Review: Avène Micellar Cleansing Lotion

Micellar cleansing waters have literally revolutionalised the way I remove my makeup. I always double cleanse at night and micellar lotions are the perfect second cleanse in my routine.

I love Avène. It’s an amazing brand and their products have done wonders for my skin recently so I had really high hopes for the Avène Micellar Lotion*. As with all Avène products, this micellar water is made using silica rich Avène Thermal Spring Water. It’s suitable for sensitive skin and removes makeup without irritating or altering the skin’s natural protective barrier.

Now honestly speaking this isn’t the best micellar water I’ve tried. It really doesn’t budge stubborn eye makeup and if like me you wear a medium/full coverage foundation then this won’t get remove it in its entirety. And this is me speaking after already washing my face, I’d hate to imagine what it’d be like if this was the only product I used to remove my makeup.

However it’s not all bad news. Although it doesn’t perform well as a makeup remover, it makes the perfect toner. It’s gentle and hydrating and makes my skin feel plump and refreshed after I use it. Since my skin is so unpredictable it’s important that I don’t use anything too strong in the morning and this is gentle but effective so gets a thumbs up from me.

Avène Micellar Lotion is available to buy from Boots, priced at £12.50/200ml. Have you tried this cleansing water before?

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June Empties ..

I love reading people’s empties posts, and I’m always just a little bit jealous as I don’t really go through products that quickly. Simply because I have too many! Anyway, I’ve been saving these up for a while now so they’re not really June empties, more recent-ish empties.

Tesco Clear Skin Wipes

I bought these ages ago because Tesco had run out of Simple wipes. They’re awful to say the least. They don’t remove makeup properly and leave bits of lint over your face. To finish them up I used them to clean the side in the bathroom where I apply my makeup.

meTime Nose Pore Strips

I love these. The stuff that comes off – well I won’t go into that, but I love using products that I can actually see working and these do just that. My boyfriend also really likes them. These were only 99p but I think I’ll be trying the Biore Nose Strips next.

Simple Oil Balancing Wipes

I don’t tend to use wipes to remove my makeup anymore; I double cleanse to make sure everything’s gone. But if I were to pick my favourite wipes then it would be a toss up between these and the No7 wipes. Definite bathroom staple.

Vaseline Cocoa Butter Body Oil Gel

Blogged here, this is one of my favourite products; life just isn’t the same without it! As you can see I’ve been through quite a few of late – I’m pretty much addicted.

Balance Me Super Moisturising Body Wash

I usually quite like balanceMe products, but I just didn’t get on with this. The smell was too ‘herby’ and the product itself was way too runny.

Soap & Glory The Daily Smooth Body Butter

This is what I use on the rare occasion that I run out of the Vaseline Oil Gel. It smells great – as do all S&G products – and is very moisturising. I got this in a set for Christmas, but I probably wouldn’t buy it for myself.


Dr Bronner Tea Tree Pure-Castile Soap
I found this way to drying to use everyday. The tea tree was refreshing, and smelt very 'fresh' when I got out of the shower but my skin was really dry. Love the fact that it's multi use though.

St Ives Fresh Skin Apricot Scrub

LOVE. Bought the full size after I finished this sample. Feels great on my oily/combination skin.

Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil

The sample was so small that I can’t really review it. It was great at breaking down the glue from my horrible experience at OMG Beauty though.

Sasy n Savy Hand & Nail Repair Cream

Really not anything to rave about. The full-size is completely overpriced. No different to a hand cream that’s a fraction of the price.

Caudalie Vinosourse SOS Thirst Quenching Serum

This is the product that made me fall in love with Caudalie. It’s amazing. Absorbs really quickly and means I only need a small amount of moisturiser. The full size is expensive, but a definite must-have.

Paul Mitchell Awapuhi Styling Treatment Oil

I absolutely loved this. The smell, the texture, and the way it made my hair feel. Top marks.

Narciso Rodriguez For Her EDP

I hate perfume samples, but loved this. It has a spray pump which made it great for chucking in my handbag. Smells amazing. Will definitely buy the full size at some point.

L’Oreal Visible Radiance Renewing Gel Toner

I’ve been using this for years but only because it was the easiest thing to reach for in the supermarket as I’d been using it so long. Probably won’t be buying this again as I don’t think it’s suitable for my skin.

bareMinerals Blush in I’m Amused Rouge

My favourite blush, ever. Probably because it was my first. I used to be content enough with foundation and a slick of eyeliner, until I went to the bareMinerals counter in Selfridges. It lasted me more than 18 months so it was a great investment.

EOS Lip Balm – Mint

One of the most overhyped products on the planet. It’s perfect if you reapply every 10 minutes, but aside from that it’s really not that great. Yes it’s cute, but I’d rather hideous packaging and a great product, than vice versa.

White Glo Whitening Toothpaste & Mouthwash

Since switching to these I’m unable to use anything else. I’ve noticed such a difference in the whiteness of my teeth since using them.

What have you been using recently?

Mini Kiehl's and L'Occitane Haul

I took a little trip to Westfield recently and picked up a few little bits. Here’s what I got.

L’Occitane

Limited Edition Desert Rose Lip Balm £4.25 – I’m a complete lip balm addict, and when I saw this for half price next to the till I had to pick one up. It’s not as great as other L’Occitane lip balms I’ve tried, but it’s perfect for day-to-day wear.

Almond Smooth Hands Hand Cream £8 – I love the sweet smell of L’Occitane’s Almond range. Think it’s a tad steep at £8, but I couldn’t resist.

Almond Skin Supple Oil £29 – I would never usually pay so much for a body oil, but after attending a L’Occitane event a little while ago and trying this I’ve pretty much been dreaming about it. I bought myself the Almond Shower Oil as a birthday treat but I never used it, so I returned it and paid the extra to get this. Review to come very soon.

Kiehl’s

I popped into Kiehl’s because I wanted to pick up a lip balm, but a really nice guy I spoke to in there offered me a deal I couldn’t refuse …

Kiehl’s Wash Bag Set £19 (£16 with student discount) – Since a lip balm on it’s own was £9.50 I didn’t mind paying a few pounds extra for another lip balm and some extra goodies.

Set includes

Kiehl’s Lip Balm #1 – I’ve heard some rave reviews on this so wanted to try it for myself. The tube feels huge so it’ll definitely last me a long time.

Kiehl’s Lip Balm #1 Mango – Didn’t want to get two original so picked one up in mango and I’m so glad I did! Smells gorgeous!

Rare Earth Deep Pore Daily Cleanser – The guy in Kiehl’s said that this product would be good for my oily skin because of the clay. It’ll be difficult to work it into my already overcrowded skincare routine, but I definitely want to give it a try!

Calendula Herbal-Extract Toner – I’m not entirely sure about this. It looks and smells like herbal tea so I’m not sure it’ll be that great for my skin as I need something a little stronger. We’ll see though. I don’t want to get hooked on it as a 250ml bottle costs £34.50!

Don't forget to enter my MAC lipstick giveaway!