A Great Drugstore Makeup + Waterproof Mascara Remover...With a Caveat

I'm kind of a cleansing oil and makeup-removing cleanser snob these days. I've tried tons of different drugstore and higher end options, but I don't tend to stray from my tried-and-true favorites (at the moment, it's still the L'Occitane Shea Butter Cleansing Oil). However, in a moment of desperation a few weeks ago, while I was away from home and cleansing oil-less, I decided to give the Garner Clean+ Makeup Removing Lotion Cleanser a try.

It's a creamy, fragrance-free lotion that's applied onto dry skin over makeup, similarly to a cleansing oil. It breaks down makeup excellently, and to my surprise, it was also able to break down my notoriously difficult-to-remove CoverGirl The Super Sizer Waterproof Mascara better than any cleansing oil I've tried. The first time I used it, my eyes lit up. "Could this be the makeup remover dreams were made of...AND it's from the drugstore?!" I thought. Although the lotion can then be removed with a cotton pad, I opt to rinse it off in the sink. And that's when the caveat surfaces. The caveat, and it's a big one, is that it leaves behind a greasy residue. Although all of my makeup and waterproof mascara are removed, there's an extremely greasy film left on the skin that cannot be rinsed clean. I always do a second cleanse at night, with a different cleanser, so it's not a huge issue for me, but I would never recommend this product be used a a stand-alone cleanser. 

So close, Garnier. So close.

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Posted in: Makeup-2