Garnier Clean+ Makeup Removing Lotion Cleanser Review

I received a full size of the new "Garnier Clean+ For Sensitive Skin Makeup Removing Lotion Cleanser" for free from a tester company called "Crowdsocial". I have not let this lend bias to my review. All opinions are 100% honest and genuine. I had never tried this product before and was curious to see how it would stack up to my usual method of makeup removal. Disclaimer: This product has been provided by Garnier Canada, the opinions and language are my own, and in no way do they reflect Garnier Canada.

Everything that came in the package from CrowdSocial

My normal makeup removal routine involved using a liquid eye makeup remover to remove all my makeup, and that works just fine; however, I often find my skin ends up being dried out and flaky (gross, I know) or I need to wash my face to fully remove all the product. I was very excited to test this new Garnier Clean+ product, because it claims to moisturize dry skin while breaking down tough makeup - including waterproof mascara!

The packaging is very straightforward and simple, which I appreciate. The colours are pleasing to the eyes and useful facts for the user are listed right on the front. A full-size bottle is 150ml, which is plenty considering you only need to use a pea-sized amount. I also appreciate the fact that it is sensitive-skin specific, so you can be sure it will work with your skin type. Unfortunately, it does have the ingredient "methylparaben", which I know may be a concern for some people. If you have an issue with parabens, this will not be the product for you.

Usage is simple, put a tiny amount of the lotion-cleanser on the spot(s) where you'd like to remove the makeup, rub it in like a normal lotion and then wipe it off with a kleenex or a cotton pad. This product can be used on all areas of the face, including the lips and eyelids. You do not need to use very much of the product at all; a pea-sized amount removed all of my foundation, lipstick, eyeshadow and eyeliner! Glitter products are also removed easily, without leaving pieces of glitter all over. In terms of "bang for the buck", this cleanser certainly delivers - a full size bottle should last quite a while under normal circumstances, given how little of the lotion needs to be used in order for it to work.

The lotion-cleanser definitely softened my skin, even after wiping my face clean. The makeup was completely broken down and removed - including my tough gel liner. It was a gentle process and I didn't need to do any scrubbing like I normally do with my regular makeup remover. There was no residue, no funky smell, and best of all it didn't irritate my sensitive skin! It didn't make my skin red, or cause me to break out. There is no greasy feeling left after using this product, which makes it a step above most makeup removers. I didn't feel the need to wash my face after using this lotion-cleanser.

The fragrance is very light and gentle, it has a slightly floral scent - but it's not overpowering or irritating to the skin or eyes. The scent doesn't linger after the product is removed.

The only problem I have with this product is that it makes a huge mess while removing the makeup. When you rub it on, it breaks down the product but also spreads it all over your face. It's rather odd to see black streaks all over your face, but it all wipes off cleanly.

All in all I'd recommend this product, no doubt. I give the Garnier Clean+ Makeup removing Lotion Cleanser for Sensitive Skin a solid 5/5 stars.

2015 ELLE Canada Beauty Grand Prix Intro

Hi, everyone!

I was selected to be a juror for the 2015 ELLE Canada Beauty Grand Prix and I cannot be more excited! I received 20 different products to test out, in several different categories. My categories are Face: Moisturizer, Hair: Shampoo & Conditioner, Makeup: Lipstick & Bronzer. The packaging is all covered in shiny "Elle Canada" wrapping paper, so I cannot tell exactly what they are (brand, product name, colour name, etc.) but there are certain packaging elements I recognize that might be a bit of a giveaway but I promise to test and review the products without bias.

I got:
 4 Face Moisturizers (Product #s, 18, 19, 20 & 21)
 4 sets of Shampoo & Conditioners (Product #'s 30.1, 30.2, 31.1, 31.2, 32.1, 32.2, 33.1, 33.2, )
 6 Lipsticks (Products #s, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
 2 Bronzers (Product #s 28, 29)


I have access to a logbook, where I will keep track of my reviews and comments - but I will also be posting them right here on my blog. I will supply the links to each section of reviews posted when I have them. Thanks again, ELLE Canada for allowing me to be part of this amazing review panel and I can't wait to share my experiences!

I received a large box in the mail, filled with full sized products all wrapped up in shiny silver paper... It totally felt like Christmas - in March! I've included a photo above to show what I mean (I know it sounds a little crazy). I cannot imagine the effort that went towards wrapping all those items up, Kudos to you ELLE Canada team!

I'm a little concerned about the EIGHT hair products I have to try out - I find it tends to take me about 3 or 4 weeks to really tell a difference in my hair when I switch hair products and I don't know if I'll be able to give a thorough review on all the products in the amount of time I have. But I will do my very best!

Why Target Failed: My Perspective

When I was younger I loved going to Target in Michigan, they had great products for really cheap prices ( I loved their clearance section and still own some of the clothes I bought back then). As I got older I started enjoying their makeup section along with their home decor. The stores were always clean, employees were friendly and the product selection was amazing. So when Target announced they would be opening a Canadian franchise I was overjoyed. I couldn't wait for my favorite American store to come to a city near me!

Upon my first trip to the Target store in Guelph (closest one to me at the time of opening), I noticed something was different... Yes, the red and white bullseye was there and the red and kahki uniforms were the same but something was off... My absolute favorite part of American Target stores was missing - the food court! If you've never been to a Target in the United States, the brief explanation is that Target USA stores have a mini food court inside them near the front doors. They serve hot dogs, french fries, soft pretzels and fountain drinks (along with other concession stand food - but it's so good!) . It is a tradition for my family to pick up a soft pretzel to start off our Target shopping trips. I was disappointed Target Canada decided to replace that food court type thing with a Starbucks. How very un-Canadian, if they wanted to go with a coffee chain there are plenty of CANADIAN options they could've chosen to help support our economy.  I think that if they'd decided to go the traditional route, a mini food court would've brought some additional income in straight to Target, not drawn out to Starbucks.

The store stock in Guelph was always mediocre. Sure, there were some cute clothes but they were priced much higher than the US counterparts - and clearance racks were nowhere to be seen. The home decor was nice, but there was a very limited selection and frequently empty shelves. The cosmetics section was nice, and I was very excited to see they had brought some of the "American" makeup brands over - such as Pixi, Sonia Kashuk and ELF. But then another problem arose. The ELF cosmetics were outrageously overpriced. I am a loyal ELF fan and frequently buy their products in the USA, so I was appalled when I saw a typically $1 brush selling for $4 in the store. Or a $3 lipstick selling for $8 in-store.  You know there's a major problem when you can shop online, pay the high shipping cost plus currency conversion and still get the products for cheaper than buying them in a Target Canada store.

Finally, a store in my home town opened up. The stock was much nicer, more organized and they had sizable inventory. Prices still were a little higher than Wal-Mart (where I typically shop), but there were usually some pretty good sales. The staff were friendly and always eager to help, something I don't find very common in Wal-Mart stores.

Eventually, I started noticing that Target would have advertised items in their flyer, but when you'd get to the store that weekend (two-three days after the flyer came out) that item was no longer in stock and employees had no clue when - or even if they would be getting any more in. This was a major frustration during Christmas of 2014 when I had my heart set on a beautiful fake Christmas tree at an amazing price, only to find out my local store received only a very few and they'd already been sold out - with no chance of a restock.

If you viewed Target Canada's Facebook page pre-closing, you'd see dozens upon dozens of complaints (lack of inventory, high prices, etc.) on their wall. But you'd also see quite a few suggestions on what to change in order to get better sales and draw more people in (making their website actually show store inventory, products carried, offer online shipping, etc. being the main issues commented on). As far as I can tell, Target Canada took absolutely no interest in what their consumers had to say - no changes were made.

The other issue being that Target essentially "took over" Zellers. Once Zellers had left, Target moved into several of the old Zellers locations. This immediately made people think that Target was going to have similar pricing to Zellers, or at the very least similar pricing to their American stores - which was definitely not the case.

I was a loyal Target customer, and there were plenty of things I absolutely loved about them. Mainly the fact that they had the absolute best price matching policy of any store. They would price-match Canada-wide, and even price matched online website prices - something Wal-Mart refuses to do. Target also had amazing clearances, I saved so much money during those sales, usually 75% off or more!

But after their horrendous liquidation sale (prices marked up the night before the sale, store stock being very iffy, prices not coming up correctly, etc.) I am not surprised they are leaving. I'm terribly disappointed in the utter failure Target was in Canada, and I think they could've done a much better job.  Hell, the war of 1812 lasted longer than they did here.

Finally, my best wishes to the employees who found out they were out of a job through social media (shame on you, Target.)

Update 03/13/2015: Target Canada announced the closing of 16 stores (including all the stores in my hometown). The areas I was interested in never even reached 50% off. Cosmetics have remained 30% off the entire sale, and that's as low as they're going to get. Target Canada can't even do liquidation right.

Final Update: As of the end of April 2015, all Target Canada stores have been closed - a month earlier than the predicted closing date. Guess they couldn't get out of Canada fast enough.