Vichy Purete Thermale Soothing Eye Makeup Remover

RRP: £10

--What does the promo say?--

"A gentle make-up remover for sensitive eyes that removes all traces of make-up and soothes the eye contour. Enriched with ultra-gentle cleansing agents and with hydrating and soothing active ingredients, this make-up remover is kind to the most sensitive eyes: allantoin soothes, cornflower extract combats irritations of the eye and eyelid, and vitamin B5 hydrates the eye contour. Your sensitive eyes are effectively and gently cleansed and the eye contour soothed. Tested on sensitive eyes under ophthalmological control. Hypoallergenic, with soothing and fortifying Vichy Thermal Spa Water. Non-comedogenic, suitable for contact lens wearers, and paraben-free."

--Packaging--

The cobalt blue plastic bottle has a white flip top and is transparent, so you can always see exactly how much liquid you have left and which also adds to the idea of 'pureness' inherent in the product line name. The blue and white colour scheme is not overly girly and information is kept minimalist but still useful. Opens and closes easily when needed without spillage during travel.

--Application--

Pour a small amount onto a cotton pad and rub over eyes to remove eye makeup. There's no need to rinse after use.

--Appearance--

Even though the bottle makes the liquid appear blue, once out of the bottle it's obviously clear. No visible residue is left on the face.

--Scent--

Smells of cornflower, cotton and elderflower without being sugary or overpowering; is generally inoffensive.

--Texture and consistency--

Blissfully simple: there are no glittery or exfoliating particles, and as this is just essentially a micellar water, there's no stickiness or lotion-type qualities either, so there's no qualms about putting this near your eyes. 

--Effects on the skin--

This product removes eye makeup swiftly and effectively, with the possible exception of some exceptionally stubborn mascaras. It also really helps to calm the eye area, which is handy on waking, after sun exposure, after work, or just when feeling tired. However, it is useless at removing any other sort of makeup, although on the plus side it does double up as a handy toner. I don't wear contact lenses, so can't comment too much on this aspect of the product's promises, but as I experienced no irritation while using this product, I would verge more on the positive side.

--Value for money--

This is a high-quality product that does as it promises. However, it's not really 'for me': it's fine if you only ever wear eye makeup, but if I'm going to buy a makeup remover, I want it to remove all types of makeup, not just that used around the eyes. I also unfortunately didn't see its effects as a toner: while it's pleasant and refreshing to use, I had hoped that its non-comedogenic qualities would have improved my skin if I used it as a toner, but it didn't. In short, I wouldn't buy it again for myself, but would not hesitate to recommend it to others if I thought it was suitable for them.

perfect partners

3-in-1 Calming Cleansing Micellar Solution, £11

3-in-1 One-Step Cleanser, £11

Soothing Cleansing Milk, £11

Hydra Soothing Toner, £11

Hydra Perfecting Toner, £11

Waterproof Eye Makeup Remover for Sensitive Eyes, £10.50

Purifying Exfoliating Cream, £11

Cream Mousse, £11

Purifying Foaming Cream Cleanser, £11.50

Benefit Realness of Concealness

RRP: £22.50 for 1.2g of Bo-ing, 2.5g of High Beam, 1g of Lemon Aid, 2.5g of Lip Plump and 2.5g of Ooh La Lift + mirror

--Packaging--
The packaging is very cutesy and compact, true to Benefit's usual form. It's a small purple-brown coloured box measuring approx 6cm x 8cm x 2cm, with a lovely dotty design on the lid. Inside everything is very neatly packaged, with the Lip Plump, High Beam and Ooh La Lift coming in small tubes and the other two products being embedded in the box. The box seems to shut magnetically so that it doesn't fall open in your bag.

--What does the promo say?--
"Sometimes a little concealing and perking up is all you need. It doesn't take a makeover, just this crafty little kit containing our famous concealers and enhancers. Kit contains: lemon-aid to correct discoloration on eyelids; boi-ing to hide even the darkest under eye circles; ooh la lift to brighten, lighten and tighten the eye area; lip plump to prime, smooth, and plump lips; and high beam to give your skin an ethereal glow. "

--Application--
For the tubes, just twist and apply directly to the relevant area of the face using the wand; apply the Lemon Aid and Bo-ing using your fingers or using a brush or sponge (n.b. no brushes or sponges are included). Pretty simple.

--Scent--
Didn't notice any for any of the products.

--Appearance--
Bo-ing: a brownish compact sample of the concealer.
Lemon Aid: a yellow compact sample of the eyelid primer.
High Beam, Ooh La Lift and Lip Plump: All are lotion type products in small tubes, with the former two being shimmery shades of pale pink and the latter being brownish. High Beam is an all-over face highlighter, Ooh La Lift is an under-eye 'de-puffer' and Lip Plump is a lip primer, to be applied before applying lipstick.

--Texture--
The three tube products are lotions, but aren't too runny or hard. The two compact samples are harder and are more like a lip-gloss consistency without the slidiness.

--How well do they blend into the skin?--
Lemon Aid, High Beam and Ooh La Lift are fantastic and very easy to blend in. Bo-ing is easily helped along with some water but doesn't fare too well on its own, and Lip Plump isn't intended to be blended in.

--Longevity--
All come across as fairly heavy-duty products - they don't seem to come off in any great hurry.

--Appearance on the skin--
The Lip Plump looks pretty scary when you've just applied it - it basically looks like you've applied concealer to your lips. However, when you've applied lipstick over the top like you're meant to, it's fine. The Bo-ing also has a tendency to make your skin look like there's just random orange patches on your face, mainly due to the difficulty in blending it in but also due to the colour of it - it looks browner in the box than on the face (though I have quite pale skin, so people with darker skins may fare better). However, all of the other products blend in wonderfully, with High Beam giving the wearer a lovely dewy glow.

--Coverage--
Only Bo-ing, Ooh La Lift and Lemon Aid are designed for coverage. The latter two work well, but I wouldn't buy the former, as I've used concealers that cover up better in the past.

--Ease of removal--
Absolutely fine - you can even remove them just using a normal cleanser, without having to use a makeup removal product.

--Value for money--
Quite good considering the prestige of the brand and the fact that you're getting five sample size products, which will save you money in the long run once you've worked out which ones you like. Plus, the box itself is an excellent size for travelling.

--Which ones would I buy?--
I would happily buy Lemon Aid (eyelid primer) and High Beam (luminescent complexion enhancer). Lemon Aid seemed to work really well as an eyelid primer and evens out the difference that you can see when people put powder/foundation on their faces and understandably don't want to put these products on their eyes due to them being too heavy. High Beam is just lovely to look at when it's on and a really light product for those days when you don't want to wear makeup but don't want to look like a total tramp :p
I wouldn't buy Ooh La Lift because I saw no visible difference when using it, and I wouldn't buy Lip Plump simply because I don't use enough lipstick - maybe if you had particularly bad dark circles or wore lipstick a lot you would buy these products and get enough use from them to make it worthwhile.
By far the worst of the products in the box was Bo-ing, on every level. I have used other concealers that covered up better, aren't as expensive as the full-size Bo-ing (which retails at £15.50 for 3g), are easier to blend in and don't make me look like I've been Tangoed. (Though having said that, the Benefit website says there are 3 shades, so it may well be that the one in the box was an unfortunate choice for me.)
However, I feel the box was a worthy investment and I will definitely be using it for travel.