Product Review: Bifesta Sebum Cleansing Lotion

I had been lusting after the Bioderma Crealine H20 Micellar Solution for quite some time now.  My only beef with it, why I haven't gotten one, is first of all the price (Php 1,400.00 is the cheapest I've found) and the availability or rather the scarcity.  After the Bioderma makeup remover was raved about so much by several bloggers, if not all, and showcased as part of favorite products video of several youtube makeup gurus it has been very very hard to acquire.  You can only get it online and let's face it some gals out there are just not born with the patience to wait for packages (like me).  Going back to the price, even if it's considered very mild yet very effective in removing makeup I just can't bring myself to shell out that amount of money for a makeup remover.  Especially because I can also use foaming facial wash for the same purpose.  

My mother has this habit of not washing her face before she sleeps because she says splashing water on her face wakes her up and she loses her sleepiness resulting in her staying awake until 3am and of course if she's awake so am I.  Therefore I had to search for a solution to the makeup removing problem that I felt comfortable buying.  

I had come across a blog post regarding this product by the lovely and smart Liz Lanuzo over at Project Vanity.  A quick stroll down Watson's gateway and I came home with my very own Bifesta Cleansing Lotion, and of course a few makeup goodies.  

Previously known as Cleansing Express, Bifesta is claimed to be Japan's first water-based makeup remover. According to the company's mission they aim to provide simple, quick & reliable makeup removal solutions to cater to hectic lifestyles without compromise to effectiveness with added skincare qualities.  BI means Beauty in Japanese and FESTA is an abbreviation of festival.  Together, BIFESTA means Beauty Festival, a celebration of beauty where beautiful skin care can be achieved quickly, easily and joyfully with effective, fuss-free makeup removal.

Moist, Sebum, Brightup, Agecare

The Bifesta Makeup Remover comes in four variands.  You have the Moist for dry and sensitive skin, Sebum for combination to oily skin, Brightup for dull skin and Agecare for mature skin.  Seeing the whole product range, I think the company came through with their promise of "added skin care qualities" with the whole range being targeted for specific skin concerns.

I got the Sebum Cleansing Lotion type and here I present to you the good and the bad.

What I love about this product is that it's really cheap and can be found in your nearest Watson's.  It's only Php 419.00 for 300mL of product and it's widely available (no need to wait! yey!).  I've used this with gel eyeliner, waterproof cake eyeliner, liquid foundation and waterproof mascara and my makeup didn't stand a chance.  Though my mascara bled a little on my undereye a swipe of the soaked cotton removed every trace.  I also love how efficient a small amount can be.  I cut into half a round cotton pad and use 1 pump.  I get 2 more cotton pads and again use 1 pump each.  The two halves of cotton pad go on the undereye to catch the residue of the mascara.  The other two whole cotton pads go on top of the eyelid.  Wait for 10-20 seconds while gently patting the cotton pads onto the eyelid.  Remove the cotton pads with a gentle pulling motion away from the face and voila!  But wait, there's more.  I use the same cotton pads I used on my eyes and swipe it all over the face.  And that's it.  All makeup removed.  Per removal I use only about 3 pumps, sometimes only 2 because so much product comes out per pump.  Also, the product contains no fragrance so it would be ideal for people with sensitive skin.  Your face feels refreshed and supple after makeup removal you won't feel the need to rinse.  But that's not very good practice.  

What I don't love about this product is the pump, the temporary English translation and the after effect.  The product is far too fluid to have a pump as a dispensing system.  There's actually a lot of wastage when you pump it too much and the liquid seeps through or squirts out of the cotton pad.  I'm currently finishing my big bottle of brush cleaners from beauty bar and when I do I'll probably use that bottle's spray and take out the pump of my Bifesta bottle.  Another thing is the english description of the product that will come off once you take off the plastic.  I like reading the facts on the backside of products and I wasn't able to with my Bifesta because in my hurry (and excitement) I ripped the plastic cover also doing the same to the sticker with the English translation.  I'll probably run down to Watson's just to read the facts on the bottle.  The last thing I dislike about this makeup remover is that after using it I felt a slight itch with redness all over my face which lasted for only about a minute.  I think this can be attributed to the acid content.  No need to fret however because the itch did go away and didn't cause any permanent redness or bumps.

On a side note, I didn't experience any difference with regards to the oiliness of my skin since this makeup remover was meant to target combination to oily skin.  It's still it's same old oily self.  I'll also update you on how long it took me to finish this 300mL bottle.  

"Un-making up" yourself is as equally important as learning the techniques for proper makeup application.  What about you?  What's your getting un-ready technique?

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