DO YOU REMOVE YOUR MAKE-UP EVERY NIGHT?
I woke up on the morning of my 30th birthday… *cough* …a few years ago and a bit like a New Year’s resolution, decided to use this milestone to rule a line in the sand of my skincare routine.
I was going to be all grown up and proper like.
Photograph by Steve Hiett.
That three-step program the lovely Clinique ladies in their white lab coats taught me many years before that? I was actually going to execute it. Not just once a day. But TWICE.
Gosh, horror.
Yes, I was determined to never again go to bed with my makeup on.
The ultra-lazy-girl in me had been kicked to the bathroom floor. I was not getting any older… And nor was my skin.
I never told anybody about this “resolution”. So, why am I telling you now?
Because a survey by Olay this week offered me solace. That I hadn’t been alone in my makeup removal laziness.
Because according to this survey of 7,000 Australian women, almost half of Australian women who wear make-up (46%) admit they do not always remove their make-up before going to bed.
Are you one of them? Or are you Miss-Goody-Makeup-Remover-Two-Shoes?
For me to make removing makeup part of my nightly skincare routine, I had to get smart. I knew if I set myself up with a routine that involved a double cleanse, exfoliation, pressure point massage and face mask, I’d never make it to Day 2.
By the time I’m ready for bed. I’m ready. So I needed the cleansing thing to happen as quickly as it takes me to brush my teeth.
A two-minute cleanse sounds do-able, doesn’t it?
If all that’s standing between you and removing your makeup every night is a two-minute solution, listen up because I’ve got the lazy-girl-beauty answers you’re looking for.
The skincare purists will probably not approve of my short-cuts but I stick by my post-30s motto: “any skincare routine is better than none”.
Here’s what’s always in my bathroom at the night-time ready:
1. Yes to Blueberries Facial Towelettes - $9.95 for 30.
I’m not overly fussy on the kind of wipes I have on hand should the going get lazy at night time but of all the ones I’ve tried, these are the ones that I love the most on my skin. They’re 99% natural and free of parabens too. Hot tip: keep a pack on your bedside table. That way if you’re REALLY tired (you know those nights when the vinos may have got the better of your skincare routine good intentions), the makeup still comes off.
2. The Jane Iredale Magic Mitt – $32.
Think of this like a cleaning cloth for your face. It’s made from micro-fibre and just requires water to remove your makeup and cleanse your skin. You know it’s working because the makeup is now on the cloth, not your face. The mitt rinses out after use. I usually wash mine every week as well.
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26 Responses to this article
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Alex September 27, 2012
Or you could pick up some macadamia oil in the supermarket for $6 and some microfibre cloths from the supermarket for $3 each and have a routine that takes 30 seconds get even the most stubborn makeup off, balances the oil in your skin fills it full of essential oils and leaves it lovely and healthy and spend the rest of the money on something you enjoy.
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Nikki @ Styling You September 27, 2012
Thanks for that tip Alex!
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The Huntress September 27, 2012
Yep, I’m one of the 46% who do not always remove their makeup. Usually out of sheer laziness. I’m much better when I actually establish my night time routine: Mecca Cosmetica Clean Slate make-up remover, Mario Badescu Keratoplast Cream Soap, Mario Badescu ALPHA Grapefruit Cleansing Lotion, followed by Mario Badescu Vitamin C serum, La Prairie Cellular Time Release moisturiser and eyecream. It’s a long routine, but for some bizarre reason I get much better at taking my makeup off if I make it into a ritual, rather than just using a cotton pad to remove makeup and fall into bed.
I must say that I am really impressed with the Mario Badescu range (available from Kit Cosmetics) – it is high quality and VERY affordable with a great range of products to cater to many different skin types and problems.
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Nikki @ Styling You September 27, 2012
Creating a ritual definitely helps – and thanks for your recommendations!
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Ro. Watson September 27, 2012
Suggestion for the lazy among us~don’t wear make-up at all~ then, you won’t have to remove such products from your face…
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Nikki @ Styling You September 27, 2012
True but still good to cleanse your skin from day’s grime.
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Lisa September 27, 2012
Yes i do remove all my makeup every night,I’m good like that ,just habit I suppose but I ususlly use a cleanser and a makeup wipe to get it off and when I have gone all out and done the fancy makeup I use Simple eye makeup remover .I also cleanse in the morning in the shower.
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amd September 27, 2012
I don’t wear much make up, and absolutely leave it on, have for my whole life – even when i was younger and wore heaps more, and even if I go somewhere special and wear more than usua. Just don’t care. Never will. Another one of the things people think you have to do, but don’t! A quick shower in the morning removes all manner of sins.
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Anne September 27, 2012
I’m definitely a fan of keeping the face wipes handy on the bedside… that way I can even cleanse while i’m reading my book! (sort of).
Alas, Nikki I did go and order a Clarisonic a while back after you had raved about it on this site, but unfortunately it doesn’t seem to agree with my skin – made it tight and seemed to make wrinkles look worse. Maybe because it’s meant for younger skin than mine…
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Nikki @ Styling You September 27, 2012
Oh Anne, I’m really sorry about that. I’m 45 and it’s enhanced my skin.
