As you can tell, I adore trying new makeup products. However, if you dabble in makeup, you soon discover taking it off is even more important. In my teenage years, I would often leave my makeup on and go to sleep. As I’ve grown older, I’ve realized that removing makeup is even more important than putting it on because without a good base to start it, no amount of camouflage will be useful.
That being said, it’s taken a good amount of time to find my holy grail of makeup removers: MAC Cleanse Off Oil. However, recently I got a tip that The Body Shop’s Camomile Gentle Eye Makeup Remover is a worthy challenger and a face-off had to follow.
MAC Cleanse Off Oil
As you can tell from the name, this is an oil-based remover. In the bottle, it is a lightweight unscented oil, but once combined with water, it turns into a creamy lotion that is extremely effective on waterproof makeup. It can get messy so the best way to use is to grab a makeup wipe (Dollz Tip: baby wipes are cheaper and better than makeup wipes) and squirt some oil on to the wipe. Press down on your eyes and then gently wipe off mascara, etc. You can also use the oil emulsion all over your face if you are a heavy foundation user.
Pros: Dissolves waterproof mascara; removes shimmer/glitter/glue best
Cons: Messy, especially while traveling; can cloud vision temporarily
Body Shop Camomile Gentle Eye Makeup Remover
Body Shop’s makeup remover looks like the usual drug store removers. I’ve used L’Oreal and other brands but never quite liked them since you always tend to have a bit of mascara goo leftover. They also tend to require a bit of tugging which is a straight path to wrinkles. However, the Body Shop formula seems to be very effective. I soak a cotton pad in the solution and held it on the eye. After a few moments, the makeup seemed to dissolve. You’ll still need a makeup wipe to get any face makeup off, but it works like a charm with eye makeup.
Pros: Easy-to-use; moisturizes the eye area
Cons: Hefty bottle; requires a significant amount of product for each use
Coming into the face off, I was very doubtful of the Body Shop remover but it was a pleasant hit with me. I’m definitely going to be adding it to my beauty arsenal. I prefer MAC’s thoroughness but the Body Shop product is perfect for quick corrections or traveling.
Is there another holy grail product I’m missing out on? Hit the comments!
