Review: ALMAY Oil Free Eye Makeup Remover Liquid

While at ULTA the other day (picking up my cute free gift ;), I began looking around for eye make-up removers, realizing I hadn't owned any for a few years. Shame on me! And now that I've been experimenting with different types of eye make-up, my regular remover wipes just haven't been cutting it for my eye area. And while Urban Decay has an $18 remover that is fantastic, it certainly isn't practical in price for someone with a budget like mine! If you're reading this, the same is probably true for you.

Thus, I became determined to find a good-quality, gentle yet effective eye make-up remover. Since ALMAY claims to make the number-one brand of remover in America, and the price was a very affordable $5.99, I decided to give it the ALMAY Oil Free Eye Makeup Remover Liquid a try. :)

Product Description:

• "With aloe, cucumber & green tea
• 100% fragrance free
• Hypoallergenic
• Nourishes skin as it gently removes eye makeup, even waterproof mascara, without irritation.
• Oil-free formula leaves no greasy residue
• Good for contact lens wearers
• Dermatologist tested
• Ophthalmologist tested"

Price: $5.99

Results: Now, I admit that I haven't tested more make-up remover products than I can count on one hand, but I really liked this. I had given ALMAY a shot before with their regular remover pads, but hated the oil left on my skin. Sure, they worked, but they just felt so... ew.

I put a bit of this new oil-free liquid on a cotton ball, swiped, and my heavy eye make-up was gone, mascara and all. I'm not one to be picky about exactly how many swipes it takes to get the job done (if you're counting, you might want to loosen up a bit), but I can tell you it was very quick and easy.

And, best of all... NO OILY RESIDUE! :) In fact, my skin looked AND felt soft and clean. I wore my contact lenses, and there were no problems whatsoever. Did I mention I also have sensitive eyes? No burning, no harsh smell or chemicals, no fogginess - it was great.

My one (very small) complaint is that I kind of wish the way the product dispenses was done differently; the bottle has only a twist-off cap, so if the bottle ever fell or spilled, well... you're out of luck. For this reason, I might consider the pads just a little more convenient - but I have no problem with the cotton ball method.

I've heard waterproof mascara is a bit more difficult to get off, but if you aren't too picky - and if you're here, you probably aren't - it shouldn't be a huge problem.

Overall, this seems to be a wonderful product for the fraction of the price others charge to do the exact same thing. And until I have reason to believe it's any less effective than an $18 make-up remover, I'll happily keep buying it. ;)