Review| MAC Cleanse Off Oil

MAC Cleanse Off Oil ($31) was an impulse buy from ages ago. It kept making its way onto my bathroom sink, and then back into storage, and now is holding its own by the rest of my makeup removers. 

It's not a horrible makeup remover by any means. In fact, it does a great job at removing all traces of eye and face makeup at the end of the day. The oil slips and slides but is easily emulsified by water and washes off without residue. Your face isn't left too tight or greasy but balanced.

When I first bought it, I thought it would be better suited as an eye makeup remover that's dispensed onto a cotton pad. The over-zealous pump killed that idea quickly. Even worse, while the pleasant smelling oil doesn't sting the eyes, it can blur my vision for a while. It wasn't the best match for my contact lenses wearing ways so I tucked it away for future use.

If I was sane, I would have read the instructions: "gently massage over face to dissolve makeup." Oh, so it's a facial makeup remover. Don't get me wrong, it did a great job at removing waterproof mascara and stubborn eyeliner with little effort. But as a face makeup remover? Genius. 

I use two-three pumps for my entire dry (do not wet!) face and start massaging it all into the face, concentrating product onto the eyes. Of course, I make sure to take out my contacts. By the time you've really worked the oil in you'll look like a hot mess. Blackness and tears.....all over your face. So deep. So much hurt.

Then, I take a bit of water into the palm of my hands and splash a bit onto my face to emulsify the oil. At this point, it's as easy as washing your face. I do like to follow up with a gentle cleanser but this cleans the skin very well. 

Overall, I think it's one of the more pleasant smelling cleansing oils on the market (not herbal, more citrus) and does its job well. The price is more than I remember it being so I won't be repurchasing. However, it's a solid product that can work as a multi-tasker to save your time before bed.

xo Be