This Cleanser Is The Balm Dot Com
If you've read this blog even twice, you've probably seen me reference Boscia Makeup-Breakup Cool Cleansing Oil. It is by far my favorite way to remove my makeup, and no matter what other product I try out, I always end up saying, "NOT AS GOOD." And then I throw it out the window. Despite the fact that I have never found a cleansing oil that comes close to Boscia's in sheer awesomeness, however, I have been tempted by cleansing balms. I know Eve Lom Cleanser is the One To Beat, but it's also insanely pricy, and as established in a recent post, I just can't justify spending mad money on something that I'm going to wash right off my face. Clinique, however, came up with a solution for thrifty beauty obsessives like myself - their Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm is not only a great value, it's also the only makeup remover I've found that can live up to my beloved Boscia cleansing oil.
Clinique is a brand that I grew up with. My mom is a Clinique woman. Actually, now that I think of it, my aunt is too. And I've been a total snoop since birth, so from a young age I was checking out bathroom counters and makeup bags filled with Clinique products. (Quick sidenote: My aunt wore Aromatics Elixir when I was little, and I just got nostalgic and checked to see if they still make it, and they do. It also appears they have not changed that packaging in... ever.) This is all to say: I trust Clinique implicitly.
Clinique's whole deal is that their products are all allergy tested and 100% fragrance free (because the root of most allergic reactions to cosmetics is fragrance). Their foundation in dermatology is so strong that Clinique counter employees even wear lab coats. I've taken this even further in my mind, where I imagine a Clinique laboratory where products are created by super intelligent, incredibly sexy scientists. Imagine scientists as seen on a Shonda Rhimes show, and they're in the business of keeping your skin clear and providing you with the perfect shade of lipstick. These scientists (when they weren't in the supply closet making out) came up with Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm, an incredibly gentle yet remarkably effective way to remove every last stitch of makeup.
This balm is fairly solid, until you massage it onto your face, when it quickly transforms into an oil. It'll take some trial and error to figure out how much product you should scoop onto your finger and how that will translate into oil onto your face, but it's probably less than you'd imagine. It actually takes surprisingly little balm to sufficiently remove all your makeup. The above photo is the amount I use - when you see how much one application is compared to how much product you get in a tub, you can really see what a bargain this cleanser is.
As for how to use this balm, you use it just like you would a cleansing oil, but I've made a few changes to account for the slight differences. I like to put apply this balm on my eye area first because that's where I have the most makeup, and the makeup that's hardest to remove. Plus, because the balm has slightly less slip than a traditional oil, it's harder to transfer excess from one area of your face to another. Another added bonus? The faster you put any kind of cleansing oil or balm on your eyes, the faster you get to rock this look and make fun faces in the mirror:
