Makeup Removers : Real Talk

Oh, makeup remover. You are the best friend and worst enemy of makeup lovers. When the day is coming to an end, it can feel so nice to remove all of your makeup and wash your face. Sometimes, getting all of your makeup off your face is the last thing that you want to do, especially after a night of drinking and it's say... 4 a.m.? I can only reiterate what everyone has told you your entire life; don't go to bed with your makeup on. I'm not here to babysit anyone or force you to wash your face, but at the very least, please take your makeup off each night. Today, I am going to explore the realm of makeup removers and share with you my favorites and my least favorite. Join me!

Lancome : Bi-facil

This is my ultimate, most favorite makeup remover ever. It's technically listed as an eye makeup remover, but I love this stuff. The picture above is, you guessed it, a travel size! One thing that might put off a lot of people is that this is an oil-based eye makeup remover. I know a lot of people are scared of oil on their face, but oil can be a good thing, and this product has never once irritated my eyes. If you want something that will work incredibly hard and get off all of your eye makeup (including waterproof mascara) while remaining gentle on your skin, then this is the product you want. It is somewhat pricey for makeup remover, but you can often get these in a gift with purchase and it does last a long time.

If you are looking for something similar, but at a reduced price, try Neutrogena's oil-free eye makeup remover. I personally don't think it works as amazingly as this one, but it is still pretty damn good and about $6.

Up & Up : Makeup Remover Cleaning Towelettes

A generic brand? Why yes! These are my go to favorites for removing face makeup and what I use to "wash" my face when I (almost literally) cannot get out of bed and walk to the bathroom. These are supposed to be compared to Ponds Clean Sweep towelettes, but honestly, I've never felt the need to buy those and compare; these are just that awesome. The thing that I enjoy most about these is that they are extremely saturated and they never tug at my skin, which is something you definitely want to avoid when removing makeup. There are a million different types of makeup removing towelettes out there, but these retail at $0.99 for 10 sheets (side note: for some odd reason, if you buy these in the 30 pack, it's more expensive. I always go for the 10 pack anyway, but keep an eye out for that). Up & Up also does different varieties in the 30 packs that are comparable to other brands, so if you don't like these, there are a lot of other options. Another brand's wipes that I have heard about, but can't speak to personally, are the Simple Cleansing Facial Wipes.

Almay : Eye Makeup Remover Liquid (oil-free)

I want to preface this with saying that I have nothing against Almay and actually love many of their products. That being said, I think that this may have to be the worst eye makeup remover that I have ever used. For starters, the first time I used it, my eyes burned horribly afterward and my eyes would not stop tearing. That alone should have told me to stop using it, but since I like to sacrifice my body in the name of makeup, I tried this a few more times. Every time I used it, my eyes had the same reaction. It is oil-free, fragrance free, and hypoallergenic, so I have no idea what could have caused that sort of reaction. On top of the horrible reaction to it, my makeup didn't seem to want to budge when I tried to use this. Perhaps I've been spoiled by Bi-Facil and Neutrogena's makeup removers, but this was just bad. I wish I had returned this when I had the chance, but I kept it. Least favorite eye makeup remover of all time.

What are your favorites and least favorites of the makeup remover world? Let me know down below!

(All photos copyright Allison Richardson Photography and not available for use without permission)