Mini CHEAP Haul: Eye masks, Garnier, BB cream and L'Oreal vs Lancome skincare

Hi Lovelies~ 

I'm trying really hard to blog at least once a week because otherwise everything I buy will end up just sitting there and I'd be finished with the product before I ever get around to doing a review... Anyhow! This week I went on a mini haul~ Priceline (probably my favourite store for lower end brands - for those in South Africa, its basically a Clicks) had 40% off all skincare so I decided to try a few Youtube guru's favourites. AND My Yesstyle items arrived!

I haven't used the Garnier cleansing water enough to review or say much about it but so far I LOVE the make-up remover. It isn't as oily as my Lancome Bi-Facil ($60 for 125ml) and does a great job removing all my water proof make-up! For only $8.99 (200ml) is an absolute steal!! I'm probably going to switch to this gem in future because I cannot afford the expensive stuff T^T'''

Skin79 BB cream ($24) - for oily skin. I tried this the other day at Westfield and really liked the texture on my hand. It's super matte and WHITE. Two things I love in a BB cream. I've used the Gold one for about 2 years now and have loved everything about it. So I'm quite excited to try this new range from the same brand. (Apparently the gold one was for hydration.. ) I'll do a follow up review later as I haven't been using this long enough to say much about it.

Next is this Japanese steaming eye mask I got from Yesstyle - it's rose scented ($10). I LOVE THIS. Anyone who's been to Asia has probably seen those little heat packs you get for your tummy or hands in winter. This is basically little heat packs for your eyes. Now you might wonder - HEAT PACKS FOR YOUR EYES? Won't that damage your eyes? The answer- not if you use it wisely. It says you shouldn't wear it long than 10 mins. I generally put this neat little thing on before bed and take it off about 5-7 mins later because that's about all I can take and because it's still warm, for girls on their periods, you can use it was a tummy warmer! It's greaaaaat. For $10 (R100) you get a pack of 5. Definitely will get more of these in future. I absolutely adore rose scented things <3 (They have other fragrances if you don't like rose scented things. 

I'd be lying if I said I removed my make-up properly every day without fail. We all get lazy, especially when it comes to removing our make-up after a long day of work/uni/school/socializing. I went to Brisbane recently and found that these were a life saver~ they're easy to pack and convenient for those who don't want to pack 3 different cleansers. You'll probably have to use about 2 wipes to remove heavy make-up but I soak mine in a little oil based make-up remover and everything comes right off! I think I got these for about $3.99 (25 wipes) - they're not the cheapest things but they're good for those lazy days ;)

L'OREAL VS LANCOME

Did you know Lancome is owned by L'oreal? Don't believe me- check it out here. Recently I've heard a lot of people talk about L'oreal's Youth code being the same as Lancome's Genifique... one priced at $29.99 and the other $95. I just couldn't believe it- I had to try it out myself! I mean, why would people be paying so much more for a product they can get at almost 1/4 of the price? 

Before we move on to the comparison, I have to clarify the difference on the bottle itself. Youth Code is made for dark spot correcting and promises luminous youthful skin while Genifique is a youh activator that is ACTUALLY NOT A SERUM (you'll see why later). Genifique is made to activate youth proteins in your skin and promises more radiant and youthful looking skin within 7 days of use. 

L'oreal : Dark spot corrector + illuminates the skin

Lancome: Activates youth proteins + radiates the skin

Maximize the picture to see what it says about the product at the back. This is a pump bottle and made to look like metal but is actually made of glass(?). Both bottles have a nice high quality (sturdy) feeling to them and are 30ml. The Genifique is a self loading drop top. The top will automatically load when you twist it back in and each load is enough for the entire face.

Conclusion:

Ta-Da. If you look below, the white is the Youth Code and the almost transparent one is Genifique. They are completely different from each other! The one is a thick silky texture while the other is a thing layer of almost watery texture. (Excuse the dark spot, that's from testing waterproof eye liner lol)

The biggest difference between the two is the first leaves your face feeling smoother, silkier for the first few minutes and then if you rub your face (in my case, the back of my hand) it starts to come off. Yes. That's right, it only SITS on top of your skin , it doesn't get absorbed INTO it. Sure, it feels nice at first but when I put my make-up over it... boy does it start to smear off. DID NOT ENJOY THAT.

Genifique on the other hand is absorbed within seconds and no residue is left behind. It does not feel as silky as Youth Code but your skin instantly feels much softer. I've used this product for the last 2 months and haven't really noticed a huge difference in terms of "youth" but my skin is definitely my softer than before and I love the fact it's easily absorbed! The price tag is the only thing that puts me off buying this in the long term... I mean, $95 (30ml) is pretty steep for someone earning a part-time salary. For those in South Africa, I think you guys have it for a little less R735 ($73) for a 30ml and R950 ($95) for a 50ml.  **

Anyways~ I hope you enjoyed my little haul. I really enjoy finding good substitutes to expensive things because I know we can't all afford  $100+ for a cream, especially students and those who aren't financially stable. Please leave a comment if you liked this post and if you'd like to see more of these posts, do let me know! Keep warm every one~~

Cathie <3

** I think I should put the disclaimer here that even though I work for the brand Lancome - I am leaving the company soon. So this isn't an advertisement and I'm not paid to write this review.Everything I say is all opinionated and you're welcome to go and test out every product I've listed here and prove me wrong.... if you're that kinda person.