Chanel versus Lancome: Battle of the Eye Makeup Removers

Today sees a review of something I've meant to write about for a while - Chanel Démaquillant Yeux Intense Gentle Bi-phase Eye Makeup Remover, or Gentle BiPhase Eye Makeup Remover, if you go with the English version.  My new hero product.

This is a bi-phase makeup remover product.  This means that it contains two different types of ingredients which don't normally mix (in this case, oil-in-water), and which need to be shaken up to emulsify slightly before use (look here for more information on makeup remover types).

So how to use it, is it any good, and what about my previous, heretofore recommended product, Lancome Bi-Facil?

Using this stuff properly

Per Chanel, the "upper phase" (ie the bit that floats on the top) is composed of "highly purified cleansing oils", and the "lower phase" (ie the stuff on the bottom) contains "gentle rose and cornflower waters".  The Chanel SA with whom I spoke showed me how to use this (and when you think about it, all bi-phase eye makeup removers) properly:

• Shake, shake, Shake Senora, Shake your Body Line... ie shake it up well
• Squirt some out onto your cotton pad of choice
• Using the side of the pad that you've added the product to, cleanse your eye makeup (this is the workhorse side, it will have most of the oil-based ingredients on it)
• Flip it over and use the other side (the water-based ingredients will have soaked through to the underneath) and use that side to remove any oily residue and the last remnants of makeup
• Presto-change-o, done-o and dusted-o

You know, this makes sense, and I shoulda woulda coulda been doing this all along.  Now that I've switched over to this way of doing it, I'm using less Bioderma (I used to do a double-cleanse when removing heavier eye makeup, with a more heavy-duty bi-phase product first, then Bioderma afterwards).  This is simpler, cheaper, faster, less hassle.

What's all the fuss about then?

So what's so good about this stuff?  Frankly, it's replaced my Lancome Bi-Facil (a silicone-in-water bi-phase product rather than Chanel's oil-in-water bi-phase offering), my previous go-to eye makeup remover for heavier duty eye makeup.  The main reason for this is that I find the Chanel does the same thing as the Lancome, but requires less product and is gentler on my eyes again than Bi-Facil.

Because it's oil- (rather than silicone-) based, I find that the makeup remover product residue itself also removes more easily, which means less product overall, less cotton pads, therefore overall cheaper and requiring less pulling and dragging on my eyes.  I also found that Chanel's version doesn't sting my eyes particularly, whereas for removing heavier makeup, Lancome Bi-Facil can sting (albeit only a tiny bit).

For an acid test, I applied lots of heavy duty, black, cream-based-makeup-with-powder-on-top, featuring lashings of waterproof mascara, Avon Supershock Gel (pencil) liner in the waterline (this stuff never wants to budge!) and MAC Acrylic paint as a fluid liner.  So black, black and more black.  For the right eye, I used Lancome Bi-Facil, and went through five cotton pads, two cotton buds, and a double-cleanse using Bioderma to completely remove the eye makeup.  For the left eye, I used my new friend Chanel, along with four cotton pads, two cotton buds, and no double-cleanse was necessary.  And my left eye was significantly less red and dry afterwards, in fact it felt and looked fine, and wasn't dry or red or bothered, whereas the right eye was making its annoyance at all the pulling and dragging known.

Price Diff

Nada.  Price-wise, these are much of a much-ness.  I think the Chanel one used to cost more, at least I had it in my head that it did?  Either way, Chanel's costs around €26.50 for 100ml (26c per ml), Lancome's costs around €28.50 approx for 125ml (23c per ml). 

Overally, having used a lot of eye makeup removers (look here for all the ones I've tried out).  For years, I've kept coming back to the Bi-Facil as "the daddy of them all".  But I think that this crown will be passing to the Chanel version going forward.  Not cheap, I appreciate, but as I get older I'm seeing the benefits in spending money on skincare products;  if I have to choose, I'll always spend on skincare and save on cosmetics.

Look here for more information on the Chanel version and here for more information on the Lancome one.