BRAND EYE OPENER: Loreal Makeup Remover Vs Maybelline Makeup Remover

This is a comparison between the Loreal and Maybelline eye and lip makeup removers. But this post is more of an eye-opener as to how big brands are befooling customers and ripping us of money.

Exactly a month ago when I was reviewing L'Oreal Paris Dermo Expertise Eye and Lip makeup remover, I did some research on other similar products in the market. I discovered that L'OREAL and MAYBELLINE makeup removers have EXACTLY THE SAME INGREDIENT LIST, except a number mentioned in the beginning of the list.

I could not figure out what that number was and how only that number made the two products different. So I called up the L'Oreal Customer Care toll free number mentioned on the Makeup Remover bottle (1800-22-3000). The customer care rep confirmed a few details as to why I needed that information and then told me the number is for company's internal purpose. I was told a unique number is assigned to every product's ingredient list . She was still unsure and said she will get back to me.

The next day I received a call from Maybelline India from Mumbai, yes you heard it right, I was promised a callback from L'Oreal and I received a callback from Maybelline India.

To those of you who feel equally surprised, let me tell you that Maybelline is owned by L'Oreal. It was taken over by L'Oreal back in 1996. Even I was not aware of it till that day :)

Now let's take a look at the ingredient list for the L'Oreal Paris and Maybelline Eye and Lip Makeup Removers and compare:

IDENTICAL INGREDIENTS
(L) L'OREAL PARIS DERMO EXPERTISE EYE AND LIP MAKEUP REMOVER
(R) MAYBELLINE EYE AND LIP MAKEUP REMOVER

Before that day, I was biased towards L'Oreal even though it is much costlier than Maybelline. I have heard Maybelline eye makeup irritates eyes and I had never felt any irritation with L'Oreal products. Also, I have used Maybelline waterproof lip pencils which darkened the outline of my lips and I stopped using. But in this case you can see, the INGREDIENT LIST IS IDENTICAL.

Now my question is, why are they being sold as two different brands and at two different prices? Maybelline eye and lip makeup remover comes in 40 ml (Price INR 125) and 70 ml (price INR 215) packings and L'Oreal Dermo Expertise Gentle Makeup Remover comes for INR 425 for a 125 ml packing. When I calculated per unit rate, obviously L'Oreal is much costlier. Recently, the price for the Maybelline makeup remover has also been increased from INR 190 to INR 215 (for the 70ml pack).

I have used the L'Oreal Makeup remover and have read many reviews for the Maybelline makeup remover. Some said L'Oreal makeup remover is more effective as a small amount is enough to remove even stubborn makeup.  I use the L'Oreal one. While some other women swore by the Maybelline one. They mentioned that the Maybelline makeup remover is less oily and works better than the L'Oreal one.

My mind says, unless there is a difference in the % amount of certain ingredients, the two products are identical. And even if there is a difference in the composition, WHY IS IT THERE in the first place? And if that is the case, why is there a compromise in quality for a few extra bucks for which they are selling the L'Oreal Makeup Remover. All the brands in the market are ultimately owned by only a few BIG WHALES, it's just that we as customers are not aware and paying them all the money they open their big mouths for.

Thanks for reading and feel free to share your views on this in the comments.

L'Oreal Paris Dermo Expertise Gentle Lip and Eye Makeup Remover Review

L'Oreal Paris Dermo Expertise Gentle Lip and Eye Makeup Remover Review

This is a review of L'Oreal Paris Dermo Expertise Gentle Lip and Eye Makeup Remover for waterproof make-up. This is a suitable product for contact lens wearers. It is fragrance-free and absolutely irritation-free.

I LOVE this makeup remover! Read on to know why :)

PRODUCT CLAIMS:

L'Oreal Paris GENTLE lip and eye-makeup remover is a unique formula which instantly removes the most tenacious eye and lip make-up, even waterproof. So gentle it is suitable for sensitive eyes.

Quantity: 125ml

Price: INR 425. I had bought for INR 403.75 but medplusbeauty.com has now removed the discount.

Shelf Life: 30 months

Availability: Easily available online, and offline in major cities.

L'Oreal Dermo Expertise Gentle Lip and Eye Makeup Remover is a bi-phased makeup remover, meaning it has both water and oil, to effectively dissolve away and gently clean heavy and waterproof makeup. There are numerous similar makeup removers available in the market from various brands like Maybelline, L'Oreal, Neutrogena, Lakme absolute and premium brands like YSL, Lancome, Chanel and many more.

INGREDIENTS:

Full ingredient list is present. Isopropyl Palmitate can be an irritant to some. I have very sensitive skin and it feels mild on the skin exactly like water.

WHY USE A MAKEUP REMOVER?

