Switching to waterproof eye makeup come summa ' time clearly makes a whole lot of sense. Increased temps and humidity levels -- not to mention days spent at the pool and beach -- can majorly up the likelihood of makeup meltdown. And while swapping your standard mascara, shadow and liner for waterproof versions is a foolproof way to prevent streaks and smears, taking off these long-lasting formulas requires more than your standard wash-and-go M.O.
There's no shortage of makeup removers out there, but the bummer is that many of them can be harsh on your skin and lashes, not to mention sting and burn. So I decided to try some of the latest and greatest makeup removers out there to see which ones were the most painless, mess-free and, of course, effective. (Hey, it's a tough job, but someone's got to do it.) Read on for the nine I was super impressed by. You're welcome.
I travel a TON, so I'm all about beauty products that I know a) won't spill in my suitcase and b) won't be snatched up by TSA. This convenient stick -- a solid, balm-like formula -- fits the bill. Made with sunflower oil and vitamin E, it's delightfully hydrating and glides on smoothly. While the directions say that it will ultimately melt into a foam, in my experience, the consistency remained more oil-like; still, it removed all of my eye makeup and rinsed completely clean. Plus, the larger surface area of the stick made it ideal for using on the rest of my complexion, too. The top layer can get a bit gunky after a while, but that's easily fixed by wiping it off with a tissue.
This reusable microfiber pad is an Internet sensation, but I was admittedly a bit skeptical... was it really going to remove all my makeup, with just water alone? Yep, it's true. Made with ultra-fine fibers (100 times finer than human hair) that trap and lift makeup, all you have to do is dampen the pad slightly and wipe. In seconds, even my most waterproof liner was completely gone, with no intense rubbing or scrubbing required. It's also incredibly eco-friendly, since each pad can be washed and reused up to 200 times. Consider me impressed.
My skin is ridiculously sensitive and I wear contacts, meaning most eye makeup removers I've tried tend to cause some kind of stinging. Not the case with this newbie. The bi-phase formula combines an H2O-based cleanser and gentle oils (give the bottle a good shake before using to mix the two), to take off even stubborn waterproof mascara. It also contains a cleanser that's so gentle it's used in contact lens solution, which explains why I could leave my contacts in while using this, no stinging or burning involved.
There's a reason why your mom, grandma and heck, maybe even your great-grandma have all used this O.G. beauty product. The cult-classic (which has been around for over 100 years, NBD) cleanses, removes makeup and hydrates simultaneously. While you could just wipe it off with a damp cloth, I personally found it a bit heavy and slightly greasy, so I chose to rinse my skin thoroughly after, though there's no denying that it's great at taking off any and every type of makeup.
