It's really difficult to find the perfect balance between a product that will remove waterproof eyemakeup, not irritate sensitive eyes, and also not break the bank. I've reviewed a few eyemakeup removers here on the blog, and I've tried many, many more. It's also rare that I find a product that I'm so excited about that I have to stop the presses and write about it immediately, putting all other blog posts on hold! Well, stop the presses - I found an exciting product that I love!!


(This post may contain affiliate links which were added to make it easier for you to find the items. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission (at no extra cost to you). You are free to use the links or not - if you do, I thank you!)

I'd heard about Garnier's new SkinActive Micellar Cleansing Water, and I wanted to try it, but until the other day, I hadn't been able to find any locally. So I almost jumped up and down in the grocery store when I finally saw it on the shelf!

If you haven't heard of this, it's an all-in-one makeup remover and cleanser. There are two versions - one is for regular makeup, and the other is bi-phasic for waterproof makeup. You're supposed to be able to use this to remove all of your makeup without rubbing or rinsing. Honestly, I'm not interested in using it to remove all of my makeup - I prefer to use an oil for that. But I really don't like to use an oil for removing my eye makeup, so I was hoping that this would work as well as Lancôme Bi-Facil and Clinique Take The Day Off for a fraction of the cost.


The ingredients are: water, cyclopentasiloxane, isohexadecane, potassium phosphate, sodium chloride, hexylene glycol, dipotassium phosphate, disodium EDTA, decyl glucoside, polyaminopropyl biguanide. I compared them to the Lancôme and Clinique and they are very similar.

I wear waterproof eyeliner and mascara, so I want to be able to press a cotton pad to my eyes for a few seconds and gently wipe away the makeup. No rubbing or tugging. Lines and wrinkles don't need any encouragement!

If you've used a bi-phasic product before, you know that it needs to be shaken right before use. This is what the Garnier Micellar Water looks like before and after shaking:


I applied a generous amount to a cotton pad (so that it was saturated, but not dripping), and pressed it gently to my eye. I held it there for about 15-20 seconds, then gently wiped as I lifted it. Almost all of the mascara and eyeliner were removed in the first swipe. I just gently patted my eye to remove the remaining makeup:


For my other eye, I just flipped the pad over and used the other side.

It worked just as well as the other bi-phasic eyemakeup removers - and it seemed to be less irritating than the Lancôme (which contains fragrance) - and it's a whole lot easier on the wallet! I paid under $8 at Kroger for 13.5 oz. I'm sure Walmart carries it; maybe Target and Ulta, too. If you prefer to shop online, Amazon has a great price.

Cost comparison of similar products:
Garnier SkinActive Micellar Cleansing Water 13.5 oz. $7.99 = $0.59 per oz.
Clinique Take The Day Off Makeup Remover 6.7 oz. $26.00 = $3.88 per oz.
Lancôme Bi-Facil Double-Action Eye Makeup Remover 6.7 oz. $39.00 = $5.82 per oz.

But wherever you buy it or whichever version you get - you need this!! As you can see from the cost comparison, it's an incredible deal. But beyond that - it WORKS. You won't be sorry. It's amazing. I'm just so happy to have found a great drugstore product that does what it says it will do! And just so we're clear here - there are a couple of affiliate links for Amazon in this post, but I'm not affiliated with Garnier, and this isn't a sponsored post. I purchased the product myself and I'm only telling you about it because I really like it and think it's a fabulous product at a fabulous price.


Have you tried Garnier SkinActive Micellar Cleansing Water?

UPDATE!! Have you seen the latest? The Erin Condren Life Planners are now 50% off!! Best time ever to give them a try!! Don't forget  - if you're a first time customer, you can use my referral link to get an extra $10 off - that gets you a $50 planner for just $15!!!

If you're looking to pick up an Erin Condren Life Planner, now is the time to do it! They're 50% off right now!! That's right - 50% off!!

Even the metallic ones are on sale! The prices are now $22.50-$30, and if you're a new Erin Condren customer, you can use my referral link and get another $10 off! You could give one (or more!) as a gift, keep it for yourself - or if you already have one, it's a great time to pick up a second one! No code needed for this offer, the prices are already marked down!

