How to Use and Clean Reusable Makeup Remover Pads

If you use micellar water, toner or any kind of makeup remover in your routine, you probably go through a lot of makeup-removing pads. While these cotton rounds might seem better for the environment than makeup wipes (which are often made of non-biodegradable materials such as polyester), filling your trash with so many single-use pads can have a negative environmental impact, too. This is why we love using reusable makeup pads. Not only are they eco-friendly, but also they help you save money in the long run. 

Garnier has made reusable rounds even more accessible with its launch of theΒ Micellar Cleansing Eco Pads. The rounds, which come in packs of three and cost less than $10, are made of soft microfiber. Each pad can last up to 1,000 washes and help effectively and gently remove makeup and impurities without leaving any residue behind. We’re obsessed! Here’s how to use one in your routine.Β 

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STEP 1: Saturate the Pad 

Apply your makeup remover or toner of choice directly onto the pad. Our current go-to makeup remover and morning cleanser are the Garnier SkinActive Micellar Cleansing Water with Vitamin C

STEP 2: Swipe on Skin

Gently sweep the pad over your skin (it’s safe to use the pads over your eyes) until all makeup is removed or you’ve saturated your skin with your toner. 

STEP 3: Clean Your Pad

After each use, hand wash the pad with soap and water until clean. You can give it a deeper clean once a week by tossing it into the laundry. Lay the pad flat to dry. We like to store them in a soap dish or a small mesh laundry bag to keep them dry and hygienic.Β 

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A Love Letter to Matte Red Lips

Discover the art of matte red lips β€” soft edges, velvety finish, and layered depth create a modern, intimate statement. From gentle prep to sculpted application, this love letter to red lipstick shows how to wear it with confidence, elegance, and quiet power.

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Selena Gomez’s Rare Beauty | Dark Skin Honest Review

When Selena Gomez announced she was launching a beauty brand back in February, no doubt everyone had the same collective thought, do we need another celeb beauty brand? Although TBH, we’ve seen some pretty fire formulas come through from celebs, so we had high hopes for Selena’s offering! So, six months later she’s finally launching and we have our hands on Rare Beauty, and we have to say, Selena did not hold back. The first collection is a huge range that offers everything from blush and liquid highlighter, to a primer, setting spray, liner, tools, and a massive 48-shade foundation range!

MORE RARE BEAUTY REVIEW FROM OTHER BEAUTIES:

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Compared to some other celeb beauty brands, it’s slightly more affordable than Gaga’s Haus Labs, and it’s also cheaper than Fenty – we’d say it’s on par with KKW Beauty in terms of pricing. But what’s new? According to Selena, β€œRare Beauty is breaking down unrealistic standards of perfection.” She says the range is meant to celebrate what is rare about you, not cover you up or turn you into anyone else, which is definitely an ethos worth celebrating. You can move it around; Gomez wanted every single person to be able to find their perfect shade.” You don’t have to be a makeup artist to use these products or to identify your perfect shade; you can just focus on being you.

And while the price point is fair, you can feel good about every purchase knowing that it’s going towards the $100 million that Gomez has pledged to raise for mental health services over the next 10 years via Rare Beauty’s Rare Impact Fund. “I have struggled very openly about anxiety and depression and mental health,” Gomez said. “[But] the time that I’ve taken for myself has actually just reflected in everything that I’ve been releasing. I don’t know if anyone can tell or cares but you can just see the amount of happiness that I have with what I’m given and what I’m blessed with.” If anything is reflected in Rare Beauty, it’s Gomez’s care and intentionalityβ€”her way of identifying a gap and filling it with something rare and luminous.

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We put everything to the test to see how it stood up on different skin tones and skin types.

Complexion:

Liquid Touch Weightless Foundation, $29

Liquid-Touch-Weightless-Foundation

What it is: A weightless liquid foundation with concentrated pigments that give medium coverage with a natural-looking finish. The formula is ideal for all skin types and comes in 48 shades.

What we thought: A warning to you before you open this foundation, be careful! The formula is very runny so it can be a bit messy. Despite the thin formula, it is pigmented, although we would say it gives light to medium coverage depending on how much you use. The formula sets really nicely without powder and doesn’t move, but we do recommend powdering your T-zone if you’re prone to midday shine and any areas that you tend to crease, as this did settle into fine lines slightly as the day went on. We also found that the foundation wore better when we used less product, so if you prefer fuller coverage, then by layering this up (which isn’t easy) you do run the risk of compromising the wear.

Our tip: Shake well before you open to combine and then be extra careful opening. We recommend using fingers to blend and then finishing by bouncing a damp makeup sponge for a flawless finish, as it takes a bit of work to get a streak-free finish with a brush. If you have combo or oily skin, set all over with a light dusting of loose powder.

