We all know that not removing makeup at night is one of the cardinal sins that any makeup wearer can commit – just don’t do it! I strive to remove every bit of makeup on my face at the end of the day and I achieve that using a few tools and products. While using your facial cleanser is a good way to remove makeup, I like to use a makeup remover before cleansing my face just so that the cleanser can actually cleanse my skin. I have used many makeup removers in my life but I have, in the past year, moved on to using makeup remover balms instead of liquids and oils. In this post I want to highlight and compare the 2 that I have used.

I have come across 2 affordable makeup remover balms on the SA shelves: The Body Shop Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter and the Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm.

This is the first makeup remover balm that I used, I bought it after I had used the cleansing oil from this range. I love the way it feels, it applies smoothly to the skin, it immediately emulsifies the makeup and it does not leave the skin feeling oily. I have nothing but good things to say about this product. You can find the demo and review video that I filmed here. It retails for R175 at The Body Shop.

This product is a recent purchase – I had been eyeing it for a while and waiting for it to get to SA shores after I had seen it being used by beauty bloggers overseas. It has also become a fave of mine – I love the way it removes makeup. I honestly cannot tell the difference between this product and the one from The Body Shop, they both perform equally well, thus choosing which one to buy comes down to personal preference. You can buy this one from any Clinique counter for R295.