I have really enjoyed getting to know Gatineau as a brand over the last twelve months, and many of their products are ones I use every single day. Until trying the brand for the first time last December, I’d frequently see their products featured on QVC but I never took the plunge to place an order as I had no idea where to start. The Gatineau Floracil Gentle Eye Makeup Remover is possibly the brand’s most iconic product of all time, however there was serious uproar when Gatineau decided to discontinue Floracil three years ago.
The Gatineau Floracil Gentle Eye Makeup Remover was replaced by the Gatineau Floracil Plus Gentle Eye Makeup Remover which I tried myself back in November as it was featured within their Gatineau Gentle Silk Cleansing Christmas Collection. I had never tried the original formula so I had nothing to compare it too, but from looking at reviews online, it seems that many found the ‘Plus’ version to be too oily as it had a bi-phase formula whereas the original formula didn’t.
Skincare is always going to be divicise as everyone has different skin types, and skin concerns but Gatineau listened to their customers and due to popular demand, they’ve brought back the original bestselling formula of the Gatineau Floracil Gentle Eye Makeup Remover. The Floracil Plus version still exists which I think is fab as fans of the newer formula can still continue to enjoy the product, whereas those that didn’t love the newer formula can now enjoy their old favourite.
I think it takes guts for a brand to discontinue a product, and then listen to their customers feedback and then decide to relaunch the product they decided to discontinue. The Gatineau Floracil Gentle Eye Makeup Remover was the bestselling Gatineau product of all time, and it has a massive fan base so Gatineau definitely made the right decision in bringing back their award winning cult favourite.
The Gatineau Floracil Gentle Eye Makeup Remover is available from the Gatineau UK website, and the QVC UK website in two sizes; 200ml £22 and 400ml £32. The 400ml supersize is the size that I have, and it comes with a reverse pump dispenser where you place your cotton pad onto the top of the bottle and press down, and the remover will saturate your cotton pad.
I’ve tried reverse pump dispensers on Bioderma and they’ve been awful and leak everywhere, but that’s not the case with the Floracil version. The pump even has a cap which you can use to protect the pump, and it has a twist locking mechanism which is really handy. What I enjoy most about this reverse pump dispenser, is that it dispenses the perfect amount of product you need with each ‘pump’ so you won’t tip too much product onto your cotton pad like you’d do with normal lidded makeup removers and thus massively reducing wastage.
“Our iconic Original Floracil Gentle Eye Make-up Remover gently removes the remnants of the day and all traces of eye make-up. This wonderfully cooling and refreshing non-oily, non-drying and non-irritating liquid is highly effective, quickly dissolving and removing even the most stubborn of make-up. Floracil is extremely gentle with the same pH as tears; which means, no stinging, irritation or puffiness. Dermatologist tested.“
To use the remover, Gatineau recommend placing your saturated cotton pad on your eye for 30 seconds, allowing the remover to get to work at breaking down and dissolving your eye makeup and then gently sweeping the pad down the lashes to to wipe away makeup and impurities. I don’t wear waterproof mascara, but I do sometimes wear Benefit They’re Real Mascara and it’s an absolute nightmare to remove.
The Gatineau Floracil Gentle Eye Makeup Remover almost fully dissolves They’re Real within the 30 seconds with very little effort which is a testament to how effective this remover is. It never makes my eyes sting or water, nor does it cause puffiness. I hate eye makeup removers where you have to really rub your lashes with a cotton pad as it’s so bad for the delicate skin around your eyes, and your lashes, but Floracil makes light work of the smokiest of eye makeup and liquid eyeliner, and I can totally understand why it’s got cult status.
Some said the newer Floracil Plus stung their eyes, but I didn’t experience any stinging myself however if you do have super sensitive eyes, this original Floracil formula is extremely gentle whilst removing all of your eye makeup without leaving you with panda eyes in the morning.
If you prefer a bi-phase eye makeup remover, the Gatineau Floracil Plus is the remover for you, but if you want a gentle, yet effective remover with the same PH as your own tears, the classic Gatineau Floracil Gentle Eye Makeup Remover is a must have – especially in this fantastic super sized, reverse pump bottle.
Have you ever tried the Gatineau Floracil Gentle Eye Makeup Remover or the Floracil Plus Remover?
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