Overall we recommend this formula for people who love a no-makeup makeup look.

Liquid Touch Brightening Concealer, $19

What we thought: Overall, we really enjoyed using this concealer and it also has an interesting square-shaped doe-foot applicator that works nicely to apply the product. It blends out easily and gives good coverage without any cake. It sets in place and stays in place, but we do recommend setting with powder under eyes or on any areas that tend to crease. This covers pimples and imperfections easily and is great for natural makeup lovers, but if you want very high coverage, you may want to try a different concealer. However, the concealer does build up nicely and is giving you what makeup vibes, this is all skin babe! PERIOD.

Always An Optimist Illuminating Primer, $26

What it is: A silicone-free gel primer enriched with ultra-fine pearls.

What we thought: This is pretty and very shimmery – we were actually shocked at how pearlescent the formula was. It looked beautiful on light and medium skin tones, but the white pearl base wasn’t flattering and looked a little too sparkly on rich skin tones. It makes a nice base for makeup and definitely helps to create an overall luminous finish, and it wore well with the foundation.

Our tip: For medium to rich skin tones, combine one pump of primer with one pump of moisturizer for a luminous base.

Soft Pinch Liquid Blush, $20

What it is: A long-lasting, highly pigmented liquid blush in 8 shades – 4 with a radiant finish and 4 matte finish.

What we thought: The blush colors are really pretty and we love the spectrum of colors that includes pinks, reds, purples and tangy orange tones. The formula is creamy and incredibly pigmented, which means a little goes a very long way. After blending – which takes a little work – the result is a pretty, healthy flush. For richer skin tones, steer towards the brighter and deeper shades, as the pink-toned blushes have a white base that can look unnatural.

Our tip: Blend it out quickly and apply immediately after foundation or your base for seamless blending, and be sure to work quickly. A brush can help to distribute the color more easily, but finish with a damp makeup sponge to ensure it’s well blended. Less is more with this product.

Positive Light Liquid Luminizer Highlight, $22

What it is: A silky, rich liquid highlighter in 8 shades.

What we thought: We were expecting a natural-looking highlighter from this collection, and so we were surprised to see how rich these pearl-packed liquid highlighters are – you really only need a little to get that pop! The formula is a little tricky to blend, so if applying without makeup, make sure your skin is damp from your moisturizer to ensure it blends well. If applying on top of a base or foundation, apply immediately while the base is still β€˜wet’, and use a damp blender.Some of the shades looked a little sparkly on rich skin tones due to the white pearl base in most of them. We recommend shades Flaunt, a pretty bronzey-gold shade, Captivate, a pinkish-orangey copper, and Reflect, a deep bronze.

Our tip: Shake well before use, as the formula tends to separate a little due to the high pearl concentrate. Try swirling the formula directly on the back of your hand and then dip your makeup sponge into this, and then apply to cheekbones and the high points of your face for a natural glow.

Blot & Glow Touch-Up Kit, $26

What it is: A refillable compact for touching-up on the go. It contains blotting papers and a radiant powder-filled puff.

What we thought:Β Love the concept, but the pack is actually a little chunkier than we thought it would be – much bigger than a phone – so it’s not ideal for smaller purses. On the plus side, the blotting papers are removable, so you can easily stash these in a small purse. The blotting paper works well to absorb oil, and while the powder-filled puff also has a similar mattifying effect, we’re not a fan of the fact it can’t be washed between uses.

Our Tip: Even with the puff and blotting sheets inside, this case is large enough to carry a spare mask. If you’ve been experiencing mask-related breakouts, it doesn’t hurt to carry a fresh one if you’re going to be wearing a mask for an extended period of time (like on walks or grocery shopping).

Always An Optimist 4-in-1 Prime & Set Mist, $24

What it is: An ultrafine water-like mist that hydrates, primes and sets. The formula is suitable for all skin types and is packed with brightening niacinamide, hydrating sodium hyaluronate and a blend of nourishing botanicals.

What we thought: We tried this before and after the foundation and you only need to mist a few times to get a decent covering. It almost has a wet-look finish, but it does dry down. If you have oily or combo skin, we suggest using only as a priming mist otherwise it could make you more prone to shine.

Lips:

Lip SoufflΓ© Matte Lip Cream, $20

What it is: A light, whipped lip cream that gives rich color and a boost of hydration. The matte-finish formula comes in 12 shades that range from a universally-flattering bright red shade called Inspire – that’s the one you’ve seen Selena wearing in all the ads – to a true brown called Thrilling, and bright coral pink named Energize.

