One of these days I'm going to write a post on five beauty products that every crazy lazy girl needs. Why? Because we all have days when we don't want to do the whole song and dance on our faces. We either want to head out or take it all off ASAP, sometimes! I just want to tell you that it's okay to cut corners and/or simplify your routine if you're just not feeling it. It's your face, it's your call.

Anyway, one of my recent fave finds is the Philosophy Purity 3-in-1 Cleanser for face and eyes (P1,195). I've actually had this bottle since December but it's only now that I'm truly appreciating it. I thought it caused me to break out but this wasn't the culprit after all! I've since enjoyed how it has simplified my face cleansing routine.

If you wear light makeup, or even a medium amount of makeup, this is all you need to take it off and cleanse your face at the same time. This pale yellow liquid isn't foaming at all which might be weird to those used to sudsy facial washes, but it's pretty effective nonetheless.

It has a mild soapy scent. It doesn't sting my eyes but it tastes extremely bitter - so don't lick your lips even if you think you've washed off the product! 

I squirt a peso-sized amount on my dry palms and then massage it all over my face. I focus on my eyes, gently easing off the eyeliner, eyeshadow, and non-waterproof mascara off with small circular strokes using the tips of my fingers. No sting there so I'm not worried to really massage Purity in. Be prepared for cloudy eyes though, if a lot of the stuff gets in!

I randomly found these Pond's wipes in S&R while I was doing my groceries. I normally avoid the beauty and body care section because the things there can get quite expensive, but this product just looked too good to pass up - especially when I saw the ingredients list!

The Pond's Original All Day Clean Towelettes (P129 at S&R) are designed to remove makeup and other impurities in the gentlest manner possible. Yeah, it's the first time I've heard of it too! As far as I know this is not available anywhere else in the Philippines aside from S&R - but do correct me if I'm wrong. 

This is a water-based makeup remover that contains extracts of chamomile, Vitamin E, green tea, white tea, and honeybush. These ingredients can help freshen up skin and improve its clarity. True enough, my face feels really nice and smooth after using the wipes! These don't sting or taste like anything AT ALL.

There is a dichotomy in my personality: I'm a creature of habit, yet I am always actively searching for change. My day is dictated by a strict routine since it's the only way for me to accomplish all my tasks for each account and project I'm working on. However, I also have an eye out for new hobbies, acquisitions, any sort of plans. Once I go on a new, erm, rampage I simply can't stop until I'm done with it. Sometimes something else outside of my own actions change. Whichever it is, my routine is then ruined. 

It takes me some time to recover and get back to regular programming, so I'm working v. hard to make sure my Priorities are in The Right Place. I ask myself, "Do I really need to do this right now?" Glob I'm weak. I wish I can buy focus and turn into a low-calorie drink for whenever I need it.

Anyway. I thought I'd do a quick review of something I've been sitting on for a while - the Too Cool For School Super Cleanser TAKKOZA Cleansing Tissue (P555)! This is awesome. I know I should have told you sooner but I get sidetracked so easily! So why is this awesome? It removes pretty much all types of makeup, even water-resistant mascaras (tube, film-type) with the exception of waterproof mascara. This is a water-based makeup remover after all, so I'm alright with that. I don't regularly use waterproof mascara anyway!

The smell is clean and mild while the liquid in it doesn't sting my eyes at all. I also did not get any breakouts; I feel that this cleanses my skin well. 

Random rants on social media don't do anyone any good - in fact, your friends may get irritated, screen you while scrolling, or worse, unfollow you. It's difficult to empathize when you have your own life happening around you. You don't honestly care when others do it, so why should others care about your daily lows?

But that's not the point, is it. You'd rant anyway because putting it out there is a lot like blowing out a bubble. All the stale air is in there and you just...let it go. Disappear into the atmosphere. Watching it burst where everyone else could maybe see it makes you feel like you've accomplished something relevant. Doesn't matter if the soap gets in their eyes.

Random ramble. :) Today I'll be reviewing the Shiseido Instant Eye and Lip Makeup Remover (P2,150) for you!

Yes it's that expensive. It's easily the priciest makeup remover I've tried per mil. 0_0 I actually considered buying a foundation or concealer instead of this (they cost much less) but I badly needed a good remover for waterproof mascara and other long-wearing makeup. I've tried a sample of this Shiseido remover before and liked it enough to get the full size.

So is it worth the expense? Okay I'll be honest with you - there are cheaper high-end makeup removers that work just as well. I would recommend this if you:  

• Have sensitive eyes and skin. This is the gentlest eye and lip makeup remover I've tried. It doesn't sting, doesn't cloud the eyes even if you soak it in for a minute.

