with the discovery of my holy grail mascara topcoat, Anastasia Lash Genius, i had to start the hunt for the perfect makeup remover.  after 2 months of searching and over 10 products tried, i’m happy to introduce to you Eve Lom Cleanser, another holy grail product.

Eve Lom Cleanser

Eve Lom Cleanser is a balm cleanser.  it’s solid in the container but melts into an oil with the heat of your skin.  it’s great for sensitive eyes.  i’ve rubbed this all over my eyes, right up against the lash line and on my lashes, and continued watching a tv show with no problems (this is what happens when you misjudge the time you have during commercials when watching korean dramas :P)  i prefer using an oil based cleanser, as i feel the extra slip from the oil gives me added assurance that i’m being as gentle as i possibly can in the delicate eye area.  the instructions include a 7 step facial massage to encourage lymphatic drainage, but i rarely bother with that as i’m usually pretty tired by the time makeup removal comes around.  i massage a quarter sized amount on my face.  if i have a lot of eye makeup or if my skin is dry and absorbed some of the oil, i take an extra dab, on my clean pinky finger, for my eyes.

the amount i use over my entire face

additional amount i use if needed on my eyes

i gently massage it onto my eyelid, concentrating on my eyeliner and lashes for 10 seconds.  sometimes i like to let it sit there while i brush my teeth so my skin benefits from prolonged contact with the beneficial ingredients, but you can, and i have, rinsed it off right away.  to rinse off, i soak the included muslin cloth in warm water and hold it up to my face for 3 seconds so that the heat can open up my pores.  then, i hold it right up against my eyes and lashes for another 3 seconds to give it extra help melting off the mascara.  i repeat this 3 times.  i really love this part of my cleansing ritual as the heat is so relaxing and soothing.  next, use the muslin cloth to gently rub off the cleanser going in small circular motions to give your face a mild exfoliation.  lastly, rinse all the makeup off your muslin cloth, soak it in cold water, and press it to your face to close your pores.  Eve Lom Cleanser rinses off cleanly without stripping your face.  it’s not squeaky clean but there’s no filmy residue.

of course, Eve Lom Cleanser isn’t the only balm cleanser on the market. Ren, Josie Maran, and Omorovicza are amongst some of the ones that i’ve sampled. Ren stung my eyes. Josie Maran and Omorovicza didn’t rinse off as cleanly. they both left behind a slight oily film on the skin that I didn’t like. Eve Lom Cleanser doesn’t have this problem; in fact, it even rinses off cleanly with cold water.

i love the convenience of Eve Lom Cleanser.  because it’s a balm formula, i never have to worry about leakage in my toiletry bag.  it’s space saving since i’m carrying one product instead of 3 (makeup remover, cotton pads and cleanser)  you don’t even have to pack your muslin cloth if you don’t want to.  Eve Lom Cleanser rinses off cleanly without the cloth although it takes a little longer.  i take a smaller sized one that came with a sample of the cleanser that i got from Space NK.  it dries super fast because of how thin it is, even in very humid cities.  i like to wrap the cloth around whatever is most expensive in my skincare routine at the moment to give it a little extra protection.

the price of the cleanser does give a little sticker shock.  it comes in 1.6 oz for $50, 3.3 oz for $80 and 6.8oz for $135.  you do save some from not needing makeup remover and cotton pads.  savings will vary depending on what you used before.  i purchased it in the 3.3 oz but now i really regret not springing for the 6.8oz.  guess i’ll put it on the list for the next time a sephora sale comes around.

Readers, what do you think?  do you like an all-in-one product or do you find that they do not measure up to their separate counterparts?