Also, the new TakeNote™ notebooks and journals are available and they're 25% off! You need code for this offer: WRITE25, and it expires at midnight PST on 4/3/16. This offer can't be stacked with any other promotion.

This is one of the new notebooks:
and this is one of the new journals:



I bought my first Erin Condren planner during a 40% off sale - it's a great time to give it a try! Don't forget - if you're a first time customer, you can use my referral link to get an additional $10 off!

Which Erin Condren Life Planner is your favorite?

I'm a little late with Last Week on Instagram this week - it's been a crazy few days! I hope y'all had a wonderful weekend. Just when we were starting to get used to the warmer weather here, we were rudely thrust back into almost-winter temps. Brrrr! I had just moved all of my boots and heaviest sweaters into one of the spare bedrooms! Hmmm...perhaps that was my mistake...

Let's catch up on last week's Instagram!


I attempted another top-down selfie, which wasn't any more successful than the one two weeks ago. Sigh. Even though it was a bit chilly, I wore the drape front anorak I picked up a couple of months ago at the Nordstrom sale. (This is the closest thing I could find, but it's heavier than mine. Mine is really lightweight and really drapey, if that makes sense, LOL!) It's a little long for someone as vertically-challenged as myself, but I think it still works. I paired it with a plain white t-shirt from Nordstrom, jean leggings from Gap (similar), and leopard d'Orsay flats (similar) from DSW. The jeans and shoes were purchased last year, but they're still trendy, and easy to find at any price point. The bag is Kate Spade, and my nail color is Tango Passion by CND. A word about that white tee - it's the one that a lot of fashion bloggers have raved about, saying it's so awesome, only $18 at Nordie's, etc. I don't really like it. I've purchased nicer tees at Target for less. In my opinion, the fabric is cheap, it doesn't lay/wash well, and it doesn't look that great on. I'm not sure why I didn't just return it - and I don't know why everyone raves over it. Just my two cents. (Last I checked, they only had it in red in a small, but it was on sale for $10.80.) Oh - and that's one of my favorite necklaces! It's from House of Harlow 1960, and it's called the Kinetic pendant. Mine is in silver , but it also come in gold .


How gorgeous is my new wood watch from Jord®? Next week, I'll have a blog post all about it, and I'll also be giving away a $129 e-gift certificate to the Jord® website that can be used toward any watch of your choice! This particular style is the Sidney in maple and rose gold, and sells for $199. Their watches are priced $129-395.


I shared a flat lay of an outfit I wore later in the week to a doctor appointment (with a cardigan so I wouldn't freeze my @$$ off, thanks winter!). The top is a new purchase from Loft - I love the bandanna print (30% off right now, no code needed) and the slightly longer short sleeves. I paired it with roll-up white jeans from the Gap outlet (similar), Topshop lace-up ghillies from Nordstrom, fringe handbag from Nordstrom (similar), and Kendra Scott earrings (Sunglasses also from Loft - similar) I actually got three compliments on my outfit while I was at the hospital - it's always nice when that happens!


These are the Nine West pumps that I picked up at DSW last week on clearance. Actually Lulu saw them and urged me to try them on. At first I laughed, but when I put them on, I fell in love! They're awesome! They're sort of a linen-type fabric with a dull metallic gold sheen that keeps them very neutral and wearable. I love Nine West shoes and these are no exception. I ended up getting them for just $17.98 - such a steal! (similar - similar) 


 While we were at DSW, I had to snap a picture of this awesome wall decal in the restroom. I love it! And it's so true!


I was sitting on the floor in front of the doors to the deck taking pictures for the blog, and Psycho Jungle Cat decided to hang from a perch and observe. He was hilarious - twisting all around, hanging his head upside down - so I had to take a picture of him, too. Of course, the thwacking paw was always at-the-ready!


Gus and I went out for our usual Saturday night date, and we shared a dessert at TGIFriday's - the half-sized Brownie Obsession. It's delicious - and usually, even the half-size is about 3"x4" and comes with just one scoop of ice cream. I'm not sure what happened, but when ours arrived, there was only a small sliver of brownie - about 1" wide - and it was accompanied by two scoops of ice cream and enough pecans to make a pie. We laughed because obviously they were trying to disguise the fact that there was almost no brownie!


And that does it for Last Week on Instagram! I hope we're already connected, but if not, you can find me here. Have a safe and happy week!