Micellar water makeup removers (whew) are genius. They're great for removing makeup anywhere - and I don't mean just the face or body! They can take off makeup stains on your clothes (at least lighten them anyway), tables, floors, and most surfaces for that matter. And since they're just basically water, they barely leave any residue and don't need rinsing.

One time I accidentally spilled black eyeliner on my leg and floor - the ink flowed through the pen and when I opened it, out it sprayed. :/ I used some Bioderma on tissue to clean up the mess! I also like to use water-based makeup removers to clean rubber-textured makeup packaging. As you know, rubber is a dust and smudge magnet, and cannot be easily cleaned with just alcohol or soap. 

An example is this tube of Fairydrops BB cream. You won't see it in the picture since I post-processed it already, but the white surface was chock full of foundation smudges.

I raved about the Bioderma Crealine H20 Micellar Solution late last year, a French makeup remover that feels exactly like water. It's a great product but it's only sold in limited quantities here. Bioderma is also expensive for those who are used to drugstore makeup removers, which begs the question: what's an equally good, or (dare we hope) better alternative that's easy to find locally?

Friends, meet the Bifesta Cleansing Lotion (P419), a Japanese water-based makeup remover that's exactly like Bioderma. I believe that this brand was called Mandom before, but the whole line is now repackaged, reformulated, and renamed.

It comes in four handy variants for different skin types: Moist (dry and sensitive skin), Sebum (combination-oily), Brightup (dull and flaky), and Agecare (mature). I've been using the Bifesta Sebum Cleansing Lotion so it's the one I will review for now!

First things first: I love this stuff. This feels like you're just applying water to remove makeup. It's fairly simple to use, just squirt a full pump per cotton pad, wipe off the gunk on your face, repeat until 100% clean, and rinse. You can actually just leave your face like that and proceed to moisturizing if you wish. Bifesta cleans so well, that is can be both your facial wash and toner in one fell swoop!

If you watch Lisa Eldridge on YouTube then you've probably seen her rave about the Bioderma Crealine H20 Micellar Solution (recently renamed to Sensibio) a few times. It's a French makeup remover that has no scent, no sting, and feels just like water on skin. Micellar waters like this are all the rage these days (a favorite by models and makeup artists) because they leave no wet or greasy mess after it is wiped off.

Come again?

What's a micellar water anyway? Basically, a micelle is a cluster of surfactant molecules suspended in a liquid solution. These molecules absorb dirt and oil thus cleaning the skin without having to lather or emulsify. Cool eh? I found Bioderma very mild, however, it has a bitter taste - something you'll notice when you use it to remove lipstick.

As a huge fan of the Shu cleansing oil, I was v.v. excited about their latest and supposedly greatest skin purifier: the Shu Uemura Ultime8 Sublime Beauty Cleansing Oil. Well I'm not going to beat around the bush. I love. This stuff.

So how is this different from Shu's other cleansing oils?  

• It's way lighter than usual and you need much less to remove a full face of makeup. 
• It rinses off completely and doesn't leave a film on the face.
• It can dissolve stubborn mascara quickly. Waterproof mascara just takes more work but Ultime8 can indeed remove it.

My Shu Uemura cleansing oil is still the best for me, but there are quite a lot of affordable alternatives available in the market now. They're basically the same - mineral oil-based makeup removers that take the gunk off effortlessly. Their difference, I find, lies in the smell, the residue left over after rinsing, and how skin-friendly they are. 

For not all cleansing oils are created equal. Even though they are made of the same stuff, some ingredients may cause pimples. Some are too thick and leaves a film of oil even after you rinse it off. Some, like the Revlon Absolute C Radiance Moisture Cleansing Oil (P550), has a very distinctive scent.

The first thing you'll notice about the Revlon cleansing oil is the overwhelming citrus smell. Now I'm not particularly sensitive to perfume in skincare, but this one is too much for me. I wish they'd take it down a notch, no, several notches. It claims to have Vitamin C but I don't think they have to prove it with the strong orange smell. We get it.

That said, it's quite effective at removing makeup with only a small amount of product.

The first thing you'll notice about the Shu Uemura Cleansing Oils is the price tag. They're quite expensive, there's no way to get around it! I used to think that there are equally good alternatives and for a while I've even used some like the ones from Muji and Pure Beauty, which are less than P500 for a big 200ml bottle.