What we thought: This has a very comfortable, creamy texture that feels really nice to apply with the flat, triangular-shaped doe-foot applicator, and it gives good pigment payoff from the first swipe. It doesn’t really set, but the creaminess almost wears off over time and leaves more of a stained finish. It’s definitely a formula that you’ll want to reapply throughout the day as opposed to setting and forgetting. We also think the color selection is really cute and we love that there’s some bold and neutral colors to choose from.

If you like long-wearing formulas this probably isn’t for you, but if you like something creamy then give it a try!

With Gratitude Dewy Lip Balm, $16

What it is: A hydrating lip balm packed with shea butter and a botanical blend to nourish lips. Choose from a clear balm or seven tinted shades.

What we thought: This is a really nice rich, creamy formula that feels very hydrating on the lips. We were also surprised at how pigment-packed the tinted shades were, and we love that these glide on, nourish and add a really pretty color in one. We’ll definitely be keeping one of these in our bag for daytime top-ups.

Eyes:

Perfect Strokes Matte Liquid Liner, $19

What it is: A longwearing, waterproof, matte liquid eyeliner formulated with ultra-black pigments and over 1,000 vegan bristles that create a fine tip.

What we thought: This is a really nice formula and works very well with the flexible brush tip. It made applying our wing incredibly easy, as the formula glides on smoothly without feathering and allows you to get really precise application. It dries down to a matte, bold black shade and it lasts all day without smudging. The design also made it easy to use and looks sleek.

Brow Harmony Pencil & Gel, $22

What it is: A dual-ended brow tool. At one end is a triangular-shaped, retractable gel pencil and at the other, a tinted brow gel. The formula comes in 8 shades, from a cool-toned Soft Blonde shade to a rich Soft Black shade.

What we thought: First of all, we love a double-ended brow product, and this tool has a great combo. The gel-like pencil is much softer than your average brow pencil, which means it glides on very easily with high pigment payoff from the first swipe. We liked the idea of the triangle-shaped tip, which meant we could use the pointed end to create hair-like strokes and the thicker side to fill in. However, as it’s so soft, the point did blunt after both brows were finished, which meant creating defined hair-like strokes became more difficult.

Brow-Harmony-Pencil-&-Gel

The brow gel gives immediate coverage and adds instant volume to sparse brows, and we love the mini applicator that made it easy to precisely shape and brush our brows. When the formula dries down, it doesn’t feel stiff or crispy, and just feels really natural. Both formulas wore really well without fading or smudging.

Overall we really like this brow product and we’ll definitely continue to use it. It’s also perfect for keeping in your purse because it’s so small and compact.

Our Verdict:

Overall we’re really excited that Selena has joined the beauty sphere, and from this collection of products, we can tell that she’s tried to do something different. Whether that’s uniquely shaped applicators – all of which we thought worked well – or unique packaging, everything from the colors to the shade-rich offering is definitely a great entrance into the beauty space. Some of the products, like the Soft Pinch Liquid Blush, Liquid Touch Brightening Concealer, and With Gratitude Dewy Lip Balm, will definitely make it into our beauty bags, but we probably would pass on the tools.

You can credit the brand’s smash success to the founder’s star power or the aesthetic packaging, but we are in the camp that these intuitive products are making a splash in the makeup space for the simplest of reasons: they do what they say they will, and more.

We’re definitely intrigued to see the formulas and products Selena brings out next. Hopefully, Selena Gomez make the Concealer bigger because this was our fave! We know Sephora isn’t allowing any testing but try to find someone there that can really help you. Sephora employees do advice that if the product isn’t your shade or up to your liking, you can always return the product(s) back. Rare Beauty is available in Sephora stores and online now.

Let us know if you’re excited to try out this new collection in the comments below.

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H&M x e.l.f.: When Makeup Meets Scent

H&M and e.l.f. Cosmetics team up for a limited-edition fragrance and accessories collection. Featuring three makeup-inspired scentsβ€”Power Grip, Halo Glow, and Camoβ€”plus grip socks, charms, and a bowling bag, the collection launches January 29 online and in select H&M stores worldwide.

The Beauty Report: Laneige Taps KATSEYE for the Juice Pop Box

Laneige launches its Juice Pop Box Lip Tint with global pop group KATSEYE, pairing six playful shades with music-driven storytelling. Discover how each tint reflects a member’s personality, blending juicy color, hydrating formula, and pop culture energy for a fresh, vibrant lip experience.

