Waterproof make-up is made to resist water, so water and a quick wipe will not move it. It needs oil, time and a light hand. Begin with a bi-phase remover on the eyes, held in place rather than rubbed. Then massage a cleansing oil or balm over the dry face, rinse, and follow with a second, gentler cleanse. Micellar water has its place too, for lighter days and for a final sweep.
Why Does Waterproof Make-Up Need a Different Remover?
Waterproof mascara, liner and long-wear base are formulated to hold through heat, humidity and tears. The same quality that keeps them in place at a wedding makes them slow to leave at midnight. Oils and oily solvents loosen these formulas where water slides off them, which is why every method below has an oil somewhere in it. The other half of the answer is patience: let the remover do the work, so your hand does not have to.
Bi-Phase Make-Up Remover for the Eyes
A bi-phase, or two-phase, remover sits in the bottle as two visible layers: an oil phase and a watery phase. Shaken, they combine for a moment, so the oil can loosen waterproof pigment while the watery layer keeps the feel light. It suits the eye area well, because it asks for a few seconds of waiting instead of pressure.
We chose four. The Clinique Gentle Bi-Phase Eye & Lip Cleanser pairs a water phase with a light oil phase, and the house asks you to hold the pad against the closed eye for a few seconds before you sweep. The Dior Nymphéa Purifying Eye & Lip Makeup Remover is a two-phase liquid infused with nymphéa, made for eyes and lips. The Eucerin DermatoCLEAN Sensitive Skin Bi-Phase Eye Makeup Remover is created for sensitive skin and comes with a pump dispenser. The Payot Nue Bi-Phase Make-Up Remover for Eyes and Lips counts bitter orange flower water among its ingredients.
- Gentle Bi-Phase Eye & Lip Cleanser
- Nymphéa Purifying Eye & Lip Makeup Remover
- DermatoCLEAN Sensitive Skin Bi-Phase Eye Makeup Remover
- Nue Bi-Phase Make-Up Remover for Eyes and Lips
How Do You Remove Eye Make-Up Without Rubbing?
The skin around the eyes is the most delicate on the face, and waterproof mascara tempts you to scrub. Hold, do not rub:
- If you wear contact lenses, take them out first.
- Shake the bottle until the two layers combine.
- Soak a cotton pad well. A damp pad drags; a soaked one glides.
- Close your eye and hold the pad against your lashes for a few seconds while the mascara softens.
- Sweep down and outwards, once. Turn the pad and repeat with a clean side rather than pressing harder.
- For the lower lashes, fold the pad and work gently along the lash line.
Lips take the same treatment if your lipstick is long-wear. If your eyes sting or feel sore, stop and ask a pharmacist or optician.
Cleansing Oil: The First Cleanse for the Face
A cleansing oil dissolves make-up and sunscreen across the whole face. The method matters as much as the oil. Use dry hands on dry skin, so the oil meets the make-up before water does, and massage for a minute. Then add a little water: the oil turns milky as it emulsifies, and rinses away cleanly.
The Clarins Domaine Total Cleansing Oil is made to remove waterproof make-up, with alpine golden gentian and lemon balm extracts, and the house has it massaged over the face and the eyes. The Caudalie Vinoclean Makeup Removing Cleansing Oil is built on castor and sweet almond oils, for face and eyes. The Laboratoires Filorga Skin-Prep Perfecting Cleansing Oil is created for waterproof make-up, with sunflower seed oil first on its list. The Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Replenishing Cleansing Oil Makeup Remover is centred on ceramides, and the house gives it to morning or evening.
- Domaine Total Cleansing Oil
- Vinoclean Makeup Removing Cleansing Oil
- Skin-Prep Perfecting Cleansing Oil
- Ceramide Replenishing Cleansing Oil Makeup Remover
Cleansing Balm: The Same Idea, in a Firmer Texture
A cleansing balm is a cleansing oil you can scoop. It is firm in the jar or the tube and melts as it warms on the skin, which makes it less inclined to run and easy to travel with. Use it as you would an oil: a small amount warmed between dry fingers, massaged over the dry face, then emulsified with water and rinsed.
The Sensai Silky Purifying Cleansing Balm comes in a tube with a silver cap, and Sensai describes it dissolving foundation and mascara; it rinses away or comes off with a damp cloth. The Svr Laboratoire Dermatologique Gentle Cleansing Balm, Shea & Coconut, is a rich, oil-based balm in a jar, which the house sets out as the first half of a double cleanse. The Sensilis Calm In Balm Intense Cleansing & Smoothing Balm Makeup Remover is created for sensitive skin, with shea butter and avocado oil, in a frosted glass jar.
- Silky Purifying Cleansing Balm
- Gentle Cleansing Balm – Shea & Coconut
- Calm In Balm Intense Cleansing & Smoothing Balm Makeup Remover
Where Does Micellar Water Fit?
Micellar water carries micelles: tiny clusters of mild cleansing molecules that gather oil and make-up so a cotton pad can lift them away, with no rinsing. It is the easy choice on a light make-up day, or for a fresh sweep in the morning. On its own it is slow against waterproof mascara, so on those evenings let the bi-phase remover or the oil go first, and keep micellar water for the finish.
The Chanel L'Eau Micellaire Micellar Cleansing Water is made for the face, eyes and lips, with algae extract and sea water on its list. The La Prairie Eau Cristal Micellaire Yeux Visage is a micellar water for the face and the eyes, in a bottle with a metallic cap. The Avène Makeup Removing Micellar Water is built on the house's thermal spring water, with glycerin and trehalose, and Avène presents it for light make-up. The Cerave Micellar Cleansing Water Makeup Remover holds ceramides, for face, eyes and lips.
- L'Eau Micellaire Micellar Cleansing Water
- Eau Cristal Micellaire Yeux Visage
- Makeup Removing Micellar Water
- Micellar Cleansing Water Makeup Remover
Why a Second Cleanse?
An oil or balm lifts the make-up, but it can leave a soft film of itself behind. A second cleanse with a gentle, water-based cleanser, gel or cream, takes away what is left and readies the skin for whatever comes next. Several of the houses here say so in their own instructions: Sensai, Svr Laboratoire Dermatologique, Sensilis and Laboratoires Filorga all suggest following with your usual cleanser. Keep the water lukewarm and pat the face dry with a clean towel.
The Evening, in Order
- Eyes and lips first, with a bi-phase remover, held then swept.
- A cleansing oil or balm massaged over the dry face.
- A little water to emulsify, then rinse.
- A second cleanse with your usual gentle cleanser.
- Pat dry, then the rest of your evening routine.
On a day without waterproof make-up, micellar water on a cotton pad may be all you need.
Where to Begin
If you add one thing, make it a bi-phase eye remover. It is the step that most spares the eye area from rubbing, and it changes the end of every waterproof evening.