However, when I got sample bottles of the Shu oil, I found out why it was so expensive. It is the best makeup remover + skincare product I've ever tried! And you know I've tried quite a number of them. Thus, I committed to a 450ml bottle of the Shu Uemura High Performance Balancing Cleansing Oil (P4,000).

What I love about it:

• Removes all makeup (except long-wearing, waterproof mascara) in a jiffy. I use less than one pump for my whole face and just massage gently to dissolve the makeup. It gets rid of waterproof eyeliner and liquid foundation, primers, lipstick, and powder makeup. They all wash off.

• It's skincare. Ever since I started using it, my skin looked better.

I was skeptical the first time I saw the Jane Iredale Magic Mitt (P895). A product that removes makeup only with warm water? Is that possible? Yes it is, actually, but warm water doesn't really take off makeup completely, especially mascara, eyeliner, and heavy concealer. You need an oil-based makeup remover for those products.

I saw the owner of Jane Iredale Philippines test the Magic Mitt on Shen around a month ago, but still, I didn't believe that it was an effective makeup remover. Until I tried it out for myself.  

What I LOVE about the product

• The microfiber cloth removes makeup effectively and completely (not counting waterproof mascara) with only warm water. Water-soluble mascara/ mascara that dissolves with warm water, waterproof concealer, eyeliner, heavy liquid foundation, eyeshadow over primer, lipstick - the Magic Mitt takes it all off!

After writing the Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil post, I got to wondering how many makeup removers I've stashed in the past year. I have a tendency to hoard, in case you don't know yet! After taking stock, it seems that I have...sixteen different makeup removers at the moment. I have the Clinique Take The Day Off but I forgot to add it in the picture.

Anyway, this won't be a battle royale a.k.a comparison post because I haven't reviewed some of these products yet. However, I thought I'd write a little more about the different types of makeup removers. Hopefully this information will help you better decide on what's ideal for your skin type and lifestyle!

Cream-based makeup removers are milky in appearance and rich in texture. They're best for girls with really dry skin because they moisturize while taking off the makeup. Usually, you need to massage cream removers into your skin to break the makeup down completely so they take more time to use. Can work for face, eye, and lip makeup.

Best buys: Estee Lauder Take It Away Total Makeup Remover, Pond's Cold Cream, Yves Rocher Serum Vegetale Cleansing Milk

The humid weather in the Philippines is the perfect breeding ground for oily t-zones and blocked pores. The sweat and sebum we generate while wearing makeup is no joke, so we try to wash them off with soap or alcohol-based cleansers because we feel cleaner that way. But did you know that normal makeup removers can strip your face of moisture?

The truth is, soap-based makeup removers are quite drying while cream removers are too heavy ang may clog your pores more (because the skin tends to absorb it). That's why cleansing oils may be the best option for Pinay skin because they're gentle while removing makeup, oil, and dirt mercilessly. It may sound counterintuitive that you're trying to clean your skin using oil when you should be avoiding it, but believe me, it works better that way!

For that purpose, one of the best, if not The Best out there is the Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil. Google it, I'll wait.

Ok satisfied? :D Shu Uemura's CO is an old cult favorite for a reason. I've tried a few cleansing oils before - waaay cheaper ones - and found that they work really well for the price, but there are a few things that makes Shu Uemura worth the dough if you can spare it. Let me count the ways!

Patrick Alcober, Shu Uemura's top makeup artist, explains the magic of milk

• It emulsifies into a nice, milky texture that you can wash off easily with absolutely no residue on your skin. Cheaper cleansing oils may feel like they leave a film on your face, so you use another cleanser to wash it off. Not with Shu Uemura! Skin is left feeling clean, soft, and moisturized after you wash it off.
• It has skin benefits like anti-aging, brightening, moisturizing, purifying, etc. so it's more than just makeup remover - it's technically skincare.

One product I've only recently tried is the Dove Foaming Makeup Remover (P350). It was introduced to beauty writers just last Tuesday at the Watsons Beauty Lab so it's literally fresh off the shelves.

It's a great product, but I have to say that it's not new. Pond's has the same thing called the Gold Radiance Boosting Cleansing Mousse which they launched last October. I'm a fan of it alright (I finished off a 150ml bottle), but it has limitations - it can't take off eyeliner or mascara so it's really more for removing face makeup. The Dove Foaming Makeup Remover has no such limitation! It comes with a couple of caveats though.

What I love about the product

• Melts off face makeup (foundation, concealer, powder, blush) quickly and efficiently. It dissolves eyeliner and non-waterproof mascara with gentle rubbing so it's a one-stop makeup remover for the whole face.
• A little goes a long way. I use three pumps for my whole face.

