BellaSugar

Elizabeth Arden Really Takes It Off

Brittney Stephens — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 10:53:14 PDT

If you've been struggling to remove your pool-proof mascara or lip color lately, listen up: Elizabeth Arden All Gone Eye and Lip Makeup Remover ($16) is your saving grace. The formula has two phases - one for dissolving, and one for hydrating - that act quickly and gently to remove even the most stubborn waterproof makeup without leaving an oily residue. Just make sure to give it a good shake in order to combine the layers of ingredients.

Recently, after I spent a long day (and night) wearing waterproof liquid eyeliner, mascara, and hot pink lipstick, a few drops of All Gone on a cotton pad did the trick, and quickly. Never mind that your lip color is transfer-proof; All Gone can cut through it with zero problem. It's unscented, leaves no traces of makeup, and doesn't require any tugging - so you won't lose lashes in the process.

Say Yes to Getting Your Makeup Off Fast

Miriam Lacey — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 06:00:00 PST

I'm usually not a makeup wipe user because my skin is sensitive, and they inevitably have some weird artificial "clean" scent that irritates it or leave a residue that gets my follicles all inflamed. But earlier this week after putting on a serum that was taking my skin bad places fast, I reached for a packet of Yes to Cucumbers Face Towelettes ($3) in desperation and found them rather delightful. They smell like sweet cucumber, and my skin isn't oddly sticky or shiny after I use them the way it is with most towelettes. They're not a substitute for cleansing, but they do a good job of getting makeup off, and for an after-work lipstick change or cleaning yourself up after the gym, they're perfect. I also like that you can get them in a small 10 count pack, which is ideal for tucking away in your purse. And if you have price or ingredient concerns, they're also cheap, paraben-free, not tested on animals, and the packaging is certified sustainable.

Store-Brand Products We Love (and One We Don't)

BellaSugar — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 14:00:46 PDT

When it comes to products, sometimes the generic options don't live up to the original. Have you ever actually tried off-brand ketchup? Blech. At team Bella, we're always looking for a bargain, and that's why we've gathered together a few of our favorite generic beauty items - along with one option that just doesn't make the cut. Find out what they are now.

This Cheap Makeup Remover Is Right on Target

BellaSugar — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 13:01:37 PST

I don't know about you, but when I see the skincare aisle at Target, my eyes glaze over. There's so much variety that it's easy to become overwhelmed. Last time I was there, I didn't have time to compare every single makeup remover, so I thought, "Enh, I'll try the Target brand. It's cheap."

Well, not only is it less than $4, but it gets rid of most makeup with just one swipe. What's more, I am not alone in my love of the Target makeup remover. My friend Sabs and I do weekly ANTM-inspired photo shoots. (You know, because we have awesome hobbies like that.) The last time we had a makeup-intensive look, I reached for that blue-tinted bottle. "Oh, that stuff is great," she said. "And cheap!" Which pretty much sums it up. There are lots of other good removers out there, but if you just want an effective and simple one, look no further.

Reader Review of the Day: Neutrogena Oil-Free Makeup Remover

BellaSugar — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 11:00:56 PST

Reader Emalove must have been reading my mind. I recently ran out of makeup remover, and although I thought I could go without for a while, I'm definitely in the market to try a new one - particularly one that won't break the bank. Neutrogena's Oil-Free Makeup Remover ($6) Emalove's favorite. Here's why:

I love this eye makeup remover. It is by far the best inexpensive one that I've tried. I despise greasy-feeling, oily makeup removers, so this one fit the bill right from the start. It feels really cool and light on your skin and removes all traces of my eye makeup. I don't use waterproof mascara, so not sure how it would work on that, but it removes my washable mascara in one or two swipes. It's gentle, and best of all, I don't have to rub or tug on my eye area.

If you like reviewing products, go to our Product Reviews website and review away. Special bonus? If you write about three products in a week, and if your review meets the criteria, you could win a $500 gift certificate from Benefit Cosmetics! So, what are you waiting for?

Are L'Oreal and Lancôme Makeup Removers the Same?

BellaSugar — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 08:00:01 PST

If you took my quiz on who owns what yesterday, you already know that L'Oreal and Lancôme have the same corporate owner. Even though each brand operates independently, my inner bargain hunter was wondering if the same products are merely being packaged and marketed differently. So I decided to compare my beloved Lancôme Bi-Facil makeup remover to the L'Oreal version.

At first, I was excited; both products come in blue-tinted bottles. "Ooh, maybe it's the same excellent stuff, just much cheaper," I thought. So I put on about three pounds of eye shadow on each eye, and then went to town taking it off. My results are below.

	Lancôme	L'Oreal	And the winner is...
Price	$26/4.2 ounces	$5.99/4 ounces	L'Oreal costs 75% less than Lancome.
Packaging	The sleek, child-proof bottle looks elegant. A narrow hole dispenses only what you need.	Surprisingly sleek for a drugstore product, the bottle is nonetheless devoid of any fancy bells and whistles. Unfortunately, Junior will have no problem opening it and guzzling it down.	Lancôme's packaging is more user-friendly, if you care about this sort of thing.
The formula itself	Non-greasy texture, but feels smooth on eyelids.	The oil-free remover is similarly smooth, but Lancôme's version is slightly more so.	Lancôme, but just barely.
How well does it work?	Bi-Facil removed heavy eye shadow, eyeliner, and mascara with just swipe - no tugging required.	Removed shadow easily, but required a little more work to wipe away eyeliner and mascara.	Bi-Facil. It's quick and effective, whereas the L'Oreal version required more product.

