Take the Day Off from bad makeup Removers with Clinique’s Cleansing Balm

I love PMS.

And by PMS I imply Philosophy’s Purity Make easy (PMS), their gentle, non-foaming facial cleanser/makeup remover.

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I’ve been using it for years, but it hasn’t been working that well for me lately, maybe on account of winter, and how I’ve been wearing a little much more makeup than I did in the summer and early fall. As it turns out, now, after washing and rinsing, I still have renegade bits of concealer and mascara around my eyes!

Last weekend, while scouring Sephora for PMS alternatives, I bumped into Clinique’s Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm ($27).

Hellooooo, pretty purple packaging!

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Katter og sminke -sweatshirt ??

42 dollar

Handle nå

And because I’d never used a so-called cleansing balm before, I thought I’d give it a try.

A cleansing oil in solid form, Clinique says it’s suitable for all types of skin.

Just scoop it out with fingers and apply directly to a made-up face, gently massaging it into the skin.

The way it feels reminds me of a body butter, kinda slippery and thick (but not greasy). As the fragrance totally free balm gets worked into the skin, it loosens every trace of makeup in its path, including waterproof mascaras and even hard-to-remove MAC Fluidline gel eyeliners. A quick rinse with water finishes the job.

POOF! No much more makeup.

Clinique suggests following it up with your regular cleanser (I guess just to make sure everything’s been removed), a toner (if you use one) and moisturizer.

I’ve actually just been using it by itself at night (no additional cleanser or toner), and so far I’ve been fine. No breakouts yet (and everything new tends to break me out).

A soothing ritual

Straight up — I like massaging the balm on my face. It feels nice. I’ve been doing it while I view TV and hang out with El Hub on the couch before bed.

And being a balm, it doesn’t drip all over the place, which is nice.

Other good stuff about Take the Day Off…

Cleaning with this doesn’t tug at the skin as much as cleaning with some makeup wipes does (can promote wrinkles)

The solid formula travels well; just transfer some to a smaller jar that you throw into a carry-on bag

Relaxes me to massage it in

Removes everything, including waterproof mascara and long-wearing eyeliner

Doesn’t leave an oily residue after rinsing

The non-drying formula leaves my skin feeling soft

My only beef is with the price. It’s a little expensive at $27, even considering the size of the jar and how little I’ve had to use, but I think if I’m careful with it, using an amount about the size of a quarter each time, it ought to last about six to eight months.

I’ll certainly let you know if it causes belated breakouts at any point down the road. makeup and charm blog Rating: A

I need a new book — preferably one with an ending that doesn’t make me cranky!

So, last night, after a long slog, I finally finished Her Fearful Symmetry. I don’t want to spoil anything if you think you might read it (SKIP THE rest OF THIS PARAGRAPH!), but when crappy things happen to the characters I’m pulling for, I get HELLA cranky. I’m probably not re-reading this one any time soon, grrr…

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What have you been reading lately? Anything fun (or just textbooks)? Please help me choose my next book.

Din vennlige nabolags sjarmavhengig,

Karen