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6 Cream Makeup Products for Luminous Skin

I very recently discovered the beauty ofΒ cream makeup products, and now that I have, I’m completely obsessed. I find that cream formulas are way more forgiving in application. Whether I’m using a brush, a beauty sponge or my fingers, the creamy texture offers aΒ subtle, luminous sheenΒ that I live for, and it’s way more hydrating than powder. Due to my newfound unconditional love for cream formulas, I made a list of some of my favorite products that I know you’ll want to wear today, tomorrow and every day after once you try them. FromΒ foundationΒ to eyeshadow, keep reading for six cream makeup products that will make you a cream convert and give you beautiful-looking skin.

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Maybelline New York Cheek Heat

For cheeks that are perfectly flushed and have a lovely glowing sheen to them, try the Maybelline New York Cheek Heat. This gel-to-cream formula is super lightweight and blendable, so whether you’re someone who loves a good blush moment or a person who prefers a softer flush, you can customize the finish to your liking.

Uoma Beauty Double Take Contour Stick

best-cream-makeup

This dual-ended stick makes contouring and highlighting a breeze. The contouring side creates a smooth definition with a soft matte finish that doesn’t budge, while the highlighting end offers a luminous, lit-from-within glow. Not to mention, the creamy formula melts onto your skin and hydrates your complexion, thanks to the formula infused with lychee fruit extract.Β 

Maybelline New York Color Strike Cream-to-Powder Eyeshadow Makeup Pen

When it comes to cream eyeshadow, it’s important to find a formula that doesn’t crease. Luckily, this cream-to-powder eyeshadow pen is crease-resistant, fade-resistant and smudge-resistant. Available in six matte and four metallic shades, the cushion tip glides across the lid for precise application and deposits a rich, pigmented layer of color that last for up to 12 hours.Β 

IMAN Cosmetics Luxury HighlighterΒ 

Whether you want to shine bright like a diamond or are looking for that I’m-not-wearing-any-makeup-I’m-just-naturally-radiant glow, this luxury highlighter is perfect for you. Available in three shades to suit women of all skin tones, this multi-use highlighting stick illuminates the skin and can be used on the face, eyes and lips.

Juvia’s Place Shade Sticks

Cream foundation is great if you’re someone who loves fuller coverage. We like this one from Juvia’s Place because it’s formulated to feel like skin for a more comfortable wear. The formula is also infused with shea butter to offer a radiant finish and oil-controlling ingredients to help reduce unwanted shine.

NYX Professional Makeup Soft Matte Lip Cream

This cult-favorite lippie should be a staple in every makeup kit due to its affordable price and velvety smooth formula that dries matte and lasts all day. Available in 22 shades, you’ll want to buy one for every occasion.

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6 Places You Never Thought to Apply Concealer

Here at Makeup.com, we have a very special bond with our concealer stash. It’s one of our most trusted makeup products that’s always there for us, even when it seems like our skin isn’t. Whether that means dark under-eye circles or a spontaneous blemishconcealer can help make our skin woes disappear with each swipe from its magical wand. That’s not all it does, though. In fact, your concealer can do so much more than simply camouflage imperfections, depending on where it’s placed. Find out six places to apply concealer, ahead.

Above and Below the Brow

Blend a thin line of concealer on top of and underneath the brows to make eyebrows pop and open up the eyes. This also helps with reshaping your brows or defining your arches. Be sure to use a full-coverage formula like the Maybelline New York Superstay Concealer to really clean up those edges and give you precise-looking brows. 

maybelline-super-stay-concealer

The Inner Corners and Under the Eyes

To get rid of dark circles, conceal only the blue or purple tint beneath your eyes. To brighten up the eyes even more, tap a little concealer in the inner corners of your eye to really disguise any late nights with no sleep. We love using the Maybelline New York Age Rewind Dark Circle Eraser for this area. The sponge tip applicator makes it extremely easy to tap on just the right amount of product you need.

Across the Bridge and Down the Center of the Nose

Apply concealer on the bridge and down the center of your nose to bring light to the center of your face and help make the nose appear slender. This is also a great contouring trick, making your face catch more light on the high points.

Around Each Nostril

This area is commonly plagued by redness and broken capillaries. Brightening around the nose will help skin tone appear more even all over β€” and we love the Urban Decay Full Coverage All Nighter Concealer because it’s incredible at canceling out that excess discoloration.

Corners of the Mouth

Unfortunately, as we age, the more our skin begins to lose elasticity, which results in loose skin. Conceal the outer corners of the mouth to lift up downturned lips and show off your smile.

Center of the Chin

Combat redness or darkness by blending a small semicircle of concealer right at the crease in the chin. This is also a great spot to place concealer because not only will it catch light to bring more attention to the center of your face, but it’ll also help to further accentuate a great lip color β€” thank us later. 

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