Experience: Make Up Removers

I remember being a teenager, not too long ago, who hated washing her face. Why? Because make up is difficult to remove. Now that I am a little bit older and have been though some esthetic training in beauty school, I understand the importance of a thorough face cleaning every night. Not only will the lack of washing your face cause avoidable break outs, but it will also age the skin quickly.



For years I had relied on facial wipes to do the trick for me. Why not? They are quick, kind of get the job done and I don't have to mess with spilling water all over the bathroom floor. And then I read a blog or Facebook post somewhere that opened up my eyes. It said something along the lines of...facial wipes just spread make up around the face. Wow. That explained why my mascara never fully came off and why my face didn't feel very clean. So, I started doing some research and trying out new products.

Ideally, your facial cleanser should be able to completely remove all make up traces. There are the few exceptions like cleansers with active ingredients that could potentially harm/hurt the sensitive eye ball. For me, my new found love, SkinCeuticals Gentle Cleanser, can't tackle my favorite mascara (Maybelline The Rocket). What's a girl to do in such a situation?

First, I'll tell you what not to do. After having such a realization about my current skin care routine, I sought out to find a make up remover meant specifically for the eyes. I thought, "Eye make up remover can't be that hard to mess up. I'll just go to RiteAid and find a cheap one." I purchased RiteAid's brand of remover. MISTAKE. Let me remind you that labels can be deceiving. I saw the words "Renewal" and "refreshing" causing me to believe that I will feel rejuvenated after use. Not the case at all! This product burned my eyes and irritated my skin. It should say "painful" and "frustrating". I also see the words "eye makeup remover" on this bottle...do you? Am I seeing things? Because all I found was black smeared across my face, even after a few Renewal-soaked cotton rounds. Needless to say, I was feeling buyers remorse. A few days later, something magical happened...

I was at Sephora buying a new powder when the cashier alerted me I had finally reached 500 beauty insider points! I had been waiting a few years for this moment. One of my reward options was a make up bag filled with some Make Up For Ever samples, one of which was Sens'Eyes. It must have been fate. Not only is this product made for sensitive eyes (and it really, truly doesn't hurt one bit!), it actually removes EVERYTHING with a single swipe of the cotton round. Hell to the yeah.

What have I learned from this adventure? 

• Not to purchase a make up remover just because it's cheap
• Everything happens for a reason
• Do my research before trusting I know what I'm doing
• Sephora rocks my socks off
• I never have to struggle with racoon eyes again

Just because something works for me, doesn't mean it will work for you. Likewise, just because something doesn't work for me, doesn't mean it won't work for you. I would love to hear how you remove your face at the end of the day! Comment below and let's talk make up removers. :)