the clean up crew

Makeup removal, it feels almost as good as it does putting ON the makeup. At least to me anyway. At the end of the day I love the feeling of freshly cleaned skin prepped and ready for bed. So what products do I use to get to that point? Let's see what I can pull out of my bathroom cabinet...

First step is eye makeup removal. I have two options: Bioderma and Neutrogena Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover. Bioderma is definitely the milder, cleaner feeling of the two being that it essentially feels like water. Initially I wasn't too impressed with this cult item since I had to work harder in my removal (I wear quite a lot of smudgey kohl liner and mascara) but after using it for a few months I'll admit my admiration although I don't think it is the best at removal. It works best soaked on a cotton round and held upon the eye for a few seconds before gently wiping off. If I am wearing a heavier eye or anything with pigments or glitter, I turn to Neutrogena's version. It is tougher and requires less effort (no waiting, not as much wiping) however I think the "oil-free" claim is misleading. It definitely leaves a slight sheen to the skin compared to the Bioderma. This isn't something that bothers me since I remove eye makeup first and then follow up with cleaning my face so it eventually goes down the drain anyway.

For cleaning off my face makeup I turn to oil cleansers since I am a believer in double cleansing and find they do the best job at removing every stubborn trace of residue. I have maybe two more uses of my Boscia MakeUp BreakUp Cleansing Oil left and I would recommend it. It smells and feels pleasant and removes efficiently. Already ready to take its place is the Shu Uemura Pore Clarifying Cleansing Oil which has a much thinner viscosity than its Boscia rival. I have only used it a couple times so I can't tell which I like more yet. More details to come with use, I'm sure.

What do you use for makeup removal? I am curious to know if a majority of my readers use wipes. As long as I have been wearing makeup I have never used wipes! They always seemed unsanitary and not as thorough to me so I never bothered. I do understand the convenience appeal though.