Both products are good makeup removers, but they certainly aren't twins. In this case, having the same parent company doesn't matter - they're different formulas. I'm sticking with Bi-Facil because of its effective and gentle formula, but L'Oreal's version isn't too shabby, either.

Doing Drugstore: Almay Moisturizing Eye Makeup Remover Pads

BellaSugar — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 15:00:03 PST

Recently I ran out of my favorite makeup remover, Lancome Bi-Facil, and thought I'd take a more affordable one for a whirl. I picked up a package of Almay Moisturizing Eye Makeup Remover Pads ($4.94), which were reasonably priced considering that you get 80 pads in one container.

Almay makes these pads in oil-free and moisturizing versions, and I hemmed and hawed over which one to choose. In the end, since the pads were going on my eyes, I went with the moisturizing formula. A better name for the product might be Greasy Time Fun Pads, because, lemme tell you, these things are very oily. They'll leave a bit of oil on your eyes, which might be annoying if you wear contacts. I always blot up the excess oil with a cotton pad, because I don't want to have oily eyes.

So why is it that I still like these? To find out,

read more These pads are oily, but I think that's a fair tradeoff, just because they work so well at removing eyeliner, waterproof mascara and shadow. Usually I can get all of my makeup off with just one pad, and I don't need to rub. Because the skin around the eyes is so fragile, I like being able to gently remove any color. Plus, this morning, I used a pad to quickly clean my eyeliner brush-and while that's no substitute for a proper cleaning, it kept my Fluidline from drying on the brush. So, should you buy this? That depends. If you can work with the oiliness, you'll be rewarded with an inexpensive and effective makeup remover. (Just be sure to wash your face afterwards.) If you absolutely hate feeling oily, don't even bother. The oil-free version might be up your alley, but since I haven't yet tried that, I can't speak to its effectiveness. But all in all, these pads are a bargain.

Bellissima! Better Off Fast-Acting Waterproof Makeup Remover

BellaSugar — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 14:00:02 PDT

A couple of weeks ago I told you about 24-hour Mascara from Prescriptives. Frankly, what worried me about this mascara was how to get it off! I understand that it's supposed to stay on for a full day, but to me that just sounds like insurance that it will make it through the night. Come bed time, I want my makeup off-and I don't want to have to scrub my eyes out to remove it, either.

Prescriptives must have been on the same wavelength, because I've just come across a makeup remover solvent to help solve my waterproof mascara problem.

Better Off Fast-Acting Waterproof Makeup Remover ($18) is like pulling out the big guns. It's a dual-phase formula to gently and efficiently lift away long-lasting and waterproof mascaras. There's no oily residual on your skin and it won't irritate your eyes. I wonder if Prescriptives can actually read minds-I think they've just become my favorite beauty brand of the month!

Product Review: Lancome Bi-Facil Double-Action Eye Makeup Remover

BellaSugar — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 10:35:55 PDT

Bi-Facil Double-Action Eye Makeup Remover ($24) seriously takes off anything and everything. I've been using this for years and it has never let me down. It has a dual-phase process to it you can actually see the separation when it's been still for a while) so you need to shake it to activate the formula before each use.

Upon contact, it washes away even the most stubborn water-proof makeup and it also conditions your skin so that the end result is a smooth and soft face.

The only super-small complaint I have is that sometimes I feel like I need to wash my face one more time than usual to get the extra layer of oil off.

Having said that, it's really not that big of a deal. It leaves my face feeling nice and cool, and the best part of all is that it's really light and gentle so never stings my eyes or makes them watery and red.

So there you have it: Sometimes the best products around are the oldies but goodies!

See reader reviews of this product and add your own here!

User Review: Jennifer76 on Revlon's Makeup Eraser Pen

BellaSugar — Fri, 25 May 2007 06:00:35 PDT

Today's user review comes from Jennifer76, who recently declared her love for the Revlon Makeup Eraser Pen ($7.99) in the Beauty Product Junkies group. (Write your own reviews in the group, and I might post yours on BellaSugar too!) Here's what Jennifer76 had to say:

This is one of those products that once you have it, you wonder how the heck you survived without it. The tip is solid - kinda like ceramic or something - and somehow it dispenses just exactly the right tiny little amount of makeup remover. It's like magic.

It's much easier to aim than a Q-tip - plus no straggly cotton filaments left behind! It's totally perfect for fixing any hiccups in your liquid-liner line, making quick work of any mascara spots, or even cleaning up any end-of-day raccoon issues.

For the rest of her review,

read more
It really is pretty greaseless. I've been able to brush new shadow or what-have-you right over the area where I just used the pen without any issues. You do have to wipe it off on your hand (or I guess a Kleenex, but I'm worried about lintifying it) between each swipe on your skin. If not, you will deposit a small amount of whatever you just removed on the last spot. But still, I cannot recommend this little magical tool highly enough.