As you need a clean and even surfaced canvas to paint beautifully, you need a clear skin base to apply makeup and enhance your beauty. Therefore, while makeup helps you look good and increase your self esteem, it is equally important to clean that makeup before going to bed, so as to maintain a healthy canvas of skin to do makeup on every time.

If you do not clean your makeup properly every night, you may soon end up with endless skin problems and increased skin pore size.

MY EXPERIENCE WITH L'OREAL GENTLE LIP AND EYE MAKEUP REMOVER:

I was earlier using Biotique Bio Almond Oil makeup cleanser. While it was effective and had no chemicals, it was a time consuming regimen to follow on a daily basis. So I decided to buy this.

It made my life easy and I can now remove all Eye, Face and lip makeup within a few seconds, without any mess. This makeup remover did some magic. It leaves my lips baby soft and amazingly clean in a single swipe, it is so gentle! My lips no longer chap, which makes me think some chemical makeup residual was previously affecting my lips.

It needs 2-3 swipes to completely wipe off stubborn waterproof mascara, so I rest the lids against the cotton for a few seconds and it comes off immediately. It cleans waterproof eye pencil in a single swipe.

The blue oily layer floats on top of the white aqua layer. Like all bi-phased makeup removers, you need to first shake the bottle vigorously to activate the product (mix the white and the blue layers to bubble up).

This is how it looks on shaking and mixing the two layers

The two layers separate again after a few seconds, so you need to shake every time you want to take out more remover, which becomes a pain.

It leaves an oil-like non-greasy film on the face, which requires cleaning with cleansing milk or face wash. I simply wipe with a soft paper tissue and follow with Olay Foaming face wash which removes makeup residue. You can use any face wash or cleansing milk of your choice and not necessarily the L'Oreal Dermo Expertise GENTLE cleansing milk recommended on the bottle.

This is an important follow up step as some makeup residue may still be sitting on your face in that oily layer, especially in the case of foundations and dissolved mascara.

MAKEUP REMOVAL TEST:

1. Chambor Stay-on Waterproof Eyeliner Pencil (TOUGH)
2. Maybelline Colorstay 18 hr lip gloss (TOUGHEST)
3. Deborah Milano Kajal
4. Revlon Colorstay Lip Pencil Maroons (TOUGH)
5. L'Oreal Paris Gel Eyeliner Black (TOUGH)
6. Maybelline Waterproof Lip Pencil Wine Red
7. Viviana Feisty Fairy Lipstick (TOUGHEST)

Single Swipe with a Q-Tip dipped in this makeup remover

(L) Even the toughest Makeup is gone in 2-3 swipes with cotton ball dipped in makeup remover.
Can you see the shiny layer left?
(R) After washing with Face Wash

THE VERDICT:

Most bi-phased makeup removers have almost similar ingredients. Buy any that gives you good value for money for the quantity provided and has the least harmful chemicals. This one should last me quite long.

L’Oreal Paris Smooth Intense Serum Review

This is a review for the L’Oreal Paris Smooth Intense Instant Smoothing Serum for unmanageable, dry hair.

Product	Unisexual Hair Smoothing Serum – NOT a Professional Hair Care Range
Quantity	100ml
Price	MRP Rs 240. Available for Rs 216 at both goodlife.com and medplusbeauty.com.
Shelf Life	36 months/3 yrs from Pkd. Date
Packaging	Comes in a golden plastic bottle with a flip open brown cap.
Fragrance	Smells nice but a little strong. Perfumed, different from the Liss Ultime Serum.
Consistency	Thicker than than the Liss Ultime Serum. This is a transparent serum very silky in touch.
Speciality	Leave-in serum, instantly transforms unruly hair to smooth manageable hair. The effect lasts up to 48 hrs.
Brand Claims	*The texture and shine of your hair is instantly renewed. * Immediately your hair feels smooth, silky and manageable. * Test conducted in laboratory after application of shampoo, conditioner and serum vs ordinary shampoo.

Oiled, gelled or dry frizzy flying hair are out and beautiful natural hair are in - thanks to hair serums. You have a different serum available for different hair needs and just need to find the right one for you. 

I had been a using the L’Oreal Paris Liss Ultime shine perfecting hair serum (reviewed here) for 2+ years, when I saw this serum on goodlife.com. I didn’t realize that the one I was using was from a professional range and thought that this one was just another variation. The price was quite less than the Liss Ultime serum and this also claimed to manage unruly hair and add shine. So I thought of giving this a try.

From my experience, I would like to reiterate here that the results of a product depend entirely on how you use it. Many times a good product may not give you good results just because you didn’t use it the way it was supposed to be used, and that makes all the difference. Use a very small quantity of this serum and you will get good results. See what happened in my case.

On first time use, I liked the scent and my hair did smooth down instantly. But later hair looked weighed down. Forget 48 hours, I had dry hardened hair the next day. So I reapplied the serum and hair looked more weighed down. (I was actually using the same quantity as I use for liss ultime and this one is thicker and 'less is more'.) Ultimately I washed my hair and decided I didn’t like it. I gave it one more shot and applied to washed hair and same bad results. 

To add to it, the bottle slipped from my hands and its neck broke, wasting a considerable amount of serum. I had to take out serum from the broken large opening, which poured out large quantity on my palm. I couldn't pour it back in, so instead of wasting, kept applying whatever amount it delivered. Applying more serum made my hair sticky, weighed down and dry and I kept wondering how could a renowned brand make such a bad product.

It kept lying in a cupboard shelf for months, till I gave it another try recently when my regular liss ultime bottle emptied. This time I got the desired results. I have very long, color treated hair, that tangle and become frizzy easily. I am using a very small quantity of this serum, and I do get smooth, managed hair for 48 hrs. Each hair strand is separate, healthy and untangled and it adds volume to my hair.

I have finally been able to get the proper quantity out by transferring this serum from the broken bottle to the empty Liss Ultime pump bottle.

THE PLUSES:

1. Since it is thick in consistency, you need a very very small quantity to make your hair smooth.
2. The effect lasts up to 48 hrs, which means you need to apply only on alternate days. So great long lasting effect and less maintenance.
3. Dry, hard, frizzy hair become manageable in a few seconds by using just a few drops of this serum.
4. If you have very long hair and braid them, it is a great daily use hair serum, instead of hair oil or not applying anything at all. This serum contains argan oil.
5. Hair feels very soft, healthy and voluminous for two days.
6. This serum is very silky in touch (doesn't make hair silky though) and keeps hair strands untangled.
7. It's a great styling serum as you can easily style your hair in any way after applying this. It does tame all flying frizzy hair strands.
8. Good value for money. One bottle is enough for the entire family for many months use.

THE MINUSES

1. Your palms become silky and slippery after applying this serum, and rest the picture says it all. Very bad quality breakable bottle. The broken bottle neck stuck inside the cap and the lid never closed after that.
2. The bottle is not transparent so you have no idea of the quantity.
3. There is a small opening under the flip cap but even careful pouring takes out more quantity than you may actually want. It would make a great product in a different, more user-friendly packing.
4. This is not safe to carry during travelling due to poor packing unless you shift it to another container.
5. Though pleasant, the scent is a little strong for my nose. It's more of personal choice. Some people may like that.
6. While it does make my hair very soft and comb-able, it stands nowhere close to the professional Liss Ultime Serum.
7. The brand’s claim of shine is completely exaggerated. This just gives a slight shine to your hair. Makes them look naturally beautiful though.

Directions for Use (As given on bottle):

• Apply onto washed and dried or dry hair.
• To open, flip open the cap.
• Pour several drops of serum into the palm of your hand. (for longer hair more serum may be required)
• Rub hands together and distribute evenly along the length of the hair. DO NOT rinse out.

Or refer to detailed instructions in the Liss Ultime Serum Review here.

Do I recommend? Only to people with very long and coarse hair, or for shared use. It will be good value for money for them. 

If you want to keep your hair loose and straight, or you have straightened /rebonded /color treated hair, add a few more bucks and go for the professional Liss Ultime Serum that gives both intense shine and smoothness. 

The quantity is way too much for people with short hair, so you can share with friends and family, making it more economical. Since you don't touch the serum inside the bottle, sharing won't be a hygiene issue.

Will I buy again? I had a lot of it left even after the spillage, which I shifted to the empty liss ultime serum bottle. But that bottle too developed a crack in the base and I lost even the remaining serum. I have not bought it again for serious packing issues and also, my color treated hair need less oily serum. For people with natural/untreated virgin hair, this is a good product.

AVAILABILITY:

Available at many online stores. You may also find at local stores in the market.

Have you used any hair serum? Which one and what was your experience like? Would love to know. Leave your comments and notes below.

L’Oreal Professionnel Paris Liss Ultime Reflexium Serum Review

This is a review for the L'Oreal Liss Ultime shine perfecting hair serum - conditioning, styling and shine, all in one.

UPDATE Aug 27, 2013: Please do not buy this serum as L'Oreal has changed the formula. It is now just watery and performs very poor as compared to the older formulation I have reviewed below.

Product	Unisexual Hair Serum – Professional Hair Care Range
Quantity	125ml / 4.2oz
Price	Rs 580 for 125 ml. Also available in 50ml transparent glass bottle packing (Price Unknown)
Packaging	Comes in a Purple transparent bottle with a pump mouth. The pump can be locked to avoid spillage during travelling
Fragrance	Smells really nice
Consistency	Slightly thicker than water
Speciality	Leave-in serum, adds shine to hair, manages extremely unruly hair
Brand Claims	*Contains Reflexium technology – a mixture of active shine ingredients and taming agents designed to coat the hair surface with a light protective film.  **Designed to nourish, smooth and add shine to curly, frizzy or unmanageable hair. It’s a non-greasy, lightweight formula which will promote softness and control without weighing hair down. ***Featherweight conditioning leave-in serum that works on the most difficult frizz-prone hair, leaving a perfectly polished finish. Makes hair controlled, soft and shiny.

Liss = Shine, Ultime = Ultimate. Reflexium= extreme shine that reflects light. This product truly lives up to its description. While I had been using the L’Oreal Professional Hair Care range since 2005, I was introduced to this lovely product in Dec 2009 when I got my hair rebonded. It made my rebonded hair all the more silky and manageable.

I have used this continuously from Dec 2009 and finished my second big bottle in Jun 2012. I could not manage to buy it online after that, so am currently not using this serum. It kept my hair quite straight even after 2.5 years of rebonding, without any hair spa. Chemical treatment to hair does cause damage and this product is fine to be used on both chemically treated and virgin hair. 

I have color treated hair and my permanent color used to wither off very quickly, which I guess was because of the oil in this product. So I have decided to move on to something for color treated hair. But for virgin as well as rebonded hair, this is a great product, except for the extremely bad packing.

If you have dry, bad, unruly, frizzy, unmanageable hair that you can barely comb through, this IS the product for you.

THE PLUSES:

1. The pump helps in avoiding wastage. Depending on how hard you press, you can take out the required quantity. The pump can be locked to avoid accidental wastage.
2. The transparent packaging helps see how much quantity is left.
3. The fragrance is pleasant and does not bother even the sensitive nose.
4. This product is watery, light and non-greasy. Does not make your hair heavy. You don’t even feel you have applied it except for beautiful hair everyday.
5. Just a small quantity is enough even for very long hair, though it depends on hair length. I have very long hair and have used only 2 bottles in the last 2.5 yrs of daily use.
6. Instantly smooths hair like magic and gives beautiful intense shine to the hair ( the Reflexium technology).
7. It is leave-in. You just apply it and leave it on your hair, without having to wash it.
8. This is also a styling serum. You can use a small quantity on your hair daily and just style your hair as you like.
9. This prevents hair breakage by smoothing frizzy hair and helps in running the comb easily through them. Even the worst of hair tangles are untangles within a few seconds.
10. Good value for money as one bottle lasts very long.

HOW TO USE:

Use it after shampooing and conditioning, when the hair are just slightly moist or use it immediately after blow-drying. Works perfect in both the conditions and I have used it both ways.

Pump a small quality on your palm, rub both the palms together, including fingers, expand your fingers like a claw, and run down your hands through the length of your hair a few times, one by one, till all the serum is gone into the hair length. Do not apply to hair roots. This is not hair oil.

If your hair are damaged at the ends and badly tangled, pour another pump on your palm and apply again to the tangles to untie them. Comb and style as usual. You can feel the silkiness on your palms later. The fragrance stays on the hair for some time and makes you feel good.

If you have oily scalp, apply only to the middle and lower length of your tresses.

For daily use, pump on wet palms to make it more watery and apply as described above. If you apply to unwashed hair without slightly wetting your palms, you will end up using a lot of serum, and your hair may look weighed down or heavy.

THE MINUSES:

While most people feel it is a costly product, I think it is value for money for the salon perfect hair you get at home, and also because one bottle lasts really long. So I won’t say price is a minus. If you have short hair, go for the smaller bottle. The best before date I think is 3 yrs from mfg, though it is wiped out on my bottle now.

My only complaint is with the packing. The pump stops working after some time. For my second bottle, it was broken right from the beginning and later stopped working altogether. I discovered later. Just check the pump before buying. The second bottle also cracked after a few falls. The crack was so small, I couldn't discover the leakage till the whole storage shelf became greasy. If the pump stops working or breaks, you will need to open the cap every time which delivers more serum than you may need.

Availability:

This is a salon product and is supposed to be used by L’Oreal certified professionals only in their salons. But many local shops, beauty parlours and hair salons sell this and the other variations of this serum. There are many other variations depending on your different hair needs. This one is to soften unruly hair and boost hair shine.

At salons you can even negotiate with them to give you the dealer price which is Rs25-40 off on MRP. Available online on Slassy.com, Purplle.com, Iwasugly.com and a few more online stores.

Update on Feb 24, 2013: I recently bought from a local established outlet and was horrified to find that the serum was mixed with water. I have returned it and got my money back. I recommend buying online only as even most reputed salons refill their empty bottles with duplicate cheap serum and sell to customers.

Indulge yourself and add shine to your hair and personality!