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Aeron Winters September 27, 2012
I remove my makeup faithfully every night. I have done since my early twenties when I found out that going to bed with dirty skin was going to age my skin prematurely. I use makeup remover wipes then use my trusty Dove 2in1 cleanser-toner in one (see two in one step makes it faster and cheaper). I exfoliate twice a week, mask once….all while in the shower, usually with conditioner on my hair. I follow it up with a slather of eye and face creams and I’m good to go.
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Nikki @ Styling You September 27, 2012
Top pre-bedtime skincare routine marks for you! Impressed.
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Ro. Watson September 27, 2012
All I can contribute here is ~it is raining mascara~ a long time ago in a far away place(which is actually quite nearby)~at an outdoor concert~ it rained….anyway that stuff makes my eyes itch..
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Miss Pink September 27, 2012
I am big on removing my makeup. The only time I get lazy is when I’m getting in at 3am from a boozy night and that’s what I have makeup removing wipes for, although I ususally use them first and then cleanse anyway.
Want to talk laziness? It’s moisturising my face at night. That’s where I’m lazy!
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Nikki @ Styling You September 27, 2012
Like the cleansing it’s a pre-bedtime ritual for me … took a while to take hold but now can’t do without!
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Ro. Watson September 27, 2012
Oh Miss Pink~ have you read Olive Pink’s story… via long time ago Alice Springs~ check this book out~ meanwhile I am thinking of Nina Simone’s “Laziest Girl(or was that”Gal”) in Town” song..
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Van Essa September 27, 2012
I can’t get into bed without washing my face and feet. Yeah I know, it’s a bit strange to have to wash your feet but as I’ve aged I have learnt to just rinse them under the shower.
I have always washed off make-up and I cleanse and moisturise twice a day in the shower. I am 50 and do not have wrinkles although I believe that might be more genetics than beauty routine.
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Tara September 27, 2012
I’ve been doing the 3 step Clinique thing twice a day since I was 20… I recently went with a friend to stock up & we’re both in our *cough* 30 + 10+’s.. The ultimate insult came when the lady at the Clinique counter told my friend that her ‘more mature’ skin needed different products now. She dismissed me with a wave of her hand- You’re skin is fine honey!
B.I.A.T.C.H
I have Botox, I have restalyn, I have microdermabrasion regularly. My friend has chronic skin cancer that requires her to apply acidic creams to burn them all off.
Moral of the story? Maybe those Clinique women aren’t so bright, & maybe make-up removal isn’t *all* there is to beautiful skin.
Each to their own I say! -
Anna Franklin (@AnnaFranklinVP) September 27, 2012
I had trouble getting this done before bed so moved the time to doing it while my girls are in the bath. That way we have a little chat (well actually we are ALWAYS chatting!) and I always remove my makeup. Part of the routine, so I don’t forget. The later I left it, the more likely I was to forget.
Love the post, Nikki. Always love your posts! -
@AnnaFranklinVP September 27, 2012
Actually, quick question. Are Johnson’s babywipes not OK? I find baby wipes lots cheaper than ‘face wipes’. Thanks.
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Peta September 27, 2012
Clique’s ‘take the day off’ balm works for me. I keep it in the living room on the coffee table and rub it onto my face when I’m watching television. Then all I have to do is wash it off and do a quick cleanse and I’m done. It just seems to make the process easier.
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Lucille Rogers September 30, 2012
A rather late contribution but yes very faithful to bedtime routine to cleanse the day away. I use it as a ritual to not only clean & nourish my face but to wash away the day & take 5 mins to ‘be with me’ & check in on how I feel at the end of the day….always more peaceful going to bed if I do this
I have learnt a lot about skin & body care products of late & love that you mentioned the importance of paraben free – essential to avoid those nasties along with a long list of other junk in most lines these days sadly -
Sally October 2, 2012
I am shocked that there is even a question of not removing makeup before bed every time at night. Doesn’t everyone? Why is it optional?
Are these the same people who also can’t be bothered brushing or flossing their teeth, washing their hands or wiping their arse after #2′s, or any number of hygiene rituals that are necessarily performed, because simply it’s NOT THAT HARD!! What do your pillowcases and bed linen look like caked in makeup and grime you dirty, lazy people? YUK!
I can’t ever recall a single time – even when I was my most exhausted, drunk or sick, when I didn’t have the time or presence of mind to quickly wash my face with a facial cleanser!
A pump of lathering Neutrogena ‘fresh foaming cleanser’ is the quickest, most efficient and simplest way to wash away the day’s grime and makeup under a running warm tap in less than 30 seconds (and I wear lots of foundation, eyeliner and heavy mascara – all removed easily). Then a slather of my favourite moisuriser has time to absorb before my head hits the pillow.
I’m personally not a fan of the wet makeup wipes unless I’m travelling, in which case they are convenient – I think they are too coarse, drag and stretch the skin and leave residue that’s not necessarily good for the skin. Always feel I need to rinse and moisturise after using them.
Can’t go wrong with water and a foaming cleanser if you ask me!
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Ella October 18, 2012
I can’t imagine going to bed without removing my make up, brushing/flossing and a shower. So relaxing, I’m asleep within moments – ahh.
I’ve never understood why people go to bed dirty and then bathe in the morning. I have a quick shower in the morning too just to freshen up, before I get dressed.
