Kate Somerville True Lash Enhancing Eye Makeup Remover

Eye makeup remover is a product that I tend to focus very little attention on, I usually buy a bottle of something new and then use it until it is finished up.  If I really like the product, I will often repurchase it instead of trying something new out.  One of my favorite eye makeup removers is the Caudalie Cleansing Water and it remains the only eye makeup remover that I have ever repurchased more than once.  My eye makeup remover has to be strong enough to get all of my mascara and other eye makeup products off and do so without giving me red and stinging eyes.  For a product that I really don't think about, I guess I am pretty picky about the formulas that I use.

My newest eye makeup remover was more purchased at random, I was shopping for one in Sephora the other week and decided to ask the sales associate was her favorite formula was.  Her answer was the formula from Kate Somerville, I have liked face creams from this company in the past so I decided to give it a go and see how the product worked.  She liked this formula because it has a lotion texture and not the traditional water texture.  This formula soothed her dry skin while getting off all her eye makeup.  This sounded very close to my product requirements and I got very excited about it from her recommendation.

The Kate Somerville True Lash Enhancing Eye Makeup Remover is a combination of an eye makeup remover and a skincare product.  Kate Somerville is one of the few companies that would even think of spiking an eye makeup remover with ingredients to condition and treat the delicate eye area skin.

"A one-step eye makeup remover and lash replenisher.  This double-action formula gently wipes away makeup, even waterproof types. Its SymLash226 Complex strengthens and promotes lash growth to create stronger, noticeably fuller lashes. This formula also rejuvenates the appearance of the eye area by reducing the appearance of puffiness, smoothing out fine lines, and providing deep hydration that softens the skin.  This product is formulated with luxurious botanicals, like avocado oil, white tea, and fig blossom, to reduce the appearance of puffiness and fine lines. Sodium Hyaluronate conditions the entire eye area."

This product is used very much like a traditional eye makeup remover even though it is a lotion texture.  I squeeze a dollop out onto a cotton ball and then wipe each of my eyes with it.  The first time that I used it, I managed to get a chunk of it in my eye and the combination of the makeup and the product itself stung like crazy.  I was able to get it all out of my eye with water and a washcloth and I learned that I need to be slightly more gentle with this product than I am normally am with eye makeup removers.  The second time that I used it, I smashed the blob into the cotton ball so that it wouldn't fall out and get into my eye again, this method of application was much better and this is how I recommend to use this product. 

The Sephora website states that this product can either be fully rinsed off the eye or tissued off.  I rinsed it with water and used a washcloth to get the rest of the eye makeup residue off.  If you are like me and use primers and all kinds of other types of eye makeup than I do recommend the method of rinsing as you will have lots of eye makeup to get off, if you do minimal eye makeup you could get away with tissuing the product off. 

This product doesn't irritate my eye area which I love and the delicate skin seems to be more hydrated than when I started using this product about two weeks ago.  But it doesn't perform as I need it to!  It can barely get all of my traditional eye shadows and primers off.  I had to go over each eye several times to get any type of gel or cream eye liner formula off and it left mascara all over my lashes.  This product is really best for someone who uses much less eye makeup than I do, especially someone who is less mascara obsessed.  I will admit that the mascara formula that I am using is a messier one to remove but this formula of remover performs worse than the Sephora Collection formula that I was using before in getting any kind of eye makeup off.

I will finish the tube of this product up but I will not be rebuying this formula of eye makeup remover.  It has some great skincare benefits but I am willing to forsake those benefits (I always use a separate eye cream anyway) and find a formula that does what I want it to...get my eye makeup off!

photo courtesy of Sephora

Kate Somerville Goat Milk Face Cream

It's warm and humid and several weeks ago, my thick face creams started to slide off my face. Normally, I turn to Caudalie for new face creams but I decided that for once, I was going to switch up my skincare preferences and try a brand that I have nothing from. I decided on the Kate Somerville brand of facial care products. Kate Somerville is one of the most respected names in the skincare industry and her famous spa in Los Angeles is regularly filled with many of the most beautiful faces in Hollywood. So I decided to give her products a shot and see what the result was.

I decided to purchase the Goat Milk Face Cream (at Sephora) which is formulated for normal to oily skin types. Sephora places the product in this general category, "A nutrient-rich daily moisturizer". Sephora gives the following as the full product description, "Kate Somerville Goat Milk Cream calms and rejuvenates sensitive, dry, and combination skin, absorbing quickly with no oily residue left behind. It offers optimum moisture, balance, and overall well-being for a naturally healthy complexion. For years, Ancient Egyptians used goat milk to heal and nuture their skin; thier skincare wisdom bears following. This natural wonder continues the great tradition, lavishing skin with infusions of milk proteins, vitamins, and amino acids".

So far, I have loved this product when the weather is warm. It hydrates well and doesn't irritate my skin or cause any extra oiliness. Also, I have not broken out when using this product, a major plus. The only time that I wasn't thrilled when using this product was the few days that the temperature dipped down into the 50s, it wasn't hydrating enough and my cheeks felt tight and dry all day long. So this is not a product that I would use in the wintertime. Also, this is not a product that I would recommend to dry skin types, it is lightweight lotion and won't provide enough hydration even when used twice daily.

The packaging of this product is genius and I hope that other skincare companies jump on this concept. It is housed in a tub and when you press down in the top of the container (after removing the cap), the product comes up through a hole in the top. For myself, one pump is enough to cover my whole face and neck without wasting any product. I love the fact that I don't have to stick my fingers into this product to get it out and therefore, will always be putting clean product on my face.

I would recommend this skin cream to normal skin types in warmer weather and oily skin types all year round. Also, any of those with sensitive skin will not break out from this product and should see great results also.

photo courtesy of Sephora