Have you heard of or tried any Nude Skincare products? I reviewed their Advanced Renewal Serum last week (you can read the review here), and today I'm going to be reviewing their Progenius Treatment Milk and Omega Treatment Rescue Oil.

UPDATE: As far as I can tell, these products are only available from stores in the UK. I see that some of the products are available on Amazon, but I would just check the prices to be sure you're not overpaying. I will link to the general Nude Skincare category on Amazon rather than try to link to specific products.

I've been having some issues with my skin lately. It's been sucking up moisture like crazy, but I have to be careful about what I use because it's very sensitive and is also prone to breakouts. All of that makes finding the right products very difficult. When I saw the Treatment Milk and Rescue Oil available as a duo in travel sizes for just $22 at Sephora, I decided to give it a try.

*Break for soapbox rant*
You know, when you reach a certain age, and have to use anti-aging products in earnest, you really shouldn't have to deal with sensitivity and breakouts, too. I'm already dealing with dryness and lines, so do I really have to mess with that, too? Not cool. Can I get an amen?
*Stepping off soapbox*

I've always been a fan of oils for the skin, and I've always had a lot of success when using them - even when my skin was oily. So after looking at the ingredient list for both products, I was intrigued, and decided they should be safe to try.

The Treatment Milk is a concentrated blend of 10 naturally-sourced plant oils and superfood extracts, rich in all five omegas. It contains oat-seed extract for long-term hydration, and pomegranate extract as an antioxidant. It claims to be clinically proven to hydrate skin for 24 hours.

The Rescue Oil contains bakuchiol, which is a natural alternative to retinol - but it's supposed to smooth skin without irritation. It also contains coleus root, rosemary, and thyme extracts as antioxidants and purifiers to clarify skin. Rose hip oil nourishes with vitamin C and omegas 3 and 6.

There is fragrance in both products, but it is at the very bottom of the list of ingredients, so while I wasn't thrilled that they contained fragrance, at least it was minimal. Can I just say that I wish skincare and beauty product manufacturers would stop putting fragrance in their products? When will they realize that there are a lot of people who have big-time sensitivities? You'd sell a lot more products without the fragrance!

The Treatment Milk is described as a serum, and the full-size comes in a pump bottle. The travel size that I received, came in a tube and was a yellowish cream with a fairly lightweight consistency. I wouldn't call the consistency of what is in the tube a serum. Maybe it's a different consistency when it's in the bottle, but why would they make it two different consistencies?

The Rescue Oil is a slightly heavier oil, and you're supposed to press 2-3 drops onto your face after applying the Treatment Milk. I'm not sure how you're supposed to do that because it's almost impossible to apply 2-3 drops to your entire face on it's own. I actually ended up mixing the two products together, which made them very easy to apply, and they absorbed well that way.

I do need to say that both of these products have the scent of the botanicals of which they're made - the Treatment Milk smells very earthy, and the Rescue Oil smells of rosemary and thyme. Some may not like these scents. I didn't mind them, and they do dissipate fairly quickly.


I used both of these products for almost 2 weeks, in the morning and the evening, as the last step in my skincare routine. I didn't use anything else new during that time. As I mentioned above, my skin was really thirsty, and looking for moisture, so these seemed to be the perfect products. They felt a bit "greasy" (for lack of a better word) when first applying, but anyone who has used oils will know that this isn't unusual until the oil is absorbed. Once the products were absorbed (which didn't take long), my skin felt so soft and smooth!

I really thought I had found some holy grail products and I was thrilled! But unfortunately, I was wrong. Of course, I was - what was I thinking?? After about 10-14 days, I started to notice that the area under my eyes was starting to look wrinkly, and my chin was breaking out like crazy. Not good. Especially for someone like me. Once I have a breakout and the skin is reddened, it can take months to get rid of that redness. I stopped the products immediately and started back with my regular go-to routine that I know works, and within a week, my skin looked so much better. It's been almost a month now, and my skin is pretty much back to normal, but I still have a few pink spots from the breakouts. I swear by my Pretty Pearlfection Cream - it's the one thing I can count on to calm down any redness or breakouts. My skin loves it. (Yes, I'm touting my own product there, but

So, I think if your skin needs a lot of hydration and you're not prone to breakouts or sensitive to a lot of botanicals, these products might just work really well for you. The travel duo at $22 is an economical way to give them a try. And I'm not associated with Nude Skincare, and I get no perks for saying that. If you're oily, sensitive, or prone to breakouts, I think I would steer clear.

