Review: Make Up Removers

It's been awhile since my last post and I humbly apologize.  Anyways, I'll do my best to put up more stuff here as much as I can.  I haven't had time to make any videos at the moment (plus I have a bit of a flu so I sound nasally and awkward what with the sniffing and what not).

I'll be reviewing a few make up removers that I've tried so far and which has proven effective and which had been less impressive.  Most of the products below are eye make up removers because I've been on a quest to find a good one for myself to get rid of those super stubborn waterproof mascaras and eyeliner.

Mandom Beauty Cleaning Express Cleansing Gel

I got the Mandom Beauty Cleaning Express Cleansing Gel at a local Watson's store and thought that I'd give it a try and I think it cost under RM20.  Supposedly it's a cleanser that removes make up in the shower all in one step.  The gel has a sort of watery consistency and an unfortunate overwhelming scent.  After cleansing my face with it (and getting through the unbearable product scent on my face), I found that there was still traces of makeup left on my face.  My skin did not feel clean and don't even get me started on my eye makeup.

PROS: Honestly, I don't see any pros to this product.  I'm sorry but I found myself quite disappointed.

CONS: Has an overwhelming smell and doesn't remove makeup (regular & waterproof) effectively.

Rating: 0/5

L'Oreal Dermo-Expertise Gentle Eye Make-Up Remover

As you can probably tell from the amount of liquid left in the bottle, I've used this product quite a bit.  L'Oreal I believe has 2 formulations for their eye make up removers.  One of them is the one pictured above, a gentle eye make up remover suitable for sensitive eyes as well as contact lens wearers and another one that has two layers which can be used to remove both eye and lip make up (I've never gotten around to try that one out though).  This particular formulation has a mild rose scent and is infused with vitamins and does not irritate.  I bought this at KLIA (I haven't seen this formulation in local retail outlets) and comes in a 125ml bottle.

Ingredients: Aqua (Water), Hexylene Glycol, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Panthenol (Vit E), Sodium Laureth-8 Sulfate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Triethanolamine, Allantoin, Magnesium Laureth-8 Sulfate, Magnesium Laureth Sulfate, Magnesium Oleth Sulfate, Sodium Oleth Sulfate, Methylparaben, Sodium Benzoate, Chlorhexidine Dihydrochloride, Disodium EDTA, Quaternium-15, Parfum (Fragrance), Geraniol, Citronellol.

PROS: Works for lightly pigmented eyeshadows and regular mascara.  Excellent for make up quick fixes.  Just wet a cotton swab with it and use it as your eye make up eraser.  I love using this to fix eyeliner mistakes and help make the perfect wing/flick.  Does not irritate and is very gentle to the delicate eye area.  Does not leave oily feeling on skin.

CONS: Due to it's mild formulation, it's not as effective in removing waterproof eye make up.

Rating: 3.5/5

Cyber Colors Gentle Eye Makeup Remover

This product was recommended by the sales girl at the SaSa outlet in MidValley when I was there shopping with my mum (and technically this was hers initially.. *wink*).  You get a good 118ml (4oz) or the product and it's your typical 2 layer formulation for removal of eye and lip make up.  This is one of my favourites definitely.  It removes a significant amount of make up but you still need to re-soak your eye area to completely get your waterproof mascara off.

Ingredients: Water, Cyclomethicone, Isohexadecan, Dimethicone, Poloxamer 184, Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Cucumber Extract, Angellicaarchangelica Root Extract, Camellia Oleifera Extract, Hexylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Citrate, Butylene Glycol, Benzyl Alcohol, Citric Acid, Benzalkonium Chloride, Disodium EDTA, Green 6.

PROS: Relatively effective in removing waterproof make up.  Contains natural ingredients to nourish the eye area such as ginkgo leaf and cucumber extracts.  Gentle to the eyes.  Paraben free.

CONS: Might not remove all make up with just one swipe.  Leaves a slight oily feel on the skin (but I usually cleanse my face right after so this is not a big issue for me).