I've been applying makeup on myself for years now. It's all routine so I don't make many mistakes when putting on tricky products like eyeliner, mascara, and heavily pigmented lipsticks. Still, I do get shaky hands or I rush the whole process sometimes, which inevitably lead me to uneven application! Does this happen to you?

To correct makeup mistakes, I dip a cotton bud in either foundation, concealer, or makeup remover (I love the Clinique Take the Day Off for this purpose) and try to erase the errant makeup. It's a neat trick but the problem with using a cotton bud is that it's not precise; I tend to remove more product than I actually intended. Also, this is ridiculous, but I'm too lazy to do the cotton bud routine. That's why I just usually use a finger to even out lipstick or remove mascara from my lid - again, messy!

So yeah, I felt like a total barbarian when I got hold of Tony Moly's Simply Style Makeup Eraser (P398). It's the first time I've ever tried something like it! 

How it works. The rounded yet slightly pointed felt-tip marker is damp with a thin, oil-based makeup remover, which means that you can apply it directly on the messed-up makeup without having to use a clicking mechanism or a separate product.

I've read a lot of good reviews about the Human Nature Sunflower Oil. This is the very intriguing product description:

Radiant, soft skin touched by the sun! Our premium, cosmetic-grade Sunflower Beauty oil is packed with vitamins A, D & E to help fight wrinkles and naturally protect skin from infections and irritants. Best applied to the sensitive under-eye area. Many customers, including our Global Ambassador, Hollywood actress Rachel Grant, use this a make-up remover too. And due to Sunflower oil's properties, it can also help lighten dark circles under eyes and even stretch marks with daily use! A final tip - Rachel Grant likes to take a drop of it, rub it all over her palms then run her hands through her hair to add healthy-looking shine and vigor to her hair every morning. Is there anything our Beauty Oil can't do?!

With a killer description and a killer price (P120 for the 50mL bottle), who won't buy this? My curiosity got the better of me so I decided to get one when I visited Mercato Centrale.

Oil-based makeup removers are recommended for waterproof makeup, especially eyeliners and mascaras. The oil breaks down the product easier and faster than cream removers. I like the Muji Cleansing Oil, but I find that it doesn't do much against stubborn mascara which is why I opted for a more potent makeup remover: the Clinique Take the Day Off Makeup Remover (P1,300)

I've heard a lot of good things about this product so I didn't hesitate to spend P1,300 for a bottle. I've been using it for the past three weeks, and this is my demonstration and verdict!

What I love about the product

• Takes off even the most stubborn waterproof mascara and other eye makeup easily (yes, even the Majolica Majorca Lash Expander mascara). I massage my lashes gently with my fingers to break down the product, then I wipe it off with a cotton pad. 
• Important: doesn't sting my eyes or skin. It also doesn't make my eyes cloudy when it comes in contact, unlike other makeup removers!

I was intrigued by the Pond's Gold Radiance Boosting Cleansing Mousse because it promises to remove makeup while also serving as a facial wash. Who doesn't want to save one step in their routine, right? Also, when Gold Radiance first landed on Philippine shores, this particular product wasn't available because it sold out in other Asian countries. Now if that's not enough to make you curious I don't know what is!

As promised, the product is a foamy mousse that becomes a rich, thick lather when you lightly rub it on your skin. It feels quite soft on my face which makes it enjoyable to use! It does melt off makeup in one wash, but it doesn't remove all kinds of makeup. The mousse removes foundation, blush, concealer, and unprimed eyeshadow, but it does a poor job taking off primed eyeshadow, mascara, and eyeliner (or most eye makeup).

Let's get on the nitty gritty, shall we?

What I love about the product

• Literally melts off powder makeup. Once you get it to a lather, all the junk just comes off.
• A little goes a long way, surprisingly. I use half a pump of the product for each side of my face. The trick is to massage it in small circles.

Several posts ago, after I commented on the lack of the Cleansing Oil for Sensitive Skin in Muji High Street, a reader tipped me off that the newly-opened Rockwell branch has stocks. I zoomed off and true enough, the shelf is full of the stuff! I got mild sticker shock though when I found out that the price of the makeup remover is 100%+ more expensive. From P395, it is now P600+. I would have still bought it (it's that good, for me) but the Mild Cleansing Oil variant is cheaper at P425 so I went for that instead.

I don't have much to say about since this works almost the same way as the one for sensitive skin - read my review on it. The main difference (other than the price) is that this is more runny.