product for a good 10 hours the other day and it held up perfectly. The only thing I will address was that it took AGES to remove at the end of the day which is understandable considering it being waterproof. I used my regular Garnier Micellar Water and a good few cotton pads to get rid of it, but I sometimes found myself rubbing at my lashes too forcefully so I would highly recommend using something more oil based to help breakdown the product. 

You can find this mascara over at Wilkinson’s for just £2.80 which is possibly the cheapest mascara I own and it’s a bargain considering it works like a charm. I think it’s safe to say that I will defiantly be re-purchasing this product once I’ve ran out.

Have you tried any Essence products? What’s your go-to mascara?

My Current Go-To Makeup Removers

Back in the day I was a disgusting little human and never took my makeup off before bed. I would apply makeup before school, sleep with it on and apply more over the top the next morning. I know, I’m cringing at the thought of it too. Nowadays I cannot go a day without taking my makeup off at the end of the day (except for those nights where I go out clubbing and completely forget to oops). I switch and change when it comes to makeup removers, there’s so many different ones out there on the markets now, and I just love trying a bunch out. I have rounded up a few of my go-to makeup removers that I’ve been reaching for more often recently.

GARNIER SKIN ACTIVE MICELLER CLEANSING WATER

I have never been a great fan of makeup wipes and I tend to stick to the micellar waters/oil based cleansers as I feel they are much gentler for my sensitive skin. Garnier have a massive selection of Micellar Waters available in Boots and Superdrug, I can say that I have tried every single one from the collection and I love them all. I mainly go for the oil infused micellar water however if I’m honest, it wasn’t in my local shops so I just picked this one up instead. It works just as well as the others and it leaves your skin feeling hydrated and free from any makeup residue.

SIMPLE KIND TO SKIN HYDRATING CLEANSING OIL

For someone who has normal to dry skin, I like to use products that will help to hydrate my dry patches. Oil based cleansers have been one of my favourites to use on those days where my skin needs a bit of a ‘pick me up’. Before trying this cleanser, I was very skeptical about it as I thought it was just going to leave me looking like a huge greasy mess but I was wrong. Once you rinse this off, your skin is left feeling soft, smooth and hydrated without any greasy residue left. It breaks down and dissolves your makeup nicely and it’s gentle to use on and around your eye area.

CLINIQUE TAKE THE DAY OFF CLEANSING MILK

Clinique have always been one of my favourite high end skincare brands. I tend to get a fair few of allergic reactions when trying out some new products however this has never happened with a Clinique product. This product is a gentle, milky cleanser which can be used with or without water to dissolve makeup. I would say that I don’t like using this for removing eye makeup as such because it doesn’t seem to get rid of that stubborn mascara very well. For face makeup though? Works like a dream. Massaging this over dry skin gives and rinsing off with warm water gives the best results.

GARNIER MICELLAR CLEANSING GEL WASH

Can you tell I love Garnier skincare? This was a recent purchase of mine and when I say recent, I mean I bought it 2 days ago however I feel like it needs to have its own little mention as I adore this product. It’s basically the exact same as the original micellar water but in a gel wash form and I actually think it works a lot better when it comes down to removing makeup. I have been using this for the past two days since I bought it, and so far it hasn’t broke me out which is always a good sign. I cannot explain how easy and quick it is to take my makeup off with this. It dissolved my makeup within seconds and rinsed off easily with warm water. The one thing I would say is that it stung my eyes a tad but I think that was purely down to the fact I used way too much. I felt like there was no need to moisturise afterwards either as it left me with the perfect amount of hydration for my skin.

What are your favourite makeup removers?

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