|
As
a daily wearer of eyeliner and mascara, I am constantly
on the search for the most efficient and effective way
to get it all off at the end of the day. Yet I still
often end up with slight raccoon eyes, because I loathe
taking that extra step of using a separate eye makeup
remover in addition to a facial cleanser.
But
with the big trend in striking eye makeup and dramatic
lashes coming for fall, taking an extra moment to swipe
some makeup remover across the eye might be more
important than ever.
I
asked MAC Cosmetics senior makeup artist John Stapleton
for some expert advice on how to leave raccoon eyes
behind.
“If
we’re talking about eye makeup that’s waterproof,
multi-layered, cry-proof … then something emollient is
your best bet,” he says. He recommends MAC Cleanse Off
Oil ($24), which has good-for-your-skin oils such as
evening primrose, so it softens and cushions the
delicate eye area while removing makeup.
Stapleton
says you don’t necessarily have to bring in the big
guns to remove heavy eye makeup. “Most watery
cleansers are strong enough to do the job,” he says.
For instance, he recommends MAC Pro Eye Makeup Remover
($10) applied with a cotton round for a softer removal.
He
adds not to turn your nose up at good old-fashioned baby
oil ($5.89) on a cotton ball or pad. “Just make sure
to use your favorite cleanser after” to remove oily
residue, he says.
There
doesn’t seem to be any avoiding the two-step process
if I keep wearing my heavy eyeliner-mascara combo (which
I will), and that’s fine. I looked into a few other
eye-makeup removers that have different levels of
strength and various skin-soothing ingredients to keep
the eye area calm and thoroughly clean.
The
closest I’ve ever come to getting all my makeup off in
one go is with Shiseido Cleansing Oil ($23). A couple of
pumps into the hand and about 30 seconds spent smearing
it around my face and over my eye makeup tends to get
nearly all of it off. But it is oil, and those with an
already oily complexion may not want to add more.
Lancôme
Bi-Facil Double Action eye makeup remover ($26) has
garnered a cult following due to the way it can take off
even the most shellacked-on waterproof makeup. It’s
not oily at all, and the eye area is left feeling a
little cool and not as if it had been yanked by a cotton
pad several times.
A
solid balm called Balms Away Eye Makeup Breakup ($20) is
a gel that comes in a cute little canister. Apply a
little of it directly on the eye area and it breaks down
eyeliner and mascara, which is then easy enough to wipe
away. This one seems good for travel, since there’s no
chance of spillage as there is with most other removers.
And you can get away with not using a cotton ball or
pad. Your fingers and a towel or tissue will do the
trick.
|
