Picture this: It's 10 p.m. and it's time to take off your makeup. You grab the pack of face wipes by your bathroom sink and start rubbing. Five minutes later, you're still there, buffing your face raw, trying to rid it of that last bit of waterproof mascara. After losing three lashes in the process, you exit your bathroom red-faced and defeated. Makeup 1, Remover 0.
We've been there. And we don't have to tell you that not all makeup removers are created equal. With Halloween fast approaching and face paints, glitter, and fake blood on the horizon, we're already searching for makeup removers that will whisk away the stuff in seconds.
As fun as Halloween may be, nobody wants a face stained orange from a Troll doll costume the morning after. So, in an attempt to S.O.S. (save our skin), we rounded up the best makeup removers that will melt away the most stubborn pigments. Check 'em out in the slides ahead.
Cleansing Oil
Cleansing oils are hands-down some of the best makeup removers on the market. Simply dispense a palmful of liquid into your hands and rub the oil onto dry skin. The formula will instantly dissolve a full face of makeup.
This cleansing oil is great for anyone with oily or acne-prone skin because of its lightweight, residue-free formula. But don't let its weightless consistency fool you: It still manages to cut through just about everything — waterproof mascara, face paint, you name it.
Shu Uemura Porefinist Anti-Shine Fresh Cleansing Oil, $67, available at Shu Uemura.
This cleansing oil is intensely hydrating thanks to the passionfruit, grapeseed, and chia seed oil in the formula. We love slathering this all over our faces to break down everything from foundation to waterproof eyeliner, and then following up with a gentle secondary cleanse to remove any residual oil.
Lather Chia Seed & Passionfruit Cleansing Oil, $21, available at Lather.
Bi-Phase
Bi-phase solutions are typically made of oil and water, which, when mixed together, create a liquid that sweeps away makeup.
This blue bottle from Lancôme was one of the first makeup removers we've ever used and remains one of our favorites to this day. After shaking the bottle and dispensing the liquid onto two cotton pads, place the remover-soaked pads over your eyes. After a few seconds, sweep the pads off your eyes to reveal clean, shadow-free skin.
Lancôme Bi-Facil Double-Action Eye Makeup Remover, $30, available at Sephora.
Our senior beauty editor Alix Tunell isn't a fan of makeup remover, but if she has to use it, she always reaches for this one from Maybelline. "It's super gentle and doesn't sting," she says. "It's the best one I've tried."
Maybelline Clean Express! Makeup Remover, $4.97, available at Walmart.
Cleansing Balm
Our beauty features director Megan McIntyre swears by this stuff. "It gets everything off your skin," she says. "Just massage it in and watch the makeup melt right off. Bonus: Your skin feels so soft post-cleanse."
It Cosmetics Bye Bye Makeup 3-in-1 Makeup Melting Cleansing Balm, $38, available at Sephora.
Leave it to Beyoncé's makeup artist, Sir John, to find the perfect cleansing balm to melt away budge-proof stage makeup. "The Eve Lom cleanser deep-cleans without stripping skin of its natural oils," he says. "Even stubborn mascara or long-wear lipstick disappears instantly."
Eve Lom Cleanser, $80, available at Sephora.
Facial Wipes
If you're prone to skipping makeup removal altogether, Sir John recommends keeping makeup wipes by your bedside. We love these gentle towelettes by Clinique because they sweep away lipstick, foundation, and eyeshadow easily without irritating our skin.
Clinique Take The Day Off Micellar Cleansing Towelettes, $14, available at Sephora.
If you wear waterproof makeup, chances are you gave up on wipes a long time ago because they simply don't hold a flame to long-wear removers. These ones, though, will actually break down the most stubborn makeup and glitter thanks to the coconut oil in the formula.
RMS Beauty The Ultimate Makeup Remover Wipe 20-Pack, $16, available at RMS Beauty.
Full-Body
According to Craig Jessup, makeup artist for the box-office-breaking Broadway show, Wicked, Dr. Bronner's Pure-Castile Soap is his go-to when it comes to removing body makeup — a daily ritual for the show's green-tinged main character, Elphaba.
Dr. Bronner Baby Unscented Pure-Castile Soap, $6.69, available at Dr. Bronner.
It Works, We Swear!
We were just as skeptical as you probably are when McIntyre told us that Barbasol — yes, the shaving cream — is the secret to erasing unwanted pigment from your skin (especially if said pigment is of the face-paint variety). "MAC makeup artist Fatima Thomas taught me to apply makeup remover and wash as much paint off your face as you can," she says. "If there is any residue left behind afterwards, apply a thick layer of shaving cream to your face and massage it into your skin. Wipe it off with a washcloth or tissue, and the cream should lift the stains from your skin." Just be sure to avoid anything with "invigorating" ingredients like menthol; a red face is no better than a green one.
Barbasol Thick & Rich Shaving Cream, $6.08, available at Walmart.
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