As I mentioned in the Advanced Renewal Serum post, Sephora is no longer carrying Nude Skincare products, but the Nude Skincare website still directs you to Sephora as their exclusive retailer. If you're interested in these products (or other Nude Skincare products), I'm not sure where you can buy them unless your local Sephora still has some in stock. I'm not sure where they are going to be sold now. 

Have you tried any Nude Skincare products?

It's Monday, and that means it's time for Last Week on Instagram! I hope you had a wonderful weekend! It was rainy here, but the temperature was in the 60's so I can't complain too much. Plus Lulu was on spring break and came home for the weekend, so that was another bit of unexpected fun.

Now let's catch up on Instagram!


First, I shared my new Anne Klein ghillies - and I am in love with these shoes! I went through hell and high water to get them (I'll share about that in a blog post), but they were worth every minute of it. They're so comfy, and they're going to go with so many different outfits! They were so popular that they were temporarily sold out in most sizes, but it looks like they're back in stock now.


Next I shared a pic of my mani for the week. I guess the lighting must've been off in this shot because everything looks sort of yellowish, LOL! This is a CND Shellac color - Tango Passion - and it's one of my favorites. If you follow me on Instagram, you've probably seen it before. It's also available in the Vinylux , so you can do an at-home mani with it as well. I love the micro-glitter in it!


I tried to do a top-down selfie, but as usual, it didn't work very well. I think it's because my arms are so short! As much as I detest selfie-sticks, I do think I need one for here at home! This is the same outfit I wore to my niece's baby shower a few weeks ago, but I'll share the info again in case someone missed it. The top is from Banana Republic - I picked mine up several months ago at the outlet for 50% off. I don't see the exact one on the website now, but this one is similar. The shoes are by Topshop, and I got them at Nordstrom in November when they were 50% off. When I checked, they only had a couple of sizes left and they're full price - but in the past, they've restocked. I recommend going up a half size. However, it's really easy to find shoes like this - DSW has a ton! The jeans are the a.n.a. jeggings from JCPenney, and I really like them! I bought my regular petite size in the color True Indigo, but they do stretch out after being on a couple of hours, so I just make sure I wear a belt. I picked mine up when they were 50% off, and I also used a coupon and a $10 reward, so I only paid $9.99 (reg. $44) for mine. When they're on sale again, I'm going to pick up a size smaller. These jeggings are also available in misses, maternity, curvy, tall, and plus sizes. The handbag is the Kate Spade Cove Street Provence Cross Body. I bought mine when it was 75% off on the Kate Spade site, but that was around November. I've only seen it on Amazon and ebay since then, and usually for more than I paid - but less than full price.


Buddy and I had lunch after his PT evaluation, and he got a shrimp tempura bento box and we both had sushi. You know I love me some sushi - and I also love bento boxes! Tempura veggies and shrimp are so yummy, so I'm glad he shared. I also had some clear soup and house salad - I love their ginger dressing!


On Thursday, I shared a photo from my review on Nude Skincare's Advanced Renewal Serum. You can read the review here. I actually quite liked the product. I'm all for doing whatever I can to fight the signs of aging!


We went out to eat on Saturday, and then stopped at the Kroger liquor store to buy some of our favorite moscato. I saw this sign for their upcoming wine sale - which is actually a pretty good deal if you drink wine. On March 17-20, you can save 20% off a case of wine - and you can mix and match the 12 bottles! In case you're interested, our favorite moscato is Mia Dolcea by Ecco Domani. It's actually an Italian moscato d'asti - and I don't usually care for sparkling wines, but this one is good. It's described as "soft, sweet, and luscious with flavors of pineapple, fresh apricot and honey".


And the last photo I shared was one of my Erin Condren Life Planner all decked out for St. Paddy's Day. I love the stickers that I bought from Lexie Kylee Designs! As a matter of fact, I just placed another order before she closed the shop for vacation. If you missed my blog post on my latest favorite sticker shops, you can see that here.


And that's it for this week! I hope you enjoyed this week's roundup! If we're not already connected, let's be sure to follow each other on social media!