Road Test: Makeup Removers

No matter how tired, inebriated or sick I might feel, I NEVER fail to remove my makeup before I go to bed. Sleeping with makeup on is right up there with wearing underwear two days in a row-it really grosses me out and I can't stop thinking about how icky I feel. Over the years, I have tried a myriad of makeup removing products. Some are designed for just eyes, some are designed for your whole face. No matter what product I use, I always follow up with a face wash (using my trusty Clarisonic Mia) and  moisturizer to make sure that I'm getting every trace of makeup off my skin and going to bed hydrated and ready for 8 hours of beauty sleep.

1. Rimmel Gentle Eye Makeup Remover, $5.89 for 4.2oz at Drugstore.com:  I usually pick this eye makeup remover from Target or Ulta but sometimes it's hard to find.  I like the formula of this remover for touch-ups or removing fallout during makeup application.  It doesn't leave an oily residue and removes black eyeliner and heavy eyeshadow easily.  That said, it doesn't always want to get the tiny flecks of pigment eyeshadow that will often fall off my brush or my eyelid during application.  The price is great and the bottle is a great size for travel.

2. The Body Shop's Camomile Gentle Eye Makeup Remover, $14.50 for 8.4oz at The Body Shop: This is a longtime favorite of mine. Wearing contacts means that I have to be careful about what I put around my eyes. I love this product for removing heavy eyeliner that I've used for tightlining my upper or lower lids as it doesn't sting if I happen to get a little in my eyes. Unfortunately, I usually have to use quite a bit of this stuff to remove eyeshadow, especially if I'm wearing it on top of a primer.  The price is another factor, particularly when I'm using a lot of it at a time.  It doesn't leave a residue on my skin, so again, this one is great for touch-ups during makeup application.

3. Almay Moisturizing Make-up Remover, $4.89 for 4oz at Target: I've used this product on and off for years, probably since I realized that I was waking up with mascara smears under my eyes and it looked like I had been punched in the face.  Eighteen years ago, there weren't as many options for eye makeup removers are there are now. I was happy with this product. Now I realize how greasy it leaves my skin and that it often gets in my eyes and burns like the dickens.  Not only that, it does a poor job of removing mascara, whether it's waterproof or just run of the mill regular formulation.  If I have to use this in a pinch, I will. But personally, I'm not crazy about a film of oil all around my eyes.

4. Clinique Take The Day Off Makeup Remover, $18 for 4.2oz at Clinique Counters or online: Another rather expensive makeup remover, this product has it's place in my arsenal.  What I love- you only need a little bit to remove waterproof mascara, lipstick, heavy eye makeup.  What I hate- again, a greasy film around my eyes. This product is not great for use during makeup application to remove mistakes or touch-ups.  Clinique makes another formulation, the Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm, $27.50 at Clinique Counters, that is WONDERFUL for removing full face makeup, especially if you have dry skin. A little bit goes a long way- I've had the same tub for about 7 months and I've used maybe half of it. I don't use it every time as it's kind of messy, but it will break up your foundation, eye makeup, etc in about 20 seconds and doesn't leave a greasy residue like the liquid remover.

5. Pond's Wet Cleansing Evening Smooth with Camomile and White Tea Towelettes, $4.69 for 30 ct pacakge at Target:  So you come home from a night out and you're tired and the last thing you want to do is spend a long time standing in front of the mirror making sure that you got every bit of eye makeup off and messing with cotton balls and getting the screw top off a bottle and oh great, you dropped the top behind the toilet...  I'm a big fan of these texturized wipes. One side is slightly rougher than the other (and when I say rougher, it's not really rough at all, just more nubby) and one wipe will get off all of my makeup. I still wash my face afterwards but in a pinch, you could moisturize and fall into bed. They smell great and the camomile and white tea formulation is very soothing to your skin. Another perk- you can use these to do a spot clean on your makeup brushes in between deep cleans. Dual purpose!

6. Eye Makeup Remover by Nars, $25 for 3oz at NARS counters or online: This is a new product to me and I don't know that I will purchase it (I got a generous sample with a purchase of some makeup).  I will say that the bottle needs to be shaken very well before use and that you need a very tiny amount to remove a LOT of eye makeup.  It is expensive and I can't see myself buying it on a regular basis. I didn't feel that it made my skin particularly greasy or oily but there was a slight residue left behind. The price is a definite negative for me. I'd rather spend that money on a great moisturizer or some new eye makeup!

7. Olive Oil, Any Grocery Store: I find olive oil to be handy to keep on hand for deep cleaning my makeup brushes, making scrubs, for use on my cuticles- it has a ton of uses. It does make a great eye makeup remover but to me, it has some negatives that prevent me from using it unless I'm in a pinch.  I find that it often ends up on my contact lenses, leaving a smeary residue that is really disgusting.  It definitely leaves a residue on my skin as well, which is difficult to remove. I don't like leaving it on my skin as I feel that it's too heavy to use as a moisturizer on the delicate skin around your eyes.

There are a lot of eye makeup removers out there- M.A.C, Neutrogena, L'Oreal, Lancome, every makeup line seems to have their own product.  Of course, a lot of it comes down to preference and skin type.  Remember, removing your makeup and keeping your skin healthy and clean makes for more youthful skin and a healthy appearance.

Cheers!