Rating: 4/5

L'Oreal Dermo-Expertise De-Maq' Expert Elixit Concentrate Ultra Make-up Remover

This is by far my favourite make up remover to date.  It comes in a 100ml tube and I believe I purchased mine at Guardian.  Because it's by L'Oreal, it should be widely available in the market (no it's not sold inside a market).  The De-maq' expert range comes in 3 formulations (in Malaysia. There are more in other countries): Cashmere Milk Expert Make-Up Remover, "Milk to Toner" 2-in-1 Make-Up Remover and Elixir Concentrate Ultra Make-Up Remover.  It is said to be suitable for sensitive skin as well and leaves a satin-soft touch to the skin.  Although it's supposed to act as a face cleanser as well, I usually still cleanse my face after (usually on humid days) with my regular cleanser.  However, on days when I don't do double cleansing, it does leave a satin-soft touch on my skin.

Only a small amount of the product is required for the entire face and it is applied dry to the face.  Dot the product on the 5 points of the face and spread the gel on the face in circular motions.  I usually start with the eye area first, gently massaging the mascara and eyeliner to loosen it up and then work my way to the rest of the face.  Some people may experience cloudy/blurry vision when using the product in the eye area, so for this, I suggest relaxing the eyes and face while massaging.  Believe me, it helps.  Then wet your fingertips and continue to work the product on the skin, it should turn into a milky fluid.  The directions on the tube suggests wiping it off with a cotton pad but I prefer rinsing it off with water instead.  The final result, make up free skin.

Ingredients: Caprylic (Capric Triglyceride), Isohexadecane, Ethylhexyl Stearate, Glycerin, Peg-20 Glyceryl Triisostearate, Dicaprylyl Ether, Aqua (Water), Peg-20 Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate, Tocopheryl Acetate, CI 47005 (Acid Yellow 3), Parfum (Fragrance), Benzyl Salicylate, Benzyl Benzoate, Hydroxycitronellal, Citronellol, Limonen (F.I.L. B26727/1).

PROS: All round make up remover.  Works well to remove make up.  Excellent for travelling.  One of my top faves.  No parabens.

CONS: Temporary blurry vision on some users.  Causes breakouts in some users.

Rating: 4.5/5

Bio-Essence Bio-Hydra Eye & Lip Dual Makeup Remover

This is a fairly recent purchase (from Guardian).  I believe this is a new product from Bio-Essence and is another typical 2 layer formulation that comes in a 125ml bottle.  It claims to contain fine molecules that disintegrate waterproof eye & lip makeup effectively while moisturizing the skin.  Contains Aloe Vera and Cucumber extracts which is very soothing and works well for the eye region.  The directions on the bottle suggests washing off product thoroughly with a cleanser after usage (else you'll have a somewhat oily feel lingering in the eye area).  My personal experience has been great with this product.  I love it to bits.  It works well in removing stubborn eye make up and definitely does not dry out the skin and has a rather pleasant floral scent.

Ingredients: Deionized Water, Lentinus Edodes Extract, Isopropyl Myristate, Cyclotetrasiloxane, Cyclopentasiloxane, Fragrance, Polyaminopropyl Biguanide, Isohexadecane, Sodium Chloride, Cucumber (Cucumis Sativus) Extract, Aloe Vera (Aloe Barbadensis) Extract, CI 61520.

PROS: Excellent make up remover, does not dry out eye area, moisturizes skin & no parabens.

CONS: I can't think of any cons for this product yet.  I love it!

Rating: 4.8/5

So that's my review on make up removers.  I strongly suggest that if you have acne prone or sensitive skin, to read the labels and check the ingredients just in case you're allergic or sensitive to the active ingredients in the product.  A lot of people tend to neglect this step and blame the product when they break out or have allergic reactions to the product.

A couple of alternatives that you can try out are baby oil or olive oil:

 

Personally I like Johnson's Baby Oil (there is a light version but the regular one works better IMO).  And another one is the Ginvera Bio Lite Beauty Olive Oil with Bio-Minerals (A new find! There are other brands of course).  Michelle Phan recommends Extra Virgin Olive Oil which is said to not clog pores but EVOO is quite pricey in these regions so the Ginvera alternative is a good option to consider.

Ingredients (Baby Oil): Mineral Oil, Fragrance.

Ingredients (Olive Oil): Isopropyl Myristate, Mineral Oil, Olive (Oleo Europaea) Oil, Fragrance, Chamomile (Anthemis Nobilis) Oil, BHA.

Not only are these products great for removing make up, you can also get the most of the product by using them as hair masks and as a skin moisturizer.  Plus these are super inexpensive compared to regular makeup removers.  *smiles*