Make Up Remover Face Off: Who Will Win Against The Smoky Eye?

Make up remover is a product that does not always get a lot of love, but you sure do know when you get a bad one. Right now in my bathroom I have three bottles, so I thought I would undertake some scientific experimentation and analysis so next time you are roaming the aisles of your drugstore you might not make the same mistakes I have!

The three products I have are Rimmel Gentle Eye Make-Up Remover ($7.29 / 4.2oz), L'Oreal Refreshing Eye Make-Up Remover ($6.99 / 4oz), and Neutrogena Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover ($5.99 / 3.8oz). The Rimmel one I picked up about a year ago, and the L'Oreal and the Neutrogena I bought based on recommendations from the blogosphere.

I decided first to test their removal strength by pitting them against 3 different black eyeliners: MAC Penultimate, MAC Feline, and Stila Smudge Pot in Black. I actually forgot to take pictures of the whole experiment here, but all 3 performed about the same. The L'Oreal was a bit watery and felt like I was moving the makeup around rather than really cleaning it, but overall, performance was good from all three. Penultimate was the easiest to remove, then Feline, and finally Stila Smudge Pot.

So, if they all do their job, what's the differentiation? Well, first the bottles. The Rimmel is taller and you get the most product. More importantly for me, the top has a hole in it rather than opening fully. I like this because it means that you can just get a cotton bud dipped in remover for quick clean-ups. The Neutrogena is tall as well, and has a opening that is about half an inch wide. Too big for cotton buds, although I could easily fit one all the way into the bottle (okay until you have used up most of the bottle), but easy for cotton wool pads. You do get least product with the Neutrogena.  The L'Oreal bottle is shorter and much wider. The opening for me is a particularly annoying as it is too wide even for a cotton ball, so every time I use it  end up wasting a lot of product.

Winner so far: Rimmel, with L'Oreal is last position.

What about how they feel? Well, the Rimmel is watery, and can sometimes feel a little harsh on the skin - like I have to rub it to really remove the last specks of eyeliner. The Neutrogena, although it is oil-free, leaves behind a bit of a film, and this takes about 10 minutes to wear off. The L'Oreal stings my eyes so much for some reason, so I almost never put it near my eyes anymore, and just use it for swatch removal. Things that are meant to be used around the eyes should not bring out this problem, so I have no idea why I am so sensitive to this product.

Winner: Neutogena, with L'Oreal again in last position.

Overall, I think I prefer the Rimmel by a nose, but the Neutrogena is perfectly good as well. As you can probably tell by now, the L'Oreal product really do not work with my eyes or my requirements, so will definitely not be bought again. However, none of them really blew me away, so if there are any other removers that you guys really like, I'd love to hear about them.

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