May 1, 2011

Hurray!  I finally found it after almost a year of searching…the perfect eye make-up remover!  It's oil-free, cruelty-free, and super-effective yet extremely gentle thanks to the aloe, chamomile and cucumber.

What is it?  It's Philosophy Just Release Me.

One of the things I love about Philosophy is their sense of humor. Here's the story from the bottle of Just Release Me:

“from caked on to baked on, from lid lock to grid lock, from dressed up to stressed out, from high shoes to win-lose, from run fast to slow down, it's time to release your eye makeup and set your sights free”

Cute, huh?  I like it already!

Just Release Me reminds me a lot of my old long-time favorite eye makeup remover; Lancome Bi-Facil, which I dropped like a hot potato when I banned animal-tested products from my home last summer.

Both of these removers are oil-free, dual-phase and look the same in the bottle: thin blue liquid separated in two layers that need to be shaken before using to blend together.

Both removers quickly remove all traces of makeup – even loads of mascara – without pulling or rubbing delicate under-eye skin, and without losing any eyelashes.

I've used both of these products in the same manner, with great results.  I wet a cotton round with hot water and squeeze out most of the water, then add a dab of remover.  I hold the cotton round over my eye for a few seconds, and then gently wipe away all of the remaining makeup, turning the pad over if necessary to finish up.

What's different between the two?  Just Release Me is $18 for 6 ounces ($3 per ounce), and Bi-Facil is $26 for 4.2 ounces ($6.19 per ounce).  That's more than double the price!

And the biggie that I already mentioned is that Lancome animal tests and Philosophy does not.  That's more than big…it's huge.

Just Release Me is currently sold out on the Philosophy web site, but it's in stock at Drugstore.com, Sephora and at Ulta, which is where I got mine.

Philosophy does not animal test, but they are not a vegan company.  If you're ok with that, then Just Release Me may be the eye makeup remover for you!

~BigSis

February 25, 2009

I was out running errands the other day, and happened to notice a small sticker on the back of the SUV in front of me.  It said “Wag More, Bark Less”.  It's a simple arrangement of 4 little words, but such a profound statement, don't you think?  It struck me immediately as a great philosophy for life, kind of like those “my dog taught me all I need to know about life” books.

Think about it with me for a minute.  What if we did wag more and bark less?  What would that look like?  First of all, to me wagging more would mean outwardly and gratefully showing our joy at the things that please us – without reservation or self-consciousness.

The other part of that is that more things would please us.  Have you noticed how little it takes to make a dog's day?  It seems that they think this walk will be the best walk ever, that this meal will be the most delicious thing they ever tasted, that this game of frisbee has to be the most thrilling experience in their life, and that sitting near you on the couch is the greatest fulfilling moment they could imagine.  How would it change our lives if we were a little more dog-like, and focused on celebrating the simple joy in our lives and being thankful for it all?

Now the “bark less” part.  When I think about barking in human terms, it conjures up images of people complaining, being angry or being verbally aggressive or even abusive…all things we could absolutely use less of.  All things that reflect the opposite of gratitude and joy.

I know that we don't literally have tails to wag or barks to silence, but I think this sentiment is going to be on my mind this week.  I hope it will.  Wag more, bark less.  I